Eyes & Ears Extra 17.05.25
It's a new day - with more of what you've been missing
I know it’s only Tuesday, but there were a couple of things I wasn’t able to include in the last Eyes & Ears and I didn’t want to wait until this Friday to bring you them.
This includes a fascinating take on the rise of Greggs, written from a Liverpool perspective and through the decline of their once dominant regional family bakery, Sayers.
I also wanted to get your thoughts on the future of Eyes & Ears, which I started publishing six months ago. It’s only four questions but they are important to me and I would really appreciate you answering them. It’s four clicks and will take you seconds.
Since December, in addition to my curated round-up of what’s been happening in the region, I have also been publishing a range of stories, columns and articles…
Like Sam Wonfor’s look back on the TV gems that her Mum Andrea unearthed as head of children's TV at Tyne Tees after the passing of Super Gran star Gudrun Ure:
And Professor Bob Hudson’s assessment of the implications of the council and mayoralty election results in May:
And Chris Jackson’s remarkable and tragic story of Edwin Bainbridge, the heir to one of Newcastle’s most famous stores, that he discovered on a trip to New Zealand:
There’s also been regional affairs articles on the Leamside Line: The most important 21 miles in the region.
Simon Rushworth’s brilliant interview with BBC icon Jeff Brown Unbelievable Jeff, and his recollections of The day I drove Keegan Batty.
There’s been in-depth features like The past, present and future of Sacriston from Jacqui Hodgson, quality storytelling by Michael Chaplin: Ticket to Ride, Harry Pearson: If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry, and David Whetstone: Down and out in London and Newcastle.
And Tony Henderson’s wonderful recollections of The Hoppings in days gone by when you just had to go home with a coconut.
With that in mind, here are my quick-fire questions:
The pasty war - that wasn’t
The Post is a Liverpool-based online publication that began life, just like Eyes & Ears, on Substack and is part of the Mill Media group that also has titles in Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Glasgow and London.
Last week they published a fascinating tale about two family-run bakeries and lamented the fact that ‘theirs’, Sayers, had lost out to ‘ours’, Greggs.
The headline is rather over-stated as the author acknowledges: “When I began this journey, I thought I might uncover a “pasty wars”, two bakery brands battling through cost-cutting, BOGOF deals, recipe switching, or underhanded corporate practices. But Sayers vs Greggs, it seems, is a bit like the England vs Germany football rivalry: it exists only in the minds of the less-successful team.”
The article hails the significance of Greggs signing Roger Whiteside in 2013 - “the Cristiano Ronaldo of food company CEOs” - but says the real divergence between the two brands came in the Seventies when Greggs began moving beyond Tyneside.
“By 1977, when Sayers was bought by United Biscuits, Greggs had already begun its incursion into the North West, buying up Price’s in Manchester a year earlier. No longer a family business, Sayers became one brand among many; Greggs remained master of its fate.”
Sister act
Lesley Powell, founder and CEO of the North East Learning Trust, who was previously made a CBE, has become a dame in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.
Her sister Claire Riley, chair of the Seven Stories children's book centre in Newcastle and head of corporate services for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, was awarded an OBE.
Claire said: “Two girls from Gateshead in the same honours list for very different things is really something to try and comprehend.”
Angel of the North creator Sir Antony Gormley was appointed a Companion of Honour, one of the most exclusive awards because the distinction can only be held by 65 living people and is reserved for those who have made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government.
A full list of the people from the North East who were recognised can be read here.
What next?
Labour suffered an embarrassment in Newcastle last week as its vision for the city was rejected by councillors. The city’s ruling party saw its council plan, a key document setting the direction for the city council until 2028, voted down by 33 votes to 30.
Labour has been in charge of the city since 2011 but is now a minority administration because eight of their members have left the party.
It is now unclear what will happen to that plan and the vote also raises questions about how the council will function over the next 11 months, before next May’s ‘all out’ elections that could radically alter the city’s political landscape.
Shining example
North East mayor Kim McGuinness has launched an initiative aimed at encouraging fairness, opportunity and respect in the workplace. More than 300 businesses were represented at the launch event for Shine at the Customs House in South Shields on Friday.
Pipebot at the ready
A sewer robot that monitors pipework and raises blockage alerts before flooding occurs is set for its first live mission.
Pipebot Patrol is a £1.8m project led by Northumbrian Water and funded by the Ofwat Water Breakthrough Challenge. The robot can inspect miles of pipes over a 30-day period and automatically report back issues from underground.
A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said the robot would be a “game-changer” and would help cut down the number of emergency repairs.
Falcons energised
Energy drinks giant Red Bull have agreed a deal to buy Newcastle Falcons, take on their £39m debts and keep the club playing premiership rugby at Kingston Park next season.