Welcome to Burradon & Camperdown Forum

The closure of Burradon Colliery in November 1975 was the catalyst for change and altered the community forever. Many of the traditional mining families left the village in pursuit of employment whether it was a transfer to a different mine or a completely different occupation. We were no longer a mining community and the bonds which held the people together began to loosen and the complexion and character of the village changed completely during the subsequent years.

The miners and their families had been the lifeblood of the village with enduring friendships and kinship, strong traditional moral values and their commitment to preserving its unique culture and way of life. Miners had subsidised the social activities in the village for generations with the institute, the welfare, dances, village trips and Christmas parties for the children. Remember George Allan's picture shows at Burradon Club? The miners also built the school, the church, the social club and the nurses' cottage.

Following the closure of the colliery the public amenities were transferred to North Tyneside Council. The institute was closed immediately and the welfare began its long and undignified decline.

The closure of the colliery coincided with Longbenton Parish Council being replaced by North Tyneside Council ("The Council") in 1974. As previously mentioned, traditional village families began moving away and unfortunately they were being replaced with tenants from other areas in North Tyneside and surrounding districts. Many of the people moving into the village did not appear to appreciate or understand the traditions or customs of a colliery village. The Council also began deliberately placing problem anti-social families into the village which had a devastating affect on the community.

The Council failed to maintain investment into the village's infrastructure and services which hastened the physical decline of the village. The village's fortunes declined to such an extent that the residents organised a public meeting which was held on 11 September 1997. In excess of 200 residents attended the meeting which was chaired by the Rt Hon Stephen Byers MP. The proceedings were extremely volatile and the local councillors and officials from North Tyneside Council were reprimanded by the residents who were incensed at the decline of the village.

Stephen Byers suggested the residents organise a committee to hold regular meetings with the council officials to address the issues and concerns of the community, and as a consequence the Burradon & Camperdown Forum ("The Forum") was formed.