HISTORY and OLD PHOTOS of the North East (Outside the Newcastle Boundary)

[Newcastle Historian]

Found this great photo of the 'North Shields Ferry Landing', circa 1908 . .

[Newcastle Historian]

[Newcastle Historian]

[alf stone]

NH alerted us to an exhibition about the Bensham area of Gateshead reported in the Evening Chronicle under the headline:

Exhibition on the changing face of Bensham

I was in the area on Saturday morning and popped in to St. Mary's Heritage Centre and had a look around but there was no sign of the Bensham exhibition. I asked one of the staff and after a long blank stare she explained that it was never an exhibition just a series of slides used to illustrate a talk given by the manager of the centre. Still it was nice to have a look around and see how nice the old place looks:

[geordierussell]

Clutching at straws a bit here, but does anyone have any photos of Russell Coachworks on Kyle Road Gateshead?

[hollow man]

There was some brilliant photos of Supermac judging the 'Miss Tyne Tees' contest at the outdoor pool in Tynemouth from 1971 in the chronicle today. Don't know if anyone else has seen them.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by hollow man

There was some brilliant photos of Supermac judging the 'Miss Tyne Tees' contest at the outdoor pool in Tynemouth from 1971 in the chronicle today. Don't know if anyone else has seen them.

Here . . .

[hollow man]

[alf stone]

"There was some brilliant photos of Supermac judging the 'Miss Tyne Tees' contest at the outdoor pool in Tynemouth from 1971 in the chronicle today."

There's a video compilation of photographs from the event on here:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoid=4908462

I am sure there is some live footage from Tyne Tees out there somewhere.

[merleb]

Originally Posted by alf stone

"There was some brilliant photos of Supermac judging the 'Miss Tyne Tees' contest at the outdoor pool in Tynemouth from 1971 in the chronicle today."

There's a video compilation of photographs from the event on here:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoid=4908462

I am sure there is some live footage from Tyne Tees out there somewhere.

Ah yes - these are from local historian and photographer Frankie Gillings, who is the main man of Blaydon.

His main site is here for those interested in the Blaydon and Winlaton area in old photos.

http://www.blaydon.frankgillings.com/

[alf stone]

"Clutching at straws a bit here, but does anyone have any photos of Russell Coachworks on Kyle Road Gateshead?"

This is from an old Gateshead Council publication dated June 2006. Sorry about the quality but it is a screen grab from a PDF:



A couple of references give the address as Hazel Road so I presume it must have been on the corner. I walked along Kyle Road recently and it is a strange mixture of new housing, junk yards and waste land.

[geordierussell]

thanks for that alf, i did stumble across that a while back. hopefully someone will have a better one.

[Newcastle Historian]

The Sage, under construction . . .

All photos courtesy of :
GATESHEAD THEN TILL NOW
http://www.gateshead-history.com/index.html

[Newcastle Historian]

Durham Cathedral's air-raid shelter restored
November 19th 2010, by Kim Carmichael, The Journal



A former wartime shelter has been transformed into a sacred place of worship.

The ancient undercroft of Durham Cathedral’s Deanery was restored to its original glory after a secret benefactor came forward.

The chapel, once used as a dormitory air-raid shelter for the cathedral choristers during World War II, fell into disrepair. Now, after an extensive project of renovation, the undercroft has reopened as the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

The Very Rev Michael Sadgrove, Dean of Durham Cathedral, said: “Thanks to a most generous benefactor and the skill of colleagues who have worked so hard on this project, a long-held vision has become a reality.

“I had cherished the thought of creating an oratory or chapel here to foster growth in the spiritual journey. So here is a still, prayerful place to add to the already rich spiritual resources of the cathedral.”

The site has served worshippers since the early years of the 20th Century, most recently as the chapel of St Mary’s College.

The new chapel was lovingly restored with the help of the cathedral’s architect, Christopher Downs, archaeologist Norman Emery, and a team of craftsmen.



The project involved an archeological dig to rule out the presence of ancient human remains before the floor was leveled. With the chapel prepared, the new furniture was designed and made by Sunderland-based sculptor Colin Wilbourn.

Dean Sadgrove said: “Colin Wilbourn’s altar, lectern and seating avoid the obviousness of tidy symmetry.

“They are crafted with a native naturalness that is a little oblique, slightly off-centre. You will see the cross imprinted in them, echoing the translucent cross at the east end.

“It can remind us the cross is still a work in progress in us for as long as the Master Carpenter wields his tools in the workshop of our lives, to remake rough-hewn, de-centred, asymmetrical people like us into God’s own image and likeness.”

The chapel was dedicated to the Holy Cross by the Right Rev Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow, on Wednesday.

Among those invited to tour the new chapel and attend the dedication service were Alan Oyston and George Hetherington, who remember the chapel as their sleeping quarters almost 70 years ago. George, a former cathedral chorister, of Durham City, said: “The sleeping arrangements were very basic and, apart from their clothes, the boys were only allowed to have with them one library book and their essential gas mask.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz15ik7xd37

[Newcastle Historian]

.
Some time back, on this forum, someone asked if anyone had any photos of Gateshead High Street before the 1960s re-developments. Well, I'm not sure if they meant from 'this far' before the 1960s, but these are certainly two very interesting photos of the High Street!







PHOTOS courtesy of "Yesterdays World No. 1", Evening Chronicle, 1985.

[Newcastle Historian]

Gibside Estate landmark inspires playground contest
January 4th 2011, by Sarah Scott, The Journal


Gibside Chapel, but what did Strawberry Castle look like?

A CASTLE shrouded in mystery for centuries is to be brought back to life through the imagination of children.

The lost Strawberry Castle at the National Trust’s Gibside, in Gateshead, has become the focus point and inspiration of a competition to dream up a new adventure playground.

According to County Durham archives the structure was once on the estate but Gibside’s staff and researchers have absolutely no idea where it was or what it looked like.

Yesterday the National Trust launched the competition inviting families to design a playground based on the intriguing mystery.

A themed trail told the story of Strawberry Castle, helping the children fuel their imaginations about where it might have been and what it might have looked like to aid them with their designs.

Gibside’s property manager Mick Wilkes said: “The castle is one of the missing pieces in Gatesheads Gibside restoration jigsaw, and if we can’t restore the real thing we would like it to inspire our new adventure playground.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1A3oXH5Yn

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[merleb]

Isn't that the chapel in the photo above, not the Hall?

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by merleb

Isn't that the chapel in the photo above, not the Hall?

Good spot!

I have changed the description to reflect that.

I had never heard of this 'mysterious castle' before though, had anyone?

[paddytoonleics]

I'm guessing they mean the ruined Hall which lies not too far from the Chapel it was once served by. Whilst the grounds, column, chapel are so wonderfully preserved/maintained, the hall is in almost complete ruin and is very castle-y and very spooky/mysterious if you're a kid!

They should start milking some story around why it's been left like that...builders scared of a curse or something!!

I may be wrong and the castle may something totally different!!

Yes I clearly am wrong and mis-read that entirely. Ignore me!!

[Newcastle Historian]

DVD shows life in collieries 100 years ago
January 4th 2011, by Vicky Robson, Evening Chronicle



THESE nostalgic snaps bring back to life the region’s rich industrial past. From bustling shipyards to collieries, a new DVD has been produced to show what life was once like in the North East. The film features rare archive footage dating back more than 100 years and focuses on the legacy of heavy industries which once held sway in South East Northumberland.

The DVD – called Digging Up The Past – was created by the SixTownships Community History Group based in Bedlington.

It concentrates on the various collieries including Ashington, Choppington Low Pit, Dr Pit in Bedlington, Ellington and Lynemouth. The film shows the early day methods of coal extraction when miners would go to work in the most dangerous conditions.

Local historian and SixTownships group secretary John Dawson, who used to be a miner, said: “The underground sound is stunning. The only thing that is missing is the smell.

“That is how close this film brings us to the reality of life as a coal miner in our locality. “We also visit the Acorn Bank opencast in Bedlington, in 1959, and see how the coal was extracted back then. “There is one final look at opencast coal mining when we see ‘Big Geordie’ – one of the biggest drag lines – at work in archive footage from Acklington in the early 1970s.

“This DVD really gives an insight into coal mining in our area as you may never have seen it before, and with the rare footage, it all adds up to a fantastic piece of local history.”


Read More - http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...#ixzz1A4jfKtPi