less than away and Middlesbrough Town Centre is also less than away. In 1967, Associated Dairies' fledgling stores division, launched in 1965, opened their first store outside of its Yorkshire heartland in the town centre. Asda Billingham was their first store to open in the North East and is now the oldest continuously trading Asda supermarket in the UK. In March 2012 it was confirmed that a Wetherspoons Public House would be opened in the Town Centre, along with a Fulton Frozen Foods superstore, as part of the ongoing regeneration plans. In August each year the town centre hosts the Billingham International Folklore Festival – now in its 54th year (2018). Dancers and musicians perform traditional and contemporary dance. In November 2013, a time capsule was buried in front of 'The Family' statue in Billingham Town centre under a stone with the inscription 'FOREVER FORWARD 30 11 2013'. The capsule is not to be unearthed until the year 2078. Demography The population of Billingham, according to the census of 1801, was 962. This number increased slowly until the beginning of World War One, when the need for nitrates to use in explosives brought about a significant burst of growth for the town. In 1917, after Billingham was chosen as the site for the production of synthetic ammonia due to its good transport links and access to the resources needed, the population of the town nearly doubled in just a few years from 4500 to 8000. After the war, the site was bought by Brunner Mond and converted for use in the production of agricultural fertiliser. Brunner Mond soon merged with a number of other companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries. This furthered the growth of Billingham's population, which reached nearly 18,000 by 1931. With the onset of World War Two, synthetic ammonia for explosives was once again in demand, further sustaining the town's development. During the latter half of the 20th century, the population of Billingham slowed significantly due to the industrial decline of the area. Furthermore, Billingham attracted relatively few immigrants after its de-industrialisation. Across the wards that make up Billingham, just 2.3% of the population at the 2011 Census were born outside the UK, compared to a national average of 13%. The population was also recorded as 99% white. Population data for 1801–1971 is available at Britain Through Time. Education Billingham is served by two secondary schools: Northfield