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The miners of the North-East, working in the most dangerousof conditions, supplied the coal which fuelled the engines ofthe Industrial Revolution and provided heating and lightingto millions of homes. Throughout much of County Durhamand Northumberland pit communities sprang up because ofthe need for coal. Mining was fundamental to thedevelopment of the region.Illustrated with numerous colour photographs, Echoes of theNorth-East Miners throws the spotlight on the physicalheritage left by the pitmen and their communities, includingthe numerous memorials and banners which speak soeloquently of their struggles in the face of adversity, theircompassion and their enduring spirit of friendship.

Newcastle and Tyneside in the Second World War: The People's Story is told through contemporary reports, many previously unpublished first hand accounts, rare photographs and memorabilia that combine to present a unique and moving account of our region and the experiences of local people on the home front and on active service

Newcastle's colourful and sometimes dramatic history is brought to life in this series of tales spanning several hundred years. Including some of the most fascinating accounts of true stories from the city's stirring past. From the Great Fire of 1854 to explosions on the Town Moor, this book covers the major events that helped shape the city. Featuring some of it most influential figures like Lord Armstrong and George Stephenson, as well some much-loved landmarks like the Newcastle Keep and City Walls, Historical Tales from Newcastle is a must-read for those wanting a starting point into the history of the city.

2018 marks the centenary of the year when (some) women in Britain were allowed to vote for the first time. It is also the year of the `Great Exhibition of the North' when we are reflecting on the North's past successes, drawing on these for future inspiration and aiming to encourage the aspirations of our young people, girls and boys. Angels of the North highlights forty women who are either from the North-East - or have strong connections to it. Some of these women are household names whereas others have significant achievements to their credit but are in danger of being forgotten. All of them are women to be proud of. The forty women cover many fields - the arts, politics, science, women's rights, business and sheer heroism. The book focuses on the successes, achievements and ambitions of these women, noting collaborations, friendships and common goals. It also underlines that north east women were the pioneers in many of these fields. The first `feminist literature' was written by a north-east woman, one of our women caused the first national `media frenzy', we had the first female cabinet minister and the first national beauty queen. Many of the women featured fought for women's rights and were suffragettes - it's important to record the role northern women played in that struggle, perhaps providing more energy, passion and sheer determination than other regions.Northerners may not be given to self-promotion and are not given to boasting, also in a Britain dominated by London-based media the North's achievements and accomplishments often seem to get overlooked. This book is a timely reminder and a celebration of some of our country's most remarkable and truly inspiring women.

There are many places in the world named Newcastle. At one time they may have had castles. Some still do. Not all of them are English-speaking. There were new castles in many different countries resulting in names such as Shinshiro, Neuchâtel, Neuburg, and Nové Hrady. And some Newcastles were named after other Newcastles or individuals bearing the name Newcastle. Not all are cities, some are towns or even villages. One is an army settlement. One is a star. They all shine brightly in their own way.

Written from an insider’s extraordinary working encounters and packed with never-seen-before pictures, this compelling and entertaining compendium of astonishing (and often hilarious) anecdotes, is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the sounds and sights of the 70s, 80s and 90s.Fascinating encounters and working relationships with over fifty global super-stars - from Madonna to Miles Davis, David Bowie, Little Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, Bryan Ferry, Malcolm Maclaren, Sting, Elton John, Jane Fonda and many more, are described with wry humour. Amongst many, there are first-hand tales of the great Miles Davis being ordered to stop playing his trumpet (“that thing”) in a Newcastle pub; Chris paying Madonna’s train fare (standard class) with cash in brown envelope; Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing on top of a giant hot dog in Hollywood, and a meeting with Grace Jones wearing a Micky Mouse hat in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. “Namedropper – an unorthodox biography” is jam-packed with similar observations and anecdotes on the rich and famous of the day and is written with huge warmth and wit by broadcaster, film maker and former producer of Channel 4’s The Tube, Chris Phipps.

A book to inspire a love of books! An ordinary boy is dragged to the library one mundane Saturday afternoon, much to his dismay; there are a million other things he'd rather be doing! Glumly traipsing up and down the aisles, he comes across an ancient, mysterious book with a mind of its own, and when his head becomes trapped within the pages, he is catapulted into a magical world filled with dinosaurs, dragons, pirates and ghosts...

The North East Coast presents a selection of true-life accounts from the region's fascinating maritime and seafaring history. Including some of the best stories from his previous books, Newcastle author Ken Smith throws the spotlight on such exciting episodes as Grace Darling and the rescue of survivors from the Forfarshire, the birth of the first purpose-built lifeboat and the career of the illustrious Tyne-built liner Mauretania.

Alan Morgan has lived in High Heaton for nearly 90 years and witnessed most of its growth from farmers’ fields and the residue of industrialisation to the pleasant and popular residential suburb it is today. Paddy Freeman’s Park, with easy access to Jesmond Dene, and the adjacent world-renowned Freeman Hospital are just two of the familiar landmarks celebrated in this book.Nearby, Cochrane Park developed into another sought-after residential estate following the demolition of two 18th century mansions in extensive grounds. At Benton, this much older village, pockets of smaller residential estates have appeared alongside earlier listed buildings now adapted for modern use.This book is liberally illustrated with photographs, maps and aerial views to help the reader discover the scale of development in this area and appreciate the many historic features that remain.

This book takes us back to the beginning of the 1980s against the background of the impending miners’ strike and the strained relationship between the unions and the Thatcher government. Caroline Barker Bennett recorded the experiences of twenty women industrial workers on Tyneside. The eldest of these women started work in 1934 and the youngest in 1981. These interviews are documented here and give a unique insight into the lives of working women at the time.Working as an industrial chaplain, Caroline got to know the women through visiting George Angus, an engineering company in Wallsend, and Louise Argyle, a women’s clothing co-operative, in Hebburn. These fascinating oral accounts document the changing conditions, struggles and everyday experiences of working in many different factories, shops and offices and are a valuable contribution to an important part of the region’s social history that is often overlooked.

The North East is famous for many things - its friendly people, its passion for football, and its industrial heritage. But has it had its own recognisable music scenes? This is one of the key questions asked by author Ian Fawdon when he set out to interview some of the most important figures in the region's musical history.London, Liverpool and Manchester are all celebrated for the artists and genres that define those regions, but has the North East had something similar? Ian sat down with over 30 artists to find out what it means to be a musician from the North East. Starting with some of the key figures associated with The Animals and the 1960s scene and, after a detour into the worlds of Heavy Metal, Folk, and Indie, he ends the book chatting with one of the modern day's most exciting talents, Nadine Shah.On his journey Ian meets many talented and fascinating individuals who help him to understand whether staying in the area is a smart move or, when it comes to making it big in the music business, is it simply Too Far North?

Beneaththe cover of darkness on a cold October night in 1925, the bodies of 12executed men were quietly moved from the yard of the newly-closed NewcastlePrison and reburied in All Saints Cemetery in Jesmond. This haunting eventmarked a poignant chapter in the intriguing tale of Newcastle Prison. Oncecelebrated as a cutting-edge facility designed by acclaimed architect JohnDobson, the prison opened its doors in 1828 to much fanfare. However, itquickly became infamous for its overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. By thetime it closed its doors in 1925, it was deemed a dismal failure, and today, notrace of the once-prominent structure remains. Writtenon the 100th anniversary of the closure of Newcastle Prison, this book invitesyou to explore hidden stories and rare images from the lives of thoseincarcerated, and the staff, who lived and worked within its walls. During itsyears of operation, the Prison housed thousands of men, women, and children,enduring a harsh environment marked by severe punishment. You will meet theindividuals who navigated life behind bars, find out about heartbreakingnarratives from the women’s wing, uncover the mystery of the missing executedbodies, and learn about audacious escape attempts.  Featuringremarkable stories, alongside specially commissioned and never-before-seen 3Dmodelled images of the prison, the book draws on detailed archival research andthe latest digital techniques to offer a uniqueand revealing insight into the prison's architectural and social development,vividly bringing the past to life.

This is a tale of a woman who takes any and everyopportunity she has ever been offered to live life trulyto the max. Through her passion for travel, alongside25 years working in the industry, she embraces herGlobal Soul and has visited 68 countries (andcounting). However, as this story shows, the pull ofTyneside is irresistible and no matter where sheventures, Nicola always manages tofind herselfdrawn back home to her Newcastle roots.

Newcastle is a city that changes after dark.As daylight disappears, familiar streets, buildings and landmarks take on a different character. Artificial light creates pools of colour and shadow, reflections transform the wet pavement, and everyday places can suddenly feel unfamiliar.Nocturne is a photographic journey through Newcastle upon Tyne at night, exploring its atmosphere, beauty and quiet wonder. The photographs move between the energy of the city and its quieter moments, finding details and scenes that might otherwise go unnoticed.As the project developed, it also became more personal. The night-time city offered a way of exploring feelings of solitude and isolation, while also providing a sense of freedom & discovery.

The first biography of one of the North East’s best-known artists. Written by well-known local art historian and author Marshall Hall, and titled John Falconar Slater – The North East’s Weatherproof Artist, it tells of how the Newcastle-born artist acquired his nickname by wearing his weatherproof oilskins to paint the local coastline in the wildest of climatic conditions. At a time when artists on the Continent were increasingly succumbing to the attractions of open-air painting, leading to their identification as “Impressionists”, a North East artist had been independently practising it for several years, and in weather conditions rarely tackled by its followers in France and elsewhere.

In this follow up to the author’s hugely popular History of Newcastle, John Grundy turns his attention to the vast and beguiling history of Northumberland. Drawing on his experience as a Listed Buildings Man, John traces the county’s turbulent history with particular focus on the castles, mansions, houses and streets where people lived their lives and fought for survival. Whether it be civil wars, invading armies, plague or poverty, the people of Northumberland have toughed it out throughout the centuries against all kind of challenges. However, one thing that has remained constant is the wild beauty of the place. From its glorious coastline to the splendid market towns with their monuments, grand houses and fortifications, this vast county has the ability to both evoke the past while bringing pleasure to its current inhabitants ‑ as well as millions of tourists every year. Featuring new attractive colour photographs this book will give you a greater appreciation of the place, its buildings and its people and provides the perfect companion to further explore the county. John’s journey to get to the heart of what it means to experience Northumberland has taken decades and, in this book, he wants to share with you a very personal take on why the county means so much to him.

On 31st January 2020, Newcastle Hospitals became the first hospital in the UK to receive patients suffering from a new illness - Covid-19. At the time Tom Warburton was a senior director at Newcastle City Council and was directly involved in organising many of the city’s responses to the Covid pandemic. As a keen amateur photographer, he knew he would be in a unique position to try and make a photographic record of the pandemic's effect on Newcastle and its people during one of the most difficult periods in recent history. Over the next two years, and with controlled access to some of the most sensitive and strategic areas of the battle against the virus, Tom recorded both the sadness and desperation as well as the achievements and sacrifices of those in the frontline fight against the pandemic. Tom’s photographs will serve as an important historical reminder of one of the most significant and strange times in Newcastle’s history and as a fitting tribute to those who took risks to help others and provide life-saving services. A proportion of the book’s sales revenue will go to Newcastle Hospitals Charity and West End Food Bank.

The Blacketts have cast long shadows over the region's history as Newcastle merchants, miners, the builders of Wallington Hall and political figures in the 1600s and 1700s. Yet historians over the years have previously found it hard to get out from those shadows and to see more than the silhouettes of myth. Greg Finch's flowing account of the first three Sir William Blacketts, based on extensive new research, now dispels those myths. He reveals a vivid story of a dramatic rise from modest origins, the opening up of the regional lead industry, the creation and operation of a huge business and the crises that followed during a turbulent century of conflict and progress.

The 1960s. It was the decade that began in black and white and ended in colour. In Newcastle, as elsewhere, it was a time when everything was possible and everything was changing. From the Club A'Go Go to the new highrise flats people were on the move. Recapture that extraordinary atmosphere through this evocative mix of memories and pictures.

Newcastle raised more battalions of volunteer soldiers that went on to see active service than any other British provincial city during the First World War. The first full battalion of Kitchener's Army, Pioneer battalions, the Tyneside Scottish and the Tyneside Irish Brigades and pre-war Territorial Battalions of The Northumberland Fusiliers were all raised here and all of them served at some point during the Battles on the Somme between 1 July and December 1916. On the First Day of the Somme their stalwart bravery and conduct on the field were remarked upon by all who witnessed it; be they the gallant pipers that led the companies over the top or the parade-like lines of the Tyneside Irish as they strode towards the hail of machine gun fire. The losses suffered by these brave battalions were also the worst suffered by any Regiment on that fateful day. .