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WW1 memorial given new home on Wearside

WW1 memorial spent years in storage but will now be housed in a museum

A Wearside war memorial has been given a new home after spending years hidden away in storage.

The oak carving, which lists the names of colliery workers who lost their lives during World War One, was unveiled in 1921 in the entrance to Washington Colliery Welfare Hall and Institute in Spout Lane.

It remained in place until 2012 when the hall, which was by now the London Inn nightclub, closed. It was then moved into storage.

The site of the old hall is now being re-developed by a partnership involving Riverside housing association and Sunderland City Council into retirement apartments.

One of the private companies involved in the renovation work, Galliford Try, has donated £1,000 to bring the memorial out of storage and put back on display at the F Pit Museum in Washington.

Sunderland City Councillor John Kelly said:” This project is a fantastic opportunity to bring something that has been hidden for many years back to the people of Washington. During this time of commemorating the First World War the memorial is a timely reminder of the impact the war had here at home.”

Martin Routledge, Keeper of History at the Sunderland Museums and Heritage Service, said: “It is fantastic to be able to bring a real piece of Washington history to the F Pit Museum. The memorial was made to commemorate men from Washington Colliery, including the F Pit, so it is fitting place for a forgotten artefact that has needed a new home for some time.”