Gateshead Newcastle Quayside Toon Army Geordie Songs and Video<<>> Gateshead Newcastle Quayside is a popular area for visitors to the north east of England. Recent development has made both banks of the River Tyne joined by seven bridges, in the shadow of the Tyne Bridge recognisable throughout the world. Modern day visitors will not realise that the reason for Newcastle’s existence is because it was the best place to cross the River Tyne. The history of the city dates from about AD 120, when the Romans built the first bridge to cross the River Tyne. The bridge was called Pons Aelius or ‘Bridge of Aelius’, Aelius being the family name of Roman Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian started to build his wall at nearby Wallsend stretches of wall can be found in the city. The Normans in 1080 A.D. erected a wooden bridge and a wooden fort to protect the bridge.
The name of the city is taken from the ‘new castle’ that was built of stone in the twelfth century. King Henry the Eighth in the year sixteen hundred founded the renowned Grammar School of the city. In 1635 a writer called the town 'the fairest and richest town in England inferior for wealth and building to no city save London and Bristol'.
Since that time the town has continued to grow and develop into the modern metropolis it is today. The older city centre was the work of three men, John Clayton the town clerk, John Dobson, an architect and Richard Grainger, a builder.
Newcastle in it's time has exported many things but is mainly known for its exported coal, from the thirteenth century onwards. Hence the saying for something that is hard to do, “ It’s like sending coal to Newcastle”. This of course is no longer the case as the last coal mine within its boundaries closed in nineteen fifty-six.
The symbol of tyneside has become the ‘Tyne Bridge’, its construction was started in August nineteen twenty-five and it was officially opened on 10 October nineteen twenty-eight by King George V.
The modern quayside shows off the Sage Concert Hall and the Baltic Exchange arts center. The funky Millenium Bridge takes pedestrians across the River Tyne.
Further along the Quayside is a charming Jacobean house with an elegant façade. A plaque tells the story of Bessie Surtees: the richest, most beautiful girl in town who had many suitors, but her family did not approve of the poor man that she truly loved. She crawled out of one of the windows in this house and eloped to Scotland to get married. Her husband ended up becoming a lord. Confounding her family. The plaque reads: "from the above window on Nov 18th 1772 Bessy Surtees descended and eloped with John Scott, later created 1st Earl of Eldon and Lord Chancellor of England”.
If you ascend the steps at the side of the house you will come to what remains of the ‘new’ castle built by William the Conqueror’s son. If you make your way to the roof you will see some spectacular views of the city.
There are many other things to do within the city and the immediate vicinity so it is worth visiting the local tourist information office.
One famous landmark is St James Park home to Newcastle United Football Club and the ‘Toon Army’ supporters. Tours are available around the ground and match tickets can be bought.
The local people and dialect is called Geordie and you can here it all around you.
Geordie songs are world famous with the most famous being the ‘Blaydon Races’, the National Anthem of Tyneside. A more modern song is ‘ Wye Eye Man’ by Mark Knopfler.
To view Geordie videos just click below.
You’ll have a great time at Newcastle.
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