Freemen Dec 2019 by rineypublishinglimited

ISSUE 25 DECEMBER 2019

CONTENTS 4 - 5 The Town Moor and its beneficial Environmental Impact 6-7

Future Freemen

8-9

Out & About in Newcastle

Memories from a Freeman

Visit to the Tyneside Cinema

12-13 Town Moor Superintendentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report 14

Meet the team at Moor Bank Lodge

A new name for Newcastle Park and Allotments Trust

16-17 The Newest members of our Editorial Team 18

Remembrance Sunday

Visitors Tales

20-21 Spotlight On 22-23 St Mary Magdalene and Holy Jesus Trust 24

Private Swearing in Ceremony

Community Cricket

Michaelmas Guild

Noticeboard

Cover photo and Moors photos by Kevin Batey. Guild, Holy Jesus official opening, Bergen Tree, Remembrance Parade and Private Swearing-In ceremony Official Photographer: Steve Brock Photography. Copies available from www.stevebrock.co.uk Special thanks to article contributors, Barbara Nesbitt, Jim Johnson, Tracy Kenny, Rachael Heron, Ian Miller, Kieron Elliott, Brenda Charlton, Paul Thompson, Khaled Musharraf, Susan Colvine, Kevin Batey and David Wilson

Freemen Magazine

FOREWORD

As decade follows decade, the Freemen of the City have and without any shadow of doubt, kept pace with the public expectation that a nationally acknowledged and much treasured environmental asset – the Town Moor – our ‘City Lung’ is not only well maintained but where called for appropriately enhanced to complement the ever evolving challenge of the climate change agenda. Such scenarios do require evidence-based assessment, investment and structured multifactorial actions where called for. Our longstanding partnership with Newcastle City Council and the now evolving collaboration with the recently established Urban Green Newcastle, most distinctly serve to provide a categorical assurance that the Town Moor and associated environs are well placed to effectively serve City residents.

As this publication serves to affirm, we are not as some commentators may wish to promulgate i.e. ‘an historical artefact’ and do continue to most effectively enforce the legacy

EDITORIAL

In this issue, we start to highlight the many advantages of the open spaces on the Newcastle Town Moor. The Stewards Committee are especially keen to ensure the Moors under our guardianship are managed in a responsible and sustainable way. So, whilst grazing is our primary obligation, we also have a statutory responsibility to preserve and promote the opportunities for air and exercise. Further bio-diversity information will follow in future issues. Continuing the eco-friendly theme, you may have noticed that from this issue, your magazine was delivered to you in a bioplastic wrapper which is actually potato based and 100% biodegradable. Our thanks go to the Bulman family (Tanners Company) for the prompts to replace the plastic wrappers and indeed, thanks to all Freemen who have approached us with stories and articles.

that those generations who came before us so most effectively brought about. However, if as a reader you feel we can do better in the context of the guardianship role then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Turning to the as built environment over which we have an interest, albeit not ‘command and control’, may I touch upon the most understandable concerns that have arisen in relation to the Grade 1 Listed Guildhall where we do have upper floor rights of use i.e. the Courtroom settings. A ground floor conversion, authorised by Newcastle City Council s now underway to provide a high profile licensed public premise and as a consequence, we have commissioned an independent safety assessment in relation to structural risk/containment in the event of an outbreak of fire. The Court of Guild is appropriately briefed. All in all, we look forward to an interesting year.

Sir Leonard Fenwick CBE

Chairman of the Stewards Commitee

We also think it is time to introduce you our unsung heroes - the Team at Moor Bank Lodge - and we are also delighted to welcome two new members to the Editorial Team, Tracy Kenny (Tanners Company) and Rachael Heron (Ropemakers Company) You can meet them all in this issue. If you would like to join our Editorial Team, or have an interesting Freemen related story to tell then please contact us at the address shown on the back page. In the meantime, from the Stewards Committee, the team at Moor Bank Lodge and the Editorial Team, we wish you a Merry Christmas and look forward to meeting more of you in 2020. www.freemenofnewcastle.org Freemen Magazine

THE TOWN MOOR AND ITS BENEFICIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

hose of us who live in or visit the North East can all enjoy the Town Moor. Whether we have walked, run or cycled across it, been to an event such as the Hoppings or just seen it as we travel past it, the Moor has always been green and pleasant, an oasis of calm in the midst of modern mayhem. The Town Moor is home to a surprising number of creatures apart from cattle: everything from foxes to frogs, bats, butterflies, insects plus forty-six species of bird. There is a large and healthy population of skylarks, something you don’t see very often these days. Their success is a result of the timing and non-intrusive nature of the ground-work carried out on the Moor. So, we know that the Moor is good for us in providing rest and recuperation and for wildlife but what is its greater environmental impact? It is well established now that the climate is changing; in fact both the Government and City Council have declared Climate Change Emergencies. Climate change is largely due to the accumulation of “greenhouse” gases in the atmosphere that trap heat close to the surface of the earth and the most abundant of these gases is carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon is a ubiquitous element, present in all living matter and many minerals such as coal, oil and soil. CO2 is formed and released when carbon combines with oxygen as these substances

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burn or decompose and also when we all breathe out. However, as many people may remember from school (the carbon cycle), plants come to the rescue and take CO2 out of the air via a process known as photosynthesis. They combine it with water to make sugars that enable them to grow and, as a by-product, they release oxygen into the air. For many years these processes worked in equilibrium but gradually, as the human race has chopped down forests, built on huge amounts of land and burnt more coal, oil and gas, the balance has shifted and the planet has more CO2 in the air than it can cope with. The Town Moor comprises about 342 hectares (845 acres) of grassland and there are hundreds of trees, spread around the Moor, on the Golf Course, in plantations near Cow Hill and of course on the verges. All this growth on the Town Moor therefore removes substantial amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. There is also carbon stored in soil, from decomposed plants and various minerals. This carbon held increases with the age of the grassland. Soil below grass land generally contains up to twice as much carbon as land used to grow crops or vegetables, because digging the soil to plant, weed etc. disturbs it allowing carbon to escape as CO2. So it is important not to overgraze grassland and not to overdo any improvements as this can increase bare

patches and encourage the escape of CO2. Ploughing up grassland reduces the carbon held in the soil by between 15 and 40% The team managing the Moor apply a light touch both in the interests of the environment and to keep costs down. Although there have been some incursions for road works over the years the main body of the Moor hasn’t been disturbed for as long as anyone can remember. The cattle add a lot of manure to the soil so treatment with other fertilisers is only carried out when necessary; not more than once every three years. The Moor is harrowed (like scarifying your lawn) every spring to promote growth. Some areas are mown in the summer, to remove the bits the cows don’t like. Herbicide use is minimal but some poisonous weeds such as ragwort do have to be removed from time to time. Because of this regime, the Freemen consider that the Moor can be described as semi improved grassland; that is a category of agricultural land that holds a lot of carbon. As well as removing CO2, the vegetation on the Moor removes other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ammonia that cause asthma and other respiratory diseases, thus helping the City towards its clean air targets. And the Town Moor soaks up water; rather too much sometimes as the Showmen will confirm. As we seem to be getting more periods of heavy rainfall, this greatly reduces the risk of flooding in the City. If the Freemen did not protect the Moors the consequent loss of grassland would mean less oxygen production and potential release of CO2 from the soil. So, the open space would be missed but what about the effect of the cattle? We are told that they produce greenhouse gases. They do emit methane from both ends when they digest grass! A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that cattle farmed intensively, particularly those kept indoors and fed concentrated food such as grain and soya, are responsible for higher levels of greenhouse gas production than those grazed. This also takes into account the environmental cost of growing other crops for fodder, transporting them, costs of housing cattle etc.

The Freemen graze a maximum of five hundred cattle on the Moor; below the DEFRA recommended limit. They rarely need any additional food but if they do, it is silage or hay. That means that they are fed solely on grass when in the Freemen’s care. The IPCC report recommended eating less but better meat but of course the press condensed this to “stop eating meat”. The Freemen are firmly of the opinion that the beef produced from the Town Moor herd falls into the category of “better meat”. Our cattle have been there since the Middle Ages, before the motor car, air travel and general industrialisation and when there were many fewer of us and we produced a lot less CO2, NO2 etc. It’s difficult to hold them accountable for climate change. Keeping our cattle on ancient grassland is not on a par with chopping down the Amazon rain forest to grow food for cattle kept in sheds. That said, the Freemen are acutely aware of their responsibilities to the environment and regularly review their practices. For example, Kevin Batey, Town Moor Superintendent will be having soil tests carried out next year before any treatment is carried out. The team have changed their methods of disposing of the products of trimming and tidying. There are no more bonfires, they now compost as much as possible. Wooden fencing that was replaced recently has been placed to rot in piles in the Moor Bank gardens to allow insects to flourish Kevin is also considering replacing some of his diesel machines with rechargeable electric ones when funds permit and will adhere to guidelines issued by the National Farmer’s Union. And of course, with the Nuns Moor site at Barrack Road/Brighton Grove being returned to grassland for grazing there is an agreed complementary tree planting scheme. So, in conclusion the Town Moor is an asset to the city in many ways including combatting climate change and the Freemen will always work hard to make it even more of an asset. Much of the information in this article comes from a report (NRR043) by Natural England, a Government agency that advises the Government and the public on protecting the environment. Freemen Magazine

FUTURE FREEMEN Kieran Elliott shares his adventures at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree

aving been involved in the Scouts since he was 6 years old, 15 year-old Kieran Elliott learned of the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, USA, in 2017 and jumped at the chance to apply.

During the 2-year application and selection process, he fought off stiff competition to be chosen from 86 hopeful scouts to represent Northumberland. He successfully navigated his way through the tough assessment process then the real work began… Kieran needed to fund his trip and wasted no time at all by making Christmas craft items which he sold along with cards at village fairs. He developed a talent for working with wood, designing and building bird tables and renovating old furniture for re-sale. His fund-raising efforts stepped up a few gears when he organised quiz and race nights and fund raised at a Newcastle United Match. His hard work paid off and he was able to raise the £3850 he needed for his trip, which also included a contribution towards the costs for scouts from poorer countries. Over the 2-year preparation period, Kieran, a Young Leader for a cub pack

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in Ashington, attended 5 training camps with his 35 Northumberland “teammates” During these training events, they carried out intensive scouting exercises to make sure they gelled as a team. Kieran picks up the story: “The trip itself started at 3am in Morpeth where we boarded a coach for Edinburgh Airport. We flew to New York and had 2 exciting days exploring the Empire State Building, Ground Zero and lots of other exciting places. We then travelled to West Virginia and onto our 12 days of Jamboree at ‘The Summit Bechal Park Reserve’ to join 50,000 other scouts where we lived in around 20,000 tents, in our Units. We were pitched next to Columbian and Japanese scout troops in Base Camp Delta. We did different activities each day from 1 mile long zip wires at 50mph to white water rafting, mountain biking, clay pigeon shooting, paddle boarding and

International Basketball on the summit of Mount Jack after an 8 mile hike. We had an opening ceremony concert for all 50,000 scouts, with Bear Grylls as the guest of honour, a culture day concert with shows from Broadway and a closing ceremony. After the Jamboree, we travelled to Washington D.C. and stayed at Maryland University with 4000 other scouts from the UK. We had 2 days to explore Washington and see all the sights. All 4000 of us went to a Baseball match at the Baltimore Orioles home stadium and made friends with their star player Anthony Santander. After Washington, we moved on to Toronto Canada and stayed at a large camp for 4 nights to explore the area. My highlight was going up to the very top of the C.N. Tower. During the Jamboree, I made many friends from over the World; none of this would have been possible if I had not been a part of scouting in the U.K. for most of my life”.

Kieran’s very proud Grandad is Ronald Elliott, Senior Steward of the Cordwainer Company. Ronald told us “Kieran threw himself into the preparations for this trip; I am especially delighted that his hard work and determination made this amazing opportunity possible, not only for himself but for scouts around the World” Kieran’s Freeman history can be traced back to Thomas Elliott, Master Cordwainer, born in 1629, who was admitted into the Company in 1650. This honour was passed down through the generations of male sons until 1875 when another Thomas was born. He had two sons, George (b.1909) and Denis (b.1912) Denis had one son Ronald born in 1940, who is the present Senior Steward of the Company, a position his father had held before him. Ronald has a son Andrew and a daughter Elizabeth, who is the present Junior Steward (Finance). Andrew has two sons Kieran and Alexander, and Elizabeth has a daughter Skye, who will follow their parents when they are 20 into the Company.

Kieran with brother Alexander, cousin Skye and Grandad Ronnie Freemen Magazine

OUT AND ABOUT IN NEWCASTLE

Town Moor Boundary Stone opposite 73 Highbury

Town Moor Boundary Stones

On your next trip into the Town centre, take the time to have a look at the boundary stones. The stone in Highbury, Jesmond was most likely erected after the legal dispute in 1770 between the Freemen and the Mayor and burgesses concerning ownership of the Town Moor.

Forsyth Road Gates

Another well-known but often overlooked landmark on the Town Moor is the Forsyth Road gates. Constructed by local craftsman Andy McDermott. The top of the gates represent the undulating hills on the Town Moor, the halberds on either side represent the weapons commonly used to defend the City. The central spoked wheel denotes the rays of the sun and the passage of time. The wavy lines at the bottom represent the rig and furrow drainage on the Town Moor and the horizontal lines represent the Town Moor fencing.

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Artists impression of the proposed Whey Aye

Whey Aye

An application to build a 140-metre observation wheel, to be aptly named the “Whey Aye” on land at Spillers Quay in Newcastle has been granted planning permission. Work is expected to start next Summer and will feature the wheel as part of a “Giants of the Quayside” visitor attraction.

Lighting the Bergen Tree

Every year, the Lord Mayor receives, on behalf of the City, the gift of a Christmas tree from the twin City of Bergen in Norway. The tree is erected at the front entrance of the Civic Centre and the Mayor of Bergen comes to officially hand over the tree and perform the lighting ceremony. This year, the ceremony took place on 28th November. Freemen Magazine

Brenda (far right) with her family at the Swearing in of her son and daughter in 2011

BOMBING IN WHINNEYFIELD ROAD, WALKERGATE

ur story in Issue 24 about Newton Ridley’s lucky escape brought memories flooding back for Brenda Charlton (Masters and Mariners).

On Tuesday 21st October 1941, Brenda, her mother Magdalene and sister Marlene, were in their Morrison table shelter in 136, Whinneyfield Road, when their house and the one next door were demolished by a single bomb. Her father, James Taylor Hall was out on ARP duties at the time and they were rescued by neighbours who managed to pull them out, bruised, battered and badly shaken, but thankfully, still alive. The family were re-housed in Walkerville for the rest of the war, then moved back to Whinneyfield Road when it was rebuilt. Brenda lived there until 1961 until she was married at St Oswald’s Church,

Walkergate and moved to Cochrane Park in 1962 where she and her husband, John have lived for the last 57 years. Brenda was sworn in as a Freemen of the City of Newcastle in March 2011, her son Christopher James Charlton and daughter Fiona Jane Gummerson swiftly followed in July the same year. Grandson Jack Gummerson was sworn in in April 2017 and granddaughter Katie Gummerson on 7th October 2019. Youngest grandson Campbell James Charlton will follow in his family’s proud footsteps when he reaches 20 next year. Masters and Mariners may remember Brenda’s father and his eight brothers: James Taylor, Alexander, William, John, Charles, Cooper, Arthur, Henry and Edward Hall?

Morrison table shelter

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VISIT TO THE TYNESIDE CINEMA I n July a group of Shipwrights and friends visited the Tyneside Cinema on Pilgrim Street Newcastle. The visit was arranged by Ian Miller of the Shipwrights.

Many of us remembered the Tyneside Cinema as the News Theatre showing newsreels and cartoons in the 1940s and 50s then later as the Tyneside Film Theatre showing slightly avant-garde films in the 1960s and 70s.

The cinema was designed and developed by Dixon Scott the great uncle of film directors Sir Ridley and Tony Scott and was opened in February 1937. Its original name was the Bijou News-Reel Cinema. Newsreels were short factual films showing sport, travel and general news. As the BBC was only launched in 1936, televisions were extremely rare and this was how people could see excerpts from Cup Finals, the Grand National, pictures of the Royal family and much more. Newsreels had been shown in cinemas since the 1910s but dedicated news theatres were all the rage in the 1930s. Newcastle’s other news theatre, the Tatler, opened in Northumberland Street in December 1937. Dixon Scott had travelled extensively in the East and his design was Art Nouveau with an eastern twist. The building is now Grade II listed. Scott had other cinemas in the north east including the Haymarket in Newcastle.

The cinema flourished until televisions became widely available. The Tyneside Film Society occupied the top floor and its showings became a more important part of the business. The cinema stopped showing newsreels in 1968. The cinema declined over the years and by 1999 was in dire need of investment; both to save the fabric of the building and to upgrade the technology. Grants were obtained from local charities, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the EU for restoration of the original auditorium plus redevelopment of the upper floors to give two more screens. The cinema re-opened in May 2008. Our knowledgeable and interesting guide told us all this and more and we were able to take a good look at the wonderful décor. We were also shown an old newsreel; a blast from the past.

Finally, we repaired to the Coffee Rooms for a very pleasant and reasonably priced lunch. The Coffee Rooms were set up in 1938 when Dixon Scott couldn’t let the surplus space in the building as offices as he had planned. Now the Tyneside Cinema is a flourishing operation again, showing a wide range of films on its four screens ranging from block busters to art house. It changes its screenings regularly in response to demand. As well as the Coffee Rooms it has a bar and restaurant on the ground floor. Guided tours are free and details are available at the Box Office or on line. Freemen Magazine

SUPERINTENDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

REPORT

Grazing

As another grazing season has drawn to a close, I can report that it has been a successful season for all graziers involved, especially as it has been conducted under a cloud of uncertainty with the Brexit scenario; which has in turn had a massive impact on wholesale prices at auction marts and abattoirs. Early indications are that all our graziers are looking forward to returning with their respective cattle numbers in the spring of 2020, once again proving that our Moors are a good resource for local farmers to conduct their business.

Moor Bank Gardens

Signage The Town Moor Staff continue with the grounds maintenance programme to enhance this asset which is proving successful with the amount wildlife it now attracts over the different seasons throughout the year. We frequently see a wide variety of bird life throughout the year such as great spotted woodpeckers, tawny owls, jays, bull finches and Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest bird, the gold crest has made an appearance. We have seen a breeding pair of red foxes with two healthy cubs this year, not to mention the large variety of insect life and butterflies present throughout the year.

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We continue to look to strengthen our message to all users of our City lung, especially the large numbers of the public using our Town Moors to walk and exercise their dogs. To ensure we continue to offer a safe environment for all to enjoy, we have upgraded our signage which will be installed over the coming months and be in place for the 2020 grazing season.

Winter works programme

An extensive maintenance plan is in place for drainage infrastructure on the Town Moors ensuring that we keep the moors well drained and that surface water problems which may arise in periods of prolonged wet weather can be promptly handled. Particular areas to note are: â&#x20AC;˘ Surface water on the Town Moor hills. This could be due to either silted drains or drain tiles that may have moved out of alignment, which then creates water coming to the surface at the weakest point within the drain run, and â&#x20AC;˘ The North end of Exhibtion Park lake within the moor boundary, where we think willow tree roots may have intercepted the drain and created a blockage,

Nuns Moor (South)

I can now report that the new drainage system has been installed within the site and that Newcastle City Council and Northumbria water are happy with the solution. This system will prevent any surface water run off onto Barrack road in future years. The site has been covered with 18000 tonnes of topquality topsoil. Unfortunately, due to wet weather the site was not sown with grass seed, this will now take place in the spring of next year. The tree planting scheme we have agreed with the Forestry Commission will now take place during Autumn 2020; the boundary fence line with Nuns Moor Park will also be installed over the coming year. Depending on the growth of the new grass seed, we are reasonably confident that the site will be opened up for grazing in the spring of 2021.

Diagnostic work will be carried out and recommendations put to Stewards Committee for corrective action to be taken. There will also be 750 metres of open French drains cleaned out and infilled with clean stone on the Town Moor . The demarcation timber fence line across the Town Moor is also going to be renewed, this fence line is almost 30 years old and needs to be replaced. There are 950 metres of timber to be removed and brought back to Moor Bank Lodge, any decent timbers will be reclaimed/recycled. All post holes will be infilled with topsoil prior to the new fence line being installed. We expect work to begin in January 2020.

Greening Whingrove

We continue to work closely with Cllr Nigel Todd and his Greening Whingrove committee with ongoing projects for the area. The latest project was to assist with parts of Town Moor land to carry out an endangered species survey in relation to hedgehogs. Special boxes were placed on areas of Nuns Moor recreation ground adjacent to Sutton Dwellings to see if any hedgehogs were nesting.

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MEET THE TEAM AT MOOR BANK LODGE

elivering a calf, fixing a fence, pulling Hoppings trucks out of the mud, organising Swearing -in ceremonies, cutting grass, record keeping, event management, meeting health and safety regulations, fixing tractors, book-keeping, negotiating with graziers, councillors, “On behalf of the Organising local authority officers and Freemen Committee of the World Transplant Games, I wanted to …it’s all in a day’s work at Moor Bank drop you a note of thanks for Lodge. the support provided for the

Davie, Kevin, Danielle and Lewis

Kevin is ably assisted by Danielle, who deals with most of the admin work. Danielle is part time, yet manages to handle the hundreds of emails, updates files and records, organises Guild and TMMC meetings and the Swearing-in ceremonies and keeps the office ship shape.

Gift of Life Run on the Town Of course, Stewards Committee members Moor. Lewis Batey was a great help to our events team this are involved with the running of this past week and it was helpful complex organisation receiving the messages of but if you need to ask support from David Wilson. On the land management a Freemen related side, Davie Holland The event went very smoothly question, your first and Lewis Batey make and the feedback from all the port of call is highly sure the Town Moors likely to be the Team runners and sponsors was immensely positive. It certainly are maintained to an at Moor Bank. At exceptional standard; helped kick-start the sporting the helm is Kevin managing the grass for programme of the Games and grazing, keeping verges Batey, the Town Moor Superintendent. even the cows of the Moor maintained, fixing fences Kevin oversees proved accommodating!” and machinery and taking all of the land Yuri Matischen, Gift of Life Event care of the grazing cattle. management, event Manager. Negotiation and management, HR communication are key and admin duties on in juggling the many and varied duties, behalf of the Freemen. He keeps a close and with livestock in public places, eye on the whole operation and pays emergency call-outs are common, so particular attention to any new initiatives versatility is key and you will find they all that will optimise the benefits of the muck in when the going gets tough. Town Moor for all. 14

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A NEW NAME FOR THE NEWCASTLE PARKS AND ALLOTMENTS TRUST

n our last issue, we brought you news of the Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust. The trust, now re-named - Urban Green Newcastle - have announced that £2.5m will be spent improving allotments.

the embankment at Tyne Riverside and much more. “We have begun work on improving playground areas in some of our parks, installing exciting new equipment for local communities to enjoy all year round. “We’ve started installing new smart bins to tackle the problem of littering and making sure grass is cut regularly so our green spaces remain clean, tidy and welcoming.”

Established by Newcastle City Council with support from National Trust and National Lottery Heritage Fund, Urban Green Newcastle is part of an innovative, pioneering movement to secure the future of parks, allotments and green spaces.

Urban Green Newcastle has set out its plan for the next twelve months, which includes an expanded Newcastle Garden and Allotments Fete in Leazes Park, a special programme celebrating the parks’ bandstands and events in Exhibition Park.

James Cross, Chief Executive of Urban Green Newcastle, said: “Since our formation in April this year we have committed to spend half a million pounds in 2019 as part of our capital works programme that will see significant improvements to our parks and allotments. “We’ll be installing new fencing and carrying out stonework repairs in Jesmond Dene, improving the footpaths in North Kenton Park, doing works to Freemen Magazine

WE PROUDLY PRESENT THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF OUR EDITORIAL TEAM

ack in the summer, we asked all Senior Stewards if they would seek volunteers to represent their Companies as designated communications representatives and help us to bring relevant and interesting stories to all Freemen through this Magazine. We are delighted to report that two people who took up this challenge are Tracy Kenny (Tanners) and Rachael Heron (Ropemakers) and they have now joined us on the Editorial Team. Tracy and Rachael, tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Tracy I’ve always had a passion for writing and remember being desperate to become a journalist on the school newspaper in high school. I have over 20 years experience in marketing, PR and event management across several diverse sectors and the last 10 years have been within the leisure and entertainment sector – where I am currently Head of Marketing and Digital Communications. It’s a lively energetic business and a 24/7 operation so it’s fair to say my job is never dull! I work out of our London office at various points throughout each month, so I am a good example to prove that distance isn’t necessarily a barrier to get involved to some degree with the Freemen. In my spare time I am a fitness fanatic and in-keeping with the ‘air and exercise’ ethos of the Freemen, I absolutely love the outdoors and have signed up to complete the 3 peaks challenge next year. I am a huge animal lover and

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Tracy, left and Rachael at the Guildhall

have a cocker spaniel called Daisy who comes everywhere with me. I am an ambassador for Keep Britain Tidy and spend a lot of time helping to run a local community litter picking group where I live in Morpeth, Northumberland. At weekends, when I’m not in London, you’ll generally find me pounding the pavement or nearby woodland around my local town with my trusty litter picker in one hand and Daisy in the other. Rachael I was born and bred in Newcastle. I’m 22 and I have just graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in Public Relations and Marketing. Whilst I was at University, I worked part time at Clarks so I have quite the shoe collection! Living in Manchester for four years I really missed Newcastle and I’m glad to be back in “The Toon”! Tell us about your family background with the Freemen? Tracy It is a privilege and an honour to be part of the Tanners Guild; to his credit, my Grandad (James Glass or ‘Jim’ as he was always known) attended the Tanners meetings religiously until he was in his 90s. My Dad (Robert

Glass) was a steward for the Tanners for several years which, as a child made me very curious about this mysterious and intriguing world that he talked about with such passion called the Freemen – where, (at the time) girls like myself and my sister weren’t allowed! Rachael I belong to the Ropemakers Company and I was sworn in at the age of 20. My Mother was one of the first ten women sworn in in April 2010. My Grandfather (Thomas Wilson) and his brothers were also Freemen and when tracing our family tree back to the1700’s we discovered John Wilson, whose occupation on the census was a Ropemaker. There are currently 18 members of the Wilson Clan sworn in as Freemen. What made you want to get involved in the Freemen magazine?

Tracy A love of creative writing runs in my family, my Dad is a published author and copy writing is part of my everyday job in PR and marketing. Since being sworn in during 2010, I have been keen to learn more about the complex workings of the Freemen, but heavy work commitments and a lot of travel,

limited the time I was able to commit to it. Applying for a Company Steward role is most certainly on my bucket list, but only when I can give it my 100% commitment. At our annual Tanners meeting this Summer, Helen Birkett, Stewards Committee member and Magazine editor asked if anyone wanted to get involved with the magazine. I immediately thought – “That is right up my street and certainly something I can get involved in right now”! Rachael I’ve always been involved in similar projects through school and university so it felt a natural fit for me to be involved in the Freemen magazine and represent the Ropemakers. Apart from this interview have you any thoughts on what the theme of your next article will be?

Tracy I have attended my first Editorial meeting, so I’d like to take some more time to work with the rest of the publishing team to really understand and define the profile of our magazines’ readership. Once I am fully clear on the demographics, I can focus on writing features that are more likely to appeal to our readers. Rachael My Mother recently found an article from when my Grandfather was sworn in with quotes from my Great Grandfather and how proud he was to have seen all of his sons sworn in; so I would be interested to look back on past reports on swearing in ceremonies. I would also like to write pieces that would engage younger members of the Freeman community and to encourage more people to get involved. What is your superpower?

Tracy Resilience is my middle name! Rachael Always being able to put a positive spin on things! I’m always trying to see the brighter side of life as there is no point being negative or sad! Freemen Magazine

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY O

n 10th November, we were proud to join the Lord Mayor, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, the Bishop of Newcastle, representatives of all armed forces, public services, volunteer services, religious leaders and many others in a procession from Brunswick Methodist Church to the City War Memorial to lay a wreath on behalf of the Freemen of the City of Newcastle, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in conflict, defending our country. Sir Leonard Fenwick, Chairman of the Stewards Committee laid a wreath on behalf of the Freemen of the City of Newcastle.

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VISITOR’S

TALES

or many years, Ian Miller (Shipwrights) was the Town Moor Money Charity visiting officer, tasked with helping Freemen, sons, daughters and widows to complete and submit their applications. Jane was 98 and, apart from meal times, was living entirely in her own room in a residential home full of “old people” according to Jane. Her daily newspaper was laid out on her bed in single pages as she found the complete paper was too heavy to hold up to read. She appeared to know every politician by their first name and was surprised that I did not share her keen interest in the various party conferences.

slurred and, unlike her, she seemed to be having difficulty talking! Was she having a stroke? Should I try to contact staff? Don’t panic – she took out her top denture and with a finger deftly removed a toffee from her palate, replaced the palate in two seconds and all was normal again! Apart from my heart beating somewhat faster.

I visited one day when her daughter was already there and I noticed signs of friction. Her daughter said “if it rains you blame Mrs. Thatcher. I’m going home now, see you next week.” Jane shook her head wearily and said “it’s not my fault, I brought her up Labour. It’s just since she got married, her husband’s a fool!” and I thought to myself that they had probably been married about fifty years.

On another visit she told me that she had been taken out by her son to the hospital for her annual MOT and extracted a rather tatty news cutting in which she was referred to as a bionic granny when she got her pacemaker fitted. Apparently, all had been found to be well with the pacemaker. She explained that her son – “ Was a bachelor living alone in his own flat or that’s what he tells people – but I know better! Twice I have rung him and a ladi-dah hoity-toity woman has answered his phone and said he was not available and would I leave a message after the tone, but I told her straight that I wasn’t leaving any message, I wanted to speak to my son. Put him on! I said, but she just put the phone down on me! He’s got himself a right madam there, poor lad!”

Once when I called I became very worried because her voice was

Sadly Jane didn’t get her century and died aged 99. Freemen Magazine

The Ellington Colliery Band

SPOTLIGHT ONâ&#x20AC;Ś.THE MUSICAL MARSHALLS

he Marshall family has been an integral part of the Incorporated Company of Cordwainers since Hewison Marshall, apprentice to John Lamb was sworn free at the age of 36 in 1830. One hundred years later, in the 1930s another Hewison was Senior Steward and fast forward almost 200 years to find todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hewison Marshall and his remarkably talented family, still very strong supporters of the Company. Hewison, his daughters Susan and Karen, son-in-law John, grandchildren Rachel, Nicholas and Katie are all members of the fabulous Ellington Colliery Band.

Freemen Magazine

The band was formed in 1925 as a mixed instrumental group. It became a brass band in 1926 because of a lack of string players and had links with Ellington Colliery until it closed in 2005. The band decided to keep the name to preserve the mining heritage. They rehearsed in Ellington and nearby Lynemouth until the closure of the pit, then became somewhat nomadic, renting rehearsal space in Linton, then Pegswood and briefly back to Lynemouth. An offer to rent a rehearsal room in Morpeth led to the band being based there, first of all in Chantry Middle School and currently in The King Edward VI High School.

There are more than 30 players in the established, ‘senior’ brass band and a ‘Brass Roots’ training band which is run by volunteers from the senior band. They welcome players of any standard, ability and age. Brass Roots members are tutored and supported until they are ready to join the senior brass band. Currently, 19 of the players in the senior band are ‘graduates’ of the Brass Roots band. Each ensemble performs separately and occasionally play concerts together. The band became a registered charity in 2013 and provides an instrument, training and a uniform to each player. The Musical Marshalls – back row, Hewison Marshall, John Colvine, Funding comes from concerts Nicholas Colvine. Front row, Rachel Colvine, Susan Colvine, Karen and grants such as The Price and Katie Colvine. Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and as far North as Dunfermline in Scotland, Northumberland County Council. With and south as far as Lincolnshire. Within instruments costing from £2500 for a Newcastle, we’ve played in St Nicholas’s cornet (there are 9 of them in a standard Cathedral, St Andrew’s Church, brass band) up to £8000 for a Bass, Newgate Street & City Hall in the last funding is essential. year. Everyone loves a brass band at The band has a strong family Christmas! So, Christmas is our busiest atmosphere, with grandmas, grandads, time; this year we’re switching on the mums, dads, sisters, aunties, sons Christmas lights in Morpeth on 16th and daughters. 19 players across the two ensembles are related to at least November, have concerts in Morpeth one other member. The biggest family, Methodist Church on 7th December, St though, is ‘The Marshalls’ – Hewison, John’s, Ashington on 13th, Community Rachel, and John on cornet, Susan carol service in Market Place, Morpeth on flugelhorn, Nicholas on trombone, on 21st. We’re also due to play at St Karen on baritone, Katie on tenor Nicholas’s Cathedral for a WI carol horn. Incidentally, Rachel’s boyfriend, service and possibly at the City Hall, on Stephen, also plays on euphonium! the Lindisfarne concert nights” Hewison’s son Graeme started playing with the band in the 80s and joined the army as a cornet player. He moved onto saxophone and served 22 years as a sax player. He still plays in community music groups in Hampshire, where he lives with his family.

Hewison, his son, daughters and grandchildren are all Freemen of the City of Newcastle. Try to catch one of their fabulous performances, they are amazing.

Susan says “We play in lots of venues – Freemen Magazine

The Official Opening of the New Holy Jesus Bungalows.

ST MARY MAGDALENE AND HOLY JESUS TRUST NEWS

n 21st August, the new Holy Jesus Bungalows were officially opened by Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Susan Margaret Winfield OBE DL.

Chairman of the Mary Magdalene Trust, Sue Pearson, arranged a tour of the estate, where Mrs Winfield met residents David and Margery Annan.

Freemen Magazine

In her speech, she praised the design and layout of the new bungalows. Mrs Whinfield met residents, staff, trustees and some of the contractors responsible for the construction, then enjoyed afternoon tea in the dining room. Resident Chris Jackson, who celebrated her 104th birthday in November, presented the Lord Lieutenant with a beautiful bouquet.

NEW FACES AT ST MARY MAGDALENE AND HOLY JESUS TRUST

rustees, staff and residents were sorry to learn that General Manager Sharon Hepple has decided to leave the Trust.

Sharon has been Manager for over 20 years and has always said that the Trust “Was so much more than just a job” She will be very much missed by everyone at the Trust; Stewards Committee wish to thank Sharon for her dedication and hard work and we wish her the best of luck for the future.

Trustees have appointed Paul Thompson as Interim General Manager. Paul has considerable experience in Housing services over the last 35 years. Paul told us “I am delighted to have been appointed on a temporary basis to work closely with trustees, staff and residents during a

period of further positive development for the Trust. I am passionate about providing high-quality services to customers and look forward to meeting as many residents as possible” The Trust also regret to announce that Sue Pearson has decided to resign her post as Chairman and will be replaced by Vice Chairman, John Lee until a new Chair is appointed. We also wish to thank Sue for many years of service to the Trust and wish her the very best of luck for the future.

FROM SMALL ACORNS…

o enable us to reduce our carbon footprint and combat CO2 emissions, our Chairman Sir Leonard Fenwick, has provided us with several hundred acorns. We are testing various propagation methods with a view to providing our own trees for planting around the Town Moors. Staff member Davie Holland is leading this project, and as the acorns produce new shoots, he is planting them. Some are being planted into cups which will in turn be planted on into bigger pots, eventually they will end up in 2 litre pots until ready to be planted in to their respective locations; the others are being planted directly into trenches. This will help us to gauge which strategy is best for planting and hopefully give us a good return on the number of saplings. Our aim is to contribute in a positive and pro-active way with the City council’s Tree Strategy for Newcastle upon

Davie planting acorns

Tyne, which seeks to protect and care for Newcastle’s trees, hedges and woodlands and thereby helps to improve Newcastle’s environment Our intention is that the Oak trees will remain in place for many decades to come. Freemen Magazine

Michael Hall, Reggie Hunter and Rebecca Glenny with Lord Mayor Cllr David Cook, Lady Mayoress and Senior Steward of the Shipwrights’ Company, Barbara Nesbitt

PRIVATE SWEARING IN CEREMONY

private swearing in ceremony was held at Newcastle Civic Centre on 22 August 2019. Brenda Joyce the Lord Mayor’s secretary, and Danielle Batey for the Freemen did a great job organising this, particularly as there was only one date when everyone involved could be in Newcastle. And of course, thanks to the current Lord Mayor Councillor David Cook for agreeing to preside over the ceremony. The new Freemen, who are now also Shipwrights, are Rebecca Glenny, Reggie Hunter and Michael Hall. Rebecca and Reggie are brother and sister and were accompanied by their mother Elaine Hunter plus Rebecca’s children Jasper (8) and Inigo (6), Reggie’s partner Deepa, who is American, and other family members. Rebecca is a teacher in Warminster, Wiltshire where Elaine also lives after many years in the North-East. Reggie lives and works in Portland Oregon in the USA and has been there for about six years. They are all descended from the Fairs family who had a shipyard on the Tyne in Gateshead in the nineteenth century. Michael Hall lives in Abu Dhabi and has worked there for about seventeen years.

Freemen Magazine

He was accompanied by his mother Deborah and Grandmother Joan, who are both Freemen plus his children Ruby (11) and Max (9) and other relatives. The Halls’ Freemen ancestors are the Ions family who are first mentioned in Shipwrights’ records in 1636. The ceremony was held in the Silver Gallery in the Civic Centre so everyone had the chance to see some of the Council’s and the Freemen’s treasure and to have its significance explained. There was a plentiful supply of tea, coffee, cakes and good company so it was a very enjoyable occasion. If you have a relative who wants to be sworn in but can’t get to a Guild meeting, this is a very good alternative. Treasures in the Silver Gallery

COMMUNITY CRICKET AT NUNS MOOR (SOUTH)

hance to Shine Street, brings cricket to thousands of young people in urban areas and feels that every child, no matter where they live, should have the opportunity to play cricket. It uses the game to increase aspiration, promote social cohesion and create opportunities in diverse communities. There are 165 Chance to Shine Street projects across the country and the Freemen of the City of Newcastle are very proud to provide access to land on Walter Terrace Road for local children to become involved in something fun, positive and interactive.

Project founder Khaled Musharraf told us: “This project is supporting kids to do what they do best: play and enjoy. Nuns Moor (South) is the ideal location, it’s well known to parents, accessible and a safe place for the kids to play, learn and

Community cricket at Nunsmoor (South)

Street cricket offers a different way into the sport, with 87% of players not part of a traditional cricket club when they joined the sessions. Some - around 1 in 10 - do go on to play at a traditional cricket club or enter park-based T20 leagues but for most, the Street project becomes their club. The cricket project at Nuns Moor (South) is helping to bring the community together regardless of differences in language, nationality, race or religion.

Kevin, Davey and Lewis marking out the cricket pitch

make new friends. The kids who attend really do love their time playing cricket.” Khaled also conveyed his gratitude to Cllr. Nigel Todd for introducing him to David Wilson, of the Freemen of Newcastle, the Northumberland County Cricket Board for coaching staff, James Morgan and Mathew Senior, and especially Kevin Batey, Town Moor Superintendent, for all the additional support. Freemen Magazine

MICHAELMAS GUILD 7TH OCTOBER 2019

New Freemen, sworn in by Lord Mayor, Councillor David Cook Janet Day, Cordwainers Steven F. W. Robinson, Goldsmiths Zoe Atkinson, House Carpenters Susanne C. Sosteric, Masters and Mariners Katie Gummerson, Masters and Mariners Andrea J. Bates, Shipwrights

We wish to congratulate the following Brethren on swearing in as Freemen of the City of Newcastle and we hope to see you taking part in the many traditions, events and activities that make us a proud, strong and vital part of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Muriel Connor, Skinners and Glovers Rachel J. Jobling, Smiths Amber M. Jobling, Smiths Heidi M. Jobling, Smiths Graham Durkin, Tanners Neil Durkin, Tanners

Carly Campbell, Tanners Jennifer Hann, Tanners Samantha Phillips, Tanners Anne M. F. Abbatt, Plumbers

UPDATE FROM MICHAELMAS GUILD, 7TH OCTOBER 2019 The Michaelmas Guild, held in the Guildhall, attended by the Lord Mayor Cllr David Cook (accompanied by the Lady Mayoress), the Head of Legal Services (Acting Town Clerk in the context of Guild) Mr. John Softly and the Lord Mayor’s Principal Secretary Brenda Joyce. In the Close Guild (Stewards only) the representatives of the Companies were updated on a vast range of Freemen matters which are being dealt with by the Stewards Committee. In the Open Guild with the City representatives, a number of matters of joint interest were raised, including: Grazing; Environmental Protection; Guildhall

maintenance, use and fire risk issues (in particular the proposed development of a Hard Rock Café on the ground floor); Successful joint working between Freemen and City Officers in enabling the creation of the new Eagles Community Arena on Scotswood Road in conjunction with the reinstatement and preparation for return to grazing of Nuns Moor at Brighton Grove, both projects delivering huge community benefit. The Lord Mayor and the Head of Legal Services commended the co-operative working between the City and the Freemen.

TOWN MOOR JOINT WORKING GROUP A meeting was held on 12th November at the Civic Centre, of the Town Moor Joint Working Group, the main formal business meeting between representatives of the Freemen with City Councillors and Officers. Agenda items discussed included: Grazing season 2019 update; Nuns Moor (Brighton Grove) reclamation works; Plans for the Pride event 2020, this will be the National Pride Event for 2020; Plans for ‘This is Tomorrow 2’ the major music festival for the City; Guildhall

Freemen Magazine

maintenance issues and expression of concern over the development of a Hard Rock Café

on the ground floor, in particular the fire risk;

Highway/verge Tree lines, both maintenance

and replanting; drainage works on Moors. This was a successful and productive meeting,

chaired by Cllr Ged Bell, the newly appointed lead councillor for liaison with the Freemen.

Freemen of N

NOTICE BOARD

Mr Kevin Bate Moor Bank Lo Newcastle up Tel: 0191 2615 Email: admin Website: www

http://www.f freemenofne

BEREAVEMENTS

On behalf of the Freemen of the City of Newcastle, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families of the following Brothers and Sisters Margaret Borrowdale Joiners Doreen Tueart House Carpenters Dorothy Jeanne Robertson Masters and Mariners Brian Green Bricklayers John Redshaw Curriers Mary O’Pray House Carpenters Eric Richard Pescod Shipwrights

COMPANY NOTICES

The half-yearly meeting for the Incorporated Company of Cordwainers will be held at Freeman Hall, Blackfriars on 27th December 2019. Can all members make every effort to attend to welcome new Brethren to the Company. The joint meeting of the Goldsmith Company and the Colliers Company will be held on Wednesday 22nd April 2020 in the dining room of Mary Magdalen Holy Jesus starting at 7 o’clock. Light refreshments will be served. It would be very helpful if Brethren would indicate if they could attend or not.

FORWARD LOOK Guild Hall Meetings

Christmas Guild 20th January 2020 in the Guildhall. Closed Guild for all Company Stewards begins at 10am. Open Court of guild for all Freemen begins prompt at 12 noon. Easter Guild 20th April 2020 in the Guildhall. Closed Guild for all Company Stewards begins at 10am. Open Court of guild for all Freemen begins prompt at 12 noon.

Michaelmas Guild 12th October 2020 in the Guildhall. Closed Guild for all Company Stewards begins at 10am. Open Court of guild for all COPYRIGHT: Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne. Freemen begins prompt at 12 noon.

PUBLISHER: Riney Publishing Limited, Sue Riney-Sm Tel: 01325 304360 Email: sue@rineypublishing.c

EVENTS

Newcastle Front Runners Raise Awareness of ‘World Aids Day’ Holding a ‘5k Red Run’ 1 December 2019

New Year’s Day Resolution Run 1 January 2020 Lord Mayor and Freemen’s Church Parade 10 May 2020 This is Tomorrow Music Festival 22-24 May 2020 Hoppings 19-27 June 2020 Pride 17-19 July 2020

Circus 30 July 2020 – 3 August 2020 Mela 30-31 August 2020

DATES TO BE CONFIRMED

• Cancer Research UK • Valentine’s Day Run • Heaton Harriers Memorial Run • HMS Calliope Run • Movember Run

Freemen Magazine

Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne Mr Kevin Batey, Moor Bank Lodge, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4NL Tel: 0191 2615970 Email: admin@freemenofnewcastle.org Website: www.freemenofnewcastle.org http://www.facebook.com/groups/ freemenofnewcastle

COPYRIGHT: Freeman of Newcastle upon Tyne. PUBLISHER: Riney Publishing Limited, Sue Riney-Smith Tel: 01325 304360 Email: sue@rineypublishing.co.uk PUBLISHER: Riney Publishing Limited, Sue Riney-Smith Tel: 01325 304360 Email: sue@rineypublishing.co.uk