Ken Hutchinson – författare

Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, at the lowest bridging point, Newcastle is generally regarded as the capital of the north-eastern region of the United Kingdom. Initially a Roman settlement, Pons Aellius, the city grew to become an important site during the expansion of the wool trade in the fourteenth century and later played an integral role in the nation’s booming coal industry. Today the city hosts the Great North Run and boasts numerous icons, among which are its famous Newcastle Brown Ale and successful Premier League team, Newcastle United FC.Evidence of Newcastle’s past can be seen in its streets. The city’s Roman origins are represented by remaining sections of Hadrian’s Wall, and its industrial heritage is evident in its quayside and warehouses. In addition to these more visually obvious fragments of the past exist little-known passages, buildings, tunnels and other secret places that reveal more of Newcastle than meets the eye. Join author Ken Hutchinson in exploring the more clandestine aspects of the city’s long and varied history.

Newcastle History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this famous city. This new book guides us through the streets and alleyways, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they’ve changed over the years as well as exploring its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Newcastle.

Using vivid extracts from field notebooks and profusely illustrated with photographs as well as paintings and sketches by wildlife artist Jonathan Pomroy, the reader is transported to the beautiful North York Moors National Park. We can share in the excitement as the first Ring Ouzels of the year return from their winter quarters in North Africa, witness their courtship displays, the establishment of territories and the female ouzel painstakingly building her nest and laying eggs. This is followed by the monitoring of the hatching and fledging of chicks and the levels of predation – noted in order better to understand the productivity and sustainability of this vulnerable and isolated population.To hear the song of the Ring Ouzel carrying for a surprising distance across the high moorland in the early morning is one of the many delights of upland Britain. The authors have recorded and analysed both simple and complex songs in their study area and, following comparison with recordings from Scotland, Derbyshire and the Yorkshire Dales, have confirmed the suspected presence of local dialects.Crucially this book is much more than a remarkable record of twenty years’ fieldwork as it builds on earlier research elsewhere and relates local findings to the results of other current studies in England, Wales and Scotland. The contraction in distribution and number of Ring Ouzels breeding in Britain, the work of the Ring Ouzel Study Group, the introduction of conservation measures and the potential impact of climate change are all described. Attention is drawn to the first indications of Ring Ouzel decline in Switzerland.As a migrant, the Ring Ouzel faces additional pressures and problems on passage and conditions in their wintering areas in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco are described. The importance of Britain as a stop-over and refuelling area for Fennoscandian birds on passage in Spring and Autumn is stressed. There is still much to learn and the early attempts to track Ring Ouzels on migration from Scotland to North Africa and back are described. This milestone publication brings the Ring Ouzel into sharp focus for the first time.