Hopes raised for Gospels' return

Feb 28 2007 By William Green, The Journal

North-East MPs fighting to bring the Lindisfarne Gospels home to the region have expressed "cautious optimism" after meeting British Library chiefs.

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Gateshead East and Washington West, Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods and Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, said they were pleased to have opened a dialogue with the British Library - which currently holds the Gospels originally taken from Durham Cathedral in 1537.

The trio are also hopeful that a new report into the manuscripts' condition will be commissioned and will now spearhead the formation of a group of North-East experts that will seek to prove the Gospels can be housed safely in the region without causing lasting damage.

Mrs Hodgson, who last week secured a pledge of support from the Prime Minister to bring the Gospels home, said: "I hope this meeting will prove to be a step in the right direction, but we will have to wait and see.

"We now have an open dialogue with the British Library and it was clear to see that they understood the strength of feeling in the North-East."

Mrs Blackman Woods, whose constituency houses the remains of St Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral, said: "The current report into the condition of the Gospels highlights their precarious condition.

"We would like to see a new report that updates us on the condition of the Gospels, the likelihood of moving them and whether any restoration is possible."

She added the MPs were pleased that Sir Colin Lucas, chairman of the board of the British Library, had agreed to take the request for a new report forward to his colleagues.

Mrs Taylor, who has previously met with British Library officials, said: "There is still a lot of work to be done but there does seem to be some small room for manoeuvre.

"We will be pulling together experts from across the North-East to find a suitable blueprint which shows that we can take good care of the Gospels."

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Treasures from North-East museums on display at House of Commons

Treasures from North-East museums and archives will be displayed at the House of Commons today to demonstrate culture's contribution to life in the region and press for continued funding.

Among the London-bound items are William Irving's 1903 painting of The Blaydon Races, a clock frozen in time by the First World War shelling of Hartlepool and a mug commemorating the 1832 election campaign of John Bowes, co-founder of the Bowes Museum. They will be displayed at a reception organised by Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) to be attended by MPs and peers and addressed by Ed Balls, Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

MPs will be told that the Government's Renaissance funding programme has transformed the region's museums and that further support in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review will continue the good work.

According to MLA bosses, £15m per year is needed - in addition to current funding - to extend the benefits of the Renaissance programme.

Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham, said: "The treasures which are being displayed really give a sense of the fantastic culture and heritage on offer in the North-East. Museums, libraries and archives are the cornerstones of our society, highly valued and used regularly by more than two thirds of the population.

"They provide knowledge, inspiration and information that stimulates creativity and helps people to develop skills, therefore becoming more employable." He added that museums, libraries and archives were key contributors to the regional economy.