It is not just Northern English cities, that need more powers, we should not forget about Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness who will need to be protected from the pulling power of the new Capital – and not just the North of England.
I have long argued for a Thames Valley regional authority to look after planning, police and emergency services, education, health, welfare etc. etc and protect us from the malign pull of London. Jokingly I have proposed that Berkshire secedes from the Union and becomes the next Canton of Switzerland. This would be more preferable than being the 51st state of another federal union.
As just one example, the case for the third Thames bridge at Reading would be considered in a much wider context than the immediate concerns of the rich South Oxford residents.
Interesting piece. There are potential issues when the students leave for the holidays, though, and the possible impact that can have on the infrastructure. In St Andrews the students make up about 1/3 of the town’s population. Fortunately, there’s the golfing public to step in when the students are away (in the summer in particular), but it’s fast becoming a town of just eateries, charity shops and golf shops, although that may just be a feature of St Andrews…
There’s no denying that an influx of students can occasion a great deal of positive change within a location: they bring a lot of desirable amenities to an area – the restaurants and cinemas referred to in this article, for instance – they’re willing to work unpopular and irregular hours for local businesses, and they tend to spend a lot of money. Having said all, I think we’ve got to be careful to locate this discussion within its broader economic context – particularly, with respect to the kind of urbanism that’s been emerging in Britain over the past ten to fifteen years or so and the myriad social problems related to it.
Now I should stress, that I’m not out to pour scorn on the student population: they bring a lot of benefits to the communities they move into, and I think this article does a really good job of documenting them; of course, by virtue of the fact that all these concomitant amenities make a place more desirable, they tend to raise the cost of buying or renting in the area. More than that, though, a sizeable student contingent tends to affect massive changes in the nature of the local housing stock: what might once have been a family home becomes a multiple occupancy house; where there was once a preponderance of owner occupiers, there’s now a sizeable population of short term renters. So, on top of the boost to house prices occasioned by the arrival of Pizza Express and Cineworld, houses themselves become the subject of frenzied bidding wars between prospective landlords. Now, look, I’m not trying to imply that this is all bad: indeed, if you own the property you live in, it’s probably an extraordinarily welcome development; if, though, you’re renting and/or are looking to buy your first home in the area, then it’s pretty detrimental to your interests, and, barring a win on the pools, you’re likely to be left with no reasonable option other than to move out of the neighbourhood. In and of itself, there’s nothing alarming about this – people are always being priced out of living in desirable areas – but I’d argue that the pace and the scale of what we’re witnessing in Britain at the minute is remarkable: it’s effectively a mass exodus of lower-income individuals and families out of inner city areas, toward more peripheral locales on the outskirts of towns and cities. It’s essential to point out that “studentification” is just one of multiple factors at work here, but it is a very significant one, for the simple reason that students are almost always ahead of the curve; they need somewhere affordable to live, and universities are generally loath to spend any more than is absolutely necessary building student accommodation – hence, a significant student population moving into slightly raffish areas, and the businesses they depend on following them in. And of course, when a student area becomes too bourgeois for its own good, this process begins again; it acquires a momentum of its own.
Unfortunately, at this point I have to admit that I’m fairly ignorant as to the specifics of Gateshead’s redevelopment, but campus sprawl is a significant feature of innumerable cities across Britain. It goes without saying that it’s at its most acute in London – the sheer weight of numbers combined with unprecedented levels of property speculation see to that – but it’s quite evident in places like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, hell, even Cambridge (a town which could hardly be described as having a shortage of university accommodation). The material consequence of this trend will, of course, be to concentrate poverty in ever-smaller pockets – so what we’re effectively doing is ghettoising people, either in sink estates, or on the periphery of large conurbations; this brings with it a whole raft of intractable social ills.
It might also be worth ruminating on the fact that the Student Halls which universities like Northumbria are building are increasingly designed to cater to a very specific demographic within the student population – the ones with a bit of cash. Unfortunately, I can’t get any figures on the Trinity Square development, but the guide prices on Northumbria’s new build accommodation seem to vary from around £4,500 p.a. to a little over £6,500; considering that the upper-bound on a student maintenance loan is about £5,700, it’s expensive on any metric. Now, in saying this, I’m not trying to suggest that universities are all run by a bunch of rapacious capitalist bastards – the expansion of deluxe student accommodation mirrors the rising price of education – but, from an access perspective, they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Moreover, as and when those students from less affluent backgrounds make it to university they’re probably going to have to rent a flat in altogether less salubrious climes – often further away from the campus proper – which might leave them a bit excluded from the life of the university, but, more importantly, often means they’re having to spend a significant percentage of their loan on transport to and from university. (I’ll grant though, that this isn’t really a problem that really affects Newcastle.)
It’s not just on the high street, but on-line too. People get lazy, and only go to one retailer (one of the ones that avoids paying tax… you know who I mean) for everything. They also put up with poor service from the large retailers. The smaller shops, and the artisans offer better customer service, a better experience, better value for money, and better quality. I firmly believe that there’s a growing body of people who now understand this. We should be looking to places like the Slow Food Movement for inspiration!
I completely agree with the sentiments expressed here. I was born in Newcastle, brought up in Blaydon and went to Newcastle University in the early seventies. After getting my PhD in Glasgow I left for California where I lived and worked for over 30 years. I now live in Ann Arbor in Michigan not too far from Detroit so I can safely say I have a perspective on all of these places.
As I have visited Newcastle on a regular basis over the last 40 years I have been amazed and very proud of the positive changes that have taken place. It is now a more dynamic, youthful and exiting place while retaining all that is best about its history and environment.
I also see a significant movement away from what I used to perceive as a persistent “victim” mentality always looking for the Government to fix things.
Keith
Some very thoughtful comments from Gordon and David. I was born and raised in Blaydon and attended Newcastle University in the early seventies. I have lived in the US for almost 40 years mostly in California but for,the last 8 years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann Arbor is a univer-city with the highly ranked University of Michigan dominating the town – over half the population at its peak during the year. There are always the “town vs gown” debates but overall the contribution of the University is very positive.
There is a lot of new student accomodation being built and it seems like a new restaurant is opening every other week but the overall quality of life is high. Now that I am retired I must admit that I really enjoy the young vibe and all of the arts and music that comes along with a great University.
The University of Michigan like many others including Newcastle is very active in creating and supporting start up companies which have a positive impact.
Its very easy to agree with this analysis. Crossing the Tyne on a bike is a fearful business – especially Askew Road in Gateshead. Not only cyclists but pedestrians are neglected. Its a scandal that Grey Street, one of the most beautiful in the country is used as a car park. Improvement requires panning at the at least the city region scale.
I agree that cities should be able to invigorate areas with a balanced mix of shopping. Independents & corporate.
An awful lot of truth in this and it goes to the heart of why I think HS2 would damage the economies of the North. It is heresy to say it, but there is value is having a distinctive digital or creative mindset in Manchester or Leeds etc.
Birmingham’s creative sector has always been small for a city of its size, because it competes with the largest talent pool for those services only an hour and a bit away. What will happen if HS2 does the same for Manchester and Leeds? Birmingham tells us that the talent won’t up sticks and move North.
This is certainly not an argument for parochialism or protectionism, it is a version of what Steve Jobs thought about when designing Apple’s campus – put the toilets in places which would maximise the chances of random meetings and conversations between people who worked close but not on top of each other. That way you maximise the potential of all your talent in one place and you get more ideas, more quickly.
Essential viewing for anyone wondering how we create real sustainable economic growth in cities outside London is Professor Ed Glaeser’s barnstorming speech at the Northern Futures summit last week. Summed up in his line “Skills are your destiny” Start watching at 5.00.00. http://t.co/0lHsLNNSCR
In principle the idea of a North East wide trade body is tempting but to be successful it must have the support of the entire region. It might seem pedantic but calling it “greater newcastle” even in the early stages will destroy any chance of that support emerging. It is a matter of scale, Newcastle is the largest city in the North East, but not on a scale that should render the others mere suburbs.
Even if the intentions are as fair as can be, the title (and implied thinking) must be of a pan regional nature from the start.
This reality is the reason that we did not decide to have a regional assembly back in 1999!
GNEA anyone? (North Eastern Authority)
The idea of a Northumbrian Enlightenment is very appealing, but it would be an uphill task to create a Northern Renaissance today. The media and political environment in the region is hostile to ideas and debate. Moreover, where are today’s Spence, Bewick and Murray? Where might they be sought? How might they be brought together? It’s a good idea to begin with history and remind ourselves of past cultural and political achievements.
Liked your Enlightenment piece, Alastair.
Though there were in fact a few, ableit small scale, local events to mark Spence’s bicentenary – the Thomas Spence Trust gathering at his plaque on the Quayside and event in Red House during Heritage Open Days in September; my talk to Association of Northumberland Local History Societies AGM in November and, of course, our own talk to NE Labour History Society in the same month.
John Tomaney makes a number of important points. When he asks: ‘Where is the space today for this debate to occur?’ I can’t help comparing the lively public regional media in other parts of Europe to the thin gruel we get in the North East. In a region with a population bigger than many European countries the public media provision we get (aka the BBC) is similar to what you would find in small US town. Therefore the public can’t engage in the democratic process, or anything much. I have a sensible suggestion: 30% of the license fee should go to regional public media. This isn’t an anti-BBC thing (I love the BBC!) but it’s clear we are never going to get the regional public media we deserve under the present BBC monopoly.
A very interesting comment piece, and Alastair raises an interesting point about the BBC specifically.
The local media perpetuate (and seem content with doing so) a cartoonised vision of the region, where everyone is a party-loving Geordie and no one thinks about things too much. Content to seek comment from vox pops rather than people who are informed about the subject at hand. The Chronicle in its current form is little better than a mindless distraction – utterly incapable of anything approaching investigative journalism. There is little in the local media which prompts further discussion or debate – they focus on local criminals but not local poverty or education standards; they engage in PR for local companies without a mention of the wider social, financial, or environmental contexts. Stories last a single day and then are forgotten, of little consequence to those who aren’t directly involved in the stories.
The response to the Guardian’s criticism is the perfect example – an uninformed, hysterical response is an easy narrative both to establish and then to maintain. When the Chronicle’s sole measure of success is circulation, and local politicians seem to seek retweets over action, the result is an inevitable mess.
A public space for open debate and constructive criticism would go a long way to helping people reengage with politics on a local and national level. Perhaps the Lit & Phil could try to reclaim that space itself? It is often referred to as a ‘hidden gem’ of the city and yet there’s absolutely no reason it should be hidden at all. The region has lost confidence in its voice and its significance.
I wholeheartedly agree and, as an ‘honourable’ Geordie since 1996, count me in. Current structures are rigid and can even prevent exchange, nurture and support, let alone change, progress and movement.
Northern Correspondent has made such an important start. I, for one, can’t wait to see a colourful civic society rising up and flourishing again – ready to learn from, and also debate, our past and purpose – to create and shape our future and destiny.
I agree with the article and all of the comments. When local BBC use the superficial printed media for their local news agenda; when NUFC say that their surveys show that the independent football media ie fanzines and blogs are the “most credible” opinion, then it shows that our professional media is largely wasted. However “the arts” industry that has grown upon us at SageBalticEtc bears responsibility for it’s inability to use the resource it has been given to help all of the people of this region. The inability of our media to confront waste, incompetence, self-interest and irrelevance in these places (exactly as their unqualified support for “local” enterprises described in previous comments) shows parochialism rather than patriotism; immaturity rather than analysis and compares unfavourably to Soviet press stories about tractor production in Minsk. Newcastle upon Tyne is the greatest and most civilised city in the world – andI can prove that – so our civic and regional experience is relevant and compelling. It would be fitting to have institutions and leaders know how good we could be so they wouldn’t see us as a stepping stone on their route to “Fleet Street”, the South Bank or PSG! Then maybe the excellence of society and economy that is our birthright would be a clearer aspiration for more of our people. Northern Correspondent is a welcome positive development and a reminder to all in public, business, sporting, cultural and community life in the North-East to raise our game. We do this or we perish. In a way, todays savage environment of municipal penury, national indifference and technological change give us an opportunity to do this now for ourselves and our people. That’s the agenda!
Interesting points from Prof Tomaney. My problem with the region is its tendency to ‘shoot and ask questions later’ when it comes to criticism of its institutions or its ambition. You can see that in coverage of the collapse of Northern Rock – portrayed largely as somebody else’s fault – or The Guardian article – painted as a nasty hatchet job by sneaky Southerners who don’t understand the region. Often there’s a ‘them and us’ element to our regional debate, with ‘them’ being anyone south of York. If it wasn’t for NC, IPPR North and a few other brave souls the region’s intellectual life would be even more bankrupt, with our public image dominated by a consistently failing football club and MTV reality programmes. There is more to this region, but to find it we need to be more honest about our faults, look for greater political and cultural diversity, and break free of a cosy culture of compromise and consensus that holds us all back.
It was 45% of the people who voted (about 85% of those eligible to vote) so the real number who voted to leave the UK was more like 38%.
I too write poems and have done so since the age of 10 years old when I first started to read Shakespeare having heard the play “Hamlet” on the radio. This inspired me and lead to reading and writing poetry and watching such plays. My background did not include the topic mentioned, I did not have the inspiration indicated by Ian, but agree that it is essential that the next generation should be encouraged to seek to full their potential in every way possible and be doers rather than watchers, thinkers rather than those who are accepting of other peoples ideas. This is especially true of those in society who have the least resources who need to be given the chance to see into the light of knowledge which often is found in poetry. literature and art.
I am very impressed with James Tooley’s article which shows great insight and compassion into a truly heartrending situation. It is so easy to make these harsh decisions at Westminster hundreds of miles away from a wonderful little school which has brought hope and joy to so many children. This is without mentioning the parents, teachers and ancillary staff who have showed tireless dedication and loyalty. I was amazed at how glowing the reports about this school were, even from complete strangers like a lady serving in Sainsbury’s Delicatessen who extolled its virtues. This school was financed and pushed through under Michael Gove so why has Nicky Morgan become so disenchanted with her predecessor’s favoured project? It does not reflect well on the Government if this school hasn’t received the necessary support it must have needed during its first year of existence. I am devastated by the closure of this school although I am not a parent or teacher and have no vested interest apart from my desire for a Christian Secondary school in Durham.
Sorry! I’ve really liked some of the articles on NC but this is pretty bland. Another ‘festival’ director calling for further funding!
Funding into what exactly? There has been an explosion of ‘artisan’ restaurants, pop-ups yadda yadda yadda in Newcastle. ‘We’ are all foodies these days. Amazing! Everyman and his cat is opening an eatery offering ‘proper’ grub. Pub grub dining experience, thrice cooked-heart attack food amongst the swelling mid rifts on the barbor jackets. Bespoke cocktails served by barman who model themselves on Julian MacLaren-Ross.
I just wonder who this is for? I see an aspirational class of people consuming this stuff, buying into that authentic experience. You can’t knock the effort of the entrepreneurial crew though.
It’s interesting to note how the Grainger market is changing. Family butchers are being replaced creperies, food retail outlets that, to me, would only be of interest to Observer Weekend supplement readers (with prices to match!).
The footfall of visitors/customers in the market has dropped right off. Speak to the managers, they are desperate to get more people in and keep the place alive. Is just more funding the issue? Yes, you could argue that the current ‘food revolution’ is doing just that and trying to buck the trend, offer a different experience.
Is it just a matter of asking for more funding and support? Support from who exactly?
‘Funding into what exactly?’ Into initiatives that create change, that demonstrate how quality of life for all can be improved cheaply through food, that teach and encourage children to young people to cook fresh ingredients, that encourage conversation around food among diverse groups of people, that encourage positive change for people working in our food industry, that raise quality and expectations, that offer appealing alternative to mass produced fast food, that try to keep more money spent on food in our local economy, that connect people with the source of their food, that try out new approaches to solving entrenched problems and so on. The proliferation of artisan producers and foodies is one visible outcome of all this activity, but there is much more unseen work that goes on at community level aiming to ensure the positive change we’re experiencing reaches everyone.
Hope that helps to clarify my response to the question I was asked by Northern Correspondent.
Great response! That’s more like it! Apologies for what may have seemed a facetious first comment.
Last night I went to see Dunston play Benfield in the Northern League. It cost £5 to get in plus 50p for the programme. On Saturday I am going to watch North Shields in the semi-final of the FA Vase (£6). So far this season I have been to 25 games and doubt I’ve spent £200 on admissions, programmes and half-time tea. People who are tired of being ripped off by the big clubs should stop giving them their money come and watch Northern League (the second oldest football league in the world) instead. They’d not only be making a stand against corporate greed they’d be supporting genuine community enterprises. Oh yes, and the beer is far cheaper than at League grounds and most of the clubhouses have real ale from local breweries too.
There’s no need for “the arts” to think it has to compete with football. That tedious argument has been going on since Shakespeare conflicted”virtue” with “cakes and ale”. Instead consider the real reason people go to the match – as a regular social gathering with groups of friends and family to support our just and righteous cause. The last mass expression of communal culture that we have and threatened by both the predations of billionaire acquisition and the disdain of borgeois opinion. I go to SJP then the Theatre and so what?
Paying £40 at St. James, the Sage or the Thestre Royal is equally difficult for working people. But you can judge by the attendances which is more popular. and that’s despite Wonga, relegation, disaffection etc.
Maybe the real problem in the arts is the lack of relevance, engagement or leadership in this Region. No “Close the Coalhouse Door” for decades, lowering capacity at Live Theatre, continued ignorance of genuine Regional music from the folk fraternity and a desperate desire (with honourable exceptions) never, ever to perform in a social club.
As a result there exists a kind of “local arts underground”, often supported by the alternative football network who are sustained by people who care about all in their communities ie football fans. As we all said at the anti-Pergida March (where the German media were amazed and gratified that ordinary normal football fans – including Sunderland and Boro were anti-fascist and came out to demonstrate that fact). “Newcastle, United, Will Never Be Defeated” – it’s about so much more than football. One day, I hope, our regional art establishment will be worthy of the support of the ordinary football supporter. Until the funding withers I doubt most of them would even bother.
They’ll eat their artisan cakes and drink their craft ale thinking of audiences of dozens when we are tens of thousands and await their convenience!
I wholeheartedly agree that we should start with planning for our open spaces first and then fit the development around them but I would be concerned by the build up rather than out approach mainly because of the appalling examples of ‘high rise’ that blot our current urban landscapes.
Student accommodation that is currently being built in Newcastle is a prime example of how not to do it – architecturally lacking and completely insensitive to its surroundings. Risky to go up without strong and visionary city planning strategy.
thank you Mike for your delightful essay. It has enlightened me and helped to remove a dormant prejudice around what I do not understand – and therefore, I must fear – and as you say: they are enjoying themselves and that can’t possibly be allowed……..
So good on you for opening a conversation and reminding me of harmless pleasures gleaned under watchful disapproving eyes!
Kind regards
Marc.
ps. I suspect your figures on the “cost” of the city’s (Newcastle) boozing” culture are underestimated by a factor of two or maybe three, who actually knows???. What people forget is the hidden family costs of those abusing and those encouraged to abuse alcohol or drugs.
Hi Marc, Thank you…. sounds like you may be going out to get a skateboard soon. I’ve had to fling myself out of the way of slightly careless skaters on occasions but in five years of working with them I’ve never heard anyone planning or wanting to go out an cause trouble. They can be naïve, (but probably less so than I was as a teenager), hence the problems around memorials. My favourite insight was one day out with the local free runners, North East Parkour. After a hard morning’s running and jumping it was time for lunch. Most skaters are ardent fans of Greggs but the free runners had all brought frighteningly wholesome, nutritionally balanced home made food. I think they resent my attempts to portray them as badly dressed boy scouts….. You are right about the hidden costs of the party City. Best wishes, Mike
I can only echo your comments. My family and I spent 3 weeks in Syria in 1994 when it was even more up and coming! We were living in Qatar at the time and spent the Easter holidays travelling from Danascus to Aleppo to Latakia, down the coast visiting all the amazing castles, then inland to Palmyra, where we were among a handful of visitors. It was amazing; vast and jaw-dropping. I remember climbing onto the funerary towers and taking photos of the kids there, as the sun was setting.
The underground souk in Aleppo was amazing too , with its vaulted ceiling and hammams.
I believe that has suffered tremendously at the hands of IS.
You are right, the people are warm and welcoming, and watching their country and these wonderful sites being destroyed is tragic.
Thanks for the fantastic photos and we join your prayers that this beautiful city will remain in tact.
Rosie,
Thanks for your comments and memories. I can only imagine what Syria was like in 1994. What a wonderful experience. I feel very lucky that was able to go there, it will be forever in my heart.
James.
It’s an interesting starting point to call an entire scene undeveloped Ian, and one which will win you few friends within the community you seek to build.
While I would never argue that we couldn’t be doing more, search a little harder and evidence of a scene which even if not thriving by London standards (and frankly, where is?), is certainly producing work which reaches well beyond the confines of either ‘factual TV’ or ‘illustrated lecture’.
By way of example, I’d point you towards ‘Last Man on The Moon’ by Darlington’s Mark Craig, or the forthcoming Addicted to Sheep by Stockton’s Magali Pettier. Go back a little further and discover our regional links to Peter Snowden’s The Uprising, or Gillian Wearing’s début feature Self-Made.
Starting to sound a little healthier? There’s more. Emerging regional talent Mark Chapman, whose latest short doc will premiere at EIFF next month, building on the success of his previous genre pushing short ‘Trans’. Also at Edinburgh you’ll find Mark Cousins ‘6 Desires’, produced by Byker based Third Films, who last year had two films premiering in Venice. Developing yes. Undeveloped? Really?
Stretch your gaze a little further to our burgeoning festival scene. Last year’s Berwick Media Arts Festival saw their co-commission with NFM awarded to Ben Russell. Admittedly we’d never claim the nomadic yank as one of our own, but his film, Greetings to The Ancestors, which premiered here before going on to win a Tiger Award at Rotterdam, would not have been made without the support of the (I’m now leaning towards thriving) scene in the region. Did you catch the AV Festival last year? Test Department’s DS30 which was first performed down at Dunstan Staithes has now been adapted for cinemas and will soon tour across the north.
I could go on and extol the work of artists like Cecilia Stenbom blending oral history with the aesthetic of Scandinavian crime drama, activists like Paul Irwin applying a documentary sensibility to teenage drama with his TryLife series, or the new works being commissioned at the Tyneside Gallery (Mikhail Karikis new installation?) but I hope the point is clear by now.
Yes let us challenge orthodoxy. Yes let us encourage emerging film-makers to discover and extend their own cinematic languages within and without our academic institutions. And please let us set aside any notion that we’ll do ourselves any favours by comparing our output to that of London or dismissing what is already happening across the region in the documentary sphere.
Later next week we’ll join together as a group of regional talent, yourself included, attending the Doc/Fest in Sheffield. I look forward to taking the discussion forward there as we celebrate the world premiere of Addicted to Sheep and plan for an even brighter future.
Yours in film
Andy
Just a couple of thoughts. In general I agree that Start ups are a “good thing” and should be encouraged. I am now retired but I have been a Vice President of Product Development in two Medical Device Start ups in my career including one in Silicon Valley.
It should be remembered that most Start ups fail and so a culture that accepts that this is OK is required. Access to Venture Capital is another obvious necessity and this infrastructure needs to be encouraged.
Working in a Start up is the most exciting and rewarding experience and also the most challenging and frustrating. They are not 9-5 jobs but can be amazing opportunities. Even in failure they provide unparalleled personal development as long as you are willing to learn from it.
They help to create a local culture and ecosystem where anything is possible as people move between companies of all sizes.
However the caveat is that expectations have to be set appropriately.
Keith
Cllr Forbes can have a devolution deal – if he’ll agree to have an elected mayor for the North East Combined Authority. Does he now support the proposal to have an elected individual to make the case for the region?
Because it seems to me that devolution without an elected mayor simply won’t happen.
And if that puts the brakes on the region’s devolution, then those people who oppose the proposition will be those who must hang their heads in shame if the region gets left behind.
It’s hard disagree with the principle of investing in public transport on efficiency and environmental grounds. However, I’m puzzled as to why Nick Forbes makes support for HS2 a key part of his case. The rationale for spending £50bn on HS2 increasingly rests on the argument that it can contribute to “rebalancing” the economic geography of the UK and encourage the growth of northern cities. But the evidence for this claim is negligible. In my own testimony to the House of Commons Transport Committee I showed that that there is little international evidence that high speed rail lines contribute to the growth of lagging regions – in some cases they have been associated with acceleration regional disparities (Japan, Korea, Spain, etc.). Research commissioned by HS2 Ltd from KPMG which purported to show the positive impacts of HS2 on northern cities was roundly criticised by the Treasury Select Committee and academic experts. Perhaps the most damning critique of the case for HS2 came in the recent report of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. Among its arguments was the suggestion that there is a better case for investing east-west links, which are likely to have better implications for the growth northern cities, rather than north-south ones which are already good. The case for improving public transport is strong but we need a more nuanced and informed debate about what this means for the North East.
Ian Wylie deserves the thanks of all those who care about the North East. The Northern Correspondent has already established itself as a properly public institution and I see no good reasons why it should not go on from strength to strength. In the light of what is happening in Scotland raising the quality and reach of the media in this part of the world is not a luxury it’s an economic and political necessity.
Ian raises some challenging questions. The one I worry about the most is the absence of serious regional reporting in the North East. People like me can add their comments and arguments but opinions are two a penny. What is, literally, more costly, are proper journalists who can get behind the scenes of the regional power structure. I’m not just talking about local government but the business sector, unions, arts bodies and other groups that are shaping this place. In 2015 even talking in these terms sounds kind of worthy and journalists respond by telling me that people aren’t interested. I don’t buy it: in fact, it’s in those stories where the real drama lies. In the longer term we need publicly funded and regional media that isn’t just a badly funded footnote of the BBC.
Congratulations to Ian Wylie and the team at Northern Correspondent on a year of success. I commend the appearance of the magazine and the way the team have sought to place it at the heart of a conversation about the past, present and future. The main achievement of the magazine to date has been to help raise the quality of this debate.
Ian offers a thoughtful set of remarks about the experience of the past year. In particular, I endorse his emphasis on the need to develop a culture of listening. This is a difficult task but an important one. There are no easy solutions to the issues that confront the region and no person, organisation or sector of society has all the answers – despite the impression they might sometimes give. Intelligent debate is short supply and NC is to be valued as a place where this can occur.
We’ll have a New North East when we build a new, distinct, identifying democratic politics out of a refreshed and refreshing landscape of community, family, culture and language. So much hangs together in what is such a vibrant and special place but we need to throw off the torpor of 100 stultifying years and recognise and support some insistent voices bubbling from below.
Great article, yes, we must design and build cities for people. Cycling is part of the solution and Newcastle must embrace a transport transition, shifting from building roads for cars and prioritising cycling and walking infrastructure and public transport. Urban space is precious. And we’re not doing it just for the existing cyclists, the fit and the brave, it’s for everybody, families, children, people of all ages and abilities. This is the message we heard at the Velocity15 conference in Nantes last month – read my article at http://newcycling.org/velocity-2015-claires-reflections/ and it very much echoes Carlton’s words.
Cycling needs to be made user friendly nationwide. Safe cycling where cars are kept seperate will encourage people of all ages to cycle .Heath benifits in the form of reduced obesity and heart problems will result in financial savings to the NHS.It could pay for it’s self. As a pensioner with a bus pass who cycles I would like to see buses that carry a few bikes on the front as they do in British Columbia.Secure cycle parks as Hull Railway Station etc. We have only ecratched the surface at the moment. Saki
Before anyone considers a role for the SNP south of the border I feel there are two things people should consider. Firstly is there already a party (however nascent) south of the border which wants to see real subsidiarity in how they are governed and represented. Secondly I would urge anyone South of the Border who hasn’t already done so to read the final report of the Scottish Commission on Local Democracy (http://www.localdemocracy.info
The findings of the report are that whether or not the SNP are in power at Holyrood or anywhere else they have continued (nay accelerated) the drive towards even more centralisation in Scotland. Having lived and worked in the Highlands for 25 years and only recently moved back to the North East I am surprised at how much the centralisation of local and central government is mirrored exactly on both sides of the border.
The SNP clearly have a mandate in Scotland but that mandate is not particularly sophisticated if one looks at it in the context of just how under represented communities are in decision making and in being part of decisions which have real outcomes in their daily lives.
Funnily enough this was never an issue during the independence debate (only the greens gave it a short nod during their campaign).
Local democracy is the debate we should be having and we should start right at the beginning by asking ALL the political parties to listen!
Interesting article…
The north of England has several fledging parties, that contested the recent GE, and any sensible strategy would be to look to work with, encourage etc. Standing outside of Scotland in these areas would not be a sensible long term strategy.
Yorkshire First are Observer members of the EFA (European Free Alliance – the same grouping as Plaid, Mebyon Kernow, and the SNP) and would welcome expertise but not interference.
The UK is indeed not working well for all parts AND regions when 9 out of the 10 poorest areas in the whole of Northern Europe are in the UK – 3 in historic Yorkshire. We aspire to first rate devolution for Yorkshire with similar powers to Scotland. But we also want to learn from Scotland, and go much further than Edinburgh (Or York for us!). We are essentially champions of a revitalised local and regional democracy, that recognises the need, ability and powers to decide regional issues and opportunities without having to go cap in hand to Westminster.
We also do not define ourselves on the left/right spectrum, have no party whip and all candidates have to sign up to the Bell Principles (Code of conduct and way of acting for elected officials).
As such we are at heart democrats, believe in significantly more powers and control being exercised at local level, and believe in a reformed UK… Slightly different from the SNP! But our door is open for any discussions – we had excellent support, encouragement and respect in our position from many SNP supporters during the election.
Last point… We received a higher % in our first election than the SNP. And Plaid, Ukip & Greens did in theirs… (1.5% EU election after just 7 weeks from launch and 600 quid spent!)
I completely agree with John and Alastair – it’s crazy to think that serious and considered reporting about the North East and other regions just doesn’t exist. It seems that a whole generation of potential reporters and observers in our 20s and 30s have grown up with the expectation that media isn’t within our power (the pay is too low, there are no jobs in journalism, etc); there’s a similar lack of value placed on culture and the arts in general – what with everything having to benefit the economy, etc.
Anyway, I think NC and Ian’s ambition to make the North East a place with its own voices and industry is really inspiring. Good luck.
“Art is the nearest thing to life; it is a mode of amplifying experience and extending our contact with our fellow-men beyond the bounds of our personal lot” – George Eliot, “The Natural History of German Life”, Westminster Review July 1856
Agree with lots of this. But the government should also be put under pressure to require ITV to go back to broadcasting regional half-hour programmes on features, specialist factual and current affairs. (Ok, I know that won’t happen, but it would be good.)
This would ensure plurality, ie the BBC plus an alternative voice. Tyne Tees half-hours led to lots of awards and some genuinely investigative reports, in among the more populist programming which is necessary for a commercial broadcaster. They achieved good viewing figures. They let local people have a voice, a far more extended one than on the news – the chance to look at regional issues in depth. And they also served as a great training ground for young talent, many of whom went on to make their mark in network programmes. And of course they created employment and avoided a brain drain to Manchester or the south.
That the BBC still makes “Close Up” is very much to be welcomed. But yes, whatever helps to revive the region in the broadcasting sector would be welcomed, so well done for floating the idea.
For those who say we have drama coming out of the northeast, yes we have. But it employs very few local production staff. It would be good if the companies involved could make more of an effort to recruit from the talent pool in the north.
Democracy would be a start! Consultations are underway this week for the NECA and no one knows about them! Durham is the only council to have committed to a referendum much to the annoyance of the other leaders in the LA7. Information and any means of transparent accountability is lacking. There are many opportunities to had in planning our own future in the North – but if we think that’s what devolution is all about I think we may need to study this govt’s record very closely indeed.
It isn’t necessary to reinvent the wheel. The foundations for a viable and effective North East economic strategy were laid by One North East, the former Regional Development Agency. Within that, you need only revisit the Strategy for Success and its Three Pillars approach. And the initial work that was done by the Northern Way collaboration between One North East, the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Agency and the North West Development Agency; this set out the groundwork for a Northern Powerhouse. With some modifications and updating, and without maddening layers of bureaucratic accountability, this could be the basis of a Great North Plan.
Or is all this too simple? Do economic planners such as IPPR North constantly have to justify themselves by going over the same old ground and coming up with merely lukewarm and constantly regurgitated, fanciful ideas?
So come off it. We don’t need more pointless planning consultations which get nowhere. Let’s put some existing, proven ideas back into practice.
Well written and thoughtful article. I used to live in Hazlerigg and often walked to Big Waters. This threat to wildlife and the natural environment should be brought to the direct attention of Prince Charles. I am sure he would want to be made aware, and may even be willing to get involved.
NC continues to grow in depth and breadth. This issue’s startling variety of insights in to what home can mean should be of interest to everyone whether traveling or arrived. And gosh this magazine looks, feels and smells gorgeous.
A useful contribution to the debate, as always, from Rachel Armstrong. It seems to me that an important aspect of making the Northern Powerhouse work for our cities is to shift the discourse from “growth now, environmental and social change later” to one in which economic growth, environmental sustainability and the achievement of social goals and greater democracy are afforded equal priority. Perhaps the single most effective way to achieve this goal is to ensure that the public, private and third sectors and local community members are given equal weight in decision-making. Past experience suggests this would be very difficult to achieve – requiring a change in mindset from all parties – but is there really any viable alternative?
I completely agree the North East Powerhouse must be about who we are, where we live and where we’re going – People, Place and our Future which must surely mean our children and their future in our region. The Powerhouse must have ‘everyday voices’ talking about it, excited by it, getting behind it. It needs a big idea which captures our imagination and our humanity. I suggest making our region the best place in the UK for children.
Just think what that would mean – good quality affordable family homes; flexible, family friendly employment policies; health advice and encouragement for parents so that every baby has the best start in life; support for families with small children in Children’s Centres, childcare and community groups; good schools hand-in-hand with employers so that school leavers move into apprenticeships, jobs or college; neighbourhoods where children can play safely; community activities for young people run by good role models.
Businesses bring employment to places where people can have a good way of life, and that is what being the best place in the country for children would produce. The NECC would encourage business to relocate here not only because of our landscape, coast, cities, history, culture and transport links but also because of what we offered for families and how we trained our young people for work. Families would want to move here too and our young people would not feel compelled to move away to find work.
So what about it? The north east – best place in the UK for children!
Wonderful, and I feel a quite haunting, article too. A wider inclusive debate to loosen the deadlock and downward spiral is exactly what we now need (have needed it for a while, and it does happen in pockets but not on a wider citywide or regional platform).
It also must be informed by the future direction, the Newcastle city says it wants to take. I am looking at transport policy for example. It is full of great innovative plans and good ideas, but without a substance and practical grip to make it real for people.
Sidenote, if I may (what would you expect from me, always pushing for more). It’s sad, or perhaps telling even, that the organised discussion does not have even one woman on the panel. Women’s voices have been silently absent – dare I say silenced. When it is women who have certain needs and wants, ideas and dreams, and these can look quite different to their male counterparts, personal and professional. “Naturally” this is due to our society placing various values and tasks on certain gender, a socialisation process. So, I will have to give a disappointing #allmalepanel rating to the event.
Maybe next time we can improve, at least on gender diversity. I am certain it can be done.
We can always be better. And must not be afraid of it.
I think your description of our city as being less cool than Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds is just wrong. We’re not defined by Geordie Shore any more than Mancunians are by Coronation Street. John Cooper Clarke’s poem “Beesley Street” and its updated version probably say as much as necessary about the destruction of community, paucity of aspiration and the self-ghettoisation of artists who comment without profound knowledge. Newcastle is the greatest and most civilised city on earth because of its unity. This means that football, art, music, culture, history, politics, economic growth and social progress all happen because we all participate. Instead of getting artists to pay for space by their labour in a park, talk to the people working on that park – the diggers, cleaners, bin-men and the like to find out about their artistic needs. Maybe then our city’s arts and cultural provision could receive the cooperation it needs from all of its people and the many excellent, committed cultural practitioners can make a sustainable living without being at the mercy of funding, HLF, corporate donations and whatever trend is current now.
As a football fan who enjoys art, culture, music, theatre, philosophy, literature, history, opera, dance and helps organise festivals producing all of the above (except opera) I feel a bit insulted by this characterisation of my city. Culture is for everyone – shown by the great success of simply opening the doors to the people for The Late Shows – but a sector with a record of producing financial disasters, demanding more funding and failing to deliver on its promise shouldn’t be criticising a council suffering tens of millions of cuts whilst trying to help people desperate and starving in food banks. I know it’s tough, but stick together with the people who go to the match and laugh at Geordie Shore and know exactly why they love this great city and you may just see your dreams fulfilled.
Good grief. Newcastle is way cooler than manchester, liverpool or any of our southern partners in this ‘Northern’ powerhouse. It always has been. and there’s thing. Artists and the creative sector have made huge changes to Manchester, Liverpool and the East End of London over the past two decades. But that’s a trend that’s been happening for centuries. Think the Bloomsbury set, or St Ives even. Newcastle (and Gateshead importantly too) have largely by-passed that need. Its very presence at the end of the line has let it develop in it own distinctive way. An original way. And isn’t that what the developers elsewhere are buying into – or at least hoping to buy into – Originality. Creativity. Identity. Tyneside has this by the bucketloads. It’s part of its fabric and culture. It’s what made it the centre of invention and innovation. Beyond Tyneside, the North East as a region is far more culture savvy than anywhere else in England. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t need creative ghettos as artists can thrive easier generally across the region. Of course artists continue to have roles to play in the vitality of the city. It’s already the go-to place for the region. Just look at Durham by comparison. I don’t live in Tyneside. I’m 60 miles away, but given the choice of where to get a great cultural experience – Leeds, Manchester, York, Sheffield – Newcastle wins hands down every time.
Hello, I am an artist from ‘the hidden sector’ – it isn’t named but I presume intended is the one situated amongst Pilgrim Street, Market Street and New Bridge Street West. I saw this linked to on Twitter and also that you were encouraging comments on this piece, which intrigued me.
I was born in and still reside in Newcastle, although have actively volunteered in the arts (in many a community, across multiple counties in the North East) since I was in high school – running workshops in schools, working with the elderly and mentoring students, all as mentioned above, yet all without any financial incentives in the first place.
I come from a working class background, with no insider, nepotic ties to the arts and have always funded my work (and now my studio rent) with the income gained from low-hour contract, minimum wage jobs or benefits. It is now common amongst young people to work more than one job and only dabble in creative hobbies or enterprise on the side. So few of us are lucky to be employed by arts organisations or earn anything near enough to ever call ourselves professional artists. Zero hour contracts are increasingly prevalent across the nation, and unfortunately rife amongst Newcastle’s arts-involved individuals – because of this, the time and costs we can spare to put into our work varies, hence why the quality of our work is, as put here, “mixed”.
I do believe we need more opportunities for creative graduates, but also more opportunities for individuals to enter the arts professionally in the first place – those of all ages who never went to university, the volunteers, the would-be freelancers who struggle to earn a living wage and those like me who are of minorities and low socioeconomic backgrounds. I am grateful to the established artists who are genuinely concerned about supporting and nurturing the next generation of artists, and to those that have already been kind enough to invest their time and offer mentorship to individuals such as myself.
Although the artists of Shieldfield and Ouseburn have contributed greatly to their gentrification, I wouldn’t necessarily say that events like the Open Studios and once-yearly Late Shows (which I support, attend and contribute to) are the deciding factor that sways potential arts students to move to Newcastle and reside in the newly-built accommodation complexes.
I doubt that Newcastle City Council will ever see investing in this “hidden sector” a priority, or prime opportunity for an overall “better quality of life” in a city that consists of areas of significant deprivation and over 40 square miles – unless that sector starts creating more jobs and/or generating more profits. I also doubt that they will ever see it financially viable to reward artists with stakes in property for volunteering at community centres and cultural venues when there are many of us already doing it for free, and at no cost to them, as it stands when they are under increasing pressure from the government and cuts.
The radio this morning is full of the relegation of Newcastle and the safety of Sunderland.
Football is a sport, but to the fans it is part of their pride and joy in the North East.
My father played amateur football in his youth and even won a medal for it. He broke his arm and played with the arm in a plaster caste, two games on the same day.That is what really illustrates the point of how the game gives self worth.
Despite the money and all the business talk about the game it is the people, children, young children who run home from school, get on their boots and can’t wait to get out and play for their team who give the game and sport life.
The local teams give a lot to the community and schools to encourage sport and this can motive individuals in their struggles and benefit their health,
But today there maybe many individuals who feel let down and even betrayed.
There needs to be a coming together in the region. A sport for everyone.
It should be that we try to understand differences and this helps to form a better future for everyone.
“Winner takes all” illustrates the false ideology of competition.
On Thursday 23rd June, I did not go to bed and wake up to the result of the vote.
I stayed up all night, watching each result, noting the numbers, hearing the talk from those who do not seem to deal with the public in local shops, local buses or just speak and help when necessary other humans who need help and reassurance. Perhaps this is the problem in society today-looking out to another person and seeing what goes on in the world beyond ones self. Looking out to the town, where people go for pleasure, for comfort for a job. Then looking further to the region and the nation and the continent and world, seeing the needs of people to feel secure and to connect with each other. The consumer world encourages the differences in humankind-that is what makes profits, but distracts from a lot from forging empathy and true community -which is so badly needed at the moment.
All good points but it is the ‘how’ that is the important question that fails to be addressed. Regional media is great but how do you get people to engage? NC is great, but it will only engage those in or from the said ‘university bubble’. How do you get people from the poorer parts of the region out of their own towns and villages into Newcastle, never mind the universities? We need real engagement at a different level. We need more support for and work with regional charities that work so hard to support ‘everyone else’ to open up those lines of communication and enable that engagement through simple, easy to understand messages.
I couldn’t disagree with the sentiments expressed here, but I find the suggestions rather more of the same old, same old vanguardist middle classes need to offer more top down solutions rather than actually really engaging and allowing for the marginalised and those at the sharp end of the neoliberal agenda, (which the universities have colluded with), into the debate. The people of the north-east have been rather cynical about the well meaning attempts to impose regional assemblies or elected mayors simply because it often just looks like a bunch of already well connected local interests, whether from politics, academia or the social welfare industry further consolidating their monopoly on passes for regional democracy.
I voted to stay in Europe, but my position was a pragmatic response rather than a declaration of unconditional love for the European project. Whilst I recognise many of the good things Europe has done, I am not going to lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day it is a bosses club that is in serious need of reform.
It is too easy and lazy to dismiss the whole of the electorate that voted Brexit as racists, xenophobes or neanderthals. I know many intelligent, thinking people who voted ‘out’ for reasons I can sympathise with, who don’t fit the stereotype, and for many people who are at the sharp end of the neoliberal project that Europe is ultimately tied to, appeals to remain in Europe for the sake of a stable economy sound rather like a bad joke. The referendum result has unleashed a tsunami of pent up hatreds and resentments that cut across many fault lines. British society has been ruptured along class, geographic, political, social, ethnic and many other fault lines for many years and it’s all just starting to come apart very messily now. We are only now starting to realise just how illusory the fantasy is that class politics no longer matter when we can find common purpose through a selective personal pick and mix smorgasbord of narrow identity politics that increasingly marginalises and ignores the concerns and aspirations of a growing underclass that we just see as a problem that needs managing and controlling rather than including. We then wonder what we, as impeccable Liberals, have ever done to deserve this when it comes back to bite us on the bum?
Until recently I was never really a fan of regional assemblies – another layer of bureaucracy and all that – but I understand that it’s all the rage on the continent. I am beginning to think it’s the only way forward now! Does anyone have an insight into how these sorts of things work in other European countries? Germany, for instance, is pretty hot on this type of set-up, and I’ve been told it works rather well.
On Thursday 23rd June, I did not go to bed and wake up to the result of the vote.
I stayed up all night, watching each result, noting the numbers, hearing the talk from those who do not seem to deal with the public in local shops, local buses or just speak and help when necessary other humans who need help and reassurance. Perhaps this is the problem in society today-looking out to another person and seeing what goes on in the world beyond ones self. Looking out to the town, where people go for pleasure, for comfort for a job. Then looking further to the region and the nation and the continent and world, seeing the needs of people to feel secure and to connect with each other. The consumer world encourages the differences in humankind-that is what makes profits, but distracts from a lot from forging empathy and true community -which is so badly needed at the moment.
What history really teaches us is that Westminster Government and London-based parties can’t be trusted to deliver devolution and it’s only when grass roots parties challenge hard enough at the ballot box that we see properly resourced, empowered and democratic devolution delivering the goods for the people of Wales and Scotland.
Of course ‘devolution is a process rather than a single event’ but the process has to start with something which people consider worth voting for.
The ‘Northern Powerhouse’ is an M62 cabal, dreamed up by policy makers who don’t know where the North East is & seized upon by local authority leaders as an opportunity to extend their own feudal barony without the inconvenience of engaging with the electorate
In the end self- interest has seen off the threat of an elected mayor. Rather than lament what’s been lost the IPPR ( North) might do the cause of devolution a big favour by supporting the calls of the North East Party for proper devolution – resourced, empowered and subject to a referendum – just like Scotland. While we’re on let’s have some fair property taxes instead of a Council Tax which discriminates against the North East in favour of London.
Who cares about the policy making and political elites of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds – we want proper devolution, just like those UK citizens just north of Berwick and we want to vote on it right now.
It is not just Northern English cities, that need more powers, we should not forget about Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness who will need to be protected from the pulling power of the new Capital – and not just the North of England.
I have long argued for a Thames Valley regional authority to look after planning, police and emergency services, education, health, welfare etc. etc and protect us from the malign pull of London. Jokingly I have proposed that Berkshire secedes from the Union and becomes the next Canton of Switzerland. This would be more preferable than being the 51st state of another federal union.
As just one example, the case for the third Thames bridge at Reading would be considered in a much wider context than the immediate concerns of the rich South Oxford residents.
Interesting piece. There are potential issues when the students leave for the holidays, though, and the possible impact that can have on the infrastructure. In St Andrews the students make up about 1/3 of the town’s population. Fortunately, there’s the golfing public to step in when the students are away (in the summer in particular), but it’s fast becoming a town of just eateries, charity shops and golf shops, although that may just be a feature of St Andrews…
There’s no denying that an influx of students can occasion a great deal of positive change within a location: they bring a lot of desirable amenities to an area – the restaurants and cinemas referred to in this article, for instance – they’re willing to work unpopular and irregular hours for local businesses, and they tend to spend a lot of money. Having said all, I think we’ve got to be careful to locate this discussion within its broader economic context – particularly, with respect to the kind of urbanism that’s been emerging in Britain over the past ten to fifteen years or so and the myriad social problems related to it.
Now I should stress, that I’m not out to pour scorn on the student population: they bring a lot of benefits to the communities they move into, and I think this article does a really good job of documenting them; of course, by virtue of the fact that all these concomitant amenities make a place more desirable, they tend to raise the cost of buying or renting in the area. More than that, though, a sizeable student contingent tends to affect massive changes in the nature of the local housing stock: what might once have been a family home becomes a multiple occupancy house; where there was once a preponderance of owner occupiers, there’s now a sizeable population of short term renters. So, on top of the boost to house prices occasioned by the arrival of Pizza Express and Cineworld, houses themselves become the subject of frenzied bidding wars between prospective landlords. Now, look, I’m not trying to imply that this is all bad: indeed, if you own the property you live in, it’s probably an extraordinarily welcome development; if, though, you’re renting and/or are looking to buy your first home in the area, then it’s pretty detrimental to your interests, and, barring a win on the pools, you’re likely to be left with no reasonable option other than to move out of the neighbourhood. In and of itself, there’s nothing alarming about this – people are always being priced out of living in desirable areas – but I’d argue that the pace and the scale of what we’re witnessing in Britain at the minute is remarkable: it’s effectively a mass exodus of lower-income individuals and families out of inner city areas, toward more peripheral locales on the outskirts of towns and cities. It’s essential to point out that “studentification” is just one of multiple factors at work here, but it is a very significant one, for the simple reason that students are almost always ahead of the curve; they need somewhere affordable to live, and universities are generally loath to spend any more than is absolutely necessary building student accommodation – hence, a significant student population moving into slightly raffish areas, and the businesses they depend on following them in. And of course, when a student area becomes too bourgeois for its own good, this process begins again; it acquires a momentum of its own.
Unfortunately, at this point I have to admit that I’m fairly ignorant as to the specifics of Gateshead’s redevelopment, but campus sprawl is a significant feature of innumerable cities across Britain. It goes without saying that it’s at its most acute in London – the sheer weight of numbers combined with unprecedented levels of property speculation see to that – but it’s quite evident in places like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, hell, even Cambridge (a town which could hardly be described as having a shortage of university accommodation). The material consequence of this trend will, of course, be to concentrate poverty in ever-smaller pockets – so what we’re effectively doing is ghettoising people, either in sink estates, or on the periphery of large conurbations; this brings with it a whole raft of intractable social ills.
It might also be worth ruminating on the fact that the Student Halls which universities like Northumbria are building are increasingly designed to cater to a very specific demographic within the student population – the ones with a bit of cash. Unfortunately, I can’t get any figures on the Trinity Square development, but the guide prices on Northumbria’s new build accommodation seem to vary from around £4,500 p.a. to a little over £6,500; considering that the upper-bound on a student maintenance loan is about £5,700, it’s expensive on any metric. Now, in saying this, I’m not trying to suggest that universities are all run by a bunch of rapacious capitalist bastards – the expansion of deluxe student accommodation mirrors the rising price of education – but, from an access perspective, they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Moreover, as and when those students from less affluent backgrounds make it to university they’re probably going to have to rent a flat in altogether less salubrious climes – often further away from the campus proper – which might leave them a bit excluded from the life of the university, but, more importantly, often means they’re having to spend a significant percentage of their loan on transport to and from university. (I’ll grant though, that this isn’t really a problem that really affects Newcastle.)
It’s not just on the high street, but on-line too. People get lazy, and only go to one retailer (one of the ones that avoids paying tax… you know who I mean) for everything. They also put up with poor service from the large retailers. The smaller shops, and the artisans offer better customer service, a better experience, better value for money, and better quality. I firmly believe that there’s a growing body of people who now understand this. We should be looking to places like the Slow Food Movement for inspiration!
I completely agree with the sentiments expressed here. I was born in Newcastle, brought up in Blaydon and went to Newcastle University in the early seventies. After getting my PhD in Glasgow I left for California where I lived and worked for over 30 years. I now live in Ann Arbor in Michigan not too far from Detroit so I can safely say I have a perspective on all of these places.
As I have visited Newcastle on a regular basis over the last 40 years I have been amazed and very proud of the positive changes that have taken place. It is now a more dynamic, youthful and exiting place while retaining all that is best about its history and environment.
I also see a significant movement away from what I used to perceive as a persistent “victim” mentality always looking for the Government to fix things.
Keith
Some very thoughtful comments from Gordon and David. I was born and raised in Blaydon and attended Newcastle University in the early seventies. I have lived in the US for almost 40 years mostly in California but for,the last 8 years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann Arbor is a univer-city with the highly ranked University of Michigan dominating the town – over half the population at its peak during the year. There are always the “town vs gown” debates but overall the contribution of the University is very positive.
There is a lot of new student accomodation being built and it seems like a new restaurant is opening every other week but the overall quality of life is high. Now that I am retired I must admit that I really enjoy the young vibe and all of the arts and music that comes along with a great University.
The University of Michigan like many others including Newcastle is very active in creating and supporting start up companies which have a positive impact.
Its very easy to agree with this analysis. Crossing the Tyne on a bike is a fearful business – especially Askew Road in Gateshead. Not only cyclists but pedestrians are neglected. Its a scandal that Grey Street, one of the most beautiful in the country is used as a car park. Improvement requires panning at the at least the city region scale.
I agree that cities should be able to invigorate areas with a balanced mix of shopping. Independents & corporate.
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An awful lot of truth in this and it goes to the heart of why I think HS2 would damage the economies of the North. It is heresy to say it, but there is value is having a distinctive digital or creative mindset in Manchester or Leeds etc.
Birmingham’s creative sector has always been small for a city of its size, because it competes with the largest talent pool for those services only an hour and a bit away. What will happen if HS2 does the same for Manchester and Leeds? Birmingham tells us that the talent won’t up sticks and move North.
This is certainly not an argument for parochialism or protectionism, it is a version of what Steve Jobs thought about when designing Apple’s campus – put the toilets in places which would maximise the chances of random meetings and conversations between people who worked close but not on top of each other. That way you maximise the potential of all your talent in one place and you get more ideas, more quickly.
Essential viewing for anyone wondering how we create real sustainable economic growth in cities outside London is Professor Ed Glaeser’s barnstorming speech at the Northern Futures summit last week. Summed up in his line “Skills are your destiny” Start watching at 5.00.00. http://t.co/0lHsLNNSCR
In principle the idea of a North East wide trade body is tempting but to be successful it must have the support of the entire region. It might seem pedantic but calling it “greater newcastle” even in the early stages will destroy any chance of that support emerging. It is a matter of scale, Newcastle is the largest city in the North East, but not on a scale that should render the others mere suburbs.
Even if the intentions are as fair as can be, the title (and implied thinking) must be of a pan regional nature from the start.
This reality is the reason that we did not decide to have a regional assembly back in 1999!
GNEA anyone? (North Eastern Authority)
The idea of a Northumbrian Enlightenment is very appealing, but it would be an uphill task to create a Northern Renaissance today. The media and political environment in the region is hostile to ideas and debate. Moreover, where are today’s Spence, Bewick and Murray? Where might they be sought? How might they be brought together? It’s a good idea to begin with history and remind ourselves of past cultural and political achievements.
Liked your Enlightenment piece, Alastair.
Though there were in fact a few, ableit small scale, local events to mark Spence’s bicentenary – the Thomas Spence Trust gathering at his plaque on the Quayside and event in Red House during Heritage Open Days in September; my talk to Association of Northumberland Local History Societies AGM in November and, of course, our own talk to NE Labour History Society in the same month.
John Tomaney makes a number of important points. When he asks: ‘Where is the space today for this debate to occur?’ I can’t help comparing the lively public regional media in other parts of Europe to the thin gruel we get in the North East. In a region with a population bigger than many European countries the public media provision we get (aka the BBC) is similar to what you would find in small US town. Therefore the public can’t engage in the democratic process, or anything much. I have a sensible suggestion: 30% of the license fee should go to regional public media. This isn’t an anti-BBC thing (I love the BBC!) but it’s clear we are never going to get the regional public media we deserve under the present BBC monopoly.
A very interesting comment piece, and Alastair raises an interesting point about the BBC specifically.
The local media perpetuate (and seem content with doing so) a cartoonised vision of the region, where everyone is a party-loving Geordie and no one thinks about things too much. Content to seek comment from vox pops rather than people who are informed about the subject at hand. The Chronicle in its current form is little better than a mindless distraction – utterly incapable of anything approaching investigative journalism. There is little in the local media which prompts further discussion or debate – they focus on local criminals but not local poverty or education standards; they engage in PR for local companies without a mention of the wider social, financial, or environmental contexts. Stories last a single day and then are forgotten, of little consequence to those who aren’t directly involved in the stories.
The response to the Guardian’s criticism is the perfect example – an uninformed, hysterical response is an easy narrative both to establish and then to maintain. When the Chronicle’s sole measure of success is circulation, and local politicians seem to seek retweets over action, the result is an inevitable mess.
A public space for open debate and constructive criticism would go a long way to helping people reengage with politics on a local and national level. Perhaps the Lit & Phil could try to reclaim that space itself? It is often referred to as a ‘hidden gem’ of the city and yet there’s absolutely no reason it should be hidden at all. The region has lost confidence in its voice and its significance.
I wholeheartedly agree and, as an ‘honourable’ Geordie since 1996, count me in. Current structures are rigid and can even prevent exchange, nurture and support, let alone change, progress and movement.
Northern Correspondent has made such an important start. I, for one, can’t wait to see a colourful civic society rising up and flourishing again – ready to learn from, and also debate, our past and purpose – to create and shape our future and destiny.
I agree with the article and all of the comments. When local BBC use the superficial printed media for their local news agenda; when NUFC say that their surveys show that the independent football media ie fanzines and blogs are the “most credible” opinion, then it shows that our professional media is largely wasted. However “the arts” industry that has grown upon us at SageBalticEtc bears responsibility for it’s inability to use the resource it has been given to help all of the people of this region. The inability of our media to confront waste, incompetence, self-interest and irrelevance in these places (exactly as their unqualified support for “local” enterprises described in previous comments) shows parochialism rather than patriotism; immaturity rather than analysis and compares unfavourably to Soviet press stories about tractor production in Minsk. Newcastle upon Tyne is the greatest and most civilised city in the world – andI can prove that – so our civic and regional experience is relevant and compelling. It would be fitting to have institutions and leaders know how good we could be so they wouldn’t see us as a stepping stone on their route to “Fleet Street”, the South Bank or PSG! Then maybe the excellence of society and economy that is our birthright would be a clearer aspiration for more of our people. Northern Correspondent is a welcome positive development and a reminder to all in public, business, sporting, cultural and community life in the North-East to raise our game. We do this or we perish. In a way, todays savage environment of municipal penury, national indifference and technological change give us an opportunity to do this now for ourselves and our people. That’s the agenda!
Interesting points from Prof Tomaney. My problem with the region is its tendency to ‘shoot and ask questions later’ when it comes to criticism of its institutions or its ambition. You can see that in coverage of the collapse of Northern Rock – portrayed largely as somebody else’s fault – or The Guardian article – painted as a nasty hatchet job by sneaky Southerners who don’t understand the region. Often there’s a ‘them and us’ element to our regional debate, with ‘them’ being anyone south of York. If it wasn’t for NC, IPPR North and a few other brave souls the region’s intellectual life would be even more bankrupt, with our public image dominated by a consistently failing football club and MTV reality programmes. There is more to this region, but to find it we need to be more honest about our faults, look for greater political and cultural diversity, and break free of a cosy culture of compromise and consensus that holds us all back.
It was 45% of the people who voted (about 85% of those eligible to vote) so the real number who voted to leave the UK was more like 38%.
The planning system can only do so much; planning rules cannot keep pubs open which are not making money. Lower taxes, less regulation and a growing economy are the best way to support a thriving and diverse pub sector – See more at: http://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/ministers-vow-to-protect-pubs?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=#sthash.E6TiHA1H.dpuf
I too write poems and have done so since the age of 10 years old when I first started to read Shakespeare having heard the play “Hamlet” on the radio. This inspired me and lead to reading and writing poetry and watching such plays. My background did not include the topic mentioned, I did not have the inspiration indicated by Ian, but agree that it is essential that the next generation should be encouraged to seek to full their potential in every way possible and be doers rather than watchers, thinkers rather than those who are accepting of other peoples ideas. This is especially true of those in society who have the least resources who need to be given the chance to see into the light of knowledge which often is found in poetry. literature and art.
I am very impressed with James Tooley’s article which shows great insight and compassion into a truly heartrending situation. It is so easy to make these harsh decisions at Westminster hundreds of miles away from a wonderful little school which has brought hope and joy to so many children. This is without mentioning the parents, teachers and ancillary staff who have showed tireless dedication and loyalty. I was amazed at how glowing the reports about this school were, even from complete strangers like a lady serving in Sainsbury’s Delicatessen who extolled its virtues. This school was financed and pushed through under Michael Gove so why has Nicky Morgan become so disenchanted with her predecessor’s favoured project? It does not reflect well on the Government if this school hasn’t received the necessary support it must have needed during its first year of existence. I am devastated by the closure of this school although I am not a parent or teacher and have no vested interest apart from my desire for a Christian Secondary school in Durham.
Sorry! I’ve really liked some of the articles on NC but this is pretty bland. Another ‘festival’ director calling for further funding!
Funding into what exactly? There has been an explosion of ‘artisan’ restaurants, pop-ups yadda yadda yadda in Newcastle. ‘We’ are all foodies these days. Amazing! Everyman and his cat is opening an eatery offering ‘proper’ grub. Pub grub dining experience, thrice cooked-heart attack food amongst the swelling mid rifts on the barbor jackets. Bespoke cocktails served by barman who model themselves on Julian MacLaren-Ross.
I just wonder who this is for? I see an aspirational class of people consuming this stuff, buying into that authentic experience. You can’t knock the effort of the entrepreneurial crew though.
It’s interesting to note how the Grainger market is changing. Family butchers are being replaced creperies, food retail outlets that, to me, would only be of interest to Observer Weekend supplement readers (with prices to match!).
The footfall of visitors/customers in the market has dropped right off. Speak to the managers, they are desperate to get more people in and keep the place alive. Is just more funding the issue? Yes, you could argue that the current ‘food revolution’ is doing just that and trying to buck the trend, offer a different experience.
Is it just a matter of asking for more funding and support? Support from who exactly?
‘Funding into what exactly?’ Into initiatives that create change, that demonstrate how quality of life for all can be improved cheaply through food, that teach and encourage children to young people to cook fresh ingredients, that encourage conversation around food among diverse groups of people, that encourage positive change for people working in our food industry, that raise quality and expectations, that offer appealing alternative to mass produced fast food, that try to keep more money spent on food in our local economy, that connect people with the source of their food, that try out new approaches to solving entrenched problems and so on. The proliferation of artisan producers and foodies is one visible outcome of all this activity, but there is much more unseen work that goes on at community level aiming to ensure the positive change we’re experiencing reaches everyone.
Hope that helps to clarify my response to the question I was asked by Northern Correspondent.
Great response! That’s more like it! Apologies for what may have seemed a facetious first comment.
Last night I went to see Dunston play Benfield in the Northern League. It cost £5 to get in plus 50p for the programme. On Saturday I am going to watch North Shields in the semi-final of the FA Vase (£6). So far this season I have been to 25 games and doubt I’ve spent £200 on admissions, programmes and half-time tea. People who are tired of being ripped off by the big clubs should stop giving them their money come and watch Northern League (the second oldest football league in the world) instead. They’d not only be making a stand against corporate greed they’d be supporting genuine community enterprises. Oh yes, and the beer is far cheaper than at League grounds and most of the clubhouses have real ale from local breweries too.
There’s no need for “the arts” to think it has to compete with football. That tedious argument has been going on since Shakespeare conflicted”virtue” with “cakes and ale”. Instead consider the real reason people go to the match – as a regular social gathering with groups of friends and family to support our just and righteous cause. The last mass expression of communal culture that we have and threatened by both the predations of billionaire acquisition and the disdain of borgeois opinion. I go to SJP then the Theatre and so what?
Paying £40 at St. James, the Sage or the Thestre Royal is equally difficult for working people. But you can judge by the attendances which is more popular. and that’s despite Wonga, relegation, disaffection etc.
Maybe the real problem in the arts is the lack of relevance, engagement or leadership in this Region. No “Close the Coalhouse Door” for decades, lowering capacity at Live Theatre, continued ignorance of genuine Regional music from the folk fraternity and a desperate desire (with honourable exceptions) never, ever to perform in a social club.
As a result there exists a kind of “local arts underground”, often supported by the alternative football network who are sustained by people who care about all in their communities ie football fans. As we all said at the anti-Pergida March (where the German media were amazed and gratified that ordinary normal football fans – including Sunderland and Boro were anti-fascist and came out to demonstrate that fact). “Newcastle, United, Will Never Be Defeated” – it’s about so much more than football. One day, I hope, our regional art establishment will be worthy of the support of the ordinary football supporter. Until the funding withers I doubt most of them would even bother.
They’ll eat their artisan cakes and drink their craft ale thinking of audiences of dozens when we are tens of thousands and await their convenience!
I wholeheartedly agree that we should start with planning for our open spaces first and then fit the development around them but I would be concerned by the build up rather than out approach mainly because of the appalling examples of ‘high rise’ that blot our current urban landscapes.
Student accommodation that is currently being built in Newcastle is a prime example of how not to do it – architecturally lacking and completely insensitive to its surroundings. Risky to go up without strong and visionary city planning strategy.
In the UK many people’s view of high-rise has been soured by poor design in the later part of the 20th century. There are plenty of great examples from around the world to inspire us now. Check out http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2009/05/12/ten-of-the-greenest-skyscrapers-in-the-world/
thank you Mike for your delightful essay. It has enlightened me and helped to remove a dormant prejudice around what I do not understand – and therefore, I must fear – and as you say: they are enjoying themselves and that can’t possibly be allowed……..
So good on you for opening a conversation and reminding me of harmless pleasures gleaned under watchful disapproving eyes!
Kind regards
Marc.
ps. I suspect your figures on the “cost” of the city’s (Newcastle) boozing” culture are underestimated by a factor of two or maybe three, who actually knows???. What people forget is the hidden family costs of those abusing and those encouraged to abuse alcohol or drugs.
Hi Marc, Thank you…. sounds like you may be going out to get a skateboard soon. I’ve had to fling myself out of the way of slightly careless skaters on occasions but in five years of working with them I’ve never heard anyone planning or wanting to go out an cause trouble. They can be naïve, (but probably less so than I was as a teenager), hence the problems around memorials. My favourite insight was one day out with the local free runners, North East Parkour. After a hard morning’s running and jumping it was time for lunch. Most skaters are ardent fans of Greggs but the free runners had all brought frighteningly wholesome, nutritionally balanced home made food. I think they resent my attempts to portray them as badly dressed boy scouts….. You are right about the hidden costs of the party City. Best wishes, Mike
I can only echo your comments. My family and I spent 3 weeks in Syria in 1994 when it was even more up and coming! We were living in Qatar at the time and spent the Easter holidays travelling from Danascus to Aleppo to Latakia, down the coast visiting all the amazing castles, then inland to Palmyra, where we were among a handful of visitors. It was amazing; vast and jaw-dropping. I remember climbing onto the funerary towers and taking photos of the kids there, as the sun was setting.
The underground souk in Aleppo was amazing too , with its vaulted ceiling and hammams.
I believe that has suffered tremendously at the hands of IS.
You are right, the people are warm and welcoming, and watching their country and these wonderful sites being destroyed is tragic.
Thanks for the fantastic photos and we join your prayers that this beautiful city will remain in tact.
Rosie,
Thanks for your comments and memories. I can only imagine what Syria was like in 1994. What a wonderful experience. I feel very lucky that was able to go there, it will be forever in my heart.
James.
It’s an interesting starting point to call an entire scene undeveloped Ian, and one which will win you few friends within the community you seek to build.
While I would never argue that we couldn’t be doing more, search a little harder and evidence of a scene which even if not thriving by London standards (and frankly, where is?), is certainly producing work which reaches well beyond the confines of either ‘factual TV’ or ‘illustrated lecture’.
By way of example, I’d point you towards ‘Last Man on The Moon’ by Darlington’s Mark Craig, or the forthcoming Addicted to Sheep by Stockton’s Magali Pettier. Go back a little further and discover our regional links to Peter Snowden’s The Uprising, or Gillian Wearing’s début feature Self-Made.
Starting to sound a little healthier? There’s more. Emerging regional talent Mark Chapman, whose latest short doc will premiere at EIFF next month, building on the success of his previous genre pushing short ‘Trans’. Also at Edinburgh you’ll find Mark Cousins ‘6 Desires’, produced by Byker based Third Films, who last year had two films premiering in Venice. Developing yes. Undeveloped? Really?
Stretch your gaze a little further to our burgeoning festival scene. Last year’s Berwick Media Arts Festival saw their co-commission with NFM awarded to Ben Russell. Admittedly we’d never claim the nomadic yank as one of our own, but his film, Greetings to The Ancestors, which premiered here before going on to win a Tiger Award at Rotterdam, would not have been made without the support of the (I’m now leaning towards thriving) scene in the region. Did you catch the AV Festival last year? Test Department’s DS30 which was first performed down at Dunstan Staithes has now been adapted for cinemas and will soon tour across the north.
I could go on and extol the work of artists like Cecilia Stenbom blending oral history with the aesthetic of Scandinavian crime drama, activists like Paul Irwin applying a documentary sensibility to teenage drama with his TryLife series, or the new works being commissioned at the Tyneside Gallery (Mikhail Karikis new installation?) but I hope the point is clear by now.
Yes let us challenge orthodoxy. Yes let us encourage emerging film-makers to discover and extend their own cinematic languages within and without our academic institutions. And please let us set aside any notion that we’ll do ourselves any favours by comparing our output to that of London or dismissing what is already happening across the region in the documentary sphere.
Later next week we’ll join together as a group of regional talent, yourself included, attending the Doc/Fest in Sheffield. I look forward to taking the discussion forward there as we celebrate the world premiere of Addicted to Sheep and plan for an even brighter future.
Yours in film
Andy
Just a couple of thoughts. In general I agree that Start ups are a “good thing” and should be encouraged. I am now retired but I have been a Vice President of Product Development in two Medical Device Start ups in my career including one in Silicon Valley.
It should be remembered that most Start ups fail and so a culture that accepts that this is OK is required. Access to Venture Capital is another obvious necessity and this infrastructure needs to be encouraged.
Working in a Start up is the most exciting and rewarding experience and also the most challenging and frustrating. They are not 9-5 jobs but can be amazing opportunities. Even in failure they provide unparalleled personal development as long as you are willing to learn from it.
They help to create a local culture and ecosystem where anything is possible as people move between companies of all sizes.
However the caveat is that expectations have to be set appropriately.
Keith
Cllr Forbes can have a devolution deal – if he’ll agree to have an elected mayor for the North East Combined Authority. Does he now support the proposal to have an elected individual to make the case for the region?
Because it seems to me that devolution without an elected mayor simply won’t happen.
And if that puts the brakes on the region’s devolution, then those people who oppose the proposition will be those who must hang their heads in shame if the region gets left behind.
It’s hard disagree with the principle of investing in public transport on efficiency and environmental grounds. However, I’m puzzled as to why Nick Forbes makes support for HS2 a key part of his case. The rationale for spending £50bn on HS2 increasingly rests on the argument that it can contribute to “rebalancing” the economic geography of the UK and encourage the growth of northern cities. But the evidence for this claim is negligible. In my own testimony to the House of Commons Transport Committee I showed that that there is little international evidence that high speed rail lines contribute to the growth of lagging regions – in some cases they have been associated with acceleration regional disparities (Japan, Korea, Spain, etc.). Research commissioned by HS2 Ltd from KPMG which purported to show the positive impacts of HS2 on northern cities was roundly criticised by the Treasury Select Committee and academic experts. Perhaps the most damning critique of the case for HS2 came in the recent report of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. Among its arguments was the suggestion that there is a better case for investing east-west links, which are likely to have better implications for the growth northern cities, rather than north-south ones which are already good. The case for improving public transport is strong but we need a more nuanced and informed debate about what this means for the North East.
Some evidence:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmtran/writev/rail/m14.htm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/74c74a46-1c96-11e3-8894-00144feab7de.html#axzz3ckH2fvOA
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/economic-affairs-committee/news/eac-hs2-press-release/
Ian Wylie deserves the thanks of all those who care about the North East. The Northern Correspondent has already established itself as a properly public institution and I see no good reasons why it should not go on from strength to strength. In the light of what is happening in Scotland raising the quality and reach of the media in this part of the world is not a luxury it’s an economic and political necessity.
Ian raises some challenging questions. The one I worry about the most is the absence of serious regional reporting in the North East. People like me can add their comments and arguments but opinions are two a penny. What is, literally, more costly, are proper journalists who can get behind the scenes of the regional power structure. I’m not just talking about local government but the business sector, unions, arts bodies and other groups that are shaping this place. In 2015 even talking in these terms sounds kind of worthy and journalists respond by telling me that people aren’t interested. I don’t buy it: in fact, it’s in those stories where the real drama lies. In the longer term we need publicly funded and regional media that isn’t just a badly funded footnote of the BBC.
Congratulations to Ian Wylie and the team at Northern Correspondent on a year of success. I commend the appearance of the magazine and the way the team have sought to place it at the heart of a conversation about the past, present and future. The main achievement of the magazine to date has been to help raise the quality of this debate.
Ian offers a thoughtful set of remarks about the experience of the past year. In particular, I endorse his emphasis on the need to develop a culture of listening. This is a difficult task but an important one. There are no easy solutions to the issues that confront the region and no person, organisation or sector of society has all the answers – despite the impression they might sometimes give. Intelligent debate is short supply and NC is to be valued as a place where this can occur.
We’ll have a New North East when we build a new, distinct, identifying democratic politics out of a refreshed and refreshing landscape of community, family, culture and language. So much hangs together in what is such a vibrant and special place but we need to throw off the torpor of 100 stultifying years and recognise and support some insistent voices bubbling from below.
Great article, yes, we must design and build cities for people. Cycling is part of the solution and Newcastle must embrace a transport transition, shifting from building roads for cars and prioritising cycling and walking infrastructure and public transport. Urban space is precious. And we’re not doing it just for the existing cyclists, the fit and the brave, it’s for everybody, families, children, people of all ages and abilities. This is the message we heard at the Velocity15 conference in Nantes last month – read my article at http://newcycling.org/velocity-2015-claires-reflections/ and it very much echoes Carlton’s words.
Cycling needs to be made user friendly nationwide. Safe cycling where cars are kept seperate will encourage people of all ages to cycle .Heath benifits in the form of reduced obesity and heart problems will result in financial savings to the NHS.It could pay for it’s self. As a pensioner with a bus pass who cycles I would like to see buses that carry a few bikes on the front as they do in British Columbia.Secure cycle parks as Hull Railway Station etc. We have only ecratched the surface at the moment. Saki
Before anyone considers a role for the SNP south of the border I feel there are two things people should consider. Firstly is there already a party (however nascent) south of the border which wants to see real subsidiarity in how they are governed and represented. Secondly I would urge anyone South of the Border who hasn’t already done so to read the final report of the Scottish Commission on Local Democracy (http://www.localdemocracy.info
The findings of the report are that whether or not the SNP are in power at Holyrood or anywhere else they have continued (nay accelerated) the drive towards even more centralisation in Scotland. Having lived and worked in the Highlands for 25 years and only recently moved back to the North East I am surprised at how much the centralisation of local and central government is mirrored exactly on both sides of the border.
The SNP clearly have a mandate in Scotland but that mandate is not particularly sophisticated if one looks at it in the context of just how under represented communities are in decision making and in being part of decisions which have real outcomes in their daily lives.
Funnily enough this was never an issue during the independence debate (only the greens gave it a short nod during their campaign).
Local democracy is the debate we should be having and we should start right at the beginning by asking ALL the political parties to listen!
Interesting article…
The north of England has several fledging parties, that contested the recent GE, and any sensible strategy would be to look to work with, encourage etc. Standing outside of Scotland in these areas would not be a sensible long term strategy.
Yorkshire First are Observer members of the EFA (European Free Alliance – the same grouping as Plaid, Mebyon Kernow, and the SNP) and would welcome expertise but not interference.
The UK is indeed not working well for all parts AND regions when 9 out of the 10 poorest areas in the whole of Northern Europe are in the UK – 3 in historic Yorkshire. We aspire to first rate devolution for Yorkshire with similar powers to Scotland. But we also want to learn from Scotland, and go much further than Edinburgh (Or York for us!). We are essentially champions of a revitalised local and regional democracy, that recognises the need, ability and powers to decide regional issues and opportunities without having to go cap in hand to Westminster.
We also do not define ourselves on the left/right spectrum, have no party whip and all candidates have to sign up to the Bell Principles (Code of conduct and way of acting for elected officials).
As such we are at heart democrats, believe in significantly more powers and control being exercised at local level, and believe in a reformed UK… Slightly different from the SNP! But our door is open for any discussions – we had excellent support, encouragement and respect in our position from many SNP supporters during the election.
Last point… We received a higher % in our first election than the SNP. And Plaid, Ukip & Greens did in theirs… (1.5% EU election after just 7 weeks from launch and 600 quid spent!)
I completely agree with John and Alastair – it’s crazy to think that serious and considered reporting about the North East and other regions just doesn’t exist. It seems that a whole generation of potential reporters and observers in our 20s and 30s have grown up with the expectation that media isn’t within our power (the pay is too low, there are no jobs in journalism, etc); there’s a similar lack of value placed on culture and the arts in general – what with everything having to benefit the economy, etc.
Anyway, I think NC and Ian’s ambition to make the North East a place with its own voices and industry is really inspiring. Good luck.
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“Art is the nearest thing to life; it is a mode of amplifying experience and extending our contact with our fellow-men beyond the bounds of our personal lot” – George Eliot, “The Natural History of German Life”, Westminster Review July 1856
Agree with lots of this. But the government should also be put under pressure to require ITV to go back to broadcasting regional half-hour programmes on features, specialist factual and current affairs. (Ok, I know that won’t happen, but it would be good.)
This would ensure plurality, ie the BBC plus an alternative voice. Tyne Tees half-hours led to lots of awards and some genuinely investigative reports, in among the more populist programming which is necessary for a commercial broadcaster. They achieved good viewing figures. They let local people have a voice, a far more extended one than on the news – the chance to look at regional issues in depth. And they also served as a great training ground for young talent, many of whom went on to make their mark in network programmes. And of course they created employment and avoided a brain drain to Manchester or the south.
That the BBC still makes “Close Up” is very much to be welcomed. But yes, whatever helps to revive the region in the broadcasting sector would be welcomed, so well done for floating the idea.
For those who say we have drama coming out of the northeast, yes we have. But it employs very few local production staff. It would be good if the companies involved could make more of an effort to recruit from the talent pool in the north.
Democracy would be a start! Consultations are underway this week for the NECA and no one knows about them! Durham is the only council to have committed to a referendum much to the annoyance of the other leaders in the LA7. Information and any means of transparent accountability is lacking. There are many opportunities to had in planning our own future in the North – but if we think that’s what devolution is all about I think we may need to study this govt’s record very closely indeed.
It isn’t necessary to reinvent the wheel. The foundations for a viable and effective North East economic strategy were laid by One North East, the former Regional Development Agency. Within that, you need only revisit the Strategy for Success and its Three Pillars approach. And the initial work that was done by the Northern Way collaboration between One North East, the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Agency and the North West Development Agency; this set out the groundwork for a Northern Powerhouse. With some modifications and updating, and without maddening layers of bureaucratic accountability, this could be the basis of a Great North Plan.
Or is all this too simple? Do economic planners such as IPPR North constantly have to justify themselves by going over the same old ground and coming up with merely lukewarm and constantly regurgitated, fanciful ideas?
So come off it. We don’t need more pointless planning consultations which get nowhere. Let’s put some existing, proven ideas back into practice.
Well written and thoughtful article. I used to live in Hazlerigg and often walked to Big Waters. This threat to wildlife and the natural environment should be brought to the direct attention of Prince Charles. I am sure he would want to be made aware, and may even be willing to get involved.
NC continues to grow in depth and breadth. This issue’s startling variety of insights in to what home can mean should be of interest to everyone whether traveling or arrived. And gosh this magazine looks, feels and smells gorgeous.
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A useful contribution to the debate, as always, from Rachel Armstrong. It seems to me that an important aspect of making the Northern Powerhouse work for our cities is to shift the discourse from “growth now, environmental and social change later” to one in which economic growth, environmental sustainability and the achievement of social goals and greater democracy are afforded equal priority. Perhaps the single most effective way to achieve this goal is to ensure that the public, private and third sectors and local community members are given equal weight in decision-making. Past experience suggests this would be very difficult to achieve – requiring a change in mindset from all parties – but is there really any viable alternative?
I completely agree the North East Powerhouse must be about who we are, where we live and where we’re going – People, Place and our Future which must surely mean our children and their future in our region. The Powerhouse must have ‘everyday voices’ talking about it, excited by it, getting behind it. It needs a big idea which captures our imagination and our humanity. I suggest making our region the best place in the UK for children.
Just think what that would mean – good quality affordable family homes; flexible, family friendly employment policies; health advice and encouragement for parents so that every baby has the best start in life; support for families with small children in Children’s Centres, childcare and community groups; good schools hand-in-hand with employers so that school leavers move into apprenticeships, jobs or college; neighbourhoods where children can play safely; community activities for young people run by good role models.
Businesses bring employment to places where people can have a good way of life, and that is what being the best place in the country for children would produce. The NECC would encourage business to relocate here not only because of our landscape, coast, cities, history, culture and transport links but also because of what we offered for families and how we trained our young people for work. Families would want to move here too and our young people would not feel compelled to move away to find work.
So what about it? The north east – best place in the UK for children!
Wonderful, and I feel a quite haunting, article too. A wider inclusive debate to loosen the deadlock and downward spiral is exactly what we now need (have needed it for a while, and it does happen in pockets but not on a wider citywide or regional platform).
It also must be informed by the future direction, the Newcastle city says it wants to take. I am looking at transport policy for example. It is full of great innovative plans and good ideas, but without a substance and practical grip to make it real for people.
Sidenote, if I may (what would you expect from me, always pushing for more). It’s sad, or perhaps telling even, that the organised discussion does not have even one woman on the panel. Women’s voices have been silently absent – dare I say silenced. When it is women who have certain needs and wants, ideas and dreams, and these can look quite different to their male counterparts, personal and professional. “Naturally” this is due to our society placing various values and tasks on certain gender, a socialisation process. So, I will have to give a disappointing #allmalepanel rating to the event.
Maybe next time we can improve, at least on gender diversity. I am certain it can be done.
We can always be better. And must not be afraid of it.
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I think your description of our city as being less cool than Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds is just wrong. We’re not defined by Geordie Shore any more than Mancunians are by Coronation Street. John Cooper Clarke’s poem “Beesley Street” and its updated version probably say as much as necessary about the destruction of community, paucity of aspiration and the self-ghettoisation of artists who comment without profound knowledge. Newcastle is the greatest and most civilised city on earth because of its unity. This means that football, art, music, culture, history, politics, economic growth and social progress all happen because we all participate. Instead of getting artists to pay for space by their labour in a park, talk to the people working on that park – the diggers, cleaners, bin-men and the like to find out about their artistic needs. Maybe then our city’s arts and cultural provision could receive the cooperation it needs from all of its people and the many excellent, committed cultural practitioners can make a sustainable living without being at the mercy of funding, HLF, corporate donations and whatever trend is current now.
As a football fan who enjoys art, culture, music, theatre, philosophy, literature, history, opera, dance and helps organise festivals producing all of the above (except opera) I feel a bit insulted by this characterisation of my city. Culture is for everyone – shown by the great success of simply opening the doors to the people for The Late Shows – but a sector with a record of producing financial disasters, demanding more funding and failing to deliver on its promise shouldn’t be criticising a council suffering tens of millions of cuts whilst trying to help people desperate and starving in food banks. I know it’s tough, but stick together with the people who go to the match and laugh at Geordie Shore and know exactly why they love this great city and you may just see your dreams fulfilled.
Good grief. Newcastle is way cooler than manchester, liverpool or any of our southern partners in this ‘Northern’ powerhouse. It always has been. and there’s thing. Artists and the creative sector have made huge changes to Manchester, Liverpool and the East End of London over the past two decades. But that’s a trend that’s been happening for centuries. Think the Bloomsbury set, or St Ives even. Newcastle (and Gateshead importantly too) have largely by-passed that need. Its very presence at the end of the line has let it develop in it own distinctive way. An original way. And isn’t that what the developers elsewhere are buying into – or at least hoping to buy into – Originality. Creativity. Identity. Tyneside has this by the bucketloads. It’s part of its fabric and culture. It’s what made it the centre of invention and innovation. Beyond Tyneside, the North East as a region is far more culture savvy than anywhere else in England. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t need creative ghettos as artists can thrive easier generally across the region. Of course artists continue to have roles to play in the vitality of the city. It’s already the go-to place for the region. Just look at Durham by comparison. I don’t live in Tyneside. I’m 60 miles away, but given the choice of where to get a great cultural experience – Leeds, Manchester, York, Sheffield – Newcastle wins hands down every time.
Hello, I am an artist from ‘the hidden sector’ – it isn’t named but I presume intended is the one situated amongst Pilgrim Street, Market Street and New Bridge Street West. I saw this linked to on Twitter and also that you were encouraging comments on this piece, which intrigued me.
I was born in and still reside in Newcastle, although have actively volunteered in the arts (in many a community, across multiple counties in the North East) since I was in high school – running workshops in schools, working with the elderly and mentoring students, all as mentioned above, yet all without any financial incentives in the first place.
I come from a working class background, with no insider, nepotic ties to the arts and have always funded my work (and now my studio rent) with the income gained from low-hour contract, minimum wage jobs or benefits. It is now common amongst young people to work more than one job and only dabble in creative hobbies or enterprise on the side. So few of us are lucky to be employed by arts organisations or earn anything near enough to ever call ourselves professional artists. Zero hour contracts are increasingly prevalent across the nation, and unfortunately rife amongst Newcastle’s arts-involved individuals – because of this, the time and costs we can spare to put into our work varies, hence why the quality of our work is, as put here, “mixed”.
I do believe we need more opportunities for creative graduates, but also more opportunities for individuals to enter the arts professionally in the first place – those of all ages who never went to university, the volunteers, the would-be freelancers who struggle to earn a living wage and those like me who are of minorities and low socioeconomic backgrounds. I am grateful to the established artists who are genuinely concerned about supporting and nurturing the next generation of artists, and to those that have already been kind enough to invest their time and offer mentorship to individuals such as myself.
Although the artists of Shieldfield and Ouseburn have contributed greatly to their gentrification, I wouldn’t necessarily say that events like the Open Studios and once-yearly Late Shows (which I support, attend and contribute to) are the deciding factor that sways potential arts students to move to Newcastle and reside in the newly-built accommodation complexes.
I doubt that Newcastle City Council will ever see investing in this “hidden sector” a priority, or prime opportunity for an overall “better quality of life” in a city that consists of areas of significant deprivation and over 40 square miles – unless that sector starts creating more jobs and/or generating more profits. I also doubt that they will ever see it financially viable to reward artists with stakes in property for volunteering at community centres and cultural venues when there are many of us already doing it for free, and at no cost to them, as it stands when they are under increasing pressure from the government and cuts.
The radio this morning is full of the relegation of Newcastle and the safety of Sunderland.
Football is a sport, but to the fans it is part of their pride and joy in the North East.
My father played amateur football in his youth and even won a medal for it. He broke his arm and played with the arm in a plaster caste, two games on the same day.That is what really illustrates the point of how the game gives self worth.
Despite the money and all the business talk about the game it is the people, children, young children who run home from school, get on their boots and can’t wait to get out and play for their team who give the game and sport life.
The local teams give a lot to the community and schools to encourage sport and this can motive individuals in their struggles and benefit their health,
But today there maybe many individuals who feel let down and even betrayed.
There needs to be a coming together in the region. A sport for everyone.
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It should be that we try to understand differences and this helps to form a better future for everyone.
“Winner takes all” illustrates the false ideology of competition.
On Thursday 23rd June, I did not go to bed and wake up to the result of the vote.
I stayed up all night, watching each result, noting the numbers, hearing the talk from those who do not seem to deal with the public in local shops, local buses or just speak and help when necessary other humans who need help and reassurance. Perhaps this is the problem in society today-looking out to another person and seeing what goes on in the world beyond ones self. Looking out to the town, where people go for pleasure, for comfort for a job. Then looking further to the region and the nation and the continent and world, seeing the needs of people to feel secure and to connect with each other. The consumer world encourages the differences in humankind-that is what makes profits, but distracts from a lot from forging empathy and true community -which is so badly needed at the moment.
All good points but it is the ‘how’ that is the important question that fails to be addressed. Regional media is great but how do you get people to engage? NC is great, but it will only engage those in or from the said ‘university bubble’. How do you get people from the poorer parts of the region out of their own towns and villages into Newcastle, never mind the universities? We need real engagement at a different level. We need more support for and work with regional charities that work so hard to support ‘everyone else’ to open up those lines of communication and enable that engagement through simple, easy to understand messages.
I couldn’t disagree with the sentiments expressed here, but I find the suggestions rather more of the same old, same old vanguardist middle classes need to offer more top down solutions rather than actually really engaging and allowing for the marginalised and those at the sharp end of the neoliberal agenda, (which the universities have colluded with), into the debate. The people of the north-east have been rather cynical about the well meaning attempts to impose regional assemblies or elected mayors simply because it often just looks like a bunch of already well connected local interests, whether from politics, academia or the social welfare industry further consolidating their monopoly on passes for regional democracy.
I voted to stay in Europe, but my position was a pragmatic response rather than a declaration of unconditional love for the European project. Whilst I recognise many of the good things Europe has done, I am not going to lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day it is a bosses club that is in serious need of reform.
It is too easy and lazy to dismiss the whole of the electorate that voted Brexit as racists, xenophobes or neanderthals. I know many intelligent, thinking people who voted ‘out’ for reasons I can sympathise with, who don’t fit the stereotype, and for many people who are at the sharp end of the neoliberal project that Europe is ultimately tied to, appeals to remain in Europe for the sake of a stable economy sound rather like a bad joke. The referendum result has unleashed a tsunami of pent up hatreds and resentments that cut across many fault lines. British society has been ruptured along class, geographic, political, social, ethnic and many other fault lines for many years and it’s all just starting to come apart very messily now. We are only now starting to realise just how illusory the fantasy is that class politics no longer matter when we can find common purpose through a selective personal pick and mix smorgasbord of narrow identity politics that increasingly marginalises and ignores the concerns and aspirations of a growing underclass that we just see as a problem that needs managing and controlling rather than including. We then wonder what we, as impeccable Liberals, have ever done to deserve this when it comes back to bite us on the bum?
Until recently I was never really a fan of regional assemblies – another layer of bureaucracy and all that – but I understand that it’s all the rage on the continent. I am beginning to think it’s the only way forward now! Does anyone have an insight into how these sorts of things work in other European countries? Germany, for instance, is pretty hot on this type of set-up, and I’ve been told it works rather well.
On Thursday 23rd June, I did not go to bed and wake up to the result of the vote.
I stayed up all night, watching each result, noting the numbers, hearing the talk from those who do not seem to deal with the public in local shops, local buses or just speak and help when necessary other humans who need help and reassurance. Perhaps this is the problem in society today-looking out to another person and seeing what goes on in the world beyond ones self. Looking out to the town, where people go for pleasure, for comfort for a job. Then looking further to the region and the nation and the continent and world, seeing the needs of people to feel secure and to connect with each other. The consumer world encourages the differences in humankind-that is what makes profits, but distracts from a lot from forging empathy and true community -which is so badly needed at the moment.
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What history really teaches us is that Westminster Government and London-based parties can’t be trusted to deliver devolution and it’s only when grass roots parties challenge hard enough at the ballot box that we see properly resourced, empowered and democratic devolution delivering the goods for the people of Wales and Scotland.
Of course ‘devolution is a process rather than a single event’ but the process has to start with something which people consider worth voting for.
The ‘Northern Powerhouse’ is an M62 cabal, dreamed up by policy makers who don’t know where the North East is & seized upon by local authority leaders as an opportunity to extend their own feudal barony without the inconvenience of engaging with the electorate
In the end self- interest has seen off the threat of an elected mayor. Rather than lament what’s been lost the IPPR ( North) might do the cause of devolution a big favour by supporting the calls of the North East Party for proper devolution – resourced, empowered and subject to a referendum – just like Scotland. While we’re on let’s have some fair property taxes instead of a Council Tax which discriminates against the North East in favour of London.
Who cares about the policy making and political elites of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds – we want proper devolution, just like those UK citizens just north of Berwick and we want to vote on it right now.