Acknowledgements
Introduction, Foundation of the parish, The church, The presbytery, The clergy, Parish, Congregation, Spiritual, Education, Social and economic, Some notable events, Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks are tendered to: -
Mgr Kevin Nichols, Parish Priest of The Holy Family, Darlington and Priest in Charge of St Osmund’s for allowing access to the St Osmund’s records and for his encouragement in the project.
Fr William Jacks, Bishop’s Secretary, for arranging access to the Diocesan archives.
Mr Robin Gard, Diocesan Archivist, for his ready and willing assistance in guiding me through those records relating to St Osmund’s and to St Peter’s School.
Dr Leo Gooch of Wolsingham for suggestions on other sources and for his general advice.
Fr Michael Sharatt, Librarian at Ushaw College, for providing a copy of Canon Dix’ memoir and for giving permission for its reproduction.
Miss Liz Heffernan, Headmistress of St Mary’s School, Barnard Castle, for suggesting the school logbooks as a source of information and for loaning them to me.
Fr Tom Towers, my brother, for the translations from the Latin, for providing the information on St Osmund and for assistance with the final proof reading.
Miss Janet McCrickard for permission to ‘crib’ the description of the painted ceiling from her booklet ‘Gainford in Teesdale’.
Mrs Clare Coad and Mr Dom Rutter, fellow parishioners, for reading the early draft, making many useful suggestions and not least for correcting many of my spelling and grammatical mistakes.
Mr Mike Stow, another parishioner, for the loan of the photograph of Fr Birgen, and last but by no means least to my wife for her tolerance in allowing me to disappear into the study for hours and sometimes days on end and keeping me replenished with cups of coffee etc.
