The Cathedra: Newcastle's Bishop's Throne

This is the Bishop’s seat, or throne, of Newcastle Cathedral. It is called a ‘cathedra’, from the Greek word meaning ‘seat’. When our town was raised to city status in 1882 (and St.Nicholas’ Church was thus upgraded to a cathedral), local artist Ralph Hedley carved this fine piece of work … which extends upwards, in great ornamental fashion, to some six metres! It is pretty wide, too, in order to accommodate the bishop’s ceremonial robes.

The first bishop to park their backside hereabouts was one Ernest Wilberforce (1882-1896); and only the one woman, Christine Hardman (2015-21), has had the pleasure.

Note: In case you're wondering, yes, Ernest Wilberforce was related to the famous William Wilberforce (of slavery abolition fame), being the great man's grandson.

[article taken from Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Fragments of the Past, vol.2 (see left)]

Newcastle Stuff

Just a quick one this week. Or rather two.

Firstly, I came across a Newcastle history website/blog the other day which I'd not seen before. It's called 'NewcastleStuff' and can be found here. There's not a lot of blurb on the site to indicate who's running it or for how long they've been doing so, but most of the articles are from the past year or so and there's every hope that more will follow in due course. 

Like my blog, there's not a lot up there so far, but it may be worth keeping an eye on. As we all know, the internet is not exactly overflowing with Newcastle-related websites, so whoever you are ... do try to keep it going!

BTW, if anyone out there is aware of any other similar corners of the web, do let me know. I'd really like to gather together as many links to the city's history as possible.

--O--

The second thing I'd like to mention is, well, it's an invitation, really. Thing is, I'd be happy to publish any articles, long or short, relating to the history of Newcastle on this blog; so if you have anything you'd like to air, then let me know. I cannot offer you any payment for the same, but am happy to help you publicise any book or project you are working on. It may even be an excerpt from something you already have on the market and want to drum up a few more sales. Or it may be that you are just looking for an outlet for your hobby!

Anyway, let me know if you're up for it.

Email me at micksouthwick @ blueyonder.co.uk (without the gaps, obviously).

Bridges of Tyne

A couple of days ago I unearthed an old photo album containing some of my earliest efforts at B&W photography. Among them were a series of snaps from Boxing Day 1984. I'd just turned 20, and my dad ran me down to the Quayside on a crisp, clear morning to indulge my latest fad. I've included five of the many images I gathered that day - a little short of 38 years ago. Bloody Nora.

The first is the classic shot from a little in front of the old Milk Market. There were six bridges grouped together betwixt Newcastle and Gateshead at this point in time, with four clearly visible here (Tyne, Swing, High Level and Metro). And that's the Tuxedo Princess floating nightclub, of course, moored on the Gateshead side. I had my stag night there in 1987. 

Here's the awesome sight of the High Level Bridge from the Newcastle end - soak up that winter sunshine!

The High Level Bridge again, with the Swing and Tyne Bridges in the background.

And further evidence of the day's sparkling weather, as the sun glints through the girders of the recently-built Metro Bridge (opened 1981). The King Edward VII Railway Bridge can be seen in the background, as can (just) the underside of the new Redheugh Bridge (opened a year or so previously, in 1983).

Hard to believe that these photos were taken almost two decades before the Millennium Bridge saw light of day!

Oh, and on the way home we had to dip down to Scotswood to capture good old 'Scotchy Bridge':

When this bridge opened in the Spring of 1967 I was a very young nipper. At the time, my dad rode to work on a bike from Denton Burn to Blaydon Haughs - crossing this bridge as he went. In my innocence I assumed that he had to pedal over the fullness of the arch!

Boy, those photographs took some peeling outta that album. Suppose they had been sitting there for a long time, mind.

Carliol House, According to Wills' Cigarettes!

A year or so ago I bought this on eBay for the princely sum of £1. It is a lovely (original) Wills' Cigarettes card of Carliol House in the heart of Newcastle. I reckon the little item dates to 1931, which is, I think, three years after the Art Deco building originally opened. Here's what is says on the reverse (click on the image to make it bigger) ...

The famous old building running along Market Street East - and with its mighty 'tower' on the junction with Pilgrim Street - is still with us, of course ... if only just. It has survived a recent scare when the whole of the rest of the city centre block (including the Odeon Cinema and Dex Garage car park) were cleared to make way for a huge new office complex. Government workers from Longbenton and Washington, respectively, are earmarked to move into the premises - to be called Pilgrim's Quarter - in 2027. The official website can be found here, but there's loads of stuff available online about the plans.

Don't worry though. They are going to (at the very least) include the fine south-facing facade of the building in the finished article. There has been, however, some concern that they may be ripping out all the 'internals'. Ho-hum.

As a little aside, I love these old pics of the building during construction!

Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Fragments of the Past, Vol.2

 

Well, it took a while, but here it is at last: volume 2 of my Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Fragments of the Past series. Hoorah! Another 200-page's worth of short articles on the history of my hometown - and a pleasure to research, write and put together. Well, I say that, but the process of proofreading over and over again, correcting, sending for 'proof copies' from Amazon, then starting the checking process again ... well, it takes some doing, I can tell you. Hopefully, it has all been worthwhile and you will enjoy the read. Click on the image in the left-hand column for more info + purchase options.

And remember: all profits are donated to the Great North Children's Hospital. I have kept the price of the book as low as possible, with the profit margin being about £1 per sale - so I hope you feel able to buy a copy. And maybe even pass the word on ... and perhaps leave a nice Amazon review to help the sales on their way. Thank you so much if you can do either - it is most appreciated.

Producing books via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon KDP, as it's called) is a pretty neat way of getting yourself into print - in a 'self-publishing' sort of way, anyway. I don't even contemplate using traditional publishing houses now, as it's too much hassle hawking your manuscripts around (and usually without success!). If anyone out there wants a little guidance through the Amazon system, then I will be happy to oblige. I can be contacted at micksouthwick @ blueyonder.co.uk (without the gaps).

Onto the next project, now, then. Back in 2009 I wrote a book on a chap called Cuthbert Ottaway, England's first football captain. Since then, a lot more info has come to light - especially following the (successful) campaign in 2013 to give the man a decent memorial in Paddington Old Cemetery, London. The 1st edition was published by Tony Brown Publishing, but I am going to release the 2nd edition via Amazon KDP. Hopefully, it'll be ready in time for the 150th anniversary of the world's first football international (Scotland v England 30th Nov 1872).

Better get cracking ⚽

Duddo Stone Circle

A few months back, when I was collecting the final few photographs for my book The Great North-East: An English History Tour, vol.1 (see left), I persuaded my wife to take us on a visit to what is arguably the region's most important prehistoric site. We accessed it by taking the minor road some 300m west of Duddo, parking up by the roadside, then traipsing about 1k over (accessible) farmers' fields to the remote spot in question.

Duddo Stone Circle, at grid reference NT930437, is situated about 3 miles south-east of the border town of Norham. It sits, half-forgotten and rarely visited, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. As for the stones themselves, well, originally there were seven (we think), then six, five and, inevitably, four. Then five again. They are, you might say, Northumberland’s equivalent of the mighty Stonehenge.

As has often been remarked, the ancient monument is one of Britain’s finest, and enjoys a spectacular setting. The Cheviot and Eildon Hills loom to the south-west and west, respectively, with the stones themselves enjoying a slightly elevated and isolated position to the north-west of the village after which they are named.

Until recently, no one knew quite how old the little stone circle is. It is a modest affair at around ten yards across with none of its components more than eight feet in height, and early speculation suggested a Druidical origin. In time, the locals assumed it to be a memorial laid down after a victory over the Scots in 1558 in which the Percies chased off a party of plundering invaders. Quite how this tradition arose no one knows, for the truth is that the landmark is, indeed, ancient, with investigations in 1890 revealing remnants of a cremation burial. In 2008, an archaeological dig unearthed charcoal remains which were radiocarbon dated to around 2000BC. Furthermore, faint traces of man-made cup-and-ring marks have been found carved on the large east-facing stone, which seem to confirm its Bronze Age origins. In actual fact, it seems to have been built on the cusp of the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, being erected, possibly, by the native Neolithic population as a sort of ‘plea to the gods’ in the face of the growing influx of immigrants known as the Beaker People (the bringers of the Bronze Age to Britain).

There were at least seven stones to begin with, six surviving into the nineteenth century. Two more seem to have disappeared or toppled over during the ensuing decades, after which they became known as the ‘Four Stones’. Then, in 1903, a fifth was re-erected to ‘improve the skyline’.

Duddo's 'standing stones' are certainly a curious lot. They have been known in the past as ‘The Ladies’ (due to their tapering shape) and ‘The Singing Stones’ (perhaps a reference to the wind whistling through their weathered grooves). And, once more, they can be easily and freely visited by the casual passer-by ... if, as in my case, you don't mind a lengthy car journey followed by a 20-minute hike across the fields.

[This post is taken from the text of my above-mentioned book. So, yes, it's a little teaser for you]

Sycamore Gap & Castle Nick

On our return from a few days away in the Lake District, my son suggested a visit to Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall. It wasn't much of a detour, so we agreed to call in. We pulled off the A69 at Greenhead and angled up to Steel Rigg Car Park via the Military Road. Though you can get a pretty good long-distance view of the famous tree from the equally well-known road, if you want to stop at the nearest car park then Steel Rigg it is - and it'll set you back £4 for the privilege.

You then set off on foot in an easterly direction for about a mile along the Wall, up and down several hills and dips, until you come, firstly, to the nice little surprise that is Milecastle 39 (aka Castle Nick), then to the much sought-after spot itself. It is not at all an easy location to reach, so don't think you can just casually visit with a pushchair, wheelchair, or whatever. It's a good twenty minutes of half-decent puffing-and-panting. 

The milecastle is a lovely little attraction in itself. It measures 19m x 15.5m, and stands almost 2m high in places. It has been excavated several times over the centuries, and is thought to have been occupied by the legions deep into the fourth century.

One 'dip' further on can be found one of the most photographed trees in the country. The Sycamore Gap Tree was made famous by the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner - and it also made an appearance in the video of the spin-off music hit (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (Bryan Adams, remember?). In 2016 it was voted England's Tree of the Year.

Anyway, after a few snaps of my own I left my son, Matthew, and his girlfriend, Hannah, to enjoy the evening sun at this really quite romantic of spots in the way that young 'uns do best: by taking a slew of selfies in a variety of contorted poses...

P.S. By way of a little test, I asked the other three occupants of our car just how old they thought Hadrian's Wall was this year. It's a famous anniversary in 2022, of course, it being 1,900 years since construction began. None of them had a clue, and an extended bout of 'higher/lower' ensued. We got there in the end. Honestly, some people!