3 October 2025

Hello everyone. I had the pleasure of attending the fantastic Stockton and Darlington Railway 200 (S&DR200) celebrations last weekend. I would like to like every person involved in organising such a fantastic weekend of celebration.

It was a real honour to join the Lord Lieutenant of Durham Dame Sue Snowdon and the Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees in welcoming the Locomotion No. 1 to Stockton Station on Sunday morning. Celebrations continued in the Town Centre where thousands of people came together to mark 200 years since the birth of the passenger railway. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves across the borough. On Sunday evening I attended Ghost Train: The Arrival, a wonderful show that brought the celebrations to a close. Afterwards I returned home to watch the last few hours of the Ryder Cup. This was not good for my blood pressure as it looked for a while like Europe was about to grab defeat from the jaws of certain victory.

Alongside my cabinet portfolio of Resources and Transport, this week I have also been covering for Councillor Evans while she takes a well-deserved week's holiday. The highlight of my week came on Thursday evening when I attended the Learner Celebration Event at Billingham Community Centre, hosted by the Learning and Skills Service. This annual event celebrates the brilliant achievements and hard work of graduates of our adult learning service. If you're looking to learn a new skill or gain a qualification, visit the Stockton Learning and Skills website to view the prospectus and find our latest courses.

This weekend I am off to London to the NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, whatever it is that you are doing.