High street connection
What’s the connection between the man who laid the groundwork for the NHS, two publicity-shy billionaire brothers, and Nigel Farage?
The answer: Newton Aycliffe.
Economist and social reformer Sir William Beveridge, whose 1942 report laid the foundations for the welfare state, was also behind the New Towns movement. Newton Aycliffe was the North’s first New Town, designated in 1947, opened in 1953 and whose town centre was officially opened by the only woman I will ever think of as ‘The Queen’ in 1960. That’s the reason why the main street in the County Durham town is called Beveridge Way.
The billionaire brothers are Benzion and Solomon Freshwater, whose company the Freshwater Group is one of the wealthiest property companies in the UK. They own the entire Newton Aycliffe town centre having bought it from the Grainger Trust in 1990 - but have done little with it since. They may even have forgotten about it since it represents just 0.12% of their portfolio, according to The Guardian. One line on their spreadsheet.
And Nigel Farage? Well, high streets could be one of the factors that decide the next election, says Guardian northern editor Josh Halliday. Reform are certainly focusing on the issue, while Labour has a new policy, Pride in Place.
Given the unusual ownership structure, the Reform-led Durham County Council may have a tough task in reviving the fortunes of Beveridge Way, however. Once described as “a paradise for housewives”, the banks have all gone, shops are boarded up, and 23 of the 49 units were vacant when The Guardian paid a visit.
The Reform leader has spoken about the growth of ‘cash-only Turkish barber shops with Lamborghinis out the back’. You can see how one Glasgow barber shop has responded, plus hair-raising pictures of a football fan who desperately needs his team to win five matches in a row, in the ‘Hair we go’ piece at the end of this edition.
Going for gold
A multi-party coalition of northern mayors and leaders has formally asked the Government to commit that any future UK bid for the Olympics be anchored in the North.
And why not?
London has hosted the Games three times, the International Olympic Committee now favours multi-city, region-wide bids, and we already have much of the infrastructure. And what a difference it would make!
The group, The Great North, is chaired by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness who said: “As mayors and leaders we are ready to deliver, now we need national government and sporting bodies to match our ambition. The Olympics would be our moment for the North to stand tall on the international stage.”
Sir Brendan Foster, who has backed The Great North initiative, said: “I wholeheartedly support the mayor’s ambition for the North of England. However, this is about more than an Olympic bid. It’s about delivering a fairer distribution of major international sporting events across the country.”
And it can only increase our chances of getting quicker, more joined up and reliable rail services!
‘Serious failings’
The council owns around 8,200 homes across Northumberland yet only has up to date information on the condition of 3% of them - and there’s limited evidence that health and safety assessments are accurately recorded or routinely monitored.
Little wonder then that the Regulator of Social Housing published a highly critical report on Wednesday after inspectors identified a number of “very serious failings”.
Northumberland was given the lowest grade possible. Council leader Glen Sanderson accepted the findings and announced plans to “drive improvement”.
Accounts alarm
Quite a fiesty meeting of Newcastle City Council’s audit and standards committee this week by all, er, accounts.
What we do know, thanks to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, is that auditors EY rated the council as “ineffective” in three of eight categories impacting the execution of the audit and as “requires improvement” in a further four. They highlighted “significant delays” to financial information being provided, as well as errors and a shortfall in the “quality of evidence and explanations provided”.
As a result, EY plans to issue a “disclaimer of opinion”, meaning they did not have sufficient information to judge whether the council’s accounts are reliable or not.
This seems to have taken members by surprise. Council leader Karen Kilgour questioned at what point EY had raised such concerns during its audit process and whether the issue was that they had been unble to complete their work on schedule.
Eventually, the committee expressed grave concern over the findings and voted unanimously to refuse approval of the authority’s 2024-25 accounts until further clarity was provided.
Paws for applause
Brothers Martin and Tomas Rosinski from Cramlington did not leave the Dragons Den empty handed last night. They got three offers after pitching their AI-powered cat flap, OnlyCat, which prevents your pet from entering if it has brought an unwelcome present such as a mouse or bird.
OnlyCat includes an AI camera. If prey is detected, the flap remains locked and the owner can receive a video alert. It also features microchip-based access control, allowing users to decide when cats can come and go.
The brothers accepted Steven Bartlett’s investment of £200,000 in return for a negotiated 10% stake in the business.
Academics strike
A proposed switch of pension schemes has provoked a strike by academics at Northumbria University. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are planning a total of 10 days of industrial action before March 6. The university said it expected most classes to go ahead and its buildings would remain open.
Care homes scrutiny
The Competition and Markets Authority has opened a formal investigation into multiple transactions involving US healthcare giant Welltower Inc and several prominent UK care providers including Darlington-based HC-One and Barchester. More than 600 care homes across the country are involved.
No brainer
They’re white in Germany, Scotland, Abu Dhabi and Austria. France has red ones. So, do our ambulances have to be yellow?
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has just ordered 75 white ambulances, with 66 of them expected to be on the road in the coming year. White is the standard factory colour so the emergency vehicles will be on the road two months earlier and NEAS will save £1,000 a time by not sending them off for specialist painting.
20 years too soon
It’s been wet and miserable - and we better get used to it, according to a study published this week by researchers at Newcastle University.
Study lead author Dr James Carruthers said: “The findings show that climate change has already made our winters significantly wetter, with a 7% increase in rainfall per degree of global warming. This is really concerning, as seasonal rainfall is increasing at a much faster rate than global climate models have predicted. We’re already experiencing changes in UK winter rainfall that global climate models predict for the 2040s – we’re 20 years ahead.”
From the heart
Jack Parker’s father suffered a heart attack while waiting for his scan to be read - and that’s the problem he aims to solve through rapid, accurate diagnosis using AI.
The Northumbria University graduate, chief executive and co-founder of AIATELLA, has developed ground-breaking AI technology that could save thousands of lives by speeding up the timescales of cardiovascular diagnosis. The technology can currently reduce cardiovascular diagnosis time from more than 30 minutes to under three.
The company is based in Finland but the technology is currently undergoing clinical evaluation with three NHS trusts across the North East - Northumbria, Newcastle, and Sunderland - comparing the AI tool’s accuracy against cardiologists and radiologists.
High note
Newcastle-based Generator and Warner Music have agreed a new three-year partnership that will expand long-term opportunities for artists, producers, executives and emerging talent across the North of England.
Generator CEO Mick Ross said: “This partnership deepens the link between our talent and the wider industry, making it possible for artists to build successful careers without leaving the region. It’s a major step toward a stronger, more connected creative North – and a future where the industry comes here, rather than the other way round.”
Ram raid return
The Chronicle coined the term ram raiding in the early 1990s to describe the scourge of criminal gangs smashing their way into commercial premises using stolen vehicles as a battering ram. The phrase made it into the Concise Oxford Dictionary.
I was reminded of that this week when Northumbria Police reported that a ram raid caused significant damage to the front of the Jules B fashion shop in Osborne Road in Jesmond.
You might like to read this article from 2007 after another isolated ram raid incident where a Northumbria Police detective talks about the undercover operation that led to the Newcastle and Sunderland gang members being jailed.
A quick word
Professor Bobby McFarland of Newcastle University, who led the team that worked on the so-called ‘three-parent baby’ technique, has been named among the world’s most influential 100 people in health by TIME magazine. Herb Kim, the founder of innovation conferences including Thinking Digital and TEDxNewcastle, has been awarded an Honorary MBE for services to technology in Northern England. By the way, the 17th Thinking Digital conference will take place at the Glasshouse in Gateshead on May 20-21. Northumbria University legal academic Professor Susan Edwards has been named an Honorary King’s Counsel for her work on domestic abuse and gender-based violence. Residents and businesses are being asked for suggestions on the future use of the 250-year-old former town hall in South Shields. Lloyds Banking Group has announced 95 more closures including the Halifax branches in Ashington, Billingham and Thornaby. Plans for the A68 Toft Hill bypass have been scrapped by Durham County Council because of spitralling costs. Plans for beach huts, retail pods and toilets on South Promenade in South Shields have been approved by the council. Former mayor Dame Norma Redfearn has been presented with the Freedom of the Borough of North Tyneside. Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service has identified Keith Carruthers as their new chief fire officer. He is currently deputy of the County Durham and Darlington service.
Fighting hunger
TV chef Gordon Ramsay has announced a partnership with Newcastle-based charity Feeding Britain to tackle hunger across the UK.
“I remember vividly what it was like growing up in a household with very little money,” he said. “It’s painful to reflect on the fact that so many children growing up today are living with that same constant fear of being hungry, particularly in the school holidays.”
Bridge petition
The Swing Bridge over the Tyne will be 150 years old in June, although it hasn’t opened since 2019. John Dias, who runs tours with Newcastle City Guides, has launched a petition calling for Port of Tyne, Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council to reveal their plans for restoring what he calls William Armstrong’s hydraulic marvel. Last time I looked he had more than 1,800 signatures.
Business bites
Prince Edward joined global executives and the Japanese ambassador for the official opening of the £400m extension at Fujifilm Biotechnologies in Billingham, now the largest medicine and vaccine factory in the country. The Tees Valley Business Board, which represents the voice of business at the Tees Valley Combined Authority, is looking for experienced new members. TCP Circular, led by chemical recycling veterans Chris Lach and Bill Elliott, is now progressing plans to develop land at the Port of Sunderland, where planning permission is already in place for a processing plant that can take mixed plastic waste from across the north of England. An anchor tenant has been secured for the flagship Dynamo Park development in Stockton. Work is already underway on the new National Highways combined office and depot. Bellway has reported a “robust” first half year performance but chief executive Jason Honeyman called on the Government to introduce measures to help first-time buyers. Camerons Brewery is selling four of its sites, including The Head of Steam in Newcastle city centre. Family-owned Chisholm Bookmakers, which operates more than 30 sites across the North East and Cumbria, has reported a pre-tax loss of £248,984, down from a profit of £544,321. Nat West, which returned to private ownership last year, has completed a £2.7 billion takeover of wealth management company Evelyn Partners from its private equity backers. Middlesbrough-based Cleveland Cable Company has reported a rise in both profits and turnover in what it describes as a “year of exceptional trading”. Turnover rose £30m to £486.7m and operating profit went from £31.2m to £41.2m. North East group Begbies Traynor has announced a rebrand that will see the business and its eight service lines operate under the name BTG.
1979 ad break
Last week’s ad for Newcastle Brown Ale featuring Stephen Merchant broke the record for the most clicked link in Eyes & Ears - I’m sure that had something to do with me warning you that there was a naughty word in it. Anyway, it turns out it was a spoof ad. Here’s a real one from Scottish & Newcastle, featuring the first Geordie in space. It was made for cinema audiences and was first shown in 1978-79.
THE WIDER VIEW
The new president’s man
Woodward and Bernstein, Watergate, the White House cover-up, the resignation of President Nixon, All The President’s Men. The Washington Post is huge. It’s the reason why a generation of young people wanted to be a journalist. Me included.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought it more than a decade ago to save it, behaving like a philanthropic owner, absorbing losses, expanding the newsroom and repeatedly saying that journalism mattered more than profit.
The Post adopted the motto Democracy Dies In Darkness during the first Trump presidency in 2017 as a statement about the role of the free press in holding power to account - the first official motto in the paper’s history.
The world has changed since then and so, apparently, has Bezos, a man who recently spent $75m of Amazon’s money on the newly-released Melania film documentary about the US president’s wife.
Meanwhile, more than 300 journalists - nearly a third of its staff - have been made redundant after Post bosses said that annual losses were approaching $100m and were no longer sustainable.
Entire departments, some international bureaus, and all Middle East correspondents and editors were axed. The paper’s Ukraine correspondent said on Twitter: “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated.” Her post has received nearly 15m views so far.
Former Post journalist Ruth Marcus, writing in the New Yorker, drew comparisons with the 1941 film Citizen Kane. Orson Welles’s character Charles Foster Kane is a newspaper publisher who, like Bezos, is one of the world’s richest men. He is asked by a colleague whether it’s wise to keep funding a newspaper that is costing him a million dollars a year to run. Kane replies that, at the current rate of loss, ‘I’ll have to close this place in 60 years’.
Assuming a loss of $100m a year, Marcus worked out that Bezos would have more than 200 years before he needed to turn the lights out.
Nicholas
SEND debts
With as many as eight in 10 councils facing bankruptcy, it was no surprise that the Local Government Association welcomed the news that the Government will spend £5 billion to pay off 90% of the debts built up through supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The intervention doesn’t fix the underlying SEND funding model though, and Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Board, said fully writing off historic and future high needs deficits remains critical.
Councillor Hopgood is the former leader of Durham County Council, heading the cross‑party coalition that took control from Labour in 2021 before Reform romped to victory in the 2025 local elections.
So, she is only too aware of the difference this will have made to badly hit councils like Durham. The Government is expected to lay out their full plans for SEND reform in the Schools White Paper in the coming weeks.
Swift response needed
The number of swifts in our skies has fallen by up to 60% in a generation. The solution is relatively simple. Scotland has already made it a legal requirement for all new houses to include swift bricks, a £35 hollow brick that gives these birds a safe place to nest.
The not-for-profit organisation 38 Degrees, founded in memory of Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, has launched a campaign to get the UK Government to do the same. You can add your name to the petition by clicking here.
Hair we go
Some hair-raising stuff to finish off this week. Football fan Frank Illett, known on social media as The United Strand, posted a video on October 5, 2024 after what he said was his last haircut until Manchester United won five games in a row.
His team haven’t come close in 16 months - until the last few weeks. But, after four straight wins, Man United could only draw 1-1 with West Ham on Tuesday night.
Frank may not have been complaining that much. He now has more than 2.3m followers, an agent who deals with commercial inquiries, and has partnered with huge media brands as he cashes in on his growing hair.
Nigel Farage meanwhile, as mentioned at the start of this edition, has been speaking out about the rise of Turkish barbers in our high streets. This prompted artist The Rebel Bear to team up with a barber in Glasgow to “respond with unity and humour”.
I quite like the curtains (above, bottom right).
