The Strange Case of Rachel Parsons

Those of you who know even a little bit about the history of the North-East will have heard of Charles Algernon Parsons, the remarkable mechanical engineer and inventor responsible for the early development of the steam turbine. He wasn't a North-Easterner by birth, but spent most of his days based in and around Newcastle and Gateshead where he would eventually earn for himself a world famous reputation in his field.

He and his wife, Katharine, had two children, a son and a daughter. Algernon George "Tommy" Parsons was killed in action in 1918. Their daughter, though, Rachel Mary Parsons, followed her father into science and industry - and to startling effect.

However, following the death of her brother in 1918, she seems to have gone into a slow and steady mental decline. It was only very gradual - and she continued to have astonishing success along the way - but her condition seemed to accelerate after she inherited her parents fortune in the early 1930s. She never married, nor did she have any children, and descended eventually into a sad and lonely existence in her various properties.

And then, in 1956, she was murdered. The story is extraordinary, and I would urge you to read the following articles in order. Firstly, have a look at her Wikipedia entry.

Then check out a comprehensive account of her death.

And there's a little addendum here.

How strange. And what a sad end to a truly stupendous family legacy.

Demise of J.G.Windows

On 29th November 2024 one of Newcastle’s best known stores closed after 116 years of trading. JG Windows Ltd, the city’s original music store, finally fell to the march of time and the relentless online competition. It was a long and happy existence, and the store’s loss is a significant watershed moment for lovers of the high street retail world. It went into formal liquidation on 12th December.

No matter how old you are, the Windows outlet in the beautiful environs of the city’s Central Arcade was a mainstay of your life - correctly describing itself in its closure notice as “a cornerstone of the region’s musical heritage.” The shop sold not only music in all its many and varied forms - a large percentage of it ‘niche’ or ‘specialist’ - but also musical instruments, sheet music and all manner of related electronic devices and equipment. There really was no other place quite like it.

(click on image to enlarge)

Founded by the Windows family in 1908 in the almost brand new Central Arcade, the business changed hands in 2006; and from 2020 J.G.Windows also ran a music academy. Its other two outlets, in Darlington and the MetroCentre, closed in 2018 and 2022, respectively. The demise of the company’s mother branch in Newcastle was a slow-burner, with the business being put up for sale in 2023, but despite strenuous efforts a buyer could not be found. The closure meant redundancy for the concern’s 17 employees.

In the aftermath of the closure, local stars of the music scene, such as Neil Tennant, Mark Knopfler, and members of Lindisfarne, expressed their sorrow at the sad turn of events.

Goodbye, old friend.

Souter: the Lighthouse With the Wrong Name

The North-East of England is famous for countless British and world 'firsts'; and the stunning coastal landmark that is Souter Lighthouse, betwixt the mouths of the Tyne and the Wear, represents another such effort. For, despite being out of action since 1988, the gleaming specimen that we still see today, was the very first lighthouse in Britain - and most likely, we think, the world - to be designed and built specifically to use electric power. When it was switched on in 1871 it was, therefore, the most advanced structure of its type.

Previously, operators of the South Foreland Lighthouse near Dover had fiddled around with electrical power during 1858-62, but this effort was an adaptation of an existing building. Souter was purpose-built for electricity from its inception - and constructed after a good deal of research following on from that earlier South Foreland experiment.

Strangely, the lighthouse is, strictly speaking, incorrectly named. For the structure sits on Lizard Point, with Souter Point being about a mile to the south. After much humming and hawing, Lizard Point was considered a better spot than Souter Point, so it was erected a little further north than originally intended. But as there was already a 'Lizard Lighthouse' down in Cornwall, they decided to stick with the geographically-incorrect moniker to avoid confusion. The light itself was generated by a carbon arc lamp, and was first lit to great acclaim on 11th January 1871. 

This particular stretch of coastline had an appalling record when it came to shipwrecks, with dangerous reefs and rocky outcrops abounding; so the new warning beacon was considered an essential addition to the coastal scene. The light, which was generated by two magneto-electric generators, had a range of 26 miles, and was supplemented by a huge double-foghorn - which itself was powered by the same source. Then, in 1891, the tower gained its distinctive broad red band!

Obviously, the lighthouse was upgraded from time to time, including being converted to oil-power in 1914 - eventually reverting to electric (this time via mains electricity) in 1952. Trinity House, who were of course responsible for Souter Lighthouse's construction back in 1871, eventually decommissioned its own creation in 1988. Perhaps unusually, it was never automated, so the building happily retains much of its old internal workings.

The site is now run by the National Trust and is open to visitors. It is blessed with a cafe and small second-hand bookshop ... and even has a couple of holiday lets!

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.

Firstly, 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]