NUFC Cup Celebrations

As we welcome Newcastle United's players home with the League Cup today, I thought I'd scan YouTube to see if I could find footage of our most recent cup homecomings. Now, as we're talking about 1955 (for a domestic trophy) and 1969 for ANY trophy, well, there isn't much available ... and nothing in colour that I could find! Anyway, firstly, here are a couple of short films from 1955 and that famous F.A.Cup win:

And this is the best I could do with the 'homecoming':

As for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup of 1969, the following gives a nice overview of the occasion, including some limited 'homecoming' footage:

Obviously, more extensive match footage of both finals can easily be found on YouTube, but I thought I'd keep it brief as I'm sure you're keen to get yourself doon the toon to welcome the boys of 2025 home. I'll be in the crowd somewhere!

Newcastle Exhibition: 'Concrete Dreams'

A few days ago I finally found time to visit the 'Concrete Dreams' exhibition at the Farrell Centre, Newcastle. This institution can be found in the Claremont Buildings that stands directly opposite the Council Chamber of the city's Civic Centre. Here it is:

(click on image to enlarge)

The main entrance can be found on Eldon Place, down the left-hand side of the building, thus:

There's a disabled entrance, too, on the other side of the block. Anyway, here's the lowdown on what the exhibition is all about, in its own words:

Among the many, many displays, models and info panels on display is this extraordinary concept ... the Tyne Deck:

The original design for the Trinity Square Shopping Centre & Car Park, Gateshead:

Other subjects covered include an early Metro train model:

And there's plenty on the suburbs, too. Jesmond Library, for instance:

Also, there's plenty of info panels and videos playing all over the place!:

The Civic Centre, of course:

And that legendary sprawling model of the city centre itself, first built in 1963 and updated until 2010:

More from the suburbs:

What I have covered represents a mere fraction of what is on display. In all, definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY worth a visit for all Novocastrians! It is completely free, and runs through until 1st June 2025. All of the exhibits are on the upper floors (lift available), and on the ground floor can be found a little seated area with 40mins-worth of archive video footage from the 1970s playing on a loop (Amber Films - you've probably heard of them). Look out, too, for the helpful info sheets that will guide you through the films and the exhibits - and if you watch the three films on the ground floor you'll need maybe 2 hours to take everything in. 

Oh, and here's the Farrell Centre's website.

Ancient Whittingham

It's always the case, isn't it? As you can tell from my previous post, a week or so ago I visited Whittingham in Northumberland. I had a walk around the surrounding countryside, then had a brief look around the village before setting off for home. Then, a few days later, I read through the 'Visitor Guide' to the church of St.Bartholomew ... and realised that I'd missed the most important spot in the little settlement.

First, of here's a map of the village, taken from said 'guide':

(click on image to enlarge)

Now, at the western extremity of the village can be seen the point where the Callaly Burn joins the River Aln. A track crosses the two waterways at the point marked '2 fords', named (by the modern-day drawer of the map!) as 'Twyforde on Alne'. It is speculated that this is where a very important synod was held in 684AD, at which Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria, appointed Cuthbert as Bishop of Lindisfarne. We can't be sure about the location, but ancient records say that the event took place at 'Twyforde (twin-ford) on Alne' - and the 'double ford' in question was, it is argued, this very spot in Whittingham. It should be noted, too, though, that Alnmouth also claims to have been the venue for the famous synod!

So, obviously, I didn't get a photo of the 'double ford', but here is an image from the Geograph website. You can, at least, see one of the two crossings:

© Copyright David Clark and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In support of Whittingham's claim, it should be noted that the site lies very close to the Devils' Causeway, a Roman road that angles northwards towards Lindisfarne.

So, who knows?

Whittingham, Callaly ... and a Mystery Solved!

My wife, Angie, and I went for a wander in Northumberland today. We parked up at Whittingham for starters, right next to the church of St.Bartholomew. What a beauty:

We then headed west, and cut across the fields to begin following the Callaly Burn:

Working our way SW then S, we popped along a dead-end track to have a look at the likely site of an old Norman motte & bailey castle. It's where the post is in the picture below. Angie didn't think it was worth the diversion, but, well, you can't pass up the opportunity of something as exciting as this!:

(It's at NU05231045 if you're interested)

On we pressed. To the SE could be seen Thrunton Wood - the middle peak below being Castle Hill, which we would visit later:

And here's the NW entrance to Callaly Castle. Private, though, so we couldn't get a look at it I'm afraid: 

A few yards further on, one of many such old finger posts:

And on reaching the little village of Callaly, could be found another decrepit effort:

On leaving Callaly I turned around for a quick snap. And that's an old Roman road, you know (again, wife not especially impressed):

We then left the road and headed in a southerly direction up and into the moorland - and towards Thrunton Wood. Then we skirted around this funny shaped rock:

On approaching the same I realised that I'd been here before ... some 45 years ago. OK, the lighting and photo quality differs, but I was thrilled - I'd been wondering where this spot was for years! (it's at NU05450827 if you really want to know): 

Me, 2025...

Dad, Mam & Tina, 1980 (taken by a 15-year-old me)

Then it was over the moors in a (roughly) northerly direction, and, during a severe downhill scramble we came across this beauty:

Macartney's Cave

And thence onto Castle Hill, an old Iron Age hillfort: 

Approaching the summit...

... And the summit plateau

There followed a confused and difficult descent from Castle Hill, through a mass of fallen trees, to eventually hit the Callaly-Whittingham road to the north. Chance of a rest here, first, though:

Rather than taking the direct route back to the car, I insisted on bagging another trig point. A modest effort, elevation-wise, a little to the south of Whittingham. Well, you've got to haven't you?:

Just time for a final little wander through Whittingham. Here's an old pant, with the Old Court House in the background:

Oh, and there's the Pele Tower, too:

About 8 or 9 miles in all, I reckon. We wandered a bit in places (as you can tell), so I really don't think it wise to display a map showing our route! What a lovely day, though - and plenty of interest to see.

[Note: Callaly and its many castle sites (five, we think) is an interesting corner of the county, even if you can't see the latest iteration of the same due to it being private. I discussed the matter in Volume 3 of The Great North-East: An English History Tour - see left-hand column for link]

Stottie Cake: a Celebration

Pronounced ‘stottee kyek’.

This week (24th February - 1st March 2025) is National Stottie Cake Week. Launched only last year, the celebration is the brainchild of the Big River Bakery in Shieldfield. But what of the stottie’s history? And, for the uninitiated, what the heck is a ‘stottie cake’? 

The famous North-East ‘stottie’ is a flat round loaf of bread, being a result of a single rising, rather than two (as in, for example, a ‘fadge’). It was originally the result of the left-over dough after homemade bread-making, being thrown, or ‘stotted’, onto the bottom of the oven. The baking process would thus result from an initial burst of heat, followed by a period of gradual cooling. The baking time being about two 15-minute periods with the second being at a slightly lower temperature than the first - and with the loaf being rotated and/or turned at ‘half-time’. 

It has an uneven round flat shape, with a diameter of 8-10in and a depth of an inch or so. It usually features a small hole or indentation near the centre. It is mostly white in colour, with patches of brown. Because of their helpful dimensions, stotties are ideal for making large flat sandwiches!

The etymology of the word ‘stottie’ may alternatively have referred to the general resilience of the robust loaf - and was historically a mainstay of mining ‘baits’. A third theory suggests that the word stottie, which can (sort of) mean ‘bouncy’, refers to the texture of the yeast-based product. So take your pick.

Strangely, the bread seems to have come into use as late as the 1930s, or thereabouts - possibly as a result of the severely austere times through which the working classes were then struggling. Additionally, the increased use of bread tins during the early twentieth century often left an otherwise useless surplus of dough. A stottie, though, would never be baked in a tin, thus giving it its distinctive look.

But let’s get one thing straight: it is not, and never has been, a cake!

'Broadsides' Virtual Exhibition

Just a quick one this time.

I came across this website ages ago, but forgot to pass on the details to you all. It is a little online project of Newcastle University's Special Collections & Archives entitled 'Broadsides: Revealing Newcastle's Past Through Popular Print Culture'. 

There's not much too it, but if you've an interest in the city's history then you might want to have a dip in.

Amble's Singular Blue Plaque

(click on images to enlarge)

At 94 Queen Street, Amble, can be found the town's only blue plaque. I was up there the other day, and found it quite by accident - though it is easy to miss on account of it being 12 or so foot above ground level. In case you can't make out the text on the image above, it reads:

Professor Sir

James Calvert Spence

1892-1954

Kt, MC, MD (Durham), FRCP

Born and raised in this house

Pioneer in the care of sick children and social paediatrics

Founding member  British Paediatric Association, now

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Founded the Newcastle University Department

of Child Health, the first in England

Started Newcastle 1000 Family Study

The Red Spots

The full story of the raising of the plaque, as well as a good deal of background information on the man himself can be found in this excellent piece at The Ambler website. The reference to 'The Red Spots' pertains to the markings that were placed on the family files during the study.

I can only add that several years ago I obtained a copy of the resultant 1954 book based on the work of Spence entitled A Thousand Families in Newcastle upon Tyne. Though I'm sure the man's work was important, I didn't get beyond the first chapter. One for the academics, I think!