'Years of decline but we are not ready to die'
BBCShildon in County Durham has a rich legacy of railway heritage, but like many other towns, it faces challenges with unemployment and anti-social behaviour. Residents say it is a town balancing pride in its past and dealing with present pressures.
The town recently featured in an article in the Sun newspaper which dubbed it Britain's cheapest town.
Residents and businesses said they were tired of being defined by statistics and stereotypes and theirs was a tight-knit, strong community built on generations of families.
Florist Kathryn Hulme said the negativity was difficult to hear and Shildon still had its pride proved by the droves of people who turned out for celebrations of the birth of the railways.
The average house price in the town is £105,705 - less than a third of the national average £368,013 according to Rightmove, and generations of families remain in the town.
"It's hard when you see negatives," says Paula Nelson, project manager at Shildon Alive, a charity supporting residents through crisis and working to improve wellbeing.
"A lot of that's not down to us as a community, it's down to outside factors beyond our control.
"It's years and years of decline, the loss of industry, not enough investment.
"But we're not ready to die, we're ready to fight for our communities.
"We've got so many good community assets and so many good people that we deserve investment in our town."
Hulme said it was hard not to be upset by criticism.
"We could have a million lovely comments and one negative and we just focus on that," she said.
"That's just human nature. I'd like more positivity - there's always good things."
Last year's celebrations marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway offered a glimpse of that positivity.
Streets were busy, community groups collaborated and visitors poured in, with an estimated 100,000 people visiting County Durham and the Tees Valley during the flagship week in September.
For many businesses, the uplift in footfall was welcome and for residents the shared pride was just as important.
"It just proved it, the number of people who came here - we are very proud of our history," Hulme said.
Shildon is widely recognized as the world's first railway town.
In 1825, locomotives built there helped launch the Stockton and Darlington Railway, transforming not just the North East but the world.
Today, that story is preserved and celebrated at Locomotion, part of the Science Museum Group, which draws visitors from across the country.
But history alone cannot insulate a town from modern pressures.
Like many former industrial communities, Shildon has felt the impact of decades of economic change.
The loss of traditional industries, limited local employment opportunities and the steady hollowing out of high streets have left their mark.
Residents speak candidly about anti-social behaviour and the frustration of seeing shops close.
The town centre no longer has a bank or large supermarket and some retail units stand empty.
For many the closure of the town's only secondary school in 2020 was a particularly painful blow with pupils now travelling to neighbouring towns.
"We were gutted when it went," says Nora Brewster of Busy Bees, a charity supporting other charities in the town.
"To be fair, we knew it had to go because it was past its sell-by date.
"But this is a big enough community with enough children to support a secondary school.
"That was a big no-no for Shildon people."
Civic leaders acknowledge the challenges. Town mayor David Bell points to empty shops on the high street, but insists the town's strengths are often overlooked.
"It would be nice to have some local investment coming in and getting the town thriving again through shops," he says.
"But you're not going to break that community spirit.
"It's a lovely place to live and I love living here. We've got very good open spaces, good museums, affordable housing.
"We have nice areas and good park spaces. We have good primary schools. Everywhere can be better, but it is a really good place to live."
Brewster believes that community spirit is the town's greatest asset.
"We've got places like Shildon Alive that do a fantastic job and we have got the people," she says.
"I saw this quote once about having a smile. One person can set a smile away and it'll go around the world.
"In Shildon there's lots of people who do smile and do help."
Durham County Council said the pressures facing Shildon were not unique to the town and it wanted to build a vision for its future.
"Shildon is facing challenges due to the changing shopping habits of residents and the continued pressure from online retail.
"It has a lot of potential and we are developing a strategic place plan for the town.
"Working with the community, this will provide a vision for the area which will include next steps and actions that will help it prosper."
