Newbiggin Genealogy Group Summer Exhibition

Our Summer exhibition 2023 is a 5 day festival of walks & talks & fascinating information about the people & history of Newbiggin by the Sea – & it’s being held in one of the town’s great historic buildings,

‘Come home to Newbiggin by the Sea’ will be held at the Newbiggin Community Activity Centre, formerly St Mark’s Presbyterian church from Friday July 28th – Tuesday August 1st.

Join us, join in & begin the summer holidays with 5 fascinating days of people & history & some new insights into Newbiggin by the Sea.

The exhibition is open 12-4pm each day – with these additional events, all held, or starting from the Community Activity Centre

Friday 28th Walk – Newbiggin’s West End Art expedition 2-3pm

Saturday 29th Talk – Schooldays in Newbiggin 2-3.30pm

Sunday 30th – Welcome Day 12-4pm – focussed on ‘newcomers’, where they come from & what they bring.

Monday 31st – Walk – Mr Renner’s last walk. The length of Newbiggin to the moor, meeting the people of 1887 2-3pm

Tuesday 1st – Talk – ‘West End is the best end’!

A lively debate will ensue – 2pm

Newbiggin Community Activity Centre ( the former St Marks Presbyterian church ) is one of the great historic buildings of Newbiggin by the Sea. In 1866, one of Newbiggin’s early schools, ‘Browns’ school was opened in the church cottage here by Alexander Brown ( 1825-1892) The church itself was opened in 1868 . As well as the wonderful memorial window to Dr John Campbell Reid (1816-82) it also contains a fine war memorial, important historic plaques, some wonderful work from Newbiggin calligrapher Tom Fleming ( 1921 – 2021), Tim Martin’s lifeboat record panels & much more, even before our exhibition goes on display.

‘Come home to Newbiggin’ is the very beginning of our Great Homecoming Invitation / to all the interlinked descendants of Robert Robinson & Katherine Milburn, who were married at Woodhorn in 1627 & whose family is now spread across the globe – as well as across Newbiggin.

This is the first time,over the next four years,that we are going to invite people to ‘come home to Newbiggin’ & to join in a great celebration of the huge achievements & wonderful stories of Newbiggin by the Sea & its people.

Come & join in too. ‘Come home to Newbiggin’ from wherever you live.

Everybody is welcome.