Easington Colliery

[rob_hanson1979]

Hi,
Not sure if this has been discussed or not, but has anyone actually traveled to Easington? Is there much to see from where they filmed the movie? I know that the house Billy "lived" in was torn down, but is it still worth going to see the area?

[kport]

I have been there. It depends what you want to see - you can certainly pick up a vivid sense of what living there would have been like, for Billy and the others. The film was shot there and several nearby villages. You have probably seen this Wikipedia entry:

Due to Easington Colliery's closure in 1993, the mining scenes were filmed at the Ellington and Lynemouth Colliery in Northumberland, with some filming in Dawdon and Newcastle upon Tyne.
Scenes inside the Elliot home and local street shots were filmed in Easington Colliery, County Durham, a former mining village. The producers used over 400 Easington people as extras. Alnwick Street, on which the Elliot family lived at number 5, was one of several streets demolished in 2003 after becoming derelict. A green space now stands in its place. The faded-white brick wall of Wright's Prize Bingo, on Ashton Street, is still visible. The scene in which Billy steals a ballet book from the mobile library van was filmed at the rear of the Anthony Street terraces, looking down the hill to Ashton Street. Almost all of the scenes set in Everington are set at the top of the sizable slope that is visible in the street views, near the allotments that still remain today; the exception being when Billy leaves for London, when he and his family cross Ashton Street en route to Seaside Lane.
While the Miners' Welfare Hall is in nearby Dawdon, the youth centre where Billy attends dance practices was filmed at Hanwell Community Centre in London.
The street up which Billy does his "angry dance" is Embleton Street in Dawdon. While made to seem like it is the same street, the corrugated iron wall at which he comes to a stop is at the end of the alley between Embleton Street and Stavordale Street West, with the corrugated iron wall he stops at being a temporary installment to hide Shrewsbury Street behind it.
The cemetery in which Jenny Elliot is buried is in Lynemouth.
School scenes were filmed in Langley Park Primary School, County Durham.

This quote sums up what you might find:

Easington has been depleted of local banks and building societies due to the closure of the mine in 1993. It is officially recognised as being the most economically deprived town in the United Kingdom and has the largest percentage of long term illness and unemployment.
There were three Post Offices in Easington. The one in the town serves the top of Easington, the middle post office serves the area which is predominantly council properties, and the lower post office served the colliery housing area. This post office has now closed as of 10 October 2008 after being cut in the closure scheme by the Post Office. Easington Academy is located in the village. It acts as the main secondary school for the village and surrounding area.
Easington is notable for being the town with the highest percentage of white residents in England (99.2% white in 2001). According to the results of the 2001 census, it also has the UK's lowest population of Jedi knights.

[kport]

I have been there. It depends what you want to see - you can certainly pick up a vivid sense of what living there would have been like, for Billy and the others. The film was shot there and several nearby villages. You have probably seen this Wikipedia entry:

Due to Easington Colliery's closure in 1993, the mining scenes were filmed at the Ellington and Lynemouth Colliery in Northumberland, with some filming in Dawdon and Newcastle upon Tyne.
Scenes inside the Elliot home and local street shots were filmed in Easington Colliery, County Durham, a former mining village. The producers used over 400 Easington people as extras. Alnwick Street, on which the Elliot family lived at number 5, was one of several streets demolished in 2003 after becoming derelict. A green space now stands in its place. The faded-white brick wall of Wright's Prize Bingo, on Ashton Street, is still visible. The scene in which Billy steals a ballet book from the mobile library van was filmed at the rear of the Anthony Street terraces, looking down the hill to Ashton Street. Almost all of the scenes set in Everington are set at the top of the sizable slope that is visible in the street views, near the allotments that still remain today; the exception being when Billy leaves for London, when he and his family cross Ashton Street en route to Seaside Lane.
While the Miners' Welfare Hall is in nearby Dawdon, the youth centre where Billy attends dance practices was filmed at Hanwell Community Centre in London.
The street up which Billy does his "angry dance" is Embleton Street in Dawdon. While made to seem like it is the same street, the corrugated iron wall at which he comes to a stop is at the end of the alley between Embleton Street and Stavordale Street West, with the corrugated iron wall he stops at being a temporary installment to hide Shrewsbury Street behind it.
The cemetery in which Jenny Elliot is buried is in Lynemouth.
School scenes were filmed in Langley Park Primary School, County Durham.

This quote sums up what you might find:

Easington has been depleted of local banks and building societies due to the closure of the mine in 1993. It is officially recognised as being the most economically deprived town in the United Kingdom and has the largest percentage of long term illness and unemployment.
There were three Post Offices in Easington. The one in the town serves the top of Easington, the middle post office serves the area which is predominantly council properties, and the lower post office served the colliery housing area. This post office has now closed as of 10 October 2008 after being cut in the closure scheme by the Post Office. Easington Academy is located in the village. It acts as the main secondary school for the village and surrounding area.
Easington is notable for being the town with the highest percentage of white residents in England (99.2% white in 2001). According to the results of the 2001 census, it also has the UK's lowest population of Jedi knights.

It appears that even the Jedi knights followed Mrs Wilkinson's final bit of advice for Billy!

[Borrobil]

Yes, I went a few years ago, the kids still swear in the streets! and ride bikes, but the beaches are not black any more, there's no evidence of any pit, or mining buildings, and no spoil heaps to see. Very little evidence of any industry, except in nearby towns. Its only going to occupy you for an hour or two at best, so unless its part of a planned day doing something else, I wouldn't make a special visit.

There's lots of new roads etc. You can see the allotments and the graveyard described in the film, but Billy's actual house was pulled down along with 3-4 streets of terraced houses as no one wanted them. I took some photos (link below) the first few are Easington 2years ago, except the very first one obviously.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10021297 ... banner=pwa

[BILLYFAN]

I visited Easington Colliery in 2002 just before Billy's house was pulled down
It was a depressing place then, most of the shops boarded up in Seaside Lane, but, according to some t.v. programmes, it has been smartened up now.
The closed down cinema where George asks Billy if he has "heard from the royal ballet yet" is ( or was?) a carpet shop
There was a small mining museum in the ex miners welfare hall, but I've read somewhere that this is now closed down
I had some very nice fish and chips from the chippie at Easington Colliery, who cooked it fresh for me as I didn't realise that it closed at 1.00pm and I got to the shop a couple of minutes before she closed
On a fine day it is worth visiting the site of the old mine, there is a "time line" from the very large car park to the top of the hill, were there is a information board and part of the lift cage
On one side of the time line it give you the dates and history of the mine, on the other side what type of material, other then coal, there is
There is a small memorial garden for the miners the died in the explosion in 1951. and further up the village, towards Easington there is a memorial walk with a tree for every miner that was killed
B e warned though:- there are no public toilets that are open, there were 2 that were closed down
so you will have to find a café ( there were none when I went Just the fish and chip shop. which was a take away) or a pub if you want a toilet

[rob_hanson1979]

wow thanks for the info, and those are some really interesting photos. I imagine there isn't a ton to see and do, but maybe combined with a stop in Durham or something. I definitely want to go though, it's like a pilgrimage. I'm surprised it's the poorest village in the UK. I hope it's still safe.... but considering some of the places I've traveled, it won't stop me.

I was actually thinking of getting a BE tattoo at the tattoo parlour in Easington.... until I read that the owner is the leader of the UK section of the KKK.... so that idea has been squashed. But I think I've come up with a really cool alternative.

[Eltonjohn]

Some info regarding the boxing/ballet training scenes...

Hanwell Community Centre is managed directly by Ealing Council. The centre has operated as a community centre since the 1940’s, providing facilities for the local community.The building itself has a fascinating history.

The centre is housed in what remains of the Central London District School, built to accommodate and educate orphans and children from destitute families. The school could look after 1200 children, many were sent there from local workhouses. Charlie Chaplin was in residence from 1896, and once the school closed in 1933 the site continued to be linked to celebrities.

In 1969 four of Britain’s most famous rock bands The Who, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin all rehearsed at Hanwell Community Centre.The centre has also proved to be a desirable filming location with scenes from TV series Only Fools and Horses, Midsomer Murders, Jemima Shaw Investigates, Ultimate Force, Bergerac, Rumble, Prisoners of Conscience, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries and New Tricks, being shot inside the building and on the grounds. In 2000 the film Billy Elliot used the 5 a side sports hall for the filming of the ballet and boxing studio scenes.

[kport]

Do you remember what Tony told Billy, when they learned the strike was off? 'We are....dinosaurs...'

This is the reality....today.

What I find most odd is the lack of any people in these shots. Yet many of the scenes seem reminiscent................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuDG5U0H4T4

[jtsw1]

Depressing.

However, I found this one in the recommendations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUPg8qFaH_0

And this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNaNdye5KFA

[CJ-Rochester]

This is a very nice news clip about Easington Colliery, the attention given to the region after the Billy Elliot film and musical, and how the area will benefit from proceeds from the final London show.

https://www.facebook.com/madeintyneandw ... 076760777/