Inequality gap
This week’s A-level results highlighted a deepening educational divide, with the North East recording the lowest proportion of top grades in the country.
A or A* grades were awarded to 22.9% of entries, compared to 32.1% in London - that’s a gap of 9.2%, the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called the divide “entrenched” and “concerning.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, a registered charity which represents more than 1150 schools in the region, said: “North East students have done brilliantly again this year, but the structural gap between our region and London has grown yet again.
“This is not about school quality. Every August, our students prove their talent and determination. But we cannot keep pretending the North East–London gap is about standards. It is about deep-rooted structural inequalities that no government has seriously addressed.
“Without urgent, sustained action to tackle them, the gap will keep widening, and it will not be because our students or teachers are any less capable.”
Brain implant trial
A brain implant which will allow people to control technology with their minds is to be trialled in Newcastle - the NHS Hospitals Trust being one of only two in the country to test the implants created by Elon Musk’s Neuralink firm.
The implants, the size of a 10p coin, are designed to benefit those with significant neurological impairment including conditions such as motor neurone disease (MND).
Consultant functional neurosurgeon Akbar Hussain, who is overseeing the trial in Newcastle, said: “Losing the ability to walk or move is obviously life-changing, having a significant impact on quality of life and independence.
“This study marks a milestone in the development of technology which has the potential to restore function, independence, and communication in patients with a neurological condition.”
Cleaning up again
National Lottery winners gathered on Bamburgh beach this week for a shoreline clean-up organised by the environmental charity Beach Guardian.
The group, including millionaires from Darlington, Redcar, County Durham, Newcastle, Washington and Leeds, scoured the sands for litter and microplastics which are harmful to wildlife and visitors.
Elaine Leason, from the East Riding of Yorkshire, who won £1 million on the National Lottery, said: “It is an incredible feeling to not only support those closest to us financially – but to be able to give our time to charity and projects which are close to our hearts and impact others too.”
Durham leads way
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Durham this week to unveil the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, part of its Safer Streets initiative.
The scheme promises named, contactable officers in every community - which Durham now has - and a 72-hour response to local queries.
She joined officers on patrol and met traders to discuss crime and antisocial behaviour. With 13,000 officers pledged nationally by 2029, Durham is leading the rollout - already reporting reduced shoplifting and improved town centre safety.
Legal challenge
More than 100 Newcastle bars and pubs have united under the banner of the NE1 Hospitality Group to mount a legal challenge against the decision to grant the 2,000 capacity Stack outside St James’ Park a five-year extension to its planning permission.
The group say the Stack is endangering the city’s famous nightlife and have made an application for a High Court judicial review of the council’s decision to extend the planning permission, which they believe is unlawful.
“Hospitality bosses are known to be angry that the decision to extend the Stack’s temporary planning permission was made by council officers, rather than being put before elected politicians who sit on the authority’s planning committee,” said Local Democracy reporter Daniel Holland.
Modern model
Teesside University has been named Daily Mail Modern University of the Year with judges praising it for a combination of bold initiatives, financial stability, and its transformative impact on students and the region.
Alastair McCall, Daily Mail University Guide editor, said: “Teesside was the standout candidate. It delivers higher education to thousands of students that might miss out in a region with some of the lowest university participation rates.
“Bold initiatives, including providing an iPad for all students, wipe out digital poverty at a stroke. It is a model institution financially in a sector riddled with debt and deficits.”
Vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Paul Croney said: “We are uncompromising in our pursuit of excellence, and this award is further acknowledgement of our commitment to students and partners.”
Chamber collapse
The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest chambers in the UK with a history dating back to 1794, is on the verge of going bust.
The Business Desk and Manchester Mill have been investigating - and looking at whether there is a way out. They discovered that last month a company called Greater Manchester Chamber 2025 Limited was registered at Companies House with the same directors at the current chamber board.
“This would strongly suggest the Chamber is hoping to “phoenix”. This is when a company transfers the profitable bits of its operation into a new company as it closes the old one, meaning some of those owed money will lose out. If the Chamber goes down that route, the full extent of who is owed what will become known, including what the loss will be to the public purse via monies owed to HMRC.”
Good move
Credit where credit is due so far as the Treasury in concerned - Atom Bank co-founder Ed Twiddy has been appointed to the board of directors, meaning he will be a voice in the ear of Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
It’s a return to the Treasury for Ed who spent 10 years there before becoming the first director of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. Joining him on the board will be former John Lewis Chair Sir Charlie Mayfield and former BBC economic correspondent Jenny Scott.
One in ten
Sunderland College has been selected to be the North East’s Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC), one of ten in the country that will train more than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers by 2029.
The announcement comes just weeks ahead of the opening of the college’s £20m Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy next to the Stadium of Light which will be a regional hub for sustainable construction skills.
Chief executive Ellen Thinnesen said on her LinkedIn that the Education Training Collective and the colleges at East Durham, Derwentside, Northumberland and Tyne Coast will also become CTEC spokes.
“And in the coming weeks we will also be announcing some very exciting new employer partnerships that will accelerate the impact of the North East CTEC further,” she teased.
Ten of the best
An AI-generated expert in your pocket, a Vinted-style marketplace for buying and selling land, a digital social media-style platform to help local authorities during the planning process, and even smarter smart sewers are among the ideas to come out of Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival 2025.
The event, which took place at Newcastle Racecourse last month, saw more than 3,000 people from across the globe brainstorm ideas to improve the water industry and the local environment. You can see the top 10 ideas here.
A quick word
Former Sunderland AFC chairman Sir Bob Murray is urging supporters, residents and businesses to object to a 600-home scheme which he says would block future expansion at the Stadium of Light. Ann Cleeves, Steph McGovern, former White House national security adviser Dr Fiona Hill, Eliza Clark, Dame Pat Barker, and Durham University alumni Jeremy Vine are among the names lined up for this year’s Durham Book Festival which will take place between October 10-12. With the dishes not long dried from the latest Newcastle Restaurant Week comes the launch of NE1’s Lunch Club, offering £7.50 or £10 fixed price menus at participating city centre venues every Tuesday from September 2. Former RAF corporal Donald Elsom from Stanley in County Durham, who left school when he was 14, has become the oldest contestant to appear in Channel 4 gameshow Countdown at 96. A fake letter from a Durham County Council neighbourhood team member has been sent to residents in Stanley telling them that children are not allowed to play ball games and that this could cause “distress” to the elderly. Sunderland's Roker Pier has reopened after being damaged by Storm Babet in 2023 - and a pod of dolphins were among the first to pay a visit. A Newcastle University student taking part in her first archaeological excavation found a ninth century gold object within the first 90 minutes of fieldwork at Redesdale in Northumberland. Officials are recommending that North Tyneside councillors next week approve plans by Newcastle United to improve their training facilities at Darlsey Park in Benton. Half a million journeys have now been made on the Northumberland Line just eight months after opening - despite the fact that stations at Blyth Bebside and Bedlington are yet to open, along with the stop at Northumberland Park which will connect to the Metro. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised his “full backing” for the Crown Works Studios in Sunderland although stopped short of additional government funding. Northumberland County Council are going back to nature to recoup a £7.5m loan given to their development company to build houses at the former opencast mining site at Potland Burn near Ashington. With development no longer a viable option, the council hope to get their money back within five years by turning the land into a “habitat bank” and selling biodiversity net gain (BNG) credits to developers. Northern Powerhouse Rail is expected to be formally revived by Prime Minister Keir Starmer this autumn with an announcement likely to take place before the Labour conference on September 28. The Government's decision to revoke the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the dualling of the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham marks a formal end to a long-contested will-they won’t-they saga. Northumberland council deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said the move felt “needless and spiteful” and said he would be looking at what could be done to challenge the revocation.
Rugby energised
It began life as Gosforth Football Club in 1877. Nearly 150 years later that rugby (not football) club is now Newcastle Red Bulls after the energy drinks giant confirmed its takeover of Newcastle Falcons.
The organisation, which already has a stake in many sports including F1, football and e-sports, says it is committed to developing local rugby talent through a strengthened academy programme and delivering a “world class fan experience”.
Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull CEO for corporate projects and investments, said: “Together, we aim to elevate rugby to new heights and deliver unforgettable moments for our fans.”
Stepping back
Former Dragon Sara Davies is stepping back from her day-to-day role at Crafter's Companion, the County Durham company she founded and then rescued last year. She has increased her shareholding, appointed former CBI regional director Dianne Sharp as MD, and will continue to have strategic overview at the company.
Hat’s off
Newcastle’s Magic Hat cafe, which saves food bound for landfill and lets their chefs create an ever-changing menu, will close its doors in November because their council-owned home near the Laing Art Gallery is being sold for development.
However the people behind the venture, which started as a pop-up in Byker 10 years ago, plan to reopen somewhere else in 2026.
Writing on their website, they say: “It’s never been just a café - it’s a performance space, a teaching space, a gallery, a test kitchen, a business hub, a community resource, and a home to many. After a much-needed recharge and rethink, we’ll be back in 2026 - stronger, clearer, and ready for the next chapter.”
Business bites
Develop North, the investment company managed by Newcastle-based Tier One Capital, has pushed up revenue and reported a profit of £494,000 in its interim results. Chair John Newlands said: “For Develop North and its shareholders, not to mention the North East of England, these are exciting and potentially transformative times.” Teesside International Airport is to trial driverless vehicles after signing a £1m deal with Aurrigo International. Workers at Stagecoach North East have rejected an increased pay offer and will go ahead with planned strikes on Monday and Thursday next week. Team Valley-based Aspire Technology Solutions has posted record results for its latest financial year, smashing its 2027 revenue target two years ahead of schedule, with a new target of £100m turnover by 2030. Bellway is set to report improved profits for its 2025 financial year, after seeing total housing completions rise alongside housing revenue. Mechplant, which is based at the Port of Tyne, has secured funding which will enable it to scale and progress with its strategic development plans.
1970s ad break
The Charlie Says adverts were a series of public information films from the 1970s, designed to teach children about safety through short animated stories featuring Dominic and his cat Charlie.
Each episode featured Charlie meowing advice, which Dominic would interpret and follow. Well intentioned - but many youngsters found them creepy.
Not only was Charlie a very big cat, especially when you see him stood next to the cooker or dining table, but his meows were voiced by pioneering radio DJ and TV presenter Kenny Everett. I did not know that and, having had another listen, I defy anyone to say whether that’s true or not. But it’s on Wikipedia so it must be true.
THE WIDER VIEW
Absurd and not true
Last week, Fraser Nelson, former editor of The Spectator, told us in an essay in The Times that Britain is not descending into lawlessness, despite political rhetoric from the likes of Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick suggesting otherwise.
This week, we have a headline in The Telegraph which thankfully attracted the time and attention of writer and researcher Emma Monk who has her own Substack platform Monk Debunks: Beyond the Narrative. She went through the article line by line to check out what we were being told.
She discovered that the UK is given a level 2 warning by some countries. But this is because of the threat of terrorism. And it’s not recent - nor are the warnings about petty crime or even violent crime.
“The idea that governments are uniquely warning their citizens against coming to Britain because of our crime rates is absurd and just not true,” she says. “This is taken advantage of by some politicians and the press who really want that to be the case.”
I read another article on the same subject a few days later. This one contained the line: “There is a view being advanced, presumably for political reasons, that crime is at unprecedented levels when this is not the case.”
And where was this voice of reason to be found? The Telegraph!
Morphing into action
It’s been a week when prisons are approaching near record levels again. And a week when there was the mass arrest of 532 people in central London protesting against the Government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
One of those arrested was 75-year-old former Army colonel Chris Romberg, the son of a Holocaust survivor whose father, grandparents and aunts were forced to flee Austria in 1938 after the German annexation.
He spoke to Byline Supplement about his day. “Of those who were arrested as terrorists, about half of them were pensioners. You had disabled people in wheelchairs. You had somebody who was disabled in a wheelchair and blind. Right next to me, an 89-year-old woman was arrested and carried off. Are these really the terrorists that the Government is supposed to be fighting?
“People have an idea of what terrorism means. Terrorism means violence against people, bombs and shootings, driving vehicles into crowds. Terrorism is not holding up pieces of cardboard.”
The Byline Supplement writer pointed out to Colonel Romberg that he faced a potential jail sentence should charges be laid. He said: “Putting 500 people into jail for some years – is that really the best use of the state?”
One person who is not facing any jail time is the man arrested - then de-arrested (is that a word?) - once he had pointed out to police that his T-shirt was in support of Morph and other plasticine models who face an uncertain future thanks to AI.
Brewing a storm
Noel Gallagher is rather particular about which tea he drinks, judging by Rachel Johnson’s article in The Spectator.
She interviewed the Oasis star a few years ago and texted afterwards to apologise about the photo they’d used for the magazine cover. He didn’t mind about that but took exception to something else.
“You said we were drinking PG Tips in my kitchen!!??? HOW F@#@!#G DARE YOU!!!!!! Anyone who is anyone knows that PG Tips are for squares. I haven’t had PG Tips in the house since 1998 (a moment of weakness as I’d JUST given up cocaine and was refusing to go to the supermarket). It was YORKSHIRE TEA we were drinking!”
Good to know that a proud Mancunian is happy for it to be known that he doesn’t mind a drop of the strong stuff from across the Pennines.