I moved to the North East in December 2003 to edit The Journal. One of my first priviliged experiences was a hard hat tour of the Sage Gateshead several months before it was due to open.
Spotting a commercial opportunity, I said to general director Anthony Sargent that I could run a promotion in the newspaper so that Journal readers could fill the venue for a ‘sound rehearsal’ before any formal opening.
I was thanked very nicely but informed that the seats had been made to absorb sound in such a way that it didn’t matter if someone was sat in them or not. Empty or full, the acoustics in the venue would be consistent. Ah well.
I went on to learn just how big a role Gateshead played in the cultural regeneration of the region. I bring that up today because the new council leadership are talking about “vanity projects” and return on investment when it comes to the building of a new arena.
More and better jobs is a mantra I have been hearing for a long time. We appear to be getting them according to the latest statistics on green energy. Have to point out that there’s a political shadow hanging over that one.
Plus there’s more positive news on devolution, good news for Nissan workers, a golden night at the Visit England awards for Northumberland, how the Bayeux Tapestry inspired the Greggs Ta-pastry and the North East dressing room that became the starting point for Live Aid.
Then there’s Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes. Three former footballers with three things in common: Liverpool, Newcastle United - and cancer.
This edition ends with a story I hadn’t heard before about Paul Gascoigne - do you realise it’s 26 years since his tearful exit from the World Cup?
Vanity projects?
The first house to be powered by an electric light bulb was in Gateshead. It had the first purpose-built trading estate at Team Valley in the 1930s. During the 1980s, Sir John Hall built the Metrocentre, Europe’s largest shopping centre. In the 1990s, it hosted the National Gateshead Garden Festival to showcase innovation and regeneration. Then the council commissioned the Angel of the North…
The birth of the Angel was the catalyst for the cultural regeneration of Gateshead Quays that led to the Baltic, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Newcastle didn’t contribute), and the wonderful venue formerly known as the Sage Gateshead.
There was a long-held ambition for a conference and exhibition centre to complete the set - although that has been scaled back to an arena. The proposed site of the arena, between the Baltic and Glasshouse, was cleared by the council several years ago.
More than £20m was spent building a multi-storey car park to serve the unbuilt entertainment complex and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness pledged £24m in March to begin infrastructure and enabling works to make the site more attractive to developers.
This week the deputy leader of the new Reform administration on Gateshead Council, Fiona Pearce, said support for the arena could be withdrawn if it was deemed to be poor value. The party wants to put an end to “vanity projects” in Gateshead.
Councillor Pearce told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had asked AI to analyse figures for the development, with its conclusion being it would be “better value to leave a hole in the ground”.
Leader Nick Allan said his deputy’s AI comment “was taken well out of context” and that no decision would be made based on AI - but he also talked about value and return on investment.
“If it is an investment that is going to have a return and if it is going to benefit the people of Gateshead, then it is 100% worth doing,” said Councillor Pearce.
“If someone cannot provide it with a return on investment, and you usually look at five years for a good return on investment, and it doesn’t look like the people of Gateshead are interested in it anyway, then there is a decision made.”
Five years?
Gateshead Council leader, retired businessman Nick Allan, said his team would be doing a “lot of listening” before making any major policy announcements, although changes to the town’s road system to “free up access to Newcastle city centre” would be among the party’s top priorities (Mayors, marketing and money, 18.05.26).
Not sure where putting a massive question mark over the building of a new arena fits into that intention, especially when they are expecting a return on investment within five years.
I decided to use AI to give me some figures. “What is a reasonable timeframe for a ROI on a major infrastructure project?” I asked. It was Copilot, in the interests of transparency.
The conclusion: “Major regeneration infrastructure rarely pays back quickly. HM Treasury norms assume a 20–30‑year horizon for public ROI, with cultural and visitor‑economy assets such as arenas typically modelling 15–20 years for financial return and longer for wider economic impact.”
But don’t just take AI’s word for it. Keith Burge, a man who knows a thing or two about economic development, said: “I wrote Gateshead Council’s Levelling Up Fund bid that secured £20m towards the cost of developing a new arena, conference and exhibition facility on the banks of the Tyne - a development that might not now proceed.
“Given recent inflation in construction costs, it may be that the numbers no longer stack up. But I would urge the new Leader of the Council not to appraise this on the basis of a five-year return on investment time horizon, as he has suggested. Benefits should be assessed over the lifetime of the asset. No capital project I’ve ever been involved with could offer payback within five years.”
Ambition now a reality
The North East has the highest proportion of firms involved in the green economy, according to a report from CBI Economics which says the net zero industry benefits the whole country and accounts for more than a million jobs.
CBI chief economist Louise Hellem said: “This report shows that clean power and decarbonisation are no longer future ambitions; they are already a significant and growing part of the UK’s industrial base. At a time when the UK must strengthen energy security and drive growth, the net zero economy is becoming central to the country’s competitiveness.”
The report, commissioned by the independent Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, says renewable jobs are better paid than others, with an average salary of £43,142 - but warns that politics could get in the way of the sector’s growth.
I’m not sure if that last part was aimed at any region in particular.
More control
There was another big devolution announcement in Liverpool this week when science and technology secretary Liz Kendall said that some mayors will be given control over Local Innovation Partnerships.
This means that decisions on how to spend the various pots of R&D money that brings together the public sector, universities and businesses will be decided locally rather than by Whitehall.
That’s good news for Kim McGuinness, because she leads an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (I told you a couple of weeks ago that the capital letters were important), but not for Ben Houchen who does not.
Timescale is now the issue. The announcement said the devolved responsibility would happen “after the next Spending Review”. The last one was a year ago but there is no constitutional requirement to hold one at a particular time. Best guess is in June next year as this government has said it intends to hold a review every two years.
Deaths prompt A1 plea
Five deaths in nine days have prompted Northumberland council leader Glen Sanderson and mayor Kim McGuinness to write a joint letter to the Government urging them to revive plans to dual the AI north of Morpeth.
“I am trying to make it clear to government that Northumberland has changed hugely in the last five years,” said Councillor Sanderson. “We have moved forward in terms of tourism and with industry in the south-east of the county. It is not a small, wild county with a few sheep and some nice castles. This is now a very vibrant part of the British Isles.”
Since the letter was sent, five people have been taken to hospital following an accident between a lorry and two cars between Stannington and Seaton Burn.
Keegan ovation
Kevin Keegan was given an emotional standing ovation as he returned to Newcastle for a live event at the Tyne Theatre on Sunday after the January announcement that he had stomach cancer.
Freelance journalist Simon Bird was commissioned by the Daily Mail to report on the event: “He dropped the bombshell that his cancer was Stage four. But here he was feeling great, among the fans, feeling adulation and mutual love. Keegan was funny, self-deprecating, honest and human. I left at 10pm with contrasting emotions: the gut-punch at the diagnosis, but nourished by Keegan’s zest, positivity and outlook.”
Like Keegan, Durham-based author and journalist Stan Abbott was diagnosed with stomach cancer. That was in 2013 and he has been cancer-free for 12 years. He is to complete a 30-mile walk over the Cheviot Hills, followed by a 235-mile cycle ride through the Pennines later this month to raise funds for the Oesophago-gastric Unit at the RVI in Newcastle which saved his life.
Two more, sadly…
The day after Kevin Keegan revealed he had stage four cancer, another former Newcastle manager, Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish, confirmed he is undergoing treatment - having inadvertently revealed the news via social media. “I am currently undergoing treatment for cancer,” Dalglish, 75, wrote. “Unlike my mobile phone use, the treatment is going well.”
Another Liverpool legend, John Barnes, who played for Newcastle when Dalglish was manager, has said he is being treated for prostate cancer.
Sheepish look
Work on the rebranding of the North East Combined Authority to the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority continues. The web address hasn’t changed yet so anyone putting ‘north east mayoral strategic authority’ in a web browser will arrive at the NECA site which you can see has been rebranded when you get there.
If you put nemsa.co.uk in the browser however, as one Eyes & Ears reader tells me they did this week, then you arrive at a completely different place (see above, right).
The authority doesn’t want people flocking there. Good job then that they will not be using NEMSA as an acronym - it’s the North East MSA - and the new web address will end in .gov.uk.
Not so NEET
Alan Milburn’s report on young people not in employment, education or training has sparked a national debate - not before time.
The former Darlington MP and chair of the Social Mobility Commission was in Newcastle on Wednesday addressing a meeting of business and political leaders brought together by the Centre for Social Justice think tank to discuss some of the issues raised in his report. Journalist and broadcaster Steph McGovern spoke about her school days in Middlesbrough - a NEET hotspot.
Ben Gregg, head of welfare at the CSJ, said: “The North East has the highest rate of NEETs of any region in the UK. That is a scandal we cannot ignore.
“We cannot fix this crisis from Whitehall alone, and today, we are here to listen. The charities, businesses and young people in this region understand these issues better than anyone, and their insights will shape the solutions we take forward.”
Alan Milburn’s warnings about a ‘lost generation’ co-incided with the release of The Future of Work Experience, a half hour film from Newcastle Helix which showcases a unique collaboration between schools, private businesses, the public sector and voluntary organisations.
Rather than relying on a traditional one-week placement with a single employer, students are exposed to a range of sectors, businesses and career pathways through interactive sessions built around real workplaces, real people and real skills.
District judge removed
Newcastle-based District Judge Andrew Simpson has been removed from office for gross misconduct after being accused of engaging in ‘overly familiar and unprofessional conduct’.
This allegedly included contacting staff via text and social media in relation to non-work matters, sending photographs from social events - including one that included a highly sexualised image - and unwanted physical contact.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr and Lord Chancellor David Lammy found his actions to be “wholly inappropriate” and “represented a serious failure to meet the standards expected”.
Chery on top
Nissan has agreed to use spare capacity at it Sunderland plant to make cars for Chery, the Chinese company which owns the Jaecoo and Omoda brands, starting next year.
The deal, which has been welcomed by Unite the union, is currently non-binding and subject to ongoing talks, with details such as which models will be made yet to be decided.
Nissan sold about 28,400 cars in Britain in the first four months of this year, a drop of 13% compared with 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. By contrast, Jaecoo saw sales rocket from about 4,300 to 22,800 – an increase of more than 400%. The Jaecoo 7 SUV, nicknamed the ‘Temu Range Rover’ on social media, is proving particularly popular.
A quick word
Newcastle United has bought the 315-bed student accommodation located immediately adjacent to St James’ Park, as part of its long-term strategy for the stadium’s wider estate. A “system error” meant that 32,000 direct debit payments, mostly for council tax payments to North Tyneside Council, were taken three days early. The local authority apologised and said refunds had been issued. Kielder Observatory has opened a new planetarium and observatory at Twice Brewed Inn, near Hadrian’s Wall, with actor and presenter Robson Green doing the honours - well, one of the state-of-the-art telescopes, ‘Robson’s Reflector’, is named after him. A 12-year wait and a £700m cost - that is the time and money needed to build a new crossing over the River Tees, says Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen. Former Lioness Jill Scott is to take part in a five-day cycle and marathon challenge for Sport Relief. She will set off on Monday from Wembley and travel 388 miles to her home town club at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Bishop Auckland MP Sam Rushworth is supporting efforts to reopen Stanhope’s open air heated swimming pool which closed in 2023. NHS leaders at University Hospitals Tees have outlined to staff where 550 jobs will be cut as part of their efforts to save £90m.
Good Nick
Slow Horses and Ted Lasso actor Nick Mohammed, best known for getting to the final of Celebrity Traitors, is one of nine people who will be recognised by Durham University during the Summer Congregational ceremonies in July. He studied geophysics there from 1999 to 2003.
Folk singers Rachel and Becky Unthank who used to busk on the Elvet Bridge are also among those to be recognised.
More innovation
Innovators and creative minds from all over the world are set to gather at Newcastle Racecourse for Northumbrian Water’s tenth Innovation Festival, with over 3,000 people expected to attend. Tickets for the free event, which is taking place on July 6-9, are now available here.
Talking of innovation, smart AI sensors that can listen for leaks are being placed on water pipes across the North East to help detect bursts underground before they become visible. Early results from the trial show it has helped the water company to save nearly 6.4 megalitres of water per day – the equivalent to about 25,000 bathtubs full of water.
Golden night
The Tempus in Northumberland has won gold in the best Small Hotel of the Year category at the 2026 Visit England awards. Judges praised its combination of northern heritage and luxury, highlighting its inviting ‘snug’ lounge, contemporary bar, fine dining restaurant, and diverse accommodation options.
Richard Shell, CEO and owner of The Doxford Group, said: “To be named Small Hotel of the Year on the national stage is a huge win on two levels. It’s a win for The Tempus and the team behind the warm welcome and memorable guest experiences. And it’s a win for Northumberland, helping redefine perceptions and shine a light on just how forward-thinking and innovative the region’s hospitality scene really is.”
There were two golds and a silver for Northumberland at Wednesday night’s national awards final in Bristol. The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest in Slaggyford also won gold as Pub of the Year while Ad Gefrin won silver in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year category.
Bronze awards went to Newcastle’s The Catalyst in the Business Events Venue of the Year and to Blackfriars Restaurant in the Taste of England category.
Ta-pastry on display
Greggs has used the return of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK later this year as the inspiration for its own Ta-pastry, a stitched retelling of the history of the Greggs sausage roll. It will go on display at the Design Museum in London today - National Sausage Roll Day.
It is 8 metres long and was made by Royal embroiderers Hawthorne & Heany. And for people who love a good stat, it contains 5,521,238 stitches. It’s on display for a limited time - final day is tomorrow.
Business bites
The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority is taking 12 entrepreneurs to the Climb26 business and investment festival in Leeds in July. Among them is Henrietta Newble, a 21-year-old Newcastle University student who is founder and MD of AnFiTest (Animal Field Test), a pasture-testing tool which could save the lives of thousands of grazing animals. Housing association Bernicia plans to build up to 1,000 affordable homes after securing a £100m loan from Barclays. Durham County Council has approved updated plans for the redevelopment of Prince Bishops Place, paving the way for a mixed-use scheme featuring 504 student bedrooms alongside hospitality, retail and communal spaces. There have been at least 15 expressions of interest from companies looking to operate the Kirkleatham walled garden, cafe and events pavilion on the outskirts of Redcar, councillors have been told. Current operator Elior exercised a break clause to relinquish management of the site from the end of August. Middlesbrough-based Ramsdens saw pre-tax profits soar by 173% from £6.1m to £16.7m in the first half of its financial year, helped by rising gold prices. Newcastle-headquartered shipping insurer NorthStandard has reported a 5.8% increase in total premium income to more than $900m, three years after the merger of North P&I and The Standard Club. Bosses said the company benefited from a “re-evaluation of geopolitical impacts” such as the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon has been appointed as a senior adviser to Weardale Lithium. The former Darlington MP holds a number of senior advisory and chairmanship roles across infrastructure, advanced technologies, energy and investment. Nearly 200 workers have been made redundant after Bournemouth-based European Cargo went into administration. It is also a blow for Teesside Airport as the collapse comes only three months after the company began operating five weekly long-haul cargo flights from Teesside to China.
2002 ad break
Shot in black and white and set in the American midwest of the 50s, this is an award-winning ad for Levi’s made by acclaimed director Michel Gondry - the genius I told you about last week.
No dialogue. It’s stylish and set to a track called Novelty Waves by Biosphere - the Norwegian electronic musician Geir Jenssen. And there’s a brilliant twist at the end.
THE WIDER VIEW
Ure in for a treat
Sam Wonfor is uniquely placed to tell the story which ties Newcastle to one of the defining moments of 1980s music: “how a dressing room on City Road became the starting point for Band Aid, Live Aid and one of the most ambitious charitable movements popular music has ever seen.”
Growing up, Sam was surrounded by stories about The Tube. Her mum and dad, Geoff and Andrea Wonfor, were part of the founding team which created and made the show, turning a Tyneside TV studio into the centre of the music world every Friday night from 1982-87.
This week she interviewed former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure for Cultured. North East ahead of his concert at The Glasshouse tonight and the release of A Man of Two Worlds, his first album of new material in 12 years.
The Tube remains one of the most memorable programmes Midge has ever appeared on. “I’ve got such strong connections to The Tube because, for a start, it was one of the few programmes you could perform live,” he told Sam. And there was one particular phone call which would help shape music history.
“I was in The Tube dressing room chatting to Paula Yates, who was hugely pregnant at the time - and the phone went,” he recalls. “That was Bob (Geldof, her then husband) talking to her and eventually me about Band Aid for the first time. So yeah, that was a pretty massive moment,” he says with something that sounds like understatement.
The video above is the final 12 minutes and 44 seconds from The Tube on November 2 1984 when Ultravox closed the show with three songs. For those of us who remember the series, it’s a wonderful piece of nostalgia. For those of you who don’t, it’s a wonderful piece of history, screened live from the City Road studios, where Siouxsie Sioux hairstyles appear to dominate - although Midge preferred a ponytail.
The set features Vienna which has claims on being the best song never to reach No.1. It spent four weeks at No.2 in 1981. No shame in losing out to John Lennon’s Woman. But if there was VAR in the Top 40 then surely Joe Dolce’s Shaddup You Face would not have been allowed to keep Vienna out of the top spot for the next three weeks.
Baby sling warning
New parents receive little guidance on how to use a baby sling or carrier safely, according to new research by leading baby sleep experts at Durham University.
They have called for a UK-wide campaign to ensure parents are directed to trusted sources of guidance and specialist advice, before or at the point of purchase.
Professor Helen Ball, director of the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre at the university said: “Many parents are unaware of the safety guidance around baby slings and carriers. As most parents start using slings and carriers when their babies are very young and at their most vulnerable, it is crucial they know how to choose the most appropriate product and how to use it safely.
“Although deaths linked to using a baby sling or carrier are not that common, they could be avoided with better access to guidance before or as soon as parents buy the product.”
Unsafe use of baby slings or carriers have been linked to infrequent accidental deaths from suffocation and falls. The researchers say they could be avoided with greater awareness around baby safety.
Suits you
Another football story to finish. Well, the World Cup is about to start and we all remember Paul Gascoigne’s tears in the 1990 semi final against Germany.
The Geordie genius was a Rangers player when Italian teenager Gennaro Gattuso joined the club in 1997. On his first day in training he came out of the showers to discover a smell coming from his kit.
“During my first day in Glasgow, Gascoigne s*** in my socks,” he recounted. The young Gattuso then discovered that Rangers expected players to turn up for training in a suit and tie. He didn’t have either.
Gazza took Gattuso to one of the most expensive tailors in Glasgow and told him not to worry about the money because Rangers had a deal with the shop and that players could pick whatever suits they wanted, and the money would just come out of their wages bit by bit over the season. By the time they got to the counter, the bill was about £10,000.
He later discovered that there was no club deal. Gazza had wanted to help without making a big deal of it. “He paid for the suits with his own money,” said Gattuso. “This is the Paul Gascoigne not many people know.”
You’re on the ball with modern Gateshead’s accolades but here’s one more: The Cross community owned pub in Ryton, west Gateshead, is Camra regional pub of the year - in a setting to die for!