The William Coulson Memorial

Now and then, I should like to use this blog to simply point the reader in the direction of a particularly interesting article about Newcastle/North-East history which I have fell upon. This is one such occasion.

When I am out and about on my Newcastle wanderings I often pass this fella:

The William Coulson Memorial is situated at the junction of City Road, Walker Road, Ouse Street and Horatio Street - roughly opposite the Bethel Chapel. I didn't know much about this chap, even after I'd read all the various words etched into the monument, front and back.

Then, just the other day I was casually browsing the internet when I came across an excellent piece about him by Sue Syson on the Ouseburn Trust website - see here. I shall not spoil it further for you, so do have a look - there are some interesting tie-ins with other parts of the city.

[Note: Do have a close look at the wording on the reverse of the statue. I just love the reference to "the higher impulses of true manliness and womanliness" ... and wonder what the present-day woke brigade would think of the terminology! 😲]

 

Ouseburn Heritage

For those of you with even a passing interest in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle, then you really need to spend an hour or three on the Ouseburn Trust website. The organisation has been around for nearly 30 years (I remember a certain amount of interaction with it when I ran The North-Easterner Magazine during 1994-2004), and it strives to bring to the public's attention the sheer existence of this uniquely interesting corner of the city as well as suggesting ways in which it can be protected and enhanced.

In the pre-internet days the organisation made itself heard primarily through its Ouseburn Heritage magazine. I remember this well, and most of the old articles therein can be accessed via their present-day website. There are also links to many, many other articles concerning the area - including, of course, a regular blog.

There are walks and talks to involve yourself with, including info on the famous Victoria Tunnel. It really is a fantastic effort. I have no direct connection with the Ouseburn, but regularly dip into the website for pure entertainment's sake. Oh, and if you still don't really know your way round this curious little valley then this website will force you into a proper real-life visit ... and there's lots of pubs down that way, too!