North East Labour History

Tommy Hepburn: Folk of Jarrow Commemoration on Saturday 10 October at the Joplin Monument at 10.30am.
2020-10-10 10:30 (Europe/London) | Jobling Memorial, Jarrow
Please note that the planned Memorial Service on the 17 October has been cancelled.

The Annual General Meeting of the North East Labour History Society, followed by Alex Niven: New Model Island: How to Build a Radical Culture Beyond the Idea of England (by Zoom, agenda and link to be circulated)
2020-09-08 19:00 (Europe/London) | Zoom
Please let us know if you would like to attend this meeting by clicking this link and giving us your email address and name. We will then contact you before the meeting with the Zoom link.
Please note that any member wishing to submit a change to the Constitution (see pages 187 – 188 of the 2019 Journal) must submit a motion in writing to the Secretary by 10 August.
The meeting will be followed by a talk by Alex Niven, Lecturer in English at Newcastle University on his recently published book, New Model Island: How to Build a Radical Culture Beyond the Idea of England

In the early twenty-first century, “Englishness” suddenly became a hot topic. A rash of art exhibitions, pop albums and coffee table books arrived on the scene, all desperate to recover England’s lost national soul. But when we sweep away the patriotic stereotypes, we begin to see that England is a country that does not — and perhaps should not — exist in any essential sense.
In this provocative text combining polemic and memoir, Alex Niven argues that the map of the British Isles should be torn apart completely as we look towards a time of radical political reform. Rejecting outdated nationalisms, Niven argues for a renovated model of culture and governance for the islands — a fluid, dynamic version of regionalism preparing the way for a new “dream archipelago”.

“One of the sharpest, most unusual critics writing today, and with this call for the end of England, he has surpassed himself. Personal, polemical and historical in equal measure, this is a strange, powerful and beautiful book.”
Owen Hatherley

Janet Allan will talk on The Miners Strike 1984/85 – my role as newly qualified solicitor with Thompsons (by Zoom, link to be circulated)
2020-08-25 19:00 (Europe/London) | Zoom
Please let us know if you would like to attend this meeting by clicking this link and giving us your email address and name. We will then contact you before the meeting with the Zoom link.
In an effort to defeat the striking miners the government, judiciary and police used the law as a method of reducing the civil liberties of striking miners and their supporters by all possible means.
Road blocks were employed to intercept suspected pickets. Those arrested on the picket line faced draconian bail conditions often including curfews to prevent further demonstrations. Medieval charges of riot and unlawful assembly were used against those attending the mass pickets at both Orgreave and Mansfield.
Mike Mansfield the leading barrister at the Orgreave trials referred to the cases as “the worst example of mass frame up in this country in this century”.
I joined Thompsons in September 1983 and Bill Etherington, then General Secretary of the Durham Colliery Mechanics Association instructed Thompsons to be the union lawyers. The Durham NUM followed later. I represented two Durham Mechanics arrested at Orgreave and one at Mansfield.
My day to day experience of representing striking miners during the period from March 1984 to March 1985 will form the basis of this presentation.

CANCELLED - Second Tuesday: Nigel Todd will talk about the 1983 general election
2020-06-09 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
This meeting has beeen cancelled as part of the measures to limit the Covid 19 outbreak.
Where possible, meetings will be rescheduled once this becomes possible. Notices will appear on this website as soon as this happens.

Online History Courses from Ronnie Hanna
2020-05-26 - 2020-07-03
Ronnie Hanna has asked us to mention these three online history courses which may be of interest to some of our members and supporters. The courses were originally part of Queen’s University Belfast’s Open Learning Programme for the spring, which was cancelled due to the current situation. If you are interested, please contact Ronnie at: ronnie.hanna@btinternet.com
26 May: The American Presidency in the Twentieth Century
29 June: A City Upon a Hill: The Pilgrim Fathers and America’s Puritan Legacy
2 July: The Korean War

CANCELLED - First Tuesday: John Charlton will talk about the 1931 general election
2020-05-05 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom

CANCELLED - First Tuesday: Janet Allen. The Miners Strike 1984/85 – my role as newly qualified solicitor with Thompsons
2020-04-07 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
This meeting has beeen cancelled as part of the measures to limit the Covid 19 outbreak.
Where possible, meetings will be rescheduled once this becomes possible. Notices will appear on this website as soon as this happens.
In an effort to defeat the striking miners the government, judiciary and police used the law as a method of reducing the civil liberties of striking miners and their supporters by all possible means.
Road blocks were employed to intercept suspected pickets. Those arrested on the picket line faced draconian bail conditions often including curfews to prevent further demonstrations. Medieval charges of riot and unlawful assembly were used against those attending the mass pickets at both Orgreave and Mansfield.
Mike Mansfield the leading barrister at the Orgreave trials referred to the cases as “the worst example of mass frame up in this country in this century”.
I joined Thompsons in September 1983 and Bill Etherington, then General Secretary of the Durham Colliery Mechanics Association instructed Thompsons to be the union lawyers. The Durham NUM followed later. I represented two Durham Mechanics arrested at Orgreave and one at Mansfield.
My day to day experience of representing striking miners during the period from March 1984 to March 1985 will form the basis of this presentation.

CANCELLED - Jesmond Library: Eileen: The Making of George Orwell
2020-03-27 19:00 UTC | Jesmond Library, St George's Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2DL
This meeting has beeen cancelled as part of the measures to limit the Covid 19 outbreak.
Eileen: The Making of George Orwell, an interview with biographer Sylvia Topp at Jesmond Library, St. Georges Terrace NE2 2DL on Friday 27 March at 7.00pm
This is the never-before-told story of George Orwell’s first wife Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who was born and brought up in South Shields and who shaped, supported, and even saved the life of one of the twentieth century’s great writers.
Sylvia, who lives in Kingston, Ontario will be in the UK to support the publication of Eileen in March.

Tyne Bank Brewery: Five Centuries of the Tyne
2020-03-24 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | Tyne Bank Brewery, 375 Walker Rd, Byker,, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2AB
From Leona Skelton, Northumbria University
I’ve organised a free Tyne history event with Tyne Rivers Trust at the Tyne Bank Brewery on Tuesday 24 March, 5.00pm – 8.00pm which I think NELHS members could get a lot out of, even though it’s focused on the management of the river first and foremost rather than labour history. Attendees need to register for a free ticket at the following link as places are limited.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/96057070283
This a fun, informal, social event providing an opportunity to learn about the experiences and challenges of Tyne managers and conservators over five centuries. The evening comprises a pub quiz, archival stories, interactive discussions and a presentation to inspire us all to consider the challenges of working, living and playing with the River Tyne over a longer-term chronology.
Using a ‘Tyneline’, we will debate how and why our relationships with the Tyne have changed so dramatically over time and what this might mean for the river’s future. A buffet will be provided free of charge and the brewery bar will be open.
The event will be led by Dr. Leona Skelton, an environmental historian of water, rivers and sanitation infrastructure in Britain (1500 – present) at Northumbria University, and author of Tyne after Tyne: An Environmental History of a River’s Battle for Protection, 1529 – 2015

Newcastle University: 2020 Festival of Oral History
2020-03-24 - 2020-03-27 | Newcastle University
We are delighted to announce the full programme for our 2020 Festival of Oral History, taking place across March 24-26. The festival will focus on the future of oral history, and will include a public keynote lecture by Dr Indira Chowdhury from the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore.

The festival will include a number of discussion panels on the future of oral history, promoting discussion among practitioners and teachers on how oral historians can address future challenges and opportunities.

Please see the full programme of events here. To register for the festival, email oralhistory@newcastle.ac.uk and please do let us know if you would like to be a discussant on any of the panels that have been organised.

EVENT CANCELLED. Northumbria University: Will Kaufman performs a live documentary - Woody Guthrie and “Old Man Trump”
2020-03-11 18:00 (Europe/London) | Room 020a, Squires Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8SB
This event has been cancelled. The organisers hope to reschedule it and we will post once the new details become available.

American Studies at Northumbria, in collaboration with the Institute of the Humanities and the Tyneside Branch of the Historical Association present
Woody Guthrie and “Old Man Trump”

In December 1950, Woody Guthrie moved his family into a new apartment in Brooklyn’s Beach Haven. His new landlord, it turned out, was none other than Fred Trump, father of the current US president. Over 60 years later, Donald Trump would proclaim on the campaign trail: “My legacy is my father’s legacy.” It was, among other things, a legacy of corruption and race-hatred, as Woody Guthrie soon found out.
Will Kaufman – singer, multi-instrumentalist, and Professor of American Studies at the University of Central Lancashire – is recognised as the world’s leading authority on Woody Guthrie. He is the author of Woody Guthrie, American Radical (2011), Woody Guthrie’s Modern World Blues (2017), and Mapping Woody Guthrie (2019).
In 2014, Will discovered, buried in the Guthrie archives, previously unpublished song lyrics and other writings condemning Fred Trump’s racism. He has now turned these discoveries into a new music and a spoken-word presentation, following on from his celebrated shows, Woody Guthrie: Hard Times and Hard Travelin’ and Woody Guthrie: The Long Road to Peekskill.
Woody Guthrie and “Old Man Trump” brings to life all the anger and contempt that Guthrie felt for those in power who will deny justice to their fellow human beings on account of the colour of their skin. Against the backdrop of Guthrie’s racial awakening and emergent activism, Will introduces such previously unheard songs as “Trump Made a Tramp Out of Me” and “Beach Haven Ain’t My Home,” along with a host of other Guthrie songs about racial injustice and struggle. All in all, we hear Woody Guthrie speaking and singing from beyond the grave, warning us about the dangers of ignoring and repeating history.

Praise for Will Kaufman:
Listen up all you Jim Crow fascists and you race-hate mongers, too:
Will Kaufman is a-comin’ and he’s got his eye on you.
Won’t brake for no excuses, won’t stand no messin’ around,
Your bigot ways can’t save you ’cause Will Kaufman’s gonna run you down.
– Ry Cooder
No one can understand the American people without listening to Woody Guthrie. Will Kaufman’s doing important work here. – Tom Paxton

I thank Will Kaufman for introducing a new generation of Europeans to “the other America.” It’s a wonderful job he’s doing. – Pete Seeger

Will presents this exhilarating show in the fastest hour and a half you are likely to witness when you consider the breadth and depth of his subject. He performs Woody’s songs with great skill and understanding, playing the guitar, banjo and fiddle with enviable panache and brio. His presentation is accomplished with great musicality, wit, honesty, and compassion. – Ralph McTell

I so appreciate all of your efforts to take his legacy further. Who knows where he’ll end up! – Nora Guthrie

www.willkaufman.com

Durham University: The History of Palestine
2020-03-03 19:00 UTC | St Aidan’s College, Windmill Hill, Durham University, DH1 3LJ
From Sean Creighton

There is an event at the Lindisfarne Centre, St Aidan’s College, Windmill Hill, Durham University DH1 3LJ next Tuesday 3 March at 7.00pm which includes discussion on the history of Palestine. For more information see St Aidan’s Palestine evening

NEW TIME: 6:30pm. First Tuesday: Peter Sagar on History of the NUT in the North East
2020-03-03 18:30 UTC | Old George Inn, Old George Yard, Newcastle, NE1 1EZ
The National Union of Teachers, founded in 1870, ceased to be on 1st January 2019, as it merged fully with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers to become a new union, the National Education Union.
This seemed to be an appropriate time to write a history of the NUT in North East England, to chart its successes and its failures, how it worked independently and how it worked in tandem with the rest of the union and labour movement. The result is a fascinating story, which should be of interest to any teacher, to any trade unionist and to anybody with an interest in the regional history of North East England.
Peter Sagar will guide us through this history, but in many respects do a lot more than this. He will also highlight the numerous ways in which we can learn from the history and use the knowledge to revive the trade union movement as we enter the third decade of the 21st century.
This will be a presentation which you should find both interesting and thought provoking.

First Tuesday: India Gerritsen on “Memory Lingers Here”: Are Newcastle’s Monuments Sites of Collective Memory?
2020-02-04 19:00 UTC | Old George Inn, Old George Yard, Newcastle, NE1 1EZ
India Gerritson will talk about her essay that won the 2019 Sid Chaplin prize.
NELH Chair John Creaby and India Gerritsen
The winner of this year’s Sid Chaplin prize is India Gerritsen for her essay about people’s memory of Newcastle landscapes and how they affect their consciousness. India’s essay: “Memory Lingers Here”: Are Newcastle’s Monuments Sites of Collective Memory? will be published in next year’s North East History.
NELH Chair John Creaby, Grahame Chaplin and India Gerritsen

For a second year we were delighted to have Grahame Chaplin, Sid’s grandson, to present the prize. Here is his speech.
It’s once again a pleasure to be here this evening to present the annual Sid Chaplin prize, and to thank the Society for continuing to remember and honour my Grandfather in such an apposite manner. As some of you will recall both Sid and his wife Rene enjoyed all that the Society offered.
The Sid Chaplin prize is awarded for a piece of academic writing, so it differs, by definition, to the majority of Sid’s published work, and although I am not on the judging panel, I am grateful to that cadre for their work, and twice now I can see they have not lost sight of Sid’s underlying motivation to write. You see my Granda was driven to write and record stories of people and place that he thought were verging on extinction, but more than that they were people and places, and a way of life that he knew intimately and undoubtedly held close to his heart. And he was right to do so, because today I would say his legacy in a plethora of words both entertains, but importantly educates us all as well.
So turning to the work that tonight claims the Sid Chaplin prize: It’s a fascinating piece exploring the relationship between, people, their memory or collective memory and well known and less well known monuments within the City of Newcastle, and how over time the landscape those monuments occupy can change consciousness of the public to purpose and history of the very monument.
What the work makes clear – it seems to me – is that the people regardless of their knowledge of the purpose or original intent of the monument was that they are fiercely defensive of the presence, I think because over time those monuments, like bridges and buildings become intrinsic to place.
In the 1960’s Sid wrote of his first visit to Newcastle as a young teenager, not all that long after the Tyne Bridge opened, the trip from Durham, most likely by bus must have been around 1930/32.
“I stood on the Gateshead side of this top-heavy bridge and looked down into the mighty trough. On one side was the little wonder of a swing bridge and high above it was the great High Level……That was one view. The other was from the heart of the City and a scamper up the one hundred and fifty one steps of Grey’s Monument. Up the hollow heart of reform I went running and came out at the top to see the merry go round of the city. Because I hadn’t learned to swear I remember saying to myself ‘By Gum – I’d give two years from the back end of my life to come and live in the heart of all this”
And there we have the link to Tonight’s winner and Sid’s work – the academic exploration of the philosophy behind the architectural landmarks that make a landscape that in turn creates a community.
And now I’d like you to warmly congratulate the winner of the 2019 Sid Chaplin prize as I invite India Gerritsen to come and accept this trophy.

Northern Stage: The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff
2020-02-04 - 2020-02-23 | Northern Stage, Barras BridgeNE1 7RH, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RH
The true story of a one man’s journey from unemployment in Stockton on Tees, through the Hunger Marches of the 1930s, the mass trespass movement and the battle of Cable Street, to fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil War.
Click here for details of showings and bookings.

Tyneside Irish Centre: Music and Poetry celebrating cultural traditions on Tyneside. Part of Newcastle's Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorations for 2020.
2020-01-23 19:00 UTC | Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, United Kingdom
From Peter Sagar:
Hi everyone,
I wish to invite you to a special event on Thursday 23 January.
Celebrating Our Traditions IV: Standing Together
Music and Poetry celebrating cultural traditions on Tyneside. Part of Newcastle’s Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorations for 2020.
This is the fourth of series of events bringing different musical traditions on Tyneside together as a celebration. This will involve music from Northumbrian and Tyneside traditions, as well as from Ireland and Bosnia and the eastern European Community. We will stand together by celebrating the great musical and cultural heritage on Tyneside, including both the heritage which developed here and those traditions which have come to us as people have fled persecution and injustice elsewhere, including the genocide in Bosnia.
Gallowgate Room, Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle NE1 4SG at 7.00pm on Thursday 23 January
FREE. Donations on the night welcome.
There is an Eventbrite page here, where you can sign up for the event:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrating-our-traditions-iv-standing-together-tickets-85066238409?utm_term=eventname_text
I hope to see you there.
Best wishes,
Peter Sagar, Company Secretary, A Living Tradition CIC

Bridge Hotel: NELHS Christmas Social
2020-01-14 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
Attractions include Tyneside folk singer Jack Burness and Peter Brabban’s famous historical quiz.
This social event was due to be held on 3 December but was postponed because of the General Election.

First Tuesday, BRIDGE HOTEL: Mike Greatbatch will talk about William Parker: A Chartist Life
2020-01-07 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
NOTE – THIS FIRST TUESDAY WILL BE HELD AT THE BRIDGE HOTEL INSTEAD OF THE USUAL VENUE.
William Parker served as Secretary of the Ouseburn Working Men’s Association and was an original member of the Council of the Northern Political Union (NPU), Tyneside’s principal agency of Chartist agitation in 1838-39.
The People’s Charter was just one of a number of causes that Parker championed over an almost twenty-year period. A widower with three teenage daughters by 1841, Parker was an unskilled labourer competing for work in one of Tyneside’s most competitive labour markets, a lowly status that appears to have strengthened his self-belief in the justice of his words and actions, and his unwavering commitment to his fellow workers.
By presenting the biography of William Parker, I hope to demonstrate how Chartism in Newcastle could be an intellectual commitment, not just for the educated radical elite but also for the unskilled and the poor.
Originally prepared for the 2019 Chartist Study Day, this presentation will include additional biographical information recently brought to light.

POSTPONED due to General Election. Bridge Hotel: NELHS Christmas Social - Now 14 January
2019-12-03 19:00 UTC | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
The North East Labour History annual social event has been postponed until the new year to allow members to concentrate on the General Election campaign.

Mushroom Works, Newcastle: Jane Smallcombe, opening of her Art Studio
2019-11-22 18:00 UTC | Mushroom Works, St Lawrence Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1AR
From Bede Woods, Secretary of Monkton Ward Labour Party in Jarrow.
Jane Smallcombe has supported the Monkton Ward and Jarrow CLP behind the scenes for several years. Lately, she has helped both the CLP Woman’s Officer and the Fund Raiser in relation to our high profile speakers. She has herself personally created, at very short notice, an exceptional artwork for us and helped commission unique pieces of art for presentation gifts.
This amazingly talented artist, who lives with us in the Monkton Ward, put together a piece that took Baroness Shami Chakrabati’s breath away. Jane didn’t subsequently hog the limelight but instead introduced others from her art collective studios to share in having their creations presented to speakers such as Ken Loach, Emily Thornberry and Ricky Tomlinson.
Join us to support Jane Smallcombe
So when I heard about the annual 20/20 art exhibition http://www.mushroomworks.com/open-studios-2019 I thought we should return the favour by supporting Jane and her colleagues who have assisted our cause. A small group from our ward are going to meet outside the Mushroom Works in Newcastle at 6.00pm on Friday 22nd November.
Jane has only recently moved to a new space in this location. This is an opportunity to acquire original art from several local artists in person at a bargain price! It’s also a chance to lift our minds and spirits, dress up and have a cultural injection. Hope you can come as well.

Newcastle City Library Event: Enemy Alien, Civilian Internment in the British Empire, 1914-1919
2019-11-20 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | Bewick Hall, Newcastle City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
Click on image below to enlarge

Tyneside Cinema. Fragile Labour: Archive Films and Live Discussion at the Tyneside Cinema
2019-11-19 18:00 UTC | Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG
From Tyneside Cinema:
As part of the Tyneside Cinema’s Zero Hour season inspired by the release of Ken Loach’s film Sorry We Missed You, we explore the history of fragile labour and insecure work in Newcastle and the North East, from cycles of casual work to the emergence of new forms of labour in the aftermath of industry.
Join us for a screening of a series of archive films from the North East Film Archive exploring various forms of insecure or disappearing forms of work in Newcastle and the North East, including Tom Pickard’s 1987 film We Make Ships, about the disappearance of the shipyards; Doing Our Bit, which details unemployment relief efforts in 1930s Middlesbrough; and films detailing the end of the Consett Steelworks.
Afterwards we will be joined by guests including Tom Pickard (filmmaker and poet), Dr Alison Atkinson-Phillips and Dr Andy King (Oral History Unit, Newcastle University), Dr Ben Lamb (Teesside University), and Ted Cuskin (former shipyard worker and social worker). The discussion will be moderated by Julie Ballands (North East Film Archive).
In the process this panel will explore the history of insecure work in Newcastle and the North East, comparing these historic forms of fragile labour to the gig economy jobs of today.
This screening is brought to you in partnership with the North East Film Archive, as part of the North East on Film project, and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
To book go to https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/event/zero-hour-fragile-labour-a-north-east-history/

Star and Shadow: Rewinding the Welfare State: A Social History of the North East on Film
2019-11-17 14:00 UTC | Star and Shadow Cinema, Warwick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1BB
Through local news reports, Tyne Tees Television documentaries, trade union campaigns, community films and more, this film show examines how the welfare state has impacted on the social development of our region from the 1920s to today. Audiences will be invited to share their thoughts as we explore how the journey ‘from cradle to grave’ – accessing healthcare, housing, education, social security, pensions, and other human rights entitlements, has changed over the years.
Is there anything we can learn from the past to improve our future?
Many of these films haven’t been seen since they were first made and are part of the extensive collections at North East Film Archive.
To book a seat please go to: https://www.starandshadow.org.uk/id/3906/
This screening is brought to you by the North East Film Archive, as part of their North East on Film project connecting the people and communities of the region with their film heritage, in partnership with Teesside University.
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Teesside University.

Newcastle City Library Exhibition: Enemy Alien, Civilian Internment in the British Empire, 1914-1919
2019-11-11 - 2019-11-25 | Bewick Hall, Newcastle City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
Click on image to enlarge

First Tuesday: Silvie Fisch, Oral History Unit and Collective, Newcastle University on Foodbank Histories
2019-11-05 19:00 UTC | Old George Inn, Old George Yard, Newcastle, NE1 1EZ
‘Foodbank Histories’ was initiated in 2018 as a collaborative research partnership between the Newcastle West End Foodbank, Northern Cultural Projects CIC, and Newcastle University Oral History Unit & Collective. The project recorded interviews with clients, volunteers and foodbank supporters, aiming to challenge public understanding of the issues of food poverty.
Since it started ‘Foodbank Histories’ has taken on a life of its own. Silvie Fisch, Director of Northern Cultural Projects and Associate Researcher at the Oral History Unit, will talk about the plurality of outcomes from this ongoing work, as well as its challenges and aspirations.

Sage Gateshead 2: The Great Geordie Songbook (Vol 1) with a Tribute to Alan Hull
2019-11-03 - 2019-11-04 | Sage 2, Gateshead
Sunday 3 November 2019, 4pm and 8pm
Following the huge successes of Mr Corvan’s Music Hall, The Great Joe Wilson (both @ Sage Gateshead), Hadaway Harry (London and Newcastle Theatre Royal), three fantastic Great Joe Wilson Nights (Tyneside Irish Centre) and Carrying David, Wisecrack Productions present this brilliant new show featuring classic North East songs and comedy.
A tremendous celebration of our brilliant local songwriters including Alan Hull, Joe Wilson, Ned Corvan, Geordie Ridley, Billy Mitchell, Judy Dinning, Tommy Armstrong, Alex Glasgow, Johnny Handle and Pete Scott.
Starring some of the region’s biggest theatre stars: Micky Cochrane, Sarah Boulter and Jamie Brown (all The Great Joe Wilson) with top musicians Rachael McShane (Mr Corvan’s Music Hall and Bellowhead) and Jordan Miller (The Great Joe Wilson, Vandebilt & The Lake Poets). Featuring brilliant musical comedy from Gavin Webster and Josh Daniels.
Tickets only £20 from www.sagegateshead.com or via www.wisecrackproductions.co.uk
https://sagegateshead.com/whats-on/the-great-geordie-songbook-volume-1

Berwick Literary Festival
2019-10-17 - 2019-10-21 | Various venues
Information available at: https://berwickliteraryfestival.com/
Max Adams – The Viking Wars: War and Peace in King Alfred’s Britain
Lindsay Allason-Jones – Roman Woman; Everyday Life in Hadrian’s Britain
Linda Bankier and Gilly Beckett – Crime & Creative Writing: Using the Archives for Inspiration
Ursula Buchan – Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps, A Life of John Buchan (his grand-daughter’s new biography)
Jeremy Dronfield – The Boy Who followed his Father into Auschwitz
Dan Jackson – The Northumbrians: North-East England and Its People: A New History
Andrew Lownie – The Mountbattens: Their Lives and Loves
Joyce Quin and Moira Kilkenny – Angels of the North: Notable Women of the North East
Tim Tate – Hitler’s British Traitors
Brian Ward – Martin Luther King in Newcastle: The African-American Freedom Struggle and Race Relations in the North East of England

Lit & Phil, Dr John Charlton: The Wind from Peterloo – Newcastle’s great reform demonstration 1819
2019-10-16 18:00 UTC | The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
John will discuss the situation on Tyne and Wear which led to this enormous demonstration in October 1819 two months after Peterloo. He will raise a number of questions including why there was no massacre, how people communicated, how many attended, the part played by women, arms or no arms and the aftermath. If you would like to know detail beyond what is possible in a lecture read: The Wind from Peterloo.
Phone 0191-232-0192 to book.

Old Low Light Heritage Centre, North Shields: Exhibition and Events, Breaking Chains, North Shields and Slavery
2019-10-12 - 2019-11-24 | The Old Low Light, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields Fish Quay, North Shields, NE30 1JE
The Breaking Chains Exhibition runs from 3 October to 22 December.
Events related to this Exhibition:

Sat. & Sun 12th & 13th Oct – Art Work inspired by the exhibition Year 10 students John Spence Community High School
Saturday 19th Oct 11am -talk by Brian Ward Professor of American History Northumbria University. Newcastle and North Shields – their role in the abolition movement
Fri. & Sat 1st & 2nd Nov 7.30pm – Resisting Slavery with Words and Music. A concert by The Freedom Choir Tickets £10
Saturday 16th Nov. 10am – 1pm – Quilting Demonstration on the theme of the ‘Underground Railway’
Saturday 23rd November 11am – talk by local historian Mike Coates: John Foster Spence and the Quakers of North Shields

NELHS First Tuesday: Susan Lynn will talk about, Nails, Chains & Revolution, Crowley's 'Semi-socialistic experiment' in 18c Winlaton
2019-10-01 19:00 UTC | Old George Inn, Old George Yard, Newcastle, NE1 1EZ
Crowley’s works at Winlaton dominated the iron trade in the 18th. Century. Joseph Cowen jnr. said ‘The semi-socialistic experiment of Crowley was interesting both politically & industrially’ and this talk looks at some aspects of Crowley’s works and their effect on the village of Winlaton.
The last chain forged in the village in 1966
Sir Ambrose & Lady Mary Crowley
The last remaining blacksmith’s forge at Winlaton
