Celebrating 70 Years, 1950s Style
August 17, 2026
On Saturday 8th August, we returned to Beamish to mark 70 years of SPACE Architects, twenty years after celebrating our 50th beneath a marquee at the museum. There was a fitting sense of symmetry in returning to the same setting two decades later.
Colleagues past and present, clients, collaborators, alumni, friends and families joined us, bringing different generations of SPACE together for the day. We were incredibly fortunate with the weather. The sunshine stayed with us throughout, allowing the sides of the marquee to come down and guests to move freely between the events field and the wider museum.
The day began over morning coffee, giving everyone time to catch up before heading off to explore Beamish and gradually finding their way back to the marquee for lunch and, later, afternoon tea. There was no real rush; it was relaxed and, above all, an opportunity to spend time with one another.
1950s singers and ukuleles provided a fitting soundtrack, children made a beeline for the neighbouring funfair, and dogs settled happily beneath tables or found the shadier corners of the marquee.
With SPACE founded in 1956, we thought it only right to take inspiration from the decade in which our story began.
Guests were encouraged to embrace 1950s attire, or include a small nod to the era, while bunting and flower arrangements filled the marquee. The details created for the occasion followed the same theme. Our Marketing team developed a unique visual identity for the celebration, with every illustration drawn by hand and incorporated across the signage and event materials.
The food offered another glimpse of the 1950s. Morning coffee was served with homemade biscuits and dropped scones, before a lunch of familiar favourites including coronation chicken and gala pie, followed by blancmange and English raspberry and sherry trifle. Later in the day, guests returned for afternoon tea, with salmon and cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, Bakewell tarts, rock buns and Victoria sponge. The final menu offered a wonderfully nostalgic nod to the decade, with thoughtful references to the 1950s tucked into each mealtime.
Beamish was more than a backdrop to the celebration. Our relationship with the museum spans several projects across the site, including the 1950s Town exhibits and, at Pockerley, the Georgian tavern and pottery.
For some, that meant wandering through the cinema and shops of the 1950s Town; for others, a trip up to Pockerley for a refreshing pint in the courtyard. It was a delight to see the places our team has worked on as part of the day itself, filled with the smiling faces of both our guests and the museum visitors. It was also a fitting reminder of the relationships that sit behind so much of our work, bringing together colleagues and clients with the communities and organisations we work alongside.
“There was such a warmth to the whole day. Old stories resurfaced, and introductions were made between friends and their families. From meeting new additions in prams to hearing proud parents talk about children now heading off to university, with four-legged friends joining us too, including our star of the video, Poppy, Rebecca Eldringham Noble’s Labradoodle. It all felt very fitting for an anniversary that was about celebrating together. I hope it will be a fond day to remember for many; I know it certainly will be for me.”
Rob Charlton
CEO of SPACE Architects
Having celebrated our 50th here twenty years ago, we couldn't have imagined a more fitting place, or better company, in which to mark our 70th. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who helped make the day possible, as well as those behind the scenes who spent months considering every detail and bringing the celebration together. Thank you to all who joined us at Beamish, and to those who have played a role in our story over the past 70 years.