In 1976, teenage photographer Richard Clayton first went 'over the border' (the local name for the St Hilda's area of old Middlesbrough), whilst he attended Teesside College of Art and was drawn to the Old Town Hall, as painted by L.S.Lowry in 1959. St Hilda's is the oldest part of the town and was the centre of commerce and industry. By the late 1970's, it was becoming more derelict with fewer residents living there, but it had a strong self-reliant community that Richard captured in black and white.

Now based in Skelton, Richard has had a varied career in photography, starting out with Industrial and Commercial Photography with a Teesside firm, to working in studios & photographic labs and also teaching photography to others. Richard has had much of his work published and exhibited in several galleries throughout the region. There is a book to go alongside the exhibition titled "Over the Border and Beyond".

This exhibition covers St Hilda's from 1976 to the present day, focusing on the many changes that have taken place in that time, to the point now where the old Town Hall is in an endangered state and what remains is a few visible graves and grassland.

The meaning of the word 'Beyond', in this exhibition, opens avenues of other projects - a series of photographs in Stockton on Holme farm, which now the site of the prison off Portrack Lane taken in the 1980's, along with pub scenes in Stockton of a similar era. Photographs of Ireland, Germany, Poland and East Cleveland & Teesside.

We do hope you can make it to the opening, which offers a great opportunity to meet Richard and ask any questions about the photographs on display over drinks and nibbles provided by the lovely Iron Co Coffee House.

And who knows, you may spot yourself or relatives of that era, so please feel free to pass this invitation on to whoever you feel will be interested.