Eyes & Ears 21.03.25
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Collision course
The North East Combined Authority had a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. An important one. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall made a statement about changes to the welfare system in the House of Commons on Tuesday. An important one.
The problem is where those two sentences collide.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness, announcing a 10-year Local Growth Plan to drive investment and grow key industry sectors, said: "My vision is for the North East to be known as the home of real opportunity, a region where everyone thrives.”
Liz Kendall, meanwhile, was announcing a major shake-up of the welfare system in order to save £5 billion by 2030, but emphasising a need to train and encourage people into employment.
In the middle of all that is the issue of child poverty, something the mayor has described as her ‘defining mission’.
After the Government announcement, Beth Farhat, chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission, said: “We’re deeply concerned that the cuts to support announced today will hit our region hard.”
The next day the mayor, treading a fine line between being loyal to her party and staying true to her priorities, called on the Government to scrap the two-child benefit cap, saying she was concerned that children with disabled parents could face further hardship as a result of the welfare changes.
She said: “The escalating welfare bill is a problem and we must get people back into work. However, I am concerned that children with disabled parents could face further hardship. Now is the time for ministers to lift the two-child benefit cap this Government inherited, as families in the North East can’t afford to wait.”
Ferry approval
Tuesday’s meeting of the North East Combined Authority cabinet approved Mayor Kim McGuinness’ three-year £208 million plan for better transport, including cash to repair the region's roads, lay down 100km of new cycle, walking and wheeling routes and funding for a new Shields Ferry landing at the Tyne's historic Fish Quay.
Also approved was a £5m initiative to give hundreds of schools support to put on extra-curricular activities, boost children’s reading, writing and maths skills and help train and retain the best teachers.
Five days since last domestic cup win
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be awarded the freedom of the city following the historic 2-1 Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool, the club’s first domestic cup win in 70 years. And Blyth-born Dan Burn will be nominated for the Freedom of Northumberland following his man of the match performance at Wembley.
In an enterprising move, Northumberland National Park have temporarily renamed their Elsdon Burn Walk as the Big Dan Burn Walk, saying: “Elsdon, once a place at the centre of defence in the Border Reiver battles, seems like a fitting place to mark Dan’s and the whole teams’ heroic achievements.” Nice.
The trophy will make its first public appearance during the Newcastle United women's derby against Sunderland at St James’ Park on Sunday and a city-wide celebration is being planned for March 29 at the Town Moor.
You must read False teeth in safe keeping in The Wider View section towards the end of this newsletter - it’s about the man who was in goal the last time Newcastle won a domestic trophy.
Wasted talent
Music, drama and visual arts should be embedded into an inclusive school curriculum because the talents of millions of children are being wasted, according to the 12th and final Child of the North report, which was produced in conjunction with the Centre for Young Lives think-tank
The report highlights that 93% of children are being excluded from arts and cultural education due to a lack of funding in state schools, while children from the most affluent backgrounds are three times more likely to sing in a choir or play in a band or orchestra than children living in deprived areas.
A few days after the report was published, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced on Tuesday (what is it about Tuesdays?) the development of a National Centre for Arts and Music Education as part of the Government's commitment to enhancing arts and music education across England.
The report’s lead author, Professor Simon James from Durham University, said: “It is very pleasing to see new investment in high-quality teaching in the arts, and in music especially, where this is sorely needed. Every child is innately creative and the UK needs an education system that develops that creativity.”
Working 9-5
The setting up of a Northern Music Export Office to promote and support musicians and music businesses on an international scale was announced at the renowned SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas this week (Monday, NOT Tuesday).
Backed by the North East, Tees Valley and Liverpool City Region combined authorities, the office will provide a range of services, including: funding and grants for tours; support to break into international markets; global showcase opportunities; networking and partnerships with music industry professionals.
Mick Ross, CEO of Generator North East, said: “We are thrilled to see this initiative developed. The Northern Music Export Office will provide invaluable support to our artists, helping them access international markets, grow their careers, and showcase their talent to the world, whilst recognising the need for national tour support for artists.”
The aim is to position the North as a global hub for music innovation and creativity, and it is hoped that other combined authorities will join over the course of the year.
Fenwick support
American consulting firm AlixPartners has been recruited by Fenwick to help it restructure and cut costs.
The historic department store chain has been lossmaking for the past few years. Among the measures being looked at is an overhaul of its website, but store closures have been ruled out.
The firm has talked of differentiating itself from competitors via investment in service and hospitality. In Newcastle, this has brought about tie-ups with other North East brands including Greggs and Barbour. Wednesday marked the opening night of their latest venture, with South Shields fish and chip institution Colmans.
The end - or is it?
Gateshead Council has approved plans for the demolition of the crumbling A167 flyover with the council setting aside £18m from its capital budget to remove it by the end of the year.
But Newcastle University's Farrell Centre has started a competition looking for innovative and ambitious ways that the flyover could be saved and turned into something new.
People are being encouraged to submit entries of up to 300 words and a maximum of three images. The top four entries will go on display at the Farrell Centre in May.
Trying times
There are fears that Newcastle Falcons will not be able to confirm to English Premiership rugby union chiefs that they have enough money to survive the next 18 months.
The club is up for sale, there is a recruitment freeze, and owner Seymore Kurdi has already said he is not prepared to carry on making good the £2m a year running costs.
The team plays at home against Sale Sharks tonight with head coach Steve Diamond hoping to latch on to the feelgood factor swirling around the city following the football team’s Wembley victory.
Revival for shipyard
Smiths Dry Docks in Teesside have been taken over by UK Docks Marine Services. They have agreed a long-term lease on the site, which includes two additional dry docks, bringing the entire former Smiths Dockyard under one operator for the first time since its closure in 1987.
MD Jonathan Wilson said: “We see a lot of potential and possibilities in the site and have a five-year plan to maximise it as an asset. Having four docks will allow us to look for new opportunities and expand on our existing services and facilities."
A quick word
Four members of Romaldkirk Parish Council have been ordered to take conduct training over allegations of being disrespectful to others, spreading misinformation, and making false statements about council funds. The complaints were upheld by Durham County Council's standards committee hearing panel. Durham County Council has agreed to hand over Stanley Civic Hall to Lamplight Arts Centre so it can be developed for community use. Northumberland Estates, the development arm of the Duke of Northumberland, is proposing to build a solar park on a 34-hectare patch of green belt land at Hospital Lane, near Blucher in Newcastle. Newcastle Eagles have qualified for the semi-finals of the European North Basketball League. The final matches will be played on April 8 and 9. Environmental group Save Newcastle Wildlife has launched an online petition calling for a referendum to be held on any plans for Newcastle United to build a stadium on the grade II listed Leazes Park. New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the region’s unemployment rate fell for the second month in a row from 5% to 4.7%, putting the North East just above the national average of 4.4%. Santander is closing five branches in the North East - at Blyth, the Gateshead Metrocentre, Whitley Bay, Redcar and Stokesley - as part of a broader restructuring plan.
New chief
Tyne and Wear assistant chief fire officer Lynsey McVay has been brought in as interim chief fire officer at Northumberland following the suspension of their chief and deputy chief fire officers.
Graeme Binning and his deputy Jim McNeil were suspended by Northumberland County Council, which oversees the fire service, following a review into the organisation’s culture.
Award hopes
The Curiosity Project, an innovative exhibition at the Bowes Museum in County Durham, has been shortlisted for the Permanent Exhibition of the Year at the Museum and Heritage Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the museum world.
The Discovery Museum in Newcastle has been shortlisted in the Partnership of the Year category for its exhibition Steam to Green: A North East Energy Revolution which was created in partnership with Newcastle University and headline sponsor Vattenfall.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Hilton London on Thursday May 15.
Business bites
Newcastle College has opened an Advanced Manufacturing Suite where cutting edge technology including robotics, 3D modelling equipment and CNC machines have been brought in to train students and make them work-ready for a career in advanced manufacturing. National charter surveyor firm Bruton Knowles has chosen Newcastle as the location for it’s 15th UK hub. Directors at Newcastle hospitality and leisure company Cairn Group are pleased with its performance despite seeing a dip in turnover and profits. Operating profits fell from £15m to £2.4m, which the firm partly put down to the sale of two hotels. Business Northumberland has been launched by the county council to attract inward investment and to support businesses looking to relocate, invest or expand in the area. Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has asked County Durham technology firm Filtronic to expand on their £16.8m deal to send power amplifiers and associated apparatus to the spacecraft operator. Family-owned construction company Robertson Group, which has a base in Gateshead, has reported a 23% increase in revenues but a pre-tax loss of £12.6m, compared to a £16.3m profit in 2023.
THE WIDER VIEW
False teeth in safe keeping
The role of a goalkeeper has evolved considerably in the past few decades, but the man who kept goal for Newcastle when they won the FA Cup in 1955 (and in 1952) was known for not just keeping his goal safe, but also the false teeth of his team-mates.
The man in question is the remarkable Ronnie Simpson. As a 17-year-old he played for Great Britain in the 1948 London Olympics. In his first season with Newcastle he helped them beat Arsenal 1-0 in the 1952 FA Cup final.
As a 36-year-old he was crowned a ‘Lisbon Lion’ as Celtic became the first British team to win the European Cup by defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in Portugal where he kept the false teeth of team-mate Bobby Lennox, as well as his own, safe in his goalkeeper's cap. On the final whistle, Lennox could be seen rushing straight to Simpson, not to celebrate as such but to retrieve his falsers in case they became lost in the mayhem.
My thanks to school friend, Celtic supporter and avid Eyes & Ears reader Bob Gray for this Carabao Cup Final post script. We are assuming the cap in question was on the ground in the back of the net rather than on Ronnie’s head.
The victory in Lisbon came a month after Ronnie helped Scotland become unofficial world champions when they became the first team to beat England (at Wembley!) after the 1966 World Cup triumph.
G whizz
Even if I won £148m on the Euromillions, I know I wouldn’t spend £500,000 on a car number plate.
But someone did, splashing all that cash on the registration G 1 in 2011 and going on to have the largest collection of two-digit plates in the UK, including G paired with all the numbers through to 9.
It features at number three in Autocar’s list of the top ten most expensive car number plates in the UK. They all have one thing in common - they’re not very long.
In top spot is 25 O which was bought for £518,480 in 2014 followed by X 1 which was sold for £502,500 in 2012. That is reckoned to be worth £1m today, along with two others in the top ten - but I note that the last bit of Top Ten plate business was done in 2019 when SH 1 (number six in the list) was sold for £415,143.
At number five is F 1 which was bought for £440,625 in 2008 by Afzal Kahn, the automotive designer and entrepreneur renowned for his innovative approach to car customisation. The plate is currently on his Bugatti Veyron and is not up for sale, although he has let it be known he would let it go for £10m.
Non Dom-like status
A little kitten called George has tamed Dominic Cummings, according to his wife Mary Wakefield. Writing in The Spectator, Mary, who is a commissioning editor for the magazine, says the arrival of George has softened her husband’s attitude towards politicians and that she often see the two of them staring “solemnly and seriously” into each other’s eyes.
The domino effect
Last week’s video of the Guinness ad from 1999 was the most clicked link since I started Eyes & Ears in December last year. I’m not saying I’m starting a series but … isn’t this one better?
Take it, Leavitt
To the White House, where press secretary Karoline Leavitt is quickly making a name for herself (no compliment intended).
Responding to suggestions that the Statue of Liberty should be returned to France, she said: “Absolutely not. I would remind them it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.”
Which drew this response from former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, of all people:
Fantastic ad! Made me laugh, just as I was listening to the Today programme telling us that people are turning away from the news and so they are looking into what makes us happier! Well, it's Eyes and Ears - informative, a laugh with the cartoons and the old ads and always something quirky!