View from the Chair

EVENTS

GREAT NORTH RUN

It was our great pleasure to work with the Great North Run organisers again this Summer. Due to Covid considerations the decision was made to start and end the run on our amazing Town Moor. This meant a great deal of extra work for our Town Moor Superintendent and his team, but everyone involved agreed it was a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Our cover star this issue is Keith Hall (Master Mariners, Colliers), a Freeman of the City who has been a valued member of the Stewards Committee for over 20 years and is Chairman of the Town Moor Money Charity. This was Keith’s 30th Great North Run and the organisers arranged for his allocated running number to be 80 to commemorate his 80th birthday this year. You can find his fabulous media interview on our Facebook page and on our website www.freemenofnewcastle.org Keith has raised many £1000’s for charity over the years; his chosen charity this year was the Parachute Regiment Association, Tyneside Branch. A proud Parachute Regiment veteran, this is a charity very close to his heart. Keith joined the RAF parachute training school at Abingdon Berks and trained on static balloons and Hastings and Beverly Aircraft. Keith told us “The RAF instructors decided that with the aircraft flying at 120 mph and just over 1,000 feet high they would “ask me to leave the aircraft!” this happened some eight times over that month. Eight jumps mean you gain your “wings”. Over the next three years my total came to around 30 aircraft exits.

Keith Hall making new friends – with Andy Burnham, MP Greater Manchester

So, I have a great affinity with the RAF, they looked after me well in my late teens

Lou Talintyre

and early 20s, however the Parachute Regiment was my home” Lou Talintyre (Cordwainers) completed her very first Great North Run on the same day. Proud Freeman, Lou wore the Freeman crest on the front of her vest and her Cordwainer Company crest on the back. Well done Lou! “It was a great pleasure to work with the Freemen of Newcastle on the 2021 Great North Run. Without their support, the event would not have happened and I’m sure I speak for all involved when I say it was an amazing and successful event”.

Nigel Gough, Race Operations Director for the Great North Run

MELA

Newcastle Mela is a vibrant, multicultural and family friendly event which takes place in the heart of the City in Exhibition Park, during the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year, we were delighted to see the return of the Mela on Sunday 29th and Monday 30th August. The Freemen of Newcastle are proud to work alongside Newcastle Mela organisers to present this free event, based around Pakistani, Bengali, Indian and other South Asian cultures. Mela offers opportunities for emerging artists and performers to show off their talents, as well as delicious food, clothes and jewellery – an excellent place to meet new people and pick up gifts and treats for yourself! Newcastle Mela is a long-standing event and is one of a series that take place nationally in major cities each year. The Mela is designed to appeal to all ages and races with everyone welcome to come along and enjoy and has become a vital part of the Newcastle Community. The Freemen are co-owners of the Lord Mayor’s coach, having jointly purchased it with the late Freddy Shepherd and his brother Bruce to save it from leaving the City when the council put it up for sale to cut costs and raise funds.

Monday 13 September 2021 H D Wilson Chairman The Freemen of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne Moor Bank Lodge Claremont Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4NL

Newcastle Asian Arts and Music C/o 2 West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9HB Mobile: 07794346684 Email: karen@newcastlemela.co.uk

Dear David

On behalf of Newcastle Asian Arts and Music (NAAM), I want to offer my sincere thanks for the support that you have given once again to Newcastle Mela 2021. Newcastle Mela is of huge significance to the cultural landscape of the North East, to our local Asian communities and to the wider community of Newcastle and beyond. The support that you commit to offering year on year makes all of this possible. Your support is vital in allowing us to achieve NAAM’s vision to enrich our local culture and further community cohesion. Newcastle Mela has become a popular and much anticipated cultural event which attracts visitors to the region and draws in very positive media attention, regional and national. Newcastle Mela continues to attract a growing, diverse audience through a programme of fun, entertainment and creative artistry, delivering South Asian culture right into the heart of our communities. This success is as a direct result of your support and I want to offer our thanks once again for making this possible. I look forward to our organisations working together for many years to come. With this in mind would it be possible to get a direct contact who we could speak with regarding funding for future years. Please also pass on my thanks and gratitude to Jim, Kevin and the rest of the team. Best regards

Taj Mohammed Chair, NAAM

www.newcastlemela.co.uk www.facebook.com/newcastlemelaofficial

ARMED FORCES DAY PICNIC

On 27th Jun, it was our great pleasure to welcome the Armed Forces onto the Town Moor for their annual picnic and excellent range of exhibits.