| Newcastle upon Tyne | |
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  Newcastle upon Tyne shown within Tyne and Wear | |
| Population | 259,536 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Newcastle City Council |
| Metropolitan county | Tyne and Wear |
| Region | North East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Postcode district | NE1-NE7, NE12-NE13, NE15 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| European Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament | Newcastle upon Tyne Central |
| Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne North | |
| Tyne Bridge | |
| List of places: UK • England • Tyne and Wear | |
Newcastle upon Tyne (pronunciation ) (usually shortened to Newcastle) is a city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located along the north bank of the River Tyne and was formerly the county town of Northumberland. Northumberland: The County. northumberland.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.
The city was founded in Roman times under the name Pons Aelius. The medieval Latin name is Novum Castrum super Tynum (Newcastle upon Tyne).
The city is the 20th most populous in England; the larger Tyneside conurbation, of which Newcastle forms part, is the 6th most populous conurbation in the United Kingdom.Pointer, Graham, The UK's Major Urban Areas at statistics.gov.uk, Retrieved on 2007-04-08 Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities GroupCore Cities.com, Retrieved on 2007-04-08 and (with Gateshead) the Eurocities network of European cities.Eurocities, Retrieved on 2007-08-19
People from Newcastle and surrounding areas are commonly called Geordies. The Latin term Novocastrian can equally be applied to residents of any place called Newcastle.
Contents |
History
Early development
The first settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius, designating the bridge across the Tyne and given the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian who founded it in the 2nd century AD. The population of Pons Aelius at this period was estimated at 2,000. Hadrian's Wall is still visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. (The course of the "Roman Wall" can also be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend - the wall's end). The extent of Hadrian's Wall was 117 kilometres, spanning the width of Britain; the wall incorporated Agricola's DitchC.Michael Hogan (2007) Hadrian's Wall, ed. A. Burnham, The Megalithic Portal and was constructed primarily to prevent unwanted immigration from the north, not as a fighting line for a major invasion.Stephen Johnson (2004) Hadrian's Wall, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages, ISBN 0713488409
After the Roman withdrawal from Britain, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, and became known throughout this period as Monkchester. After a series of conflicts with the Danes and the devastation north of the River Tyne inflicted by Odo of Bayeux after the 1080 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester was all but destroyed. Because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in 1080 and the town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or New Castle.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress. A stone wall 25 ft high was built around the town in the 13th century, to defend it from invaders during the Border war against Scotland. The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, and Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century, and around this time became a county corporate.
From 1530 a royal act restricted all shipments of coal from Tyneside to Newcastle quayside, giving a monopoly in the coal trade to a cartel of Newcastle burgesses known as the Hostmen. This monopoly, which lasted for a considerable time, helped Newcastle prosper, but it had its impact on the growth of near-neighbours Sunderland, causing a Tyneside and a Wearside rivalry that still exists. In the Sandgate area, to the east of the city and beside the river, resided the close-knit community of keelmen and their families. They were so called because they worked on the keels, boats that were used to transfer coal from the river banks to the waiting colliers, for export to London and elsewhere. During the English Civil War, Newcastle supported the king and in 1644 was stormed ('with roaring drummes') by Cromwell's Scots allies, based in pro-Parliament Sunderland. The grateful King bestowed the motto "Fortiter Defendit Triumphans" ("Triumphing by a brave defence") upon the town. Ironically, Charles was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646-7.
In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages, predated the London Library by half a century. Newcastle also became the greatest glass producer in the world.
Newcastle's development as a major city, however, owed most to its central role in the export of coal. The phrase taking coals to Newcastle was first recorded in 1538. In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. Innovation in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the development of safety lamps, Stephenson's Rocket, Lord Armstrong's artillery, Be-Ro flour, Joseph Swan's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons' invention of the steam turbine, which led to the revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity.
Heavy industries in Newcastle declined in the second half of the 20th century; office and retail employment are now the city's staples.
Urban development
The city has an extensive neoclassical centre, largely developed in the 1830s by Richard Grainger and John Dobson, and recently extensively restored. Grey Street, which curves down from Grey's Monument towards the valley of the River Tyne, was voted as England's finest street in 2005 in a survey of BBC Radio 4 listeners. A portion of Grainger Town was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Eldon Square Shopping Centre, including all but one side of the original Eldon Square itself.
Immediately to the northwest of the city centre is Leazes Park, established in 1873 after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this is St James' Park, the stadium home of Newcastle United F.C. which dominates the view of the city from all directions.
Another green space in Newcastle is the vast Town Moor, lying immediately north of the city centre. It is larger than Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath put together and the freemen of the city have the right to graze cattle on it. Unlike other cities where similar rights exist, they often take advantage of this, leading to the somewhat bizarre sight of cattle grazing within yards of the city's town hall, Newcastle Civic Centre. The right incidentally extends to the pitch of St James' Park, Newcastle United Football Club's ground, though this is not exercised,although the Freemen do collect rent for the loss of privilege. Honorary freemen include Bob Geldof, Nelson Mandela, Alan Shearer and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Hoppings funfair, said to be the largest travelling fair in Europe, is held here annually in June. In the south eastern corner is Exhibition Park, which is home to the Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum.
The wooded gorge of the Ouseburn in the east of the city is known as Jesmond Dene and forms another popular recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to the Ouseburn Valley, where the river finally reaches the River Tyne.
Newcastle was voted as the Best City in the North in April 2007 by The Daily Telegraph newspaper - beating Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds in an online poll conducted of its readers.Greenwood, Lynne. "And the winner is ... Newcastle", 2007-04-12. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
Recent developments
The development of the city in the 1960s and 1970s saw the demolition of part of Grainger Town as a prelude to the modernist rebuilding initiatives of T. Dan Smith, the leader of Newcastle City Council. A corruption scandal was uncovered involving Smith and John Poulson, a property developer, and both were jailed. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, Our Friends in the North.
The Tyne Gorge between Newcastle on the north bank and Gateshead (an administratively separate borough) on the south bank, is famous for a series of dramatic bridges, including the Tyne Bridge of 1928 which was built by Dorman Long of Middlesbrough, and Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge of 1849, the first road/rail bridge in the world. Large-scale regeneration has replaced former shipping premises with imposing new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge was commissioned by Gateshead and has integrated the older Newcastle Quayside more closely with major cultural developments in Gateshead, including the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Norman Foster-designed The Sage Gateshead music centre. Newcastle & Gateshead Quayside is now a thriving, cosmopolitan area with an abundance of bars, restaurants and public spaces. As a tourist promotion, Newcastle and Gateshead have linked together under the banner "NewcastleGateshead", to spearhead the regeneration of the north east.
Notable Newcastle housing developments include Ralph Erskine's the Byker Wall designed in the 1960s and now Grade II-listed. It is on UNESCO's list of outstanding 20th century buildings.
Newcastle's thriving Chinatown lies in the north-west of Grainger Town, centred on Stowell Street. A new Chinese arch, or paifang, providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the city with a ceremony in 2005.
The UK's first biotechnology village, the "Centre for Life" is located in the city centre close to the Newcastle Central railway station. The village is the first step in the City Council's plans to transform Newcastle into a science city.Newcastle Science City. Newcastle Science City.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
Governance
Newcastle is governed using the leader and cabinet system, and the executive is Liberal Democrat, as they have 48 councillors against the Labour Party's 30. No other parties hold seats on the city's council.Results Service : May 4th 2006. www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
For the purposes of City Council elections, Newcastle is divided into 26 electoral wards.Where You Live (Ward Info). www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
Geography
Newcastle is situated in the North East of England, in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear and the historical and traditional county of Northumberland. The city itself is located on the northern bank of the River Tyne at a latitude of 54.974° N and a longitude of 1.614° W.
The geology of the area is most famous for its large deposits of coal. Whilst the local bedrock consists mainly of carboniferous rocks, millstone grit and oolite are also present.
The climate in Newcastle is temperate, although significantly warmer than some other locations at a similar latitude due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream (via the North Atlantic Drift). Being in the rain shadow of the North Pennines, it is among the driest cities in the UK.
Demography
Population
According to the UK Government's 2001 census,Newcastle upon Tyne. National Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. the city of Newcastle has a population of 189,863, whereas the unitary authority of Newcastle has a population of around 259,500. However, the metropolitan boroughs of North Tyneside (population c.190,000), South Tyneside (population c. 150,000) and Gateshead (population c.200,000) are also part of the Tyneside conurbation, giving the Newcastle-Gateshead metropolitan area a population of 799,000. According to the same statistics, the average age of people living in Newcastle is 37.8 (the national average being 38.6). 93.1% of the population are of white British ethnic background (the national average being 91.3%). Many people in the city have Scottish and Irish ancestors. There is a strong presence of Border Reiver surnames, such as Armstrong, Robson, Charlton, Kerr, Elliot, Hall etc. Other ethnic groups in Newcastle, in order of population size, are Pakistani at 1.9% and Indians at 1.2%. There are also small but significant Chinese and Jewish populations.
The city is largely Christian at 70.6%; Muslims are 3.6%,Ethnicity in the North East (report). Government Office North East. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. and a large number (16%) have no religion.
Health
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has one of the lowest mortality rates in the country and is ranked seventh in the country for confidence in doctors.[citation needed] Newcastle has three large teaching hospitals: the Royal Victoria Infirmary, the Newcastle General Hospital and the Freeman Hospital, which is also a pioneering centre for transplant surgery.
In a report, published in early February 2007 by the Ear Institute at the University College London, and Widex, a Danish hearing aid manufacturer, Newcastle was named as the noisiest city in the whole of the UK, with an average level of 80.4 decibels. The report claimed that these noise levels would have a negative long-term impact on the health of the city's residents.Noisy Newcastle tops league table. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. The report was criticised, however, for attaching too much weight to readings at arbitrarily selected locations, which in Newcastle's case included a motorway underpass without pedestrian access.Noise study gets an ear-bashing. Evening Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
Transport and infrastructure
National and international
Newcastle International Airport is located on the northern outskirts of the city near Ponteland. The airport handles over five million passengers per year, and is the tenth largest, and the fastest growing regional airport in the UK,Easter record at Newcastle Airport. uk-airport-news.info. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. expecting to reach 10 million passengers by 2016, and 15 million by 2030.Airport - Metro link marks 15th birthday as passenger numbers take off!. newcastleairport.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. As of 2007, over 90 destinations are available world-wide.Destinations & Offers. www.newcastleairport.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
Newcastle Central railway station is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line and Cross Country Route. Opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria, it was the first covered railway station in the world and was much copied across the UK. It has a neoclassical facade, originally designed by the architect John Dobson, and was constructed in collaboration with Robert Stephenson.Trainshed, Central Station, Newcastle. www.victorianweb.org (2006-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-08.The Life of Robert Stephenson – a Timeline. www.robertstephensontrust.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-08. The first services were operated by the North Eastern Railway company. The city's other mainline station, Manors, is to the east of the city centre.
Today, train operator National Express East Coast"Passengers see East Coast switch", BBC News, 2007-12-08. Retrieved on 2007-12-08. provides a half-hourly frequency of trains to London, with a journey time of a little less than three hours.[citation needed] CrossCountry, Northern Rail and First TransPennine Express operate regular services to many other destinations.
Major roads in the area include the A1 (Gateshead Newcastle Western Bypass), stretching north to Edinburgh and south to London; the A19 heading south past Sunderland and Middlesbrough to York and Doncaster; the A69 heading west to Carlisle; the A167, the old "Great North Road", heading south to Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Durham and Darlington; and the A1058 "Coast Road", which runs from Jesmond to the east coast between Tynemouth and Cullercoats. Many of these designations are recent—upon completion of the Western Bypass, and its designation as the new line of the A1, the roads between this and the former line through the Tyne Tunnel were renumbered, with many city centre roads changing from a 6-prefixNewcastle Map Scans. www.rural-roads.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. to their present 1-prefix numbers.
Newcastle has access to an international Ferry Terminal, at North Shields, which offers services to destinations including Amsterdam, Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen.By Ferry. www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-15. A ferry to Gothenburg, Sweden, operated by Danish DFDS Seaways, ceased crossing at the end of October 2006. The company cited high fuel prices and new competition from low-cost air services as the cause. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, will continue to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, with limited capacity for passengers."DFDS scraps Newcastle-Gothenburg line", The Local, 2006-09-07. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
Local
Newcastle and the surrounding area has an extensive bus network that is coordinated by Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.Nexus – Bus. www.nexus.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. Buses are operated mainly by Go North East, Arriva Northumbria and Stagecoach North East.Full timetable list. www.nexus.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. QuayLink (operated by Stagecoach), a £7.7 million bus scheme using ultra low emission hybrid diesel-electric vehicles, was launched in July 2005.Stagecoach QuayLink's extension proposal. www.busandcoach.com (2006-03-14). Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
The city is served by the Tyne and Wear Metro, a system of suburban and underground railways covering most of Tyne and Wear. It was opened in five phases between 1980 and 1984, and was Britain's first urban light rail transit system;History of public transport. www.nexus.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. two extensions were opened in 1991 and 2002.Tyne and Wear Metro. www.nexus.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. It was developed from a combination of existing and newly built tracks and stations, with deep-level tunnels constructed through Newcastle city centre.Newcastle-upon-Tyne. www.urbanrail.net. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.Tyne and Wear Metro. www.thetrams.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. A bridge was built across the Tyne, between Newcastle and Gateshead, and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1981.SINE Project, Structure Details for Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. sine.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. The network is operated by Nexus and carries over 37 million passengers a year,Getting Around. www.newcastlegateshead.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. extending as far as Newcastle Airport, Tynemouth and South Hylton in Sunderland.Metro Map (Large). www.nexus.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
Newcastle is one of the first in the UK to have its city centre covered by wireless internet access."Newcastle joins UK 'wireless city' revolution", 24dash.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
Education
The city has two universities. Established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834, and becoming independent from Durham University in 1963, Newcastle University is now one of the UK’s leading international universities.History. Newcastle University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. It won the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year award in 2000.McCall, Alastair. "King of the Castle" (Reprint on Newcastle University's website), Sunday Times, 2000-09-17. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Newcastle Polytechnic was granted university status in 1992, becoming the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. Northumbria University, as it is currently known, was voted 'Best New University' by The Times Good University Guide 2005. The latter university also won a much coveted company award of the "Most IT enabled organisation" (in the UK), by the IT industry magazine Computing.2006 Winners. Computing Awards. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.Northumbria University wins top IT Award. Northumbria University (2006-10-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
There are eleven LEA-funded 11 to 18 schools and seven independent schools with sixth forms in Newcastle. The largest co-ed independent school is the Royal Grammar School. The largest girls' independent school is Central Newcastle High School. Both schools are located on the same street in Jesmond. There are a number of successful state schools, including Gosforth High School, Heaton Manor School, St Cuthbert's High School, Kenton Comprehensive School and Sacred Heart. Newcastle College is the largest general further education college in the North East and is a beacon status college; there are two smaller colleges in the Newcastle area.
Religious sites
- See also: Diocese of Newcastle, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, and North East Jewry
Newcastle has two cathedrals, the Anglican St. Nicholas, with its elegant lantern tower of 1474, and the Roman Catholic St. Mary's, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. Both cathedrals began their lives as parish churches. St Mary's became a cathedral in 1850 and St Nicholas' in 1882. Newcastle was a prominent centre of the Plymouth Brethren movement up to the 1950s and some small congregations still function. Among these are at the Hall, Denmark Street and Gospel Hall, St Lawrence.
Sports
The City has a strong sporting tradition. Premier League football team Newcastle United has been based at St James' Park since the club was established in 1892.St James' Park. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. The city also has two non-League football teams, Newcastle Blue Star and Newcastle Benfield, who both play in the Northern Football League. Also in Newcastle are Guinness Premiership rugby union side Newcastle Falcons, for whom England player Jonny Wilkinson features.
The Metro Radio Arena is home to Newcastle Vipers ice hockey team and Newcastle Eagles basketball team. The city's Speedway team Newcastle Diamonds are based at Brough Park in Byker, a venue that is also home to greyhound racing. Racing started at Brough Park in 1929. It operated to 1931 then closed until the end of the 1930s when the team name was adopted. Following closure for the war, Newcastle reopened in 1945 with the Diamonds contesting the Northern League (1946) and the National League Division Two until the end of 1951. The venue re-opened in 1961 and has, despite a few breaks short, operated regularly at various levels. The first track to open in Newcastle was at Goford Stadium but this only operated until 1930. Newcastle Racecourse at High Gosforth Park holds regular meets, including the prestigious race for the Northumberland Plate, first run in 1838, which takes place in June each year.
Newcastle also hosts the start of the annual BUPA Great North Run, the world's largest half-marathon in which participants famously race over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead and then towards the finish line 13.1 miles away on the coast at South Shields."Great North Run", BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Another famous athletic event is the 5.7 mile Blaydon Race (a road race from Newcastle to Blaydon), which has taken place on June 9 annually since 1981, to commemorate the celebrated Blaydon Races horse racing."Runners set for traditional race", BBC News, 2007-06-09. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
Culture
Dialect
The dialect of Newcastle is known as Geordie, and contains a large amount of vocabulary and distinctive word pronunciations not used in other parts of England. The Geordie dialect has much of its origins in the language spoken by Anglo-Saxon mercenaries, who were employed by the Ancient British people to fight Pictish invaders, following the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain in the 4th century. This language was the forerunner of Modern English; but while the dialects of other English regions have been heavily altered by the influences of other foreign languages—particularly Latin and Norman–French—the Geordie dialect retains many elements of the old language. An example of this is the pronunciation of certain words: "dead", "cow", "house" and "strong" are pronounced "dede", "coo", "hoos" and "strang"—which is how they were pronounced in the Anglo-Saxon language. Other Geordie words with Anglo-Saxon origins include: "larn" (from the Anglo-Saxon "laeran", meaning "teach"), "burn" ("stream") and "gan" ("go").North East dialect origins and the meaning of 'Geordie'. www.northeastengland.talktalk.net. Retrieved on 2008-02-05. Some words used in the Geordie dialect are used elsewhere in the northern United Kingdom. The words "bonny" (meaning "pretty"), "howay" ("come on"), "stot" ("bounce") and "hadaway" ("go away" or "you're kidding"), all appear to be used in Scottish dialect; "aye" ("yes"), "chuffed" ("happy") and "nowt" ("nothing") are used elsewhere in northern England. Many words, however, appear to be used exclusively in Newcastle and the surrounding area, such as "Canny" (a versatile word meaning "good", "nice" or "very"), "bait" ("food"), "hacky" ("dirty") and "hoy" ("throw").Newcastle English ("Geordie") – Vocabulary. www.une.edu.au. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
Nightlife
Newcastle has a reputation for being a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclubs. More recently, Newcastle has become popular as a destination for Stag and Hen parties. Newcastle was in the top ten of the country's top night spots,"York 'party capital' of country", BBC News, 30 May 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. and The Rough Guide to Britain placed Newcastle upon Tyne's nightlife as Great Britain's no. 1 tourist attraction.Visiting Britain? Avoid 'bland' Buckingham Palace. Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2006-10-07.
There are notable concentrations of pubs, bars and nightclubs around the Bigg Market, and the Quayside area of the city centre. There are many bars on the Bigg Market, and other popular areas for nightlife are Collingwood Street, Neville Street, the Central Station area and Osborne Road in the Jesmond area of the city. In recent years "The Gate" has opened in the city centre, a new indoor complex consisting of bars, upmarket clubs, restaurants and a 12-screen Empire multiplex cinema.The Gate. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
Focused on the Times Square area near the Centre for Life, the "Pink Triangle" is the centre of Newcastle's gay scene and hosts many bars and pubs and two clubs.About. www.newcastlegay.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.Gay Village/Pink Triangle. pubsnewcastle.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. The community has seen much expansion in the past five years, with further growth planned in the future.
The city has a wide variety of restaurants such as Italian, Indian, Persian, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, Spanish, American, Polish, Malaysian, French, Mongolian, Moroccan, Thai and has a Chinese village with many Chinese restaurants on Stowell Street. There has also been a growth in premium restaurants in recent years with top chefs.http://www.sugarvine.com/Newcastle/index.asp][1]
The biggest noticeable difference in the last ten years has been increased opening hours, more upmarket bars, a greater range of clubs and some of the older traditional pubs closing, although many have been revamped and remain very popular.
Theatre
The city contains many theatres. The largest, the Theatre Royal on Grey Street, first opened in 1837. It has hosted a season of performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company for over 25 years, as well as touring productions of West End musicals.History. Theatre Royal. Retrieved on 2007-09-21. The Journal Tyne Theatre hosts smaller touring productions, whilst other venues feature local talent. Northern Stage, formally known as the Newcastle Playhouse and Gulbenkian Studio, hosts various local, national and international productions in addition to those produced by the Northern Stage company."Curtain rises at new city theatre", BBC News, 25 August 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-12. Other theatres in the city include the Live Theatre, the People's Theatre, the Round and the Jubilee Theatre. NewcastleGateshead was voted in 2006 as the arts capital of the UK in a survey conducted by the Artsworld TV channel."North East voted 'arts capital'", BBC News, 29 December 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
Festivals and fairs
In February, Newcastle's Chinatown is at the centre of a carnival of colour and noise as the city celebrates the Chinese New Year. This year's 2008 Chinese New Year event will also herald the launch of a new festival called EAST'08. The festival programme will have a Chinese theme celebrating the best of contemporary Chinese culture.It's Happy Chinese New Year and the rat scurries in!. www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.EAST '08 home page. www.east08.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-19. In late February, NewcastleGateshead jointly hosts, with Sunderland and Middlesbrough, the bi-annual AV Festival. The AV Festival is the UK’s largest international festival of electronic arts, and features visual art, music and moving image.About AV. www.avfest.co.uk (2007-08-06). Retrieved on 2008-01-19. In early March there is the NewcastleGateshead Comedy Festival, this event makes a return to the region since the last event in 2006, it is hoped it will now continue as an annual event.About The Festival. www.newcastlegatesheadcomedyfestival.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
The Newcastle Beer Festival, organised by CAMRA, takes place in April.Beer Festival. www.cannybevvy.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. In May, Newcastle and Gateshead host the Evolution Festival, a music festival held on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides over the Spring bank holiday, with performances by acts from the world of Rock, Indie and Dance music.Evolution Festival 2008. www.evolutionfestival.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. EAT! NewcastleGateshead, a festival of food and drink, takes place in May 2008, following a successful pilot event in April 2007.Food Festival. www.newcastlegateshead.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
The Hoppings, reputedly the largest travelling fair in Europe, takes place on Newcastle Town Moor every June. The event has its origins in the Temperance Movement during the early 1880s and coincides with the annual race week at High Gosforth Park.Town Moor Hoppings (PDF). www.newcastle.gov.uk (September 2004). Retrieved on 2008-01-20. Newcastle Community Green Festival, which claims to be the UK’s biggest free community environmental festival, also takes place every June, in Leazes Park.History Of The Festival. www.newcastlegreenfestival.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. The Northern Rock Cyclone, a cycling festival, takes place within, or starting from, Newcastle in June.What is it?. www.northernrockcyclone.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. The Ouseburn Festival, a family oriented weekend festival near the city centre, incorporating a "Family Fun Day" and "Carnival Day", is held in late July.Ouseburn Festival home page. www.ouseburnfestival.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
Newcastle Mela, held on the late August bank holiday weekend, is an annual two-day multicultural event, blending drama, music and food from Punjabi, Pakistani, Bengali and Hindu cultures.What is the Mela ?. www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-25. NewcastleGateshead also holds an annual International Arts Fair. The 2008 event will be held in the Norman Foster designed Sage Gateshead Music and Arts Centre in September.NewcastleGateshead Arts Fair home page. www.ngartfair.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-25. In October, there is the Design Event festival—an annual festival providing the public with an opportunity to see work by regional, national and international designers.Introducing Design Event. www.design-event.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. The Newc
stle Science Festival will be held at the start of October this year, and will include a variety of events, including exhibitions, performances, talks and readings.The Newcastle Science Festival. www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
Shopping
There are several major shopping areas in Newcastle city centre. The largest of these is the Eldon Square Shopping Centre, which incorporates the first and largest Fenwick department store, and a John Lewis store (formerly known as Bainbridge) which is often cited as the first department store in the world. Eldon Square is currently undergoing a full redevelopment. A new bus station, replacing the old underground bus station, was officially opened in March 2007."MP opens £11m bus station upgrade", BBC News, 2007-03-15. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. The wing of the centre, including the undercover Green Market, near Grainger Street and The Gate was demolished in 2007 so that the area can be redeveloped."Last day for city centre market", BBC News, 2007-01-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
The main shopping street in the city is Northumberland Street. In a 2004 report, it was ranked as the most expensive shopping street in the UK for rent, outside of London."Fifth Avenue tops shops rich list", BBC News,