Archive for the ‘Local and family history’ Category

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16
May
2012

Historic sporting film footage showcases at the Late Shows

Brendan Foster, 1977

Archive film footage recording one hundred years of North East sport will be showcased at two venues as part of this year’s Late Shows. The newly digitised footage will feature at both the Discovery Museum and Newcastle City Library on Saturday 19 May from 7pm – 10pm.

The one hour film show reels will run on continuous loop throughout the evening, drop in at any time.

The free film shows will include footage of Newcastle United taking on Sunderland AFC at St James’ Park in 1913, athletics and swimming competitions in Gateshead Stadium and Tynemouth open air pool in the 1960s, and an array of amateur films of sports and gala days across the North East.

Tynemouth Open Air Swimming Pool, 1963

A number of sporting events filmed as part of the centenary of the Blaydon Races in 1962 will also feature. There will also be regional television news stories from the 1970s and 1980s revisiting the more recent sporting past, examining the early careers of local heroes Brendan Foster and Paul Gascoigne.

This important archive film footage has been digitised as part of the Northern Region Film and Television Archive’s Fast Forward: North East Sport on Film project, and is the first in a series of film shows and events taking place across the region this summer.

For more information on the Fast Forward project contact the Northern Region Film and Television Archive at Teesside University on 01642 384022 or email enquires@nrfta.org.uk.

Fast Forward: North East on Film is supported by the National Lottery through the BFI and Creative England.

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2
May
2012

A Canny Jubilee celebration in Princess Square

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Newcastle Libraries are offering a
range of royal themed events.

On Friday 1 June we will launch the ‘Sixty Glorious Years’ exhibition on the level 4 book gallery at City Library and there will also be archive film footage of the Queen’s first visit to the region in the early 1950s. Drop in any time between 12noon and 5pm to watch this.

The focus of our celebrations will be the Canny Jubilee gala event which will be held outdoors in Princess Square on Saturday 2 June from 1pm – 4pm. The outdoor gala, which has been supported by Marks and Spencer, will see vintage hair and make-up demonstrations, live music, Lindy Hop dancing and an interactive ‘you have been crowned’ photo booth! Work created by community groups in the run up to the celebrations will also be on show.

Following the street party there will be an historic royal fashion show by Julia Soares-McCormick from 6.30pm at City Library.

There are also Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at our community libraries. View a full listing of Diamond Jubilee events at Newcastle Libraries.

Posted in Children's Events, Events, Exhibitions, Local and family history | Comments Off

13
Apr
2012

Something for local history lovers this May

Newcastle Bridges, 1920s – Newcastle Libraries on Flickr

This May is Local History Month at Newcastle Libraries so we’ve got plenty in store at City Library and across our library branches. Find out about Newcastle’s Victorian villians, hook into the past at a talk on proggy mats or dig deeper into the history of Newcastle’s missing Roman wall…plus lots more!

The Local History Month brochure is available to download below. Book your place at an event by phoning 0191 2774100 or emailing information@newcaste.gov.uk.

Download the Local History Month 2012 brochure (PDF, 1.6MB)

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3
Apr
2012

What the Dickens? Exhibition and talks at City Library

This year celebrates 200 years since the birth of Charles Dickens and the events below are part of our celebration of his life and work. To book a place at any of these events phone 0191 2774100 or ask a member of staff at City Library.

Mr Micawber Down Under
Thursday 19 April
3pm
City Library

Author David Barry will talk about his new book which tells the story of the ever-optimistic Mr Micawber after he bids a fond farewell to David Copperfield and takes his family to Australia.

As a child David Barry toured Europe in the cast of ‘Titus Andronicus’, starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. His debut crime novel, ‘Each Man Kills’, was published in 2002 and his next crime thriller, ‘The Wrecking Bar’, will be published  in April 2012. Tickets are £3.

Newcastle’s Victorian Villains: Fiction into Fact
Thursday 17 May
2pm – 3pm
City Library

Retired Detective Superintendant Barry Redfern will be comparing the fictional villains of Dickens’ novels to the real life rogues of Victorian Newcastle. Find out about the Fagin-like fence Finnegan and meet artful dodgers. We will also be looking at prisons and punishments for those who were unlucky enough to be caught! Tickets are £3.

Exhibition: What the Dickens?

An exhibition will display Charles Dickens’ works from the local history archive and also explore the conditions of Victorian Tyneside. Opens on level 6 at City Library on 10 April until 29 August.

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5
Jan
2012

A beginner’s guide to compiling a family tree

059685:Studio portrait of two children Unknown c.1920

If you’ve always wanted to research your family tree, but didn’t know where to begin, then this session is the place to start.  An absolute beginner’s guide to help you start piecing together your family history.

2:30pm – 4pm
Thursday 26 January 2012
City Library

To book your free place phone 0191 2774100, email information@newcastle.gov.uk or ask at your local library.

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20
Dec
2011

Explore the history of the Lower Ouseburn

051004:Glasshouse Bridges Byker 1908

Discover the social heritage of the Lower Ouseburn at five illustrated talks and workshops delivered by local historian Mike Greatbatch, entitled ‘Life, Leisure and Community in the Lower Ouseburn 1800 to 1940′.

All talks are from 2pm – 4pm on the days below.

Friday 20 January
1. ‘Roads, Streets, Quays and Yards; the Urbanisation of the Lower Ouseburn’

Friday 3 February
2. ‘Housing & Home Life’

Friday 17 February
3. ‘Pubs, Clubs & Leisure Activities’

Friday 2 March
4. ‘Churches, Missions & Burial Grounds’

Friday 16 March
5. ‘Documenting an Industrial Community’

Tickets are £4 per individual event (£15.00 if you book all five). To book a place phone 0191 2774100.

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1
Sep
2011

Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Days 2011

This year’s Heritage Open Days take place from Thursday 8 – Sunday 11 September 2011. There are events planned across Tyne and Wear, giving you the opportunity to step into the past and find out more about 2000 years of North East history – free of charge! Newcastle Libraries are hosting the events below.

Charles Freer Andrews Lecture
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Thursday 8 September
City Library
The Anglican missionary and contemporary of Gandhi, Rev. C.F. Andrews, described as the ‘Conscience of the British Raj’, witnessed some of the most significant defining moments of India’s campaign for independence. This lecture illustrates the life of a remarkable man who recognised and acclaimed the true nature of the Sikhs and their role in that epic struggle.

Miners and Memorials
2pm – 3pm
Friday 9 September
City Library
From Pit Wheels to Winding Engines. Take a fascinating tour of the memorials that you can see in the North East, in a talk by Ken Smith.  Bringing our mining heritage to life. Places limited to 35.

Sport on Film
Friday 9 September
City Library
1pm – 4:30pm, turn up any time, no need to book.
A chance to view archive footage of sporting activity in the region. Including a W. I. Sports Day in the 1930’s and recreational activities at Saltwell Park in 1944. This is a drop in session at the City Library, all are welcome. Films kindly provided by the Northern Region Film and Television Archive (NRFTA).

Uppies and Downies
10:30am – 12:30pm
10 September 2011
City Library
Come along to this fascinating talk with Hugh Hornby to explore the history of ball games. In conjunction with Played in Tyne and Wear. Places limited to 50.

Book your free place at any event by phoning 0191 2774100, emailing information@newcastle.gov.uk or asking at your local library.

Find out about other Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Day events

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25
Jul
2011

New sporting exhibition opens at City Library

1951 FA Cup Final
Image Courtesy of Newcastle United Archive: Paul Joannou official historian to Newcastle United.

Played in Tyne and Wear
25 July – 4 December 2011

Explore the North East’s sporting heritage through our new exhibition, including sport on the Tyne, the Blaydon Races and of course Newcastle United Football Club.

We are displaying illustrations as well as items from our reference collection, including a wonderful early Fordyce map of the Tyne and a 1711 advert for a cockfight in the Newcastle Courant.

Pop up to level 6 of the City Library and take a look.

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7
Jul
2011

Summerhill Bowling Club exhibition at City Library

Our Sporting Life Exhibition – A Celebration of Summerhill Bowling Club

7 July – 1 September
City Library

Hidden in the heart of Newcastle and active from 1916 to 2011, Summerhill Bowling Club was renowned for its welcoming atmosphere along with the quality of its greens.

Through bowls, badges, photographs and other memorabilia, this exhibition tells the story of Summerhill Bowling Club: its traditions, members and fascinating history that spans almost a century.

This exhibition forms part of Our Sporting Life, a programme of nationwide community exhibitions and a unique and ambitious celebration of British sport.

Find out more about the exhibition.

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27
Jun
2011

Staff blog – news from the Heritage team

Well it’s been a whirlwind couple of months for the Heritage team. We hosted a full and fast paced programme of events during Local History Month in May. Events ranged from talks about the WW2 bunker RAF Blakelaw, a cartoon workshop with the creator of Viz, Simon Donald, and guided walks around Jesmond and High Heaton.

Forthcoming events include an exhibition about the interwar artist, Byron Dawson, a talk about the history of one of Newcastle’s best known picture houses, the Tyneside Cinema, and a new major exhibition exploring the region’s sporting history. Find out more in the latest Page Turner newsletter.

008561:Shield's Road Newcastle upon Tyne C. 1900

Shields Road, circa 1900

We’ve also had our fair share of television crews visiting the section. We took part in an item that was broadcast on the local news on the eve of the Royal Wedding. You may have heard that the Duchess of Cambridge has Geordie roots and we’ve got the paperwork to prove it! Using parish registers and census records we were able to show that the Duchess had ancestors who originated from an area at the top of Shields Road – known then as Byker Hills. They were a mining family who moved from Newcastle to County Durham.

There was also a visit from the BBC’s ‘Who Do you Think You Are’ production team complete with a famous face who has local connections.  Filming in the heritage section took a full day and the celebrity was a great hit with the public and staff. We’ve been sworn to secrecy for the moment- but watch this space…

We are delighted that the History Club has been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award alongside Newcastle Libraries’ NEALIS project. View videos and more information about the projects here. The winner will be announced at the CILIP Umbrella conference on 13 July 2011.

Newcastle City Libraries now subscribe to the Find My Past geneaology website. Members of the library can access both the Find My Past and Ancestry websites free of charge in any Newcastle Library. (Please note you must be accessing these links in one of our libraries to have full access to the searches.)

Kath Cassidy
Heritage Service Manager

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13
Jun
2011

We’re finalists in the Libraries Change Lives Award!

The CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award highlights and rewards good practice in any innovative library and information projects which change lives, bring people together and demonstrate creativity whilst developing staff and services.

We are pleased to announce that two projects we have been involved in have been nominated for the award!

The History Club

Our Tyneside started back in 2009 in partnership with Better Days, a charity working with adults with learning difficulties, the Sage in Gateshead and Newcastle Libraries. Initially lasting 12 weeks the weekly club aimed to educate and engage participants with their local heritage in a safe and friendly environment.

Taking part in a variety of activities (research, photography, creative writing, music and crafts) as well as guided tours and talks, the group grew in confidence, self esteem and enjoyed the sessions so much that they continued to meet every week. Newcastle Libraries launched The History Club in April 2010, open to any adult with learning difficulties. Topics have included ‘The Great Fire of Newcastle’, ‘Newcastle United’ and ‘The Ghosts of Newcastle’. The History Club has become a vital part of participants’ and staff’s lives, with 100% of participants reporting that they find it fun. View The History Club video below.

The NEALIS Project: North East Accessible Library and Information Services

The NEALIS Project has been working since November 2007 to improve library, information and reading services to blind and partially sighted people across North East England. Its focus has been on developing low cost, practical ways to improve library information and reading services to blind and partially sighted people. Training days for staff have been held and a VIP area with a specially adapted PC and screen has been created at Newcastle City Library. Young people on a local Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme have been paired with visually impaired people to act as reading buddies. View the NEALIS Project video below.

The winner will be announced at the CILIP Umbrella conference on 13 July 2011. Find out more about the Libraries Change Lives Award.

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27
May
2011

News from the Heritage team at City Library

It’s been an action packed few months for the Heritage team! We launched a new exhibition called ‘Evolving English’ which displays treasures of the English language with a specific focus on North East dialects.  The exhibition will be ending on 31 May and it has proved popular, attracting 71,260 visitors during its 14 week run!

Images by Lazlo Torday, a local photographer who took fantastic social photographs from the 60s and 70s, are currently on display on level 6 until early next week. The images are of people talking or socialising and many of them are unidentified so we asked visitors to City Library to help identify the views and people. We’ve had a wonderful response with many visitors offering ideas on location and indeed identifying the people in shot. Thanks very much to all who have contributed. To get involved online, view another set of images from our Tyneside Life and Times collection – if there are no titles and if there is nothing in the image description post a comment on Flickr so we can investigate. View images.

We’ll be launching a new exhibition at the end of July called ‘Played in Tyne and Wear: Exploring the North East’s Sporting Heritage’ which will be running until the end of October 2011.


We’ll also have a display of images of the artistic work of Byron Dawson where you can rediscover Newcastle of the 1920s and 1930s.  This is from 6 June on level 6. A new book about this artist has been recently published by Tyne Bridge Publishing called ‘Newcastle Between the Wars: Byron Dawson’s Tyneside’ which is available to buy from the City Library.

We’ve had a very successful Local History Month, both in City Library and across the branch libraries. Highlights have included a fantastic talk by Paul Joannou on the ‘History of Newcastle United Football Club’ and ‘A Bit of a Giggle’ with Viz writer Simon Donald and Geoff Laws.

We also took part in Newcastle Fashion Week and hosted a number of successful events in the City Library, including the ‘Newcastle Vintage Guide’ which was a fashoin show of outfits through the decades and ‘All Tied Up’ which explored corset making. Both events proved very popular and received great feedback.

Look out for information on our Heritage Open Day events in the summer.

Sarah Mulligan
Heritage team at City Library

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18
Apr
2011

Discover your past during Local History Month

038789:Newcastle v Burnley match St. James Park Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1938

Newcastle vs. Burnley, St. James Park, 1938

This year Newcastle Libraries are hosting a packed programme of events to celebrate Local History Month this May including a talk on the history of Newcastle United by club historian Paul Joannou and exciting news from the Secret Bunker/North project which hopes to restore the grade II listed RAF Blakelaw World War 2 bunker.

We are hosting events both at City Library and across our branch libraries.

Download the Local History Month brochure for more information. Most events in the brochure are free of charge, unless otherwise stated.

We hope that you can take advantage of the wide variety of activities on offer this year.  If you’d like to find out more about your heritage come along and you’ll receive a warm welcome at all our events! Alternatively visit level 6 of the City Library where the Heritage team can explain the local  and family resources available.

Phone 0191 2774100 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk to reserve places for events with limited availability (unless alternative contact details are given in the brochure).

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8
Mar
2011

Love In a Cold Climate – the Byker Wall

Learn about the many hidden and little known features of the Byker Wall and estate in this talk by local historian Colin Dilks. The architect Ralph Erskine needed to consider our northern climate in his designs. This talk will look at what some of these issues were and then track down his solutions during a ‘virtual’ walk around the estate. We will also see other Erskine designs from around the world such as the housing estate above which is in Helsinki and shares some of the features of the Byker Wall.

Tuesday 22 March
6pm
East End Library

This event is free with light refreshments provided. Book your place by phoning 0191 2774100, emailing information@newcastle.gov.uk or asking at any branch library.

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1
Mar
2011

The Kremlin’s Geordie spy

In 1962, American pilot Gary Powers was released by his Russian captors in exchange for one of their own, Colonel William Fisher — a Geordie born in Clara Street, Benwell who moved to the Soviet Union in 1921 to pursue a career in espionage.

Author Vin Arthey has written a book about about Colonel William Fisher’s extraordinary true life tale that will leave you thrilled and mesmerised. Vin will visit City Library to talk about his fascinating book ‘The Kremlin’s Geordie Spy’.

Wednesday 23 March
6:30pm — 7:45pm
City Library

Book your free place in advance by phoning 0191 2774100, emailing information@newcastle.gov.uk or ask at any Newcastle Library.

Reserve a copy of ‘The Kremlin’s Geordie Spy’ online

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