X-Nico

19 unusual facts about Gateshead


Barnaby Furnas

Furnas’s work has been exhibited widely internationally at galleries and museums such as the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead in the UK, Kunsthalle Wien in Austria, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Bologna, The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and The Royal Academy in London.

Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od

His training in Mongolia was interrupted by the cold winter and, in April 2009, he travelled to Gateshead, United Kingdom to visit family.

A member of the Morpeth Harriers running club, he divides his time between his native country and Gateshead in England.

BBC Newcastle

The Fenham transmitter, for west Newcastle and Gateshead situated close to the studios on Barrack Road, also broadcasts television, national radio, BBC National DAB, Digital One, the MXR North East 12C multiplex, 100-102 Real Radio on 96.2, Metro Radio on 103 and Capital North East on 105.6.

Bill Dodgin, Jr.

Dodgin was born in Wardley, Gateshead, and is the son of footballer Bill Dodgin, Sr. He began his career as an amateur, before signing for Southampton, whom his father managed.

Charles Thorp

He was born in Gateshead, Durham, the son of Robert Thorp, Archdeacon of Northumberland and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and Durham School.

Charles Thorp Comprehensive School

Ryton Comprehensive School was a popular oversubscribed school but was nevertheless threatened with closure as part of a review of secondary education in Gateshead in 2009.

ComputerTown UK

An example of such a group was 'ComputerTown North East' (Newcastle-upon-Tyne & Gateshead) which met in the Tyne & Wear Science Museum cafe (and thus could claim to be the first ever cyber-cafe on Tyneside).

ITV Border

As of 25 February 2009, the regional news programme Lookaround is produced by ITV Tyne Tees & Border in Gateshead with news and advertising staff based at offices in Carlisle and Edinburgh.

Man Dancin'

The film was shot in twenty-two days during late 2002 in locations in and around Glasgow including Greenock, Govan, Ibrox and Pollokshields, and in Gateshead.

Finally catching up to them at to the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Flex shoots Jimmy dead but allows the others to live.

Monica Toth

Her personal best jump was 13.98 metres, achieved in July 1994 in Gateshead.

Northumbrian University Boat Race

Presentations are made after the races have finished in Baltic Square on the Gateshead side of the river.

Ride to Hell: Retribution

Deep Silver Vienna planned to use a movie style production model to develop this game together with Eutechnyx, a Gateshead based independent games studio, as well as several other contributors.

Robert Galloway

They had two sons, William Galloway born 1872 in Newcastle and James Baird Galloway born in 1874 at Gateshead.

Robert Stirling Newall

R.S. Newall and Company established a factory in Gateshead, England, and commenced making wire ropes for "Mining, Railway, Ships' Rigging, and other purposes".

Steve Kenyon

He set his personal best of 2:11:40 over the classic distance on June 13, 1982, in Gateshead.

Tilt bridge

The tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead on the south bank and Newcastle upon Tyne on the north is a pedestrian bridge with two large hydraulic rams at each side that tilt the structure back allowing small watercraft to pass under.

William Aspdin

He sold out his share of the Northfleet plant in 1852, and set up in Gateshead, County Durham, as "Aspdin, Ord & Co".


2011 Turner Prize

The prize exhibition was held at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead from 21 October 2011 to 8 January 2012, the first to be held outside London since the 2007 Turner Prize exhibition was held at Tate Liverpool, and the first time the exhibition has ever been held at a non-Tate venue.

A. J. W. Dawson

J.P. M.I.M.E. to the retired officials and engine drivers of the N.E.R. Co., in Gateshead, on 11 February 1910

Advanced Business Solutions

The organisation operates from 10 UK locations in Cobham, Aberdeen, Aylesbury, Bridgwater, Gateshead, Harpenden, Huntingdon, Northampton, Manchester and also maintain offices in Boston, MA

Amy Duggan

Duggan started her training at Reavley Theatre School in Gateshead where Chelsea Halfpenny also attended.

Angel of the North

The Angel aroused some controversy in British newspapers, at first, including a "Gateshead stop the statue" campaign, while local councillor Martin Callanan was especially strong in his opposition.

Apollo Pavilion

In 2004, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead commissioned Jane and Louise Wilson to make a video installation featuring the Pavilion.

Becky Lyne

Not selected for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March due to a series of injuries, the Stockport-based athlete leapt to third in the UK all-time 800 metre rankings with 1 min 58.20 sec in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Gateshead in June 2006, finishing second behind Kenyan Commonwealth champion Janeth Jepkosgei.

Christian Olsson

2004: Turin (Grand Prix) - 17.61 m; Bergen (Golden League) - 17.58 m; Bydgoszcz (European Cup super league) - 17.30 m; Gateshead (Grand Prix) - 17.43 m; Rome (Golden League) - 17.50 m; Paris Saint-Denis (Golden League) - 17.41 m; Zürich (Golden League) - 17.46 m; Brussels (Golden League) - 17.44 m; Berlin (Golden League) - 17.45 m; Monaco (World Athletics Final) - 17.66 m

CSL Sofas

The company has expanded steadily with sofa stores from Gateshead to the openings in 2011 in both Brent Cross, London and Purley Way, Croydon.

David Temple

He also appears regularly with Hertfordshire Chorus at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican, The Sage Gateshead and St Albans Cathedral.

Derwent Tower

The tower was designed by the Owen Luder Partnership on behalf of Whickham Council who at the time controlled the Dunston area of Gateshead.

DesignLine Corporation

Stagecoach - one Olymbus diesel-electric bus was evaluated in 2004, this bus became one of ten Olymbus buses for QuayLink bus service in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead and they were operated from 22 July 2005 until being replaced by Optare Versa from 10 August 2010.

Football League North and South

An example of this is that in the 1942 Football League North Leeds United played Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers, Sunderland, Bradford Park Avenue, York City, Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town, which they played Home and Away in succession.

Forster Charlton

Tragically, he was driving from his home in Gateshead to his brother's funeral in Lesbury, in northern Northumberland, when he had a fatal road accident.

Gateshead College

Gateshead College and Smith Electric Vehicles joined together to deliver the UK’s first apprenticeship in electric vehicles.

Established on November 15, 1955 at Durham Road in Low Fell, Gateshead, the original campus was closed as part of a planned move in January 2008.

Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway

One of this class is preserved at the National Tramway Museum in Crich, and another, Grimsby and Immingham 26, is preserved at Beamish The North of England Open Air Museum, now operating as Gateshead 10.

HMS Calliope

HMS Calliope, one of fourteen Royal Naval Reserve units, is a "stone frigate" situated on the Gateshead bank of the River Tyne, between the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne

In 1553, during the reign of Edward VI, John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland sponsored an act allowing Newcastle to annexe Gateshead and its surrounding area from the bishopric of Durham.

James Tavernier

Just like the Gateshead manager, Carlisle manager Greg Abbott was equally impressed by Tavernier.

Jaume Plensa

Another Plensa piece is Blake in Gateshead, in North East England, a laser beam that on special occasions shines high into the night sky over Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

Kathryn Tickell

Collaboration with jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard resulted in a major multi-media work which was premiered at the opening of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Leamside Line

The line was part of the east coast main line until 1872 when the route was bypassed by the NER's Bishop Auckland to Gateshead line and Croxdale link, which became part of the ECML.

Lyn Spencer

During the early 1970s, Spencer was a youth worker at the Camden Youth Project in North London and an English & drama teacher at Heworth Grange Comprehensive School in Felling, Gateshead.

Michael Peter Harrison

Harrison, who played under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, enjoyed a playing career at Gateshead and then moved on to play for Belgian side Charleroi, alongside Phillipe Albert.

Newcastle railway station

Central is an interchange between the Yellow and Green lines, and is the last stop prior to crossing the River Tyne towards Gateshead.

Ron McGarry

Ronald James McGarry (born 5 December 1937 in Whitehaven) is a former professional footballer, who played centre forward for Whitehaven, Workington, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Barrow, South Coast United, Bulli, Balgownie Rangers and Gateshead.

Sheriff Hill Colliery

Sheriff Hill Colliery was situated at the summit of Gateshead Fell at the boundary between Sheriff Hill and Low Fell approximately 2 3/4 miles from Newcastle upon Tyne.

Sir William Blackett, 1st Baronet, of Newcastle

His father, was a successful businessman at Jarrow and Gateshead and retired to Hoppyland, County Durham.

Thomas Sutton

He also obtained the lease of the manors of Whickham and Gateshead, close to Newcastle, in 1578, and so gained much of his early wealth from the coal mines in the area and from the sale of this lease five years later.

Tyne Bridge

This was in preparation for Newcastle hosting the Olympic football tournament, and the Olympic torch relay, in which Bear Grylls zipwired from the top of the arch, to Gateshead quayside.

White Horse at Ebbsfleet

Prior to any design being announced, the sculpture was planned as a counterpart to Antony Gormley's Angel of the North at Gateshead (with a stipulation that it be at least twice as wide and high, and visible from 20 miles away), and to mark one of six main "gateways" to London, hence the informal name Angel of the South being adopted early on for the formally named Ebbsfleet Landmark Project Ltd.