Dear Syd
I would like to take the opportunity to respond to Mr Alistair P G Welsh’s and Mr Paul Redhead’s letters in on the subject of the closure of the DLI museum.
My grandfather served in the DLI during WW1.  He died at home shortly after the end of WW1 as a result of mustard gas poisoning in the trenches.  My great uncle served in the DLI and lies in a Commonwealth war grave in Ypres, Belgium.  My father and two uncles also served in the DLI. My father was gravely wounded in Normandy during WW2, but thankfully survived. He went on the serve as a Sergeant in 6DLI until the mid-1960s.  He carried the burden of his wounds until the day he died.  Both my brother and I followed in the family tradition and served in the Light Infantry. I served for 17 years, from 1977 to 1994. One thing I can assure the people of Aycliffe, and the wider County Durham, is that I do not hold any ex-Servicemen/women in contempt, especially those who may have served in the County Regiment.
Since the start of the Tory administration in 2000, Durham County Council (DCC) has seen savage year on year cuts in funding from central Government. By 2020 these cuts will have reached £290,000,000. DCC has had to make huge savings, reducing headcount and trimming back on services.  Unfortunately, all budgets have been under ongoing review, including funding for the County’s museums; Beamish, Killhope, Bowes, and the DLI.
At the December meeting of DCC, I did not vote for ‘not to having a debate on the matter’ of the closure of the DLI museum. I would like to explain that the constitution of the Council allows 30 minutes to discuss any notices of motion put forward by Councillors. On the day in question there were three notices of motion on the agenda. The third of these was in relation to the DLI museum. The first of these notices of motion was to lobby the Government on their imposition of restrictions of unions and union members, a matter of national importance. A proposition was made on the floor of the Council to suspend standing orders to allow longer time for debate. I voted against this proposition.  In doing so, I was mindful that a public Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting was scheduled the following day to discuss the future of the DLI museum and the DLI collection. Any member of the public and/or press can ask questions of the Council at such public meetings.
I attended the scrutiny meeting the following day and asked a number of searching questions.  During the meeting, a number of things became apparent:
• In recent years the DLI collection has outgrown its’ home and storage space is critically restricted.
• Visitor numbers are reducing. Although many people have visited the DLI museum, not that many have been more than once.
• Colonel Ramsbotham, Chair of the Trustees of the DLI collection, and Army Museums Ogilby Trust, welcome the propositions that have been put forward for the future of the collection and this is seen as an opportunity to revitalise and be fit for the future.  The plans include a display area in the Palace Green Library and interactive, living displays in venues such as the Gala Theatre, where a much wider story can be told.
• A larger storage base has been found at the former Rothmans site in Spennymoor.
• There is no intention to split the collection up.
• Whilst the existing building will close, a new chapter in the history and story of the Regiment will begin.
• Communication on the subject of the DLI museum has been poor. Press releases on the subject have been edited, and in some cases, totally ignored. Sadly, this has fuelled contempt and criticism in some quarters.
At the scrutiny meeting, a suggestion was made to create a lasting memorial on the Aykley Heads site. I have expressed an interest in being involved in any such project. Personally, I believe a memorial wall, similar to those at the National Arboretum, would be a very fitting tribute, bearing the names of the fallen of the Durham Light Infantry and its’ antecedent Regiments, the Light Infantry and the Rifles, since the end of WW2. I would welcome readers’ views on this subject.
Cllr Jed Hillary,
Aycliffe East