Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne (usually shortened to Newcastle) is a large city in north-east England. Situated inside the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear (and formerly the county town of Northumberland)[1], Newcastle is located on the north bank of the River Tyne, and was founded in Roman times under the name Pons Aelius. The city is the 20th most populous in England; the larger Tyneside conurbation, of which Newcastle forms part, is the 5th most populous conurbation in England.[2] Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities Group.[3] People from Newcastle and surrounding areas are commonly called Geordies. The Latin term Novocastrian, which can equally be applied to residents of any place called Newcastle, is usually only used for ex-pupils of the city's Royal Grammar School.[4] History Main article: History of Newcastle upon Tyne Early development The first settlement, in what is now Newcastle, (since incorporation in the city in 1904) was at Benwell. Known at the time as Pons Aelius, it was founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. The population of Pons Aelius at this period was estimated at 2,000. Hadrian's Wall is still visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. (The course of the "Roman Wall" can also be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend - the wall's end). After the Roman withdrawal from Britain, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, and was known throughout this period as Monkchester. After a series of conflicts with the Danes and the devastation north of the River Tyne inflicted by Odo after the 1080 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester was all but destroyed. Because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in 1080 and the town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or New Castle. Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress. A stone wall 25 ft high was built around the town, to defend it from invaders during the Border war against Scotland. The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, and Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century, and around this time became a county corporate. From 1530 a royal act restricted all shipments of coal from Tyneside to Newcastle quayside, giving a monopoly in the coal trade to a cartel of Newcastle burgesses known as the Hostmen. This monopoly, which lasted for a considerable time, helped Newcastle prosper, but it had its impact on the growth of near-neighbours Sunderland, causing a Tyneside and a Wearside rivalry that still exists. In the Sandgate area, to the east of the city and beside the river, resided the close-knit community of keelmen and their families. They were so called because they worked on the keels, boats that were used to transfer coal from the riverbanks to the waiting colliers, for export to London and elsewhere. During the English Civil War, Newcastle supported the king and in 1644 was stormed ('with roaring drummes') by Cromwell's Scots allies, based in pro-Parliament Sunderland. The grateful King bestowed the motto "Fortiter Defendit Triumphans" ("Triumphing by a brave defence") upon the town. Ironically, Charles was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646-7. Arms of Newcastle upon Tyne Arms of Newcastle upon Tyne In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages, predated the London Library by half a century. Newcastle also became the greatest glass producer in the world. Newcastle's development as a major city, however, owed most to its central role in the export of coal. The phrase taking coals to Newcastle was first recorded in 1538. In the nineteenth century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. Innovation in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the development of Safety lamps, Stephenson's Rocket, Lord Armstrong's artillery, Be-Ro flour, Joseph Swan's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons' invention of the steam turbine, which led to the revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity. Heavy industries in Newcastle declined in the second half of the twentieth century; office and retail employment are now the city's staples. Urban development The city has an extensive neoclassical centre, largely developed in the 1830s by Richard Grainger and John Dobson, and recently extensively restored. Grey Street, which curves down from Grey's Monument towards the valley of the River Tyne, was voted as England's finest street in 2005 in a survey of BBC Radio 4 listeners. A portion of Grainger Town was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Eldon Square shopping centre, including all but one side of the original Eldon Square itself. Jesmond Dene c.1900 Jesmond Dene c.1900 Immediately to the northwest of the city centre is Leazes Park, established in 1873 after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this is St James' Park, the stadium home of Newcastle United F.C. which dominates the view of the city from all directions. Another green space in Newcastle is the vast Town Moor, lying immediately north of the city centre. It is larger than Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath put together and the freemen of the city have the right to graze cattle on it. Unlike other cities where similar rights exist, they often take advantage of this, leading to the somewhat bizarre sight of cattle grazing within yards of the city's town hall, Newcastle Civic Centre. The right incidentally extends to the pitch of St James' Park, Newcastle United Football Club's ground, though this is not exercised,although the Freemen do collect rent for the loss of privilege. Honorary freemen include Bob Geldof, Nelson Mandela, Alan Shearer and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Hoppings funfair, said to be the largest travelling fair in Europe, is held here annually in June. In the south eastern corner is Exhibition Park, which is home to the Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum. The wooded gorge of the Ouseburn in the east of the city is known as Jesmond Dene and forms another popular recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to the Ouseburn Valley, where the river finally reaches the River Tyne. Recent developments Newcastle Quayside has seen a large amount of redevelopment and investment in recent years. Newcastle Quayside has seen a large amount of redevelopment and investment in recent years. The development of the city in the 1960s and 1970s saw the demolition of part of Graingertown as a prelude to the modernist rebuilding initiatives of T. Dan Smith, the leader of Newcastle City Council. A corruption scandal was uncovered involving Smith and John Poulson, a property developer, and both were jailed. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, Our Friends in the North. The Tyne gorge between Newcastle (on the north Bank) and Gateshead (an administratively separate borough) on the south, is famous for a series of dramatic bridges, including the Tyne Bridge of 1928 and Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge of 1849, the first road/rail bridge in the world. Large-scale regeneration has replaced former shipping premises with imposing new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge was commissioned by Gateshead and has integrated the older Newcastle Quayside more closely with major cultural developments in Gateshead, including the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Norman Foster-designed The Sage Gateshead music centre. NewcastleGateshead Quayside is now a thriving, cosmopolitan area with an abundance of bars, restaurants and public spaces. As a tourist promotion, Newcastle and Gateshead have linked together under the banner "NewcastleGateshead", to spearhead the regeneration of the north east. Chinatown Arch and St. James' Park Chinatown Arch and St. James' Park Notable Newcastle housing developments include Ralph Erskine's the Byker Wall designed in the 1960s and now Grade II-listed. It is on UNESCO's list of outstanding 20th century buildings. Newcastle's thriving Chinatown lies in the northwest of Grainger Town, centered on Stowell Street. A new Chinese Arch, or paifang, providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the City with a ceremony in 2005. The UK's first Biotechnology Village, the "Centre for Life" is located in the City Centre close to the Central Station. The village is the first step in the City Council's plans to transform Newcastle into a Science city.[5] Geography Newcastle is situated in the North East of England, in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear. The city itself is located on the northern bank of the River Tyne at a latitude of 54.97°N and a longitude of 1.62°W. The geology of the area is most famous for its large deposits of coal. Whilst the local bedrock consists mainly of carboniferous rocks, millstone grit and oolite are also present. The climate in Newcastle is temperate, although significantly warmer than some other locations at a similar latitude due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream (via the North Atlantic Drift). Being in the rain shadow of the North Pennines, it is among the driest cities in the UK. The prevailing winds are south-westerly due to the North Atlantic Current. Politics and administration Newcastle Civic Centre Newcastle Civic Centre Main article: Newcastle City Council Newcastle is governed using the leader and cabinet system, and the executive is currently Liberal Democrat, as they have 48 councillors against the Labour Party's 30. No other parties hold seats on the city's council. [1] For the purposes of City Council elections, Newcastle is divided into 26 electoral wards. [2] * Benwell and Scotswood * Blakelaw * Byker * Castle * Dene * Denton * Gosforth (East and West) * Elswick * Fawdon * Fenham * Heaton (North and South) * Jesmond (North and South) * Kenton * Lemington * Newburn * Ouseburn * Parklands * Walker * Walkergate * Westerhope * Westgate * Wingrove * Woolsington Demographics Population According to the UK Government's 2001 census [3], the city of Newcastle has a population of 189,863, whereas the unitary authority of Newcastle has a population of around 259,500. However, the metropolitan boroughs of North Tyneside (population c.190,000), South Tyneside (population c. 150,000) and Gateshead (population c.200,000) are also part of the Tyneside conurbation, giving the Newcastle-Gateshead metropolitan area a population of 799,000. According to the same statistics, the average age of people living in Newcastle is 37.8 (the national average being 38.6). 93.1% of the population are of White ethnic background (the national average being 91.3%). Other ethnic groups in Newcastle, in order of population size, are Pakistani at 1.9% and Indians at 1.2%. There are also small but significant Chinese and Jewish populations. Religion See also: Diocese of Newcastle, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, North East Jewry St. Nicholas' Cathedral from the Castle St. Nicholas' Cathedral from the Castle The city is largely Christian at 70.6%, with a small percentage of other religions. A large number (16%) have no religion. Newcastle has two cathedrals, the Anglican St. Nicholas, with its elegant lantern tower of 1474, and the Roman Catholic St. Mary's, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. Both cathedrals began their lives as parish churches. St Mary's became a cathedral in 1850 and St Nicholas' in 1882. Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster (1976-1999) was born in the city in 1923. A statue of the Cardinal, (unveiled by the Queen in 2002), stands outside St Mary's Cathedral in a memorial garden dedicated to the religious leader. Health Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has one of the lowest mortality rates in the country and is ranked second in the country for confidence in doctors.[citation needed] Staffing levels are high - in the top 70 in England for doctors and the top ten for nurses.[citation needed] Newcastle has three large teaching hospitals: the Royal Victoria Infirmary, the Newcastle General Hospital and the Freeman Hospital, which amongst other things, performs transplant surgery. Of the population, 11.8% described themselves as "not healthy" in the 12 months before the 2001 census, compared to a national average of 9.2%. Additionally, 21.6% of the inhabitants said they had a long-term illness, as against 18.2% nationally. In a report, published in early February 2007 by the Ear Institute at the University College London, and Widex, a Danish hearing aid manufacturer, Newcastle was named as the noisiest city in the whole of the UK, with an average level of 80.4 decibels. The report claimed that these noise levels would have a negative long-term impact on the health of the city's residents.[6] The report was criticised, however, for attaching too much weight to readings at arbitrarily selected locations, which in Newcastle's case included a motorway underpass without pedestrian access.[7] Transport and infrastructure National and international Grey's Monument, above the Monument Tyne and Wear Metro station Grey's Monument, above the Monument Tyne and Wear Metro station Newcastle Airport is located on the northern outskirts of the city near Ponteland. The airport currently handles over five million passengers per year, and is the tenth largest, and the fastest growing regional airport in the UK,[8] expecting to reach 10 million passengers by 2016, and 15 million by 2030.[9]. As of 2006, more than 80 destinations are available world-wide. A large scale development, Newcastle Great Park, in unused land near the edge of the city close to the airport should help growth further. Newcastle Central railway station is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line and Cross Country Route. The station was the first covered railway station in the world and was much copied across the UK. It has a fine neoclassical frontage originally designed by the architect John Dobson and was constructed in collaboration with Robert Stephenson. The station was opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria, with the first services being operated by the North Eastern Railway company. The city's other mainline station, Manors, is situated to the east of the city centre. Today, train operator GNER provides a half-hourly frequency of trains to London, with a journey time of a little less than three hours. Virgin Trains, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express operate regular services to many other destinations including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. Major roads in the area include the A1 (Gateshead Newcastle western-bypass), stretching north/south between London and Edinburgh; the A19 heading south past Sunderland and Middlesbrough to York and Doncaster; the A69 heading west to Carlisle; the A167 the old Great North Road heading south to Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Durham and Darlington; and the A1058 "coast road" which runs from Jesmond to the east coast between Tynemouth and Cullercoats. Many of these designations are recent - upon completion of the western bypass, and its designation as the new line of the A1, the roads between this and the former line through the Tyne Tunnel were renumbered, with many city centre roads changing from a 6-prefix to their present 1-prefix numbers. Newcastle also has access to an international Ferry Terminal, located at nearby North Shields, offering services to destinations including Amsterdam, Kristiansand, Gothenburg, Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen. The ferry to Gothenburg, Sweden (operated by Danish DFDS Seaways), ceased crossing at the end of October 2006.[10] The company cited high fuel prices and new competition from low-cost air services, especially Ryanair (which now flies to Glasgow Prestwick and London Stansted from Gothenburg City Airport), as the cause. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, will continue to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, including Newcastle, with limited capacity for passengers, but not private vehicles. It is unclear if the Newcastle-Kristiansand route will continue. Local Newcastle and the surrounding area has an extensive bus network that is coordinated by Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive. Buses are operated mainly by Go North East, Arriva Northumbria and Stagecoach North East. QuayLink (operated by Stagecoach ), a £5 m bus scheme using ultra low emission hybrid diesel-electric vehicles was launched in July 2005. The city is served by the Tyne and Wear Metro, a system of suburban and underground railways. In 1904, the North Eastern Railway electrified the suburban railways serving both banks of the Tyne and the northern suburbs, creating one of the world's first electric suburban railways. The system was transformed into the Tyne and Wear Metro which opened in 1980, and extends as far as Newcastle Airport, Tynemouth and South Hylton in Sunderland. The system is one of only three underground systems in the United Kingdom. The Metro is usually described as Britain's first modern light rail system. It is owned and operated by Nexus. It carries approximately 40 million passenger journeys per year and is the second biggest metropolitan train system in the UK.[verification needed] Sport The City has a strong sporting tradition, being home to Premiership football team Newcastle United for whom England player Michael Owen features. Alan Shearer, retired as a player at the end of the 2006 season, was possibly the best striker to ever play football for Newcastle United. The city also has two non-League football teams, Newcastle Blue Star and Newcastle Benfield who both play in the Northern Football League. Also in Newcastle are Guinness Premiership rugby union side Newcastle Falcons, for whom England player Jonny Wilkinson features. The city's Metro Radio Arena is home to Newcastle Vipers ice hockey team, and Newcastle Eagles basketball team. The City's Speedway team Newcastle Diamonds are based at Brough Park in Byker, a venue that is also home to greyhound racing. The greatest Speedway rider of all time, Ivan Mauger, who hailed from New Zealand was World Champion six times and rode for the Diamonds in the 1960s. Racing started at Brough Park in 1929. Newcastle Racecourse at High Gosforth Park holds regular meets, including the prestigious race for the Northumberland Plate, first run in 1838, which takes place in June each year. Newcastle also hosts the start of the annual BUPA Great North Run, the world's largest half-marathon in which participants famously race over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead and then towards the finish line 13.1 miles away on the coast at neighbouring South Shields. Another famous athletic event is the 5.7 mile Blaydon Race (a road race from Newcastle to Blaydon), which has taken place on June 9 annually since 1981, to commemorate the celebrated Blaydon Races horse races. Education The city has two universities, Newcastle University which earned the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year award in 2000 and the newer Northumbria University that was established in 1992 and was voted 'Best New University' by The Times Good University Guide 2005. There are eleven LEA-funded 11 to 18 schools and seven independent schools with sixth forms in Newcastle. The largest independent school is the Royal Grammar School located in Jesmond. There are a number of successful state schools, including Gosforth High School, Heaton Manor School, St Cuthberts High School, Kenton School and Sacred Heart. Newcastle College is the largest general further education college in the North East and is a beacon status college; there are two smaller colleges in the Newcastle area. Some 45% of Newcastle's school pupils live in wards which are amongst the 10% most deprived in England.[citation needed] Culture Dialect Main article: Geordie The Geordie dialect is a Northern English dialect, with a large amount of vocabulary that does not exist in other parts of England, or other English dialects. Much of Geordie can be traced back to the Old Norse and Old English languages and certain words are similar to their equivalents in modern Norwegian. Nightlife Looking through Newcastle's bridges, from the Quayside Looking through Newcastle's bridges, from the Quayside Newcastle has a reputation for being a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclubs. More recently, Newcastle has become popular as a destination for Stag and Hen parties. Newcastle was in the top ten of the country's top night spots,[11] and The Rough Guide to Britain placed Newcastle upon Tyne's nightlife as Great Britain's no. 1 tourist attraction.[12] There are notable concentrations of pubs, bars and nightclubs around the Bigg Market, and the Quayside area areas of the city centre. There are many bars on the Bigg Market ranging from BluBambu (Bigg Markets main club) to theme bars such as Boom 90's Bar. Other popular areas for nightlife are Collingwood Street, Neville Street, the Central Station area and Osborne Road in the Jesmond area of the city. In recent years "The Gate" has opening in the city centre, a new indoor complex consisting of bars, upmarket clubs, restaurants and a 12-screen Empire multiplex cinema.[13] Focused on the Times Square area near the Centre for Life, the "Pink Triangle" is the centre of Newcastle's gay scene and hosts many bars and pubs and two clubs.[14][15] The community has seen much expansion in the past five years, with further growth planned in the future. Theatre and Entertainment Frontage of the Theatre Royal Frontage of the Theatre Royal The Journal Tyne Theatre The Journal Tyne Theatre A growth in theatre culture has taken place in recent years, centred on the impressive Theatre Royal on Grey Street, which for over 25 years has hosted a season of performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Theatre Royal has recently been closed for refurbishment and reopened in October 2006 in time for the travelling West End musical, Grease and the annual RSC season. Other theatres in the City include the Journal Tyne Theatre, Northern Stage, the Live Theatre, the People's Theatre, Dance City, and the Jubilee Theatre. There are several other venues in and around Newcastle, such as Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle Arena and The Sage Gateshead. Festivals and fairs The Hoppings, reputedly the largest travelling fair in Europe, takes place on Newcastle Town Moor every June. The event had its origins in the Temperance movement during the early 1880s and coincides with the annual race week at High Gosforth Park. A new music festival, the Hi Fi Festival took place in May 2006, at Matfen on the outskirts of the City.[16] May also sees Newcastle and Gateshead host the Orange Evolution, which culminates with the Freevolution free music festival held on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides over the Spring Bank Holiday, with performances from well known and up and coming acts from the world of Rock, Indie and Dance Music. Surrounding Tyneside has many festivals, including MOTFest (The Mouth Of Tyne Festival) held at Tynemouth, a coastal village 8 miles East of Newcastle.[17] Shopping There are several major shopping areas in Newcastle city centre. The largest of these is the Eldon Square shopping centre, which incorporates the first and largest Fenwick department store, and a John Lewis store (formerly known as Bainbridge) which is often cited as the first department store in the world. Eldon Square is currently undergoing a full redevelopment which will include a new bus station, replacing the old underground bus station and redeveloping the fascia of the centre that faces Grainger Town to allow the 70s concrete to be replaced by more forgiving materials to accommodate its architectural surroundings. As part of the redevelopment the 1970s Green Market will be closed down in early 2007 and rebuilt. The main shopping street in the city is Northumberland Street. In a 2004 report, it was ranked as the most expensive shopping road in the UK for rent, outside of London.[18] Other shopping centres in Newcastle include the relatively modern Eldon Garden and Monument Mall complexes, the Newgate Centre, Central Arcade and the traditional Grainger Market. The largest suburban shopping areas are Gosforth and Byker. The largest indoor shopping centre in Europe, The MetroCentre in Gateshead is also nearby. Music Bands and musicians See also: Bands and musicians from North East England The 1960s saw the internationally successful rock group, The Animals, emerge from Newcastle night spots such as Club A-Go-Go on Percy Street, the 80's saw Geordie singer Brian Johnson join Australian supergroup AC/DC. Other well-known acts with connections to the city include Sting, Dubstar, Dire Straits, The Wildhearts, 3 Colours Red, Duran Duran, and more recently Maxïmo Park, The Sound Explosion, Yourcodenameis:milo, The Motorettes and Kubichek!. Neil Tennant, singer from the Pet Shop Boys, was schooled in Newcastle. There is also a thriving underground music scene that encompasses a variety of styles, including Drum and Bass, doom metal and Post-rock. Other popular underground favourites include The Baghdaddies, a gypsy/klezmer/balkan brass-heavy party band, big on the festival circuit. Lindisfarne are a folk-rock group with a strong Tyneside connection. Their most famous song is "Fog on the Tyne" (1971), which was also covered by Geordie ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne in 1990. Venom, reckoned by many to be the originators of black metal, formed in Newcastle in 1979. Skyclad, often considered the creators of folk metal also formed in Newcastle after the breakup of Martin Walkyier thrash metal band Sabbat. The singer Bryan Ferry, who created 70s rock group Roxy Music, was born in Washington, Tyne and Wear (a town 10 miles south of Newcastle) and attended Newcastle University in the 1960s. The predomimant record company in Newcastle is Kitchenware Records (circa 1982), previously home to acclaimed bands such as Prefab Sprout, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees and Fatima Mansions, the management of The Lighthouse Family and currently home to recent successes Editors, Maxïmo Park as well as several other bands of varied genre. Dance music The city is home to one of the world's longest running club nights - the well respected Shindig - which has been running for 15 years now and regularly attracts the cream of the world's house music DJs. The night has had a number of homes including the old Riverside (which became Foundation), and now resides at Digital. Also residing at Digital is Wax On, who host more techno and drum and bass orientated nights with the likes of 2ManyDJs and Ivan Smagghe regularly visiting the city. The 90s boom in progressive house music saw the city's Global Underground record label corner the market in the mix CD market with the likes of Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, James Lavelle, and Danny Howells recording mix compilations. The label is still going strong today with offices in London and New York, and new releases from Deep Dish and Adam Freeland. The city also offers other quality nights at the World Head Quarters and the Stage Door that again, cater for the more credible end of the dance music spectrum. Venues Metro Radio Arena Metro Radio Arena The largest music venue in the city is the 11,000-seat Metro Radio Arena, which is situated in the south of the city centre near the Centre for Life. The 2,000-seat Newcastle City Hall holds a number of music events every month, particularly featuring solo artists. Both of the city's universities also have large performance venues (each holding in the region of 2,000 people). On 14 October 2005, the 2,000 capacity Carling Academy Newcastle opened, providing a new music venue in the city centre. The opening night was headlined by The Futureheads and the profile of the venue has attracted a greater variety of bands to play in the city. The Carling Academy Newcastle is the newest in a string of Academies to be opened across the UK. Other popular music venues in the City include The Head of Steam, which is located near to Newcastle Central Station. The Cluny, and The Cumberland Arms are both situated in the Ouseburn Valley between the city centre and Byker. Music television The celebrated 1980s Channel 4 music programme The Tube, hosted by Paula Yates and Jools Holland, was filmed in the city at the now-closed Tyne Tees Television studios on City Road. Media Print media See also: List of Newcastle upon Tyne publications Local newspapers that are printed in Newcastle include Trinity Mirror's Evening Chronicle and The Journal, the Sunday Sun as well as the Metro freesheet. The Crack is a monthly style and listings magazine similar to London's Time Out. The adult comic Viz originated in Jesmond, Newcastle. Television and radio See also: List of television shows set in Newcastle upon Tyne ITV Tyne Tees recently moved its headquarters from City Road to a new facility on The Watermark business park next to the MetroCentre in Gateshead.[19] The entrance to the studio at the City Road complex gave its name to the 1980s television programme, The Tube.[20] The regional headquarters for BBC North East and Cumbria is located to the north of the city on Barrack Road, Spital Tongues, in a building known as the result of its colouring as the Pink Palace,[21] from where the Corporation broadcasts the Look North television show and BBC Radio Newcastle. Independent local radio stations include Metro Radio, which is based in a building on the Swan House roundabout on the north side of the Tyne Bridge. Century FM is located in Gateshead, just south of the bridge. Galaxy 105-106 broadcasts across Newcastle from its studios in nearby Wallsend.[22] Newcastle Student Radio broadcasts from Newcastle University during term time. During the Summer, Youth Voice FM broadcasts across the city and North Tyneside from North Shields. Recently NE1 FM launched in Newcastle. It is the first full time community radio station in the area and will broadcast for at least the next 5 years. Famous residents Engineer and industrialist Lord Armstrong, Catholic leader Cardinal Basil Hume, Engineer Robert Stephenson, Lord Taylor, Miriam Stoppard, comedian Rowan Atkinson, entertainers Ant and Dec, and international footballers Paul Gascoigne, Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer. These are a few of the many famous people born in or associated with Newcastle. For a full list, see List of famous residents of Newcastle upon Tyne. Museums and places of interest Key National Trust English Heritage Forestry Commission Country Park Country Park Accessible open space Accessible open space Museum (free) Museum Museums (free/not free) Heritage railway Heritage railway Historic house Historic House Image:CL_icon.PNG Castle Image:AP_Icon.PNG Abbey/Priory/Cathedral In Newcastle * Bessie Surtees House English Hertiage property * Blackfriars * Centre for Life * Discovery Museum Museum (free) * Eldon Square * Hancock Museum Museum (not free) * Hatton Gallery Museum (free) * Jesmond Dene Accessible open space * Laing Art Gallery Museum (free) * Museum of Antiquities Museum (free) * Newcastle Castle Keep and Blackgate Castle * Newcastle Cathedral Church of England Cathedral * Newcastle town wall * Quayside Accessible open space * Seven Stories, The Centre for Children's Books * St James' Park Football Stadium * St Mary's Cathedral Roman Catholic Cathedral * Town Moor Accessible open space In the surrounding area * Arbeia Roman Fort Museum (not free) * BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art Museum (free) * Beamish Open Air Museum Heritage railway Museum (not free) * Bede's World Museum (free) * Blue Reef Aquarium * Cragside National Trust property Historic house * MetroCentre * The Sage Gateshead * Segedunum Roman Fort Museum (not free) * Shipley Gallery Museum (free) * South Shields Museum Museum (free) * St Mary's Lighthouse Museum (not free) * Stephenson Railway Museum Heritage railway Museum (not free) * Tanfield Railway Museum Heritage railway Museum (not free) * Washington Old Hall National Trust property Historic house * Woodhorn Colliery Museum Museum (free) Twin cities * Flag of United States - Atlanta – United States * Flag of Norway - Bergen – Norway * Flag of Germany - Gelsenkirchen – Germany * Flag of Netherlands - Groningen – Netherlands * Flag of Israel - Haifa – Israel * Flag of France - Nancy – France * Flag of Sweden - Malmö – Sweden [verification needed] * Flag of Australia - Newcastle – Australia, on the Hunter River and also a coal hub. * Flag of South Africa - Newcastle – South Africa [verification needed] * Flag of People's Republic of China - Taiyuan – China Newcastle also has a 'friendship agreement' with * Flag of United States - Little Rock – United States Foreign consulates The following countries have consular offices in Newcastle: * Flag of Denmark Royal Danish Consulate, International Ferry Terminal, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 6EE * Flag of Germany Honorary Consul for the Federal Republic of Germany: Grainger Suite, Dobson House, Gosforth, NE3 3PF * Flag of Italy Honorary Consulate of Italy: 63 High Bridge, NE1 1DU * Flag of Norway The Royal Norwegian Consulate: 14 Grey Street, NE1 6AE * Flag of Sweden Honorary Consulate of Sweden: 2 Osborne Road, Jesmond, NE2 2AA Gallery Bessie Surtees House (Quayside) The interior of Newcastle Central station The Millennium Bridge and Sage Music Centre (Quayside) Steps from the castle keep to the Quayside View across the River Tyne to Gateshead The Centre for Life museum Grey's Monument The Tyne Bridge, a famous landmark in the city References 1. ^ Northumberland: The County. northumberland.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-29. 2. ^ Pointer, Graham, The UK's Major Urban Areas at statistics.gov.uk, Retrieved on 2007-04-08 3. ^ Core Cities.com, Retrieved on 2007-04-08 4. ^ RGS Alumni - the Old Novocastrians' Association Retrieved on 2007-01-14 5. ^ Newcastle Science City.com, Retrieved on 2007-04-08 6. ^ Noisy Newcastle tops league table. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. 7. ^ Noise study gets an ear-bashing. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 8. ^ Easter record at Newcastle Airport. www.uk-airport-news.info. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 9. ^ Airport - Metro link marks 15th birthday as passenger numbers take off!. www.newcastleairport.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 10. ^ "DFDS scraps Newcastle-Gothenburg line", The Local, 7 September 2006: "Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways is to scrap the only passenger ferry route between Sweden and Britain, with the axing of the Gothenburg-Newcastle route at the end of October." 11. ^ "York 'party capital' of country", BBC News, 30 May 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. 12. ^ Visiting Britain? Avoid 'bland' Buckingham Palace. Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2006-10-07. 13. ^ The Gate. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 14. ^ About. www.newcastlegay.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-01-03. 15. ^ Gay Village/Pink Triangle. pubsnewcastle.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 16. ^ Hi-Fi. Retrieved on 2006-10-07. 17. ^ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-10-07. 18. ^ "Fifth Avenue tops shops rich list", BBC News, 26 October, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 19. ^ A Fond Farewell. Tyne Tees Logo Page. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 20. ^ Old Tyne Tees Television Studios. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 21. ^ Take a look around on the BBC Tyne website, retrieved 21/09/2006 22. ^ Galaxy North East: Contact Us. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Newcastle upon Tyne * River Tyne, England * University of Newcastle upon Tyne * Newcastle Brown Ale * Northumbria University * Hadrian's Wall * Gateshead Millennium Bridge * Byker Wall award-winning redevelopment east of the city. * Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead External links * City of Newcastle upon Tyne website (Newcastle City Council) * Wikitravel article on Newcastle * Tyne & Wear Archives Service * Tyne Bridge Publishing Books on the local history of Tyneside * Aerial photo of the bridges over the River Tyne at Newcastle, from Multimap * VR Newcastle Virtual Tour of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne * A brief history of Newcastle upon Tyne * Kay's Geography residential areas in Newcastle-upon-Tyne urban case study * A Newcastle Timeline * Newcastle Tourist Information This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Newcastle Upon Tyne ". |
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