Industrial Heritage
by John Matthews
I read with great interest the article in the September issue of the excellent Culture Magazine by Professor Stephen Graham of Newcastle University regarding the disappearance of our industrial and cultural heritage. The images of Swan Hunter took me back to the day the last shift came up the bank from the yards piped by my Motherin Law, Jean Heslop in the presence of union leaders and politicians. This wasn’t to be the last shift however as Swan’s had an all too brief reprieve before the yard finally closed its doors a few years later.
I struggle to think that a town with such a fantastic shipbuilding and marine engineering history does not have a building dedicated to its riverside origins. One suggestion I think is worthy of investigation is Spillers Flour Mill, which is now redundant having closed in 2006. It has just had a fire, which appears to have been started deliberately so we need to act quickly. The mill was built in the 1930’s and it was such a booming industry at the time that the Tyne was deepened to allow for grain tankers to berth alongside. Now, that would make a good Maritime Museum and big enough to take the Turbinia.
I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Graham, we need to preserve what little we have left before it disappears for good. The City Council seem to have put much of their faith over the years in promoting Newcastle’s image as a vibrant “party city” with a lot of emphasis on allowing a proliferation of bars and clubs especially on the Quayside. Whilst this has actually saved many fine buildings from demolition, it is sad to think that more uses could be found to give a more varied streetscape.
The N & N Society campaigned some time ago to have the Tyne Tees Shipping Company sign repaired as we were in danger of losing it. It is on their former offices in King Street, now an Italian restaurant, and details all sorts of destinations from which you could sail actually from the Quayside. A slice of maritime history, which could easily have disappeared. Thankfully their other offices have been tastefully transformed into the Hotel Du Vin further along the Quayside towards the Ouseburn.
The N and N Society have campaigned over the years on a number of issues both within the City of Newcastle and the County of Northumberland. The Society itself goes back to the 1920’s and one of its founder members was Sir Andrew Noble, who was a director in Lord Armstrong’s massive armaments factory. We would readily support an initiative to save and promote our maritime and industrial heritage.
City and County
November 2010
