The presentation of the final profits from the sale of ‘A History of the Blacketts’ took place on Friday 15 April 2016 at the ruins of the ancient Blackett home of Woodcroft, Weardale, County Durham (for details of the history of Woodcroft please click here). The party braving the walk up the steep rough track to the ruins comprised the three “Blacketteers”, (Al Kirtley, Pat Longbottom and Martin Blackett), Sir Hugh Blackett 12th Bt., Caroline Robertson of Rainbow Trust, Linda Rickford of Astro Brain Tumour Fund and Anita Atkinson of the Weardale Gazette, to whom we are grateful for a number of the photographs below. Our gratitude is also due to the Peart family, current owners of Woodcroft, and to the weather, as the rain managed to hold off until the presentation was over. Most of the party then adjourned to the Black Bull, Frosterley for a pub lunch, where Al discovered that the fireplace had been built by his Kirtley ancestors (unless the sign – see image below – merely signified that they used to sweep the chimney).
For an account of the presentation on the Astro Brain Tumour Fund website please click here.
