freemen

THE NEWCASTLE UPON T YNE

MAGAZINE
ISSUE 16 JULY 2014
 Foreword Contents
We have I believe
in recent times met 04 Superintendents Report
public expectations in
performing our duty
and commitments 05 Summer Event
as the statutory
guardian of a most
extra-ordinary 06 Hoppings 2014
environmental asset -
Newcastle Town
Moors. In this context 10 Drainage Works
however many commentators and

The Coat of Arms of the

City residents do ask – how can this be
so in a day and age of such stress and 11 Town Moor Fertiliser
City of Newcastle upon Tyne unrelenting pressure on resources, both Programme
financial and otherwise, with traditional

12
open space in the urban landscape
being a target for developers. Easter Guild
For the less than enlightened we may
as Freemen simply come across as an
13 Annual Freemen

freemen
AS TL E UP ON
T YN E
historical artefact but take a moment
TH E NE WC
or two, reflect and contemplate – Church Parade
MA GA ZIN
E
where would our fine City be without

14
4
JUL Y 201
ISS UE 16

the Town Moor as we know it and the

Freemen of the City exercising rights and Keep Yor Feet Still
responsibilities? Geordie Hinny

16
The presentation and stewardship of
our portfolio of public responsibility has House of Tides
without any shadow of doubt never been

18
stronger and in recent times. Newcastle
City Council too are to be commended Diary Dates
for the part they play in relation to

19
partnership working and a much
acknowledged duty of care in supporting Noticeboard &
all that we do.
Freemen Shop
Turning to 2014, the issue of most interest
for the North East was shall The Hoppings
be held. We report further on one of the
most successful years ever in the 130 year
Magazine Editor:
history of this much cherished event. A Nick Atkinson
big thank you to the Showmens Guild of Ropemakers Company, Stewards Committee
Great Britain and whom we are proud to Ian Miller
be closely associated with. Shipwrights Company, Stewards Committee

The Newcastle upon Tyne Freemen

Front Cover photograph: Hoppings at Night Magazine, Moor Bank Lodge, Claremont
Sir Leonard Fenwick CBE Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4NL
Swearing in & cover photographs taken by Freemen of Newcastle
Chairman, Stewards Committee
upon Tyne Official Photographer, Steve Brock Photography: E-mail magazine@freemenofnewcastle.org
www.stevebrock.co.uk Tel: 0191 2863430

FreemenMagazine 03
Town Moor Superintendents Report
On the 31st March we once again welcomed back our grazing
herds to the Town Moors. All graziers have returned and all are
grazing their respective numbers giving a total of 525 beasts grazing
our Moors this season.
It had been one of the wettest winters
in living history but fortunately it did not
impact on the drainage exploratory
works on the Town Moors. The works were
carried out on five different areas of Town
Moor, which concluded in three schemes
being drawn up for the Stewards
Committee’s approval, these schemes
were agreed and the works were
carried out at our contractors earliest
convenience. These items will be covered
more in depth and further on in this issue.
During the winter months we sourced
some 600 plants of hawthorn, bramble
and dog rose to help thicken and
improve the hedge line along the Great
North Road which will hopefully support
our wildlife over years to come and also
enhance the visual aspect for people
visiting our City.
On December the 2nd 2013 the University
of Newcastle terminated their lease with
the Freemen for the Botanic Gardens at
Moor Bank Lodge. Our staff and I have
been shown how to prune and maintain
all the various species of tropical plants
in the hot house, the main corridor and
the Desert house. A lot of time has been
spent watering the plants as during
the winter months the greenhouses
had to be kept at a temperature of 25
degrees. As spring approached us and
the outside temperature improved the
inside temperature has been reduced
significantly and the plants are thriving.
We were approached by Southern Green
re the availability of some of the tropical
species as Avery Hill Botanic Gardens
in Greenwich, London were being
04 FreemenMagazine
revamped, Southern Green along with
delegates from Greenwich have visited
our Botanic gardens and have selected a
large variety of plants they would love to
take back to London. Southern Green has
uplifted these plants and potted them on
and they call in on a weekly basis to tend
them. We are now awaiting a date as to
when they can be delivered to their new
home. The external gardens are being
looked after by our staff with regular grass
cutting and spraying of invasive weeds
taking priority. A number of conifer trees
have been removed as they were too
The Annual Freemen Summer Event
close to the main buildings.
As May approached the staff and I
The summer event is being held again this August starting at 1pm
relinquished our daily routines as we had on Saturday 2nd August at Moorbank Lodge.
to start the marking out of the Hoppings
site, this is something that we had never There will music provided by our
done before and resulted in five weeks of resident band Heart Beat, The Scottish
work, from pegging out the main grid to & Northumberland Pipe Band will be
performing along with a bird of prey
then white lining the whole site into their
demonstration taking place in the
respective avenues to finally measuring
paddock to the rear.
and pegging each and every individual
position. We accomplished what we
We also have a working dog
set out to do and the many attractions
demonstration courtesy of HM Prison
pulled into position without any real
Service who will be showcasing the
problems, and the event opened on
skills of their drug detection dogs. There
the 20th of June, the sun shone and a
will also be an opportunity to handle a
great event was enjoyed by all agencies
range of “creepy crawlies” for the brave
involved as well as the public of which
amongst us!
many tens of thousands attended.
There will be the usual range of
As I write the clean-up has begun and
refreshments provided including a
the reinstatement all be it minimal will
hog & lamb roast.
commence once the site has been
cleared of all rubbish. We look forward to seeing as many
Freemen and their families there on
Kevin Batey the day.
Town Moor Superintendent
FreemenMagazine 05
Newcastle Town Moor The UK’s largest and most prestigious fairground, the Hoppings,
returned to Newcastle’s Town Moor in June for the 133rd time. The
event was formally opened by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon
Tyne, Councillor George Pattison.

Hoppings 2014 Since the decision was reached in

February that The Hoppings would take
place in 2014, the Stewards Committee
and the Town Moor Superintendent were
hard at work planning the 2014 funfair
which also marked the 125th anniversary
of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain.
A delivery team was appointed
to manage the event led by Jim
Johnson and David Wilson. A massive
administrative exercise commenced
in February, processing hundreds of
applications. The demand for sites was far
in excess of sites available, demonstrating
the popularity of this event amongst the
Showground community.
A high impact media campaign was
undertaken with PR and marketing
consultancy, Clothier Lacey & Co
handling all PR and social media, Steve
Davison Advertising were responsible for
media planning and buying and Paul
Rea of Red Square Design produced The
Hoppings 2014 branding. The campaign
included TV, Radio, Newspaper, Bus
and Metro posters, Road side Banners
and online website and facebook sites.
The facebook site now has over 38,000
followers. Competitions were run on air, in
the press and via social media channels.
Discount vouchers available online
proved to be very popular with many
thousands being downloaded.
The Freemen were delighted to be able
to present this iconic Regional festival
which brought much enjoyment to the
hundreds of thousands of people who

06 FreemenMagazine FreemenMagazine 07
came to the event and generated much
business for the area. We worked very
hard to ensure the site was ready, having
spent tens of thousands of pounds on
reinstatement and drainage upgrades.
As well as refurbishing the on-site service
roads we brought in a kilometre of metal
tracking in order to go some way to
weather proof the event and ensure the
huge rides could get into position without
damaging the site. This is a massive event
extending over more than 50 acres,
including hundreds of attractions with
over a thousand support personnel – it
is like a travelling City. As well as the
biggest and best rides in the UK there
were sideshows, lots of catering options
and a free Music Stage featuring great
local bands. Musical performances were
given by 40 bands, playing a full range of
music genres.
8 FreemenMagazine
The weeks leading up to the event saw a Lord Mayor, Councillor
lot of rainfall and a site review including George Pattison, Lord
representatives of the Freemen, City Mayor’s Daughters &
Council, Showmen’s Guild and Tenants Sir Len Fenwick and the
was arranged the week before the senior members of The
equipment was due to arrive. After much Showmen’s Guild Of
discussion it was agreed that the event Great Britain
could proceed.
The aluminium tracking proved to be
a great success; together with new
procedures for entry to site including
phased arrival and use of additional
boards for vehicles to drive onto
their plots this greatly reduced the
impact on the site and the associated
reinstatement.
The weather was good for the event Sir Len Fenwick,
which helped to make it the best for Chairman, Freemen Of
many years. Newcastle Upon Tyne
& David Wallis, National
President, Showmen’s
Guild Of Great Britain
The opening ceremony of The Hoppings 2014 (left to right)
Lord Mayor’s Mace Bearer, Glen Miller, Chairman, Northern Section, Showmen’s Guild, Lord
Mayor’s Daughter , Lord Mayor, Councillor George Pattison, Lord Mayor’s Daughter, David Wallis,
National President, Showmen’s Guild Of Great Britain, Sir Len Fenwick, Chairman, Freemen Of
Newcastle Upon Tyne & David Wilson, Vice Chairman, Freemen Of Newcastle Upon Tyne
FreemenMagazine 9
Drainage works 2014
Drainage - Forsyth Road
Playing Fields
Forsyth Road Playing field had a major
drainage problem that was causing
the land to flood this in turn created a
flooding risk on Highbury main road which
also threatened to creep into properties
along this boundary. This problem was
inherited when we took over the care
and maintenance of the playing fields
from Newcastle City Council. There were
blocked and collapsed drainage systems
within the playing field it was cheaper
and quicker to renew 60 metres of
drainage back to the main chamber, the
chamber also needed replacing due to
the outlet pipes being collapsed and part
blocked with concrete. The pictures show
the story of events, we installed 60 metres
of 6” twin wall drainage pipe as the new
main which we then connected the
existing two 2”field drains into it, this was
back filled with 20 tonnes of 20mm clean
gravel and topped off with screened
top soil. All surplus subsoil was removed
from site. The playing fields were also
littered with foundations from previous
structures that been in place previously
and a number of tarmac and concrete
footpaths. We removed all of this debris
and when covered with topsoil and
reseeded the site is now in a far better
condition.
10 FreemenMagazine
Town Moor Fertiliser Program 2014
The areas of Town Moor that
made up this year’s fertiliser
programme were Nuns Moor
North, Nuns Moor South and the
Hoppings site. In all just over
200 acres had 26.6 tonnes of
Town Moor Drainage triple 16 (N16 P16 K16 ) applied
The Stewards Committee authorised the at 190kg/per hectare as a
investigation of a recent issue where a result of the soil testing that was
pond had appeared on the main Town carried earlier in the year by our
Moor. Stagnant water on the moor could
have potentially caused issues that ecologist Steve Haddon of Ryal
would be harmfull to the Town Moor herd Ecology. This is a vital program
including parasites such as liver fluke. of works to ensure quality The fertiliser being prepared ready for
Upon investigation we found that there
was an old stone cundy that was used
grazing for the Town Moor Herd. spreading on The Town Moor.
as the main carrier which all other field
drains were tapped into within that area.
The cundy was found to be collapsed in
several areas which in turn was affecting
the way the rest of the land was being
drained or not drained in this case. Our
drainage contractor provided a proposal
to put to the Stewards Committee for
consideration, our scheme was accepted
and the associated improvement works
commenced. In total 330 metres of new
12” twin wall main was installed in which
57 lateral field drains were re connected
and 3 inspection chambers were installed
to assist with ease of maintenance in the
coming years. The area is now drained
and the land has dried creating a far
safer environment for both the cattle and
the public. All that is left to do now is to
level off the area and re seed and roll.
The fertiliser being delivered to our
agricultural depot at Moorbank Lodge.
FreemenMagazine 11
Easter Guild
28th April 2014
Easter Closed Guild
commenced at 10.30 am and
brought together the stewards
of the various guilds. Sir Leonard
Fenwick chaired the meeting
and a number of relevant
matters were discussed in detail.
Open Guild commenced at 12 noon
and was the last of the 3 guilds presided
over by Councillor Margaret Wood,
Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne. Sir
Leonard thanked her for her continued
support in working with the Freemen and
presented her with an engraved crystal
clock as a token of gratitude from The
Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne.
12 new Freemen were sworn in by The
Lord Mayor following the open guild and
a buffet lunch was enjoyed by all.
12 FreemenMagazine
The Annual Freemen Church Parade
The annual Freemen Church parade took place on the 11th May.
The Lord Mayor was in attendance and there were 19 Freemen
supporting her, led by the Vice Chairman Mr David Wilson.
The service was followed with tea and
biscuits and an opportunity to explain to
non-Freemen present what we do in the
21st Century.
It’s quite a sight to see the Lord Mayor
and Freemen fully robed parading to the
Cathedral. Passers-by always stop with
that inquisitive look on their faces until
someone explains that it’s the annual
Freemen Church Parade. It must be remembered that while the
parade centres round a religious service
I admit that this year I have beaten the it is also a civic occasion that happens
drum in order to encourage Freemen to to take place in the Cathedral so those
attend the annual event, to no avail. 19 of you who are not of the Christian faith
Freemen supporting the Lord Mayor on or are of no faith at all should attend to
what is the only time in the calendar that support the Lord Mayor and uphold one
we can be seen supporting, is something of the traditions of our Guild.
that we, as Freemen, cannot be proud of.
The parade next year takes place on May
Some years ago I asked the question the 10th. There will be a bus provided
whether we should still be having this from Moor Bank Lodge where Freemen
annual event. The overwhelming replies can park in a secure compound. Robes
were positive yet only 19 Freemen support are available for those who wish to
the Lord Mayor. participate; I hope that 2015 will be better
When Freemen are approached about supported than previous years.
the Parade and asked why they did not If any Freeman has any comments of
support most have reasons or excuses. ideas regarding the Parade please
Unfortunately the embarrassment of contact me via Moor Bank Lodge or the
being asked why they did not attend Freemens web site.
leads some Freemen changing or
breaking off the conversation. Alan Bainbridge, Stewards Committee
The parade takes place in and around
the Newcastle Cathedral. As Freemen we
have that right. The Lord Mayor attends
because as the number 1 citizen she
or he should be seen with the greatest
supporters of the role of Lord Mayor within
the city.
It will be a great loss to the Freemen if the
tradition of parading with the Lord Mayor
were to be lost because of the apathy of
today’s 1500 Freemen. Images this page: David Hughes & Jenny Lawson
FreemenMagazine 13

“Keep Yor Feet Still Geordie Hinny”
14 FreemenMagazine
On 23rd November 1841 Joe
Wilson was born, along with his
twin brother Tom, and they were
baptised at St.John’s Church in
Newcastle. They lived with their
parents Joseph and Ann Wilson
and their elder sister Ann and
brother John. Sadly Joe’s father
died from T.B. in 1844 when
aged only 32, leaving Ann to
bring up her four children alone.
They lived in Gallowgate at the
time and Ann made her living as
a bonnet maker.
In 1855 Joe was apprenticed to a printer
and three years later when only 17 he
published his first song book. He began
performing professionally in 1864 and toured
concert halls and clubs throughout the
North East.
Joe’s greatgrandfather, Joseph, had been
a cordwainer (or shoemaker) by profession
and had become a Freeman of the City
in 1780 after serving his apprenticeship
with Mark Vickerson. Joe’s grandfather,
John, also a time served cordwainer, was
sworn free in 1806 followed by Joe’s father
becoming a hereditary Freeman in 1832.
Subsequently Joe and elder brother John
became Freemen of Newcastle through the
Cordwainers Company in 1865.
Joe wrote and sang his songs about
everyday life such as “Aa wish yor mother
wad cum” and “Dinnet clash the door”
but his most memorable song was “Keep
yor feet still Geordie hinny” which Owen
Brannigan sang so well :-
Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny
Let’s be happy throo the neet
For aa mayn’t be se happy
throo the day
So give us that bit comfort
Keep yor feet still Geordie lad
Ay an dinnet drive me bonny
dreams away!
Joe got married in 1869 to Isabella English
and they had three sons. However touring
the concert halls and working men’s clubs
made family life difficult and in 1871 Joe
became landlord of the Royal Adelaide
Hotel in Adelaide Place, Newcastle. After
a couple of years he tired of this and
went back to performing for a while.
Unfortunately his health deteriorated and,
like his father, he died young, on 14th
February 1875 aged only 33 years.
His gravestone is in Jesmond
Old Cemetery.
FreemenMagazine 15

before
Celebrity chef & Freeman of
Newcastle brings famous quayside
building back into use.
28/30 The Close referred to recently as The Buttress on the
Newcastle Quayside (next door to The Cooperage) is one of the
most important buildings in Newcastle. It was a fine merchant’s
house and has unique decoration, it shows that Newcastle
merchants had houses to rank with any in the land, and it
demonstrates the importance of the river in the development of the
trade of Newcastle and the personal fortunes of its citizens, many of
whom led their families into positions of power not only in trade but
also in politics and in society.
16 FreemenMagazine
The house was also referred to previously as
The Clavering’s house as it was once owned
by The Clavering family from the early 17th
Century to the middle of the 18th Century.
It was the home of James Clavering, a
wealthy merchant, and sheriff and twice
mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Claverings would have enjoyed fine
dining in 28-30. And now, centuries later,
history repeats itself with celebrity chef,
Kenny Atkinson, opening the building as a
fine dining restaurant.
The conservation plan for the building
says: “It is a rare example of an early fine
merchant’s house during a time when
Newcastle was a major centre for shipping
and trade. The design and decoration of
the house demonstrate the strong trade links
between Newcastle and Northern Europe,
through the fine quality German design and
execution of the interior plasterwork.
The house functioned continuously as a
merchant’s premises through the 17th
Century and beyond.
It is an amalgamation of three original
buildings in an area where the first house
may have been built in the 1300s.
It was probably re-faced in brick in the mid-
18th Century. When merchants moved from
the riverside to the “top” of the town, the
building was used commercially, latterly as
a warehouse.
As it deteriorated, it was acquired by the
Tyne Wear Building Preservation Trust in
1983. A programme of essential works was
prepared. This involved securing the building
which at this time was in a dangerous
condition under the guidance of English
Heritage.
The first move was to clear the building of
rubbish before four phases of work were
carried out between 1983-93 at a cost
of £500,000. Considerable works were
undertaken to preserve the structure and
fabric of the building and it was eventually
purchased by north east comedian Bobby
Pattinson in 2009 for £1.4M who intended to
convert it into a bar, restaurant and offices.
Bobby had budgeted in excess of £2M to
commence a full refurbishment but, as work
started, a well was found beneath the floor,
causing everything to come to a halt as
experts investigated. Then medieval pottery
dating back to 1250 to 1300 and part of
a medieval shoe was discovered in the
foundations. Eventually, in 2011, the major
refurbishment program commenced to
bring the building up to a standard that may
have attracted potential tenants.
Kenny Atkinson, a member of the
Ropemakers Company, is a twice Michelin
star awarded chef who sprang to fame
by winning The Great British Menu in 2009
secured the lease to the building in April
2013 with the idea of opening a fine dining
restaurant back in his home town that
he was so passionate about. The task of
converting the ground and first floor of a
grade 1 listed building into a fully functioning
restaurant was somewhat “troublesome”
with English Heritage laying down very firm
guidelines as to what could and could not
be done to the building. The original beams,
stone floors, walls and plasterwork could
not be altered in any way to preserve the
original character and features.
The restaurant opened in February 2014 as
House Of Tides with a quirky image of “old
meets new” with sloping walls and creaking
floorboards.
It is a great sight to see such an iconic
landmark on the Newcastle quayside
back into public use and the history of the
building and the relationship between the
Freemen of Newcastle and previous Lord
Mayors just adds to the appeal. Kenny
was kind enough to offer his services at
the last summer spectacular at Moorbank
Lodge where he performed cooking
demonstrations to Freemen and their
families.
FreemenMagazine 17
Diary Dates
Saturday 2nd August 2014
Summer Spectacular
Monday 6th October 2014
Michaelmas Guild
Held upstairs in Newcastle Guildhall (on
Quayside, bottom of Dean Street)
Close Court of Guild (for Company Stewards
only) begins at 10 am.
At this particular meeting the Stewards
Committee is democratically elected via
ballot for the ensuing year.
Open Court of Guild (for all Freemen of
Newcastle upon Tyne) commences at 12
noon prompt.
You must be seated by 12 noon for the Open
Guild in readiness to receive the Lord Mayor.
The meeting concludes with new Freemen
being called, and if present being sworn in by
the Lord Mayor.
Following the proceedings a buffet lunch is
served in the Merchant Adventurers Court.
Guild in readiness to receive the Lord Mayor.
The meeting concludes with new Freemen
being called, and if present sworn in by the
Lord Mayor.
Following the proceedings a buffet lunch is
served in the Merchant Adventurers Court.
Monday 13th April 2015
Easter Guild
upstairs in the Newcastle Guildhall (On
Quayside, bottom of Dean Street)
Close Court of Guild (for Company Stewards
only) begins at 10am
Open Court of Guild (for all Freemen of
Newcastle upon Tyne) commences at 12
noon prompt
You must be seated by 12 noon for the Open
Guild in readiness to receive the Lord Mayor.
The meeting concludes with new Freemen
being called, and if present sworn in by the
Lord Mayor.
Following the proceedings a buffet lunch is
served in the Merchant Adventurers Court.
Sunday 19th May 2015
Notice Board & Freemen Shop
Bereavements The Freemen of Newcastle
shop is open
Averill Hunter Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne pin
Cordwainers Company badges are available. The 16mm badge
depicts the armorial bearings of the City
Derek Taylor
circled by the inscription “Freemen of the
City of Newcastle upon Tyne”.
Shipwrights Company
The ever popular multi crested silk
ties are back in stock.
Norman Ridley
And new for the ladies 25mm
Master Mariners Company Charm, Necklace’s are also
available complete on a 60mm
Marie Shields chain, both depict the armorial
bearings of the City circled by the
House Carpenters Company
inscription “Freemen of the City
of Newcastle upon Tyne”.
Irene Thompson
Orders to Kevin Batey Town Moor
Saddlers Company
Superintendent at Moor Bank
Lodge, Payment with order by
cheque payable to ‘Freemen of
Newcastle upon Tyne’ the address may
New Stewards be found at the rear of the magazine.

The Lord Mayor’s Parade Ties - £27.00

Monday 19th January 2015
Christmas Guild
upstairs in the Newcastle Guildhall (On
Quayside, bottom of Dean Street)
Close Court of Guild (for Company Stewards
only) begins at 10am
Open Court of Guild (for all Freemen of
Newcastle upon Tyne) commences at 12
noon prompt
You must be seated by 12 noon for the Open
Held in the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas. Pin Badge - £3.00
Marion Taylor
Robing in the Cathedral Refectory at 9.30a.m. Bricklayers Company Stick Pin Badge - £4.00
for commencement of parade into the
Charm - £6.00
Cathedral at 9.45a.m. with the Lord Mayor of
Newcastle upon Tyne. Necklace - £7.00
All Newcastle Freemen are welcome.
Should you need to borrow a robe there will
be a small quantity available on the day.
To assist on the day, parking will be available
at Moor Bank Lodge and transport at 9:00am
to and from the Cathedral will be provided.

Annual Guild Days

Michaelmas Guild The 1st Monday after MIchaelmas Monday
Christmas Guild The 1st Monday after 13th January
Easter Guild The 1st Monday after Easter Monday

18 FreemenMagazine FreemenMagazine 19
 Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne
Superintendent and Office
Mr Kevin Batey,
Moor Bank Lodge, Claremont Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4NL
Tel: 0191 2615970
Email: admin@freemenofnewcastle.org
Website: www.freemenofnewcastle.org

http://www.facebook.com/groups/
freemenofnewcastle

COPYRIGHT: Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne.

PUBLISHER: Riney Publishing Limited, Sue Riney-Smith
Tel: 01325 304360 Email: sue.riney@btinternet.com