At the foot of Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, stands a bronze statue of Joseph Cowen (1829-1900), strategically placed to remind contemporary Geordies of his influence as they travel up towards the Tyne Theatre and Opera House which was designed and operated under his guidance. Cowen dominated Tyneside politics between the years 1850-1900: as editor… Continue reading Joseph Cowen: Geordie Entrepreneur, Politician and Radical
For Geordies, Newcastle Brown Ale, Broon or dog – never Newky Brown – still remains as one of the defining icons of Tyneside’s culinary heritage. A dark brown, malty brew, said by some to work like rocket fuel, and said by others, to cause you to go on a mad one in Toon. While the… Continue reading Newcastle Brown Ale: from Miners to Hipsters
‘So tell me about Newcastle.’ Detective Spender: ‘You read the paper’s don’t you? Full of winos, pushers, junkies, dole-wallers…England’s armpit.’ With Spender (1991-1993), Jimmy Nail teams up with writer Ian La Frenais in what first appears as a thinly disguised attempt to rescue Nail from typecast obscurity following his part in the seminal Geordie favourite… Continue reading Toon on Television: Spender
To say that the work of Jack Common has been ignored and forgotten by both the literary establishment and the city he once described has become routine within the few esoteric corners of academia and journalism which have brought attention to the man and his work over the last few years. While his name may… Continue reading Jack Common, The Ampersand and 21st Century Newcastle
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