Commemorating the Stockton & Darlington Railway Anniversary: Medals, Statues, and Culinary Wonders

The town of Darlington in the North East of England has a rich history of celebrating its connections to the Stockton & Darlington Railway, with the latest bicentenary celebrations taking place in 2025. However, this year is also significant as it marks the 50th anniversary of the railway's centenary celebrations in 1925. A recent exhibit at the Darlington library showcases the town's jubilation in 1875, 1925, and 1975, highlighting fascinating stories of commemorative medals, statues, and elaborate feasts.

Key Takeaways:

• In 1925, thousands of schoolchildren in Darlington were presented with a commemorative medal showing the profiles of George Stephenson and Edward Pease, while in Stockton, the mayor, Colonel Leonard Ropner, ordered 11,000 medals featuring George Stephenson.
• The official 1925 medal was designed by renowned sculptor Gilbert Bayes and featured two locomotives, a profile of George Stephenson, and Edward Pease on one side, and Vulcan or a romanticized railway workman on the other.
• The designs of these medals were based on the official Railway Centenary Medal, which was cast in heavy bronze and featured the same image.
• In 1875, the 50th anniversary of the railway was celebrated with a massive banquet that included 498 bottles of champagne, 94 tureens of turtle soup, 48 tureens of game soup, and 12 tureens of julienne soup, all prepared and cooked in London.
• The 1925 centenary cavalcade featured a royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of York, who attended on July 1, 1925, marking a significant milestone in the railway's history.
• Commemorative medals were not the only memorabilia created to celebrate the railway; statues, including Joseph Pease's statue on High Row, were also unveiled to honor the town's founders.

Statistics:

• In 1925, 11,000 medals were made for Stockton schoolchildren, while in Darlington, thousands of schoolchildren received medals featuring the profiles of George Stephenson and Edward Pease.
• The 1875 banquet consumed 498 bottles of champagne, 94 tureens of turtle soup, 48 tureens of game soup, and 12 tureens of julienne soup.
• The three Pacific Class A2 locomotives built by the North Eastern Railway in 1922 were the City of Newcastle, City of Kingston-upon-Hull, and No 2402 City of York, No 2403 City of Durham, and No 2404 City of Ripon.

Sources:

• [Darlington library exhibit]
• [The official Darlington 1925 book]
• [Source 1: Chris Lloyd, "The souvenirs created for the 1975 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway"]
• [Source 2: The Northern Echo, "Memories: Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway"]
• [Source 3: The British Library, "A brief history of the Stockton and Darlington Railway"]
• [Source 4: The National Archive, "The Stockton and Darlington Railway Company: records and documents"]