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Driving
into the Clarences for the first time is a unique experience.
After
travelling for ten minutes through the grey remnants of chemical
plants and the looming shipyards on the north bank of the River
Tees you begin to feel as though you must surely be reaching the
end of the world.
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| The
Clarences |
Then
you pass some erratically-placed pubs and a shady cemetery and wonder
what on earth they're doing here amongst such sporadic industry.
Next,
you take a sharp right bend and suddenly you're passing limetrees,
willows and neatly-kept houses and wondering how such a small village
can survive apparently so far from anywhere else.
But
it's not just the geographical isolation of the Clarences which
makes the area special.
Strong
community spirit
Right
from the start we knew there was a clear local identity and a strong
community spirit.
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| The
Clarences Community Centre |
For
a long time the Clarences was somewhat neglected in terms of public
services, but in the last few years things have started to change.
A new
community centre and cafe have opened, and great improvements have
been made in the image of the local primary school.
Energy
and dynamism
We
decided to build upon this energy and dynamism and help the people
of The Clarences to realise their dreams.
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