Newsletter — Matt James Smith

The words we use matter … don’t they? This is either a chip on my shoulder or a gallant crusade (you decide) but I’ve now heard too many good people doing good work using a bad word.

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Sucessful test screenings of Ghost Train at Beamish Museum’s Grand Cinema

On Monday 10 February, an early edit of my documentary film Ghost Train was screened twice at the Grand Cinema in the new 1950’s Town at Beamish Museum, to small audiences which included contributors to the film, to gather feedback and help shape the forthcoming final version.

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A Map of The ‘Category D’ Villages of Durham

I’ve created an interactive map of County Durham’s “Category D” villages, which you can view below. “Category D” was part of a plan initiated in 1951 that basically identified settlements Durham County Council would no longer invest in, and therefore effectively allow to decline to the point of uninhabitability.