NORTH EAST LOCAL HISTORY

FORGOTTEN WW1 FEMALE FOOTBALL STAR MARY LYONS TO GET A HEADSTONE

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She died a forgotten hero in 1979, but WW1 women’s football superstar Mary Lyons is about to get the recognition she deserves when a headstone on her previously unmarked Jarrow grave is unveiled in April.

Mary was born in 1902 in Jarrow. In 1918 aged just 15 she became the youngest-ever England footballer and goal scorer when on her debut she scored in front of 20,000 people against Scotland at St James’ Park, Newcastle. It is a record that still stands today, and yet her achievements have been written out of history – until now!

Mary died in Primrose Hill hospital, Jarrow, in 1979, aged 76, and was laid to rest in an unmarked grave with three others. The Friends of Jarrow Cemetery have been at the forefront of getting recognition for the town’s forgotten football hero and, last year after discovering her final resting place, erected a 3ft wooden cross to mark the grave.

However, Mary features prominently in Wor Bella by South Tyneside-based playwright Ed Waugh (Dirty Dusting, Carrying David, Hadaway Harry). Bella Reay was played by North East actress Catherine Dryden.

Catherine Dryden (‘Wor Bella’) in Blyth football strip.

Due to the success of that play in the North East in 2022 and its hugely successful re-run in London and Newcastle Theatre Royal last year, the Friends of Jarrow Cemetery moved to get Mary a permanent headstone.

Jarrow amateur historian Stewart Hill, 73, and Tricia Vickers, 67, are members of the Friends and have led the way in getting recognition for Mary. Stewart explained “Mary was the youngest of eight siblings and she worked in Jarrow shipyard during WW1. She was a tremendous footballer by all accounts. She debuted for Jarrow Palmers when she was only 15 and quickly caught the eye. In May 1918, she was seconded to the mighty Blyth Spartans for the Munitionettes’ Cup final against Bolckow Vaughan of Middlesbrough”.

“Mary scored a goal in the 5-0 victory at Ayresome Park, in front of 22,000 spectators and was crowned ‘Player of the Match’. The following year Mary captained Jarrow Palmers to win the Munitionettes’ cup at St James’ Park, in front of 9,000 supporters.”

Stewart added “So by the age of 16, Mary had won two cup finals, scored in one, captained her team in the other and became the youngest-ever England player and goal scorer! What a brilliant achievement! Imagine what she would be like today, given the modern game and opportunities.”

Tricia, said “Our great friend George Le-Blond of Abbey Memorials in Jarrow has generously donated the beautiful marble headstone and genealogist Sam Nicol has been a great help trawling through hundreds of newspaper articles for information.”

She continued “Friends of Jarrow Cemetery work to keep the cemetery welcoming and clean, and make it safe for people and their loved ones. This is a tremendous development. Mary and the WW1 women footballers should be an inspiration to young women everywhere.”

Christine Knox (on the left) being presented in 2024 with her red England Legacy Cap by Lioness Lauren Hemp. The cap is numbered 36 to mark Christine’s legacy number – the 36th women to play for England. The presentation took place at St. George’s Park, the national football centre, in Staffordshire.

The unveiling will take place at Jarrow Cemetery on Sunday, April 27, at 11.30am, everyone is welcome to attend. A brass band will lead the procession to the grave and ex-England Lionesses Christine Knox and Aran Embleton will perform the unveiling ceremony.

Christine, who won ten England caps in the 1970s and 1980s, played for Wallsend Ladies, Whitley Bay Ladies and North Shields Ladies.

Aran, the first millennial Geordie Lioness, gained four England caps and played for Blyth Spartans, Sunderland Ladies and Doncaster Belles in her illustrious career.

Aran Embleton holding an England cap.

Aran said “I am proud to have been invited to recognise Mary who, like the incredible Bella Reay of Blyth Spartans and other women of their generation, played women’s football until it was criminally banned by the FA in 1921. Players like Christine and I, and the current Lionesses, stand on the shoulders of these brilliant working class women from more than 100 years ago.”

Following the unveiling at Jarrow Cemetery, there will be refreshments and a celebration of Mary’s footballing achievements at the Iona Club, Hebburn. Due to start at noon, speakers at the event will be Wor Bella co-producer Jane Harker, Aran and Christine and Wor Bella actress Catherine Dryden. The event is public and entry is free.

April 2025

C’EST LA VIE – with musician Mark Aynsley Hay

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Mark in his studio.

Retired since 2010 and now living in France, Mark was born in Teesville on the outskirts of Middlesbrough where he began playing piano at 7 year old and by 15 started working in showbusiness.

Initially, it was my older sister Margaret who influenced me, she was a brilliant pianist and suggested I start piano lessons. Most weekends the family would sing all the popular up to date songs of the fifties accompanied by my sister on piano recalls Mark.

Of all his experiences in showbusiness it’s a cliché to say but Mark really has been there, done it and worn out the t-shirt. Read on for some of his highs and lows.

For many years I ended up working as a singer and entertainer on the North East club circuit, before moving to Manchester in 1976 where I continued performing while also working as a session singer for the BBC.

Throughout my career I’ve also performed in countries like Norway, Malta and the casino circuit in Portugal plus venues like Bristol Hippodrome and Liverpool Empire. I’ve even worked seasons at Butlins holiday camp.

Mark performing on the North East club circuit.

When did you get your first big break?

Between 1967 to 1969 I was singing with the Bill Sowerby big band at the Top Rank suite in Sunderland. The band regularly supported big name groups who appeared there. Slade and Family come to mind.

On one occasion Radio One DJ ‘Emperor Rosco’ – real name Michael Pasternak – was appearing at the Top Rank with his road show. I happened to be in the venue rehearsing an original song with the big band.

After we finished, Roscoe introduced himself “if you ever fancy moving to London and working as a session singer, you’d be welcome”. He gave me his card and a few months later I took him up on his offer.

When I started working for Rosko he was in the process of forming his own independent record label Mother Records. He co-wrote a song ‘909’ which I recorded as a demo, which presumably was meant for a name artist.

Rosko’s management took the demo along to EMI to discuss a distribution deal for Mother Records. The feedback I received was that they were very impressed with my version and would like to distribute the song.

The song was released in 1971 and started to receive air play with favourable reviews in music magazines. From what I remember it received good reviews on Rosko’s round table and the Pete Murray show as well as other Radio One shows. The only negative review was from Tommy Vance.

Just when Mark was making headway in the music biz a scandal hit the headlines. ‘Bribes at the BBC’ the Sunday newspapers suggested that certain BBC DJs were being paid by record companies to play their records. 

Rosko was not mentioned or involved however it stopped DJs at the BBC from being involved in any third-party interests explained Mark. However, he knew he needed to keep up the momentum that he had built up so far.

Rosko’s management approached me and suggested that I should promote the record on the cabaret circuit and local radio stations. In comes Colin Hutchinson. 

Colin was based in Middlesbrough and booked the artistes who appeared at the Fiesta Cabaret club in Stockton. Subsequently I signed a five year management and agency contract.

Colin promoted me as a solo entertainer and ironically one of the first venues where I promoted the record was at the Top Rank Suite in Sunderland for a local BBC radio station.

‘You’ll Never See Julie Again’ recorded by Frankie Vaughan.

By 1974 things were looking up, management approached me and put an idea on the table. They said although Frankie Vaughan’s career was slightly waning – having been a big star in the late fifties and sixties – he still had massive pre-sales orders regarding record sales.

By this time, I’d started singing on cruise ships and when on one P&O liner I sat down and wrote ‘I’ll Never See Julie Again’. Within two weeks of being on dry land I recorded a demo version of the song at Keith Murray and Billy Hygates studio in Redcar using local musicians. The song was published with EMI and produced by Les Reed for Columbia records.

Unfortunately, 1974 was a bad year all round for record pressing due to a major shortage of plastics. The major companies gave preference to guaranteed sellers – chart bands like Paper Lace.

Coincidently, in 2020 Mark teamed up with songwriter Chris Morris who was vocalist and guitarist with 70’s pop band Paper Lace who appeared on TV talent show ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and had UK chart hits including a number 1 ‘Billy Don’t be a Hero’ in March 1974.

Regardless of negatives, the first PRS cheque I received for ‘I’ll Never See Julie Again’ noted that the song had sold well in Canada and Australia with reasonable UK sales. We appeared on at least 14 different TV shows to promote the single.

Looking back, I think I’ve had a few setbacks when it comes to recording and record releases however regardless of this, I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve received during my career.

On the bill with Bob Monkhouse and Harry Secombe.

What was your experience of working on cruise ships?

I started performing on cruise ships at the age of 25 and initially I was naive as to how it worked. The cruising market at that time was very old fashioned, for example the ship was split between first class and tourist.

There was a first class room on the old Canberra with decor like an old fashioned colonial Gentleman’s club. I only sang there once as after I performed the first two songs combined with topical patter, I was aware that none of the snobby gentlemen were interested. A number of them were sleeping with the Times newspaper covering their face.

After my third song I announced in a rather cheeky way that I had better places to perform, audiences normally listen and react to my show. I walked off to the sound of my own footsteps. Needless to say, I was never asked to work there again.

Fortunately, the cruise director had an idea to double me up to perform in the night club come cabaret lounge for the tourists. On that show and subsequent performances, I received standing ovations from the audience.

Some months later I was sent a P&O in house magazine with an article written by the same cruise director on the Canberra – ‘Mark Aynsley and another young entertainer called Billy Hygate were like a breath of fresh air’.

It went on to say that the future of entertainment on cruise ships was changing and both Mark and Billy had lifted the bar to a higher and modern level.

What are you doing now and can you bring your story up to date?

In 1982 my wife Alison and I established Almara Music Productions. Almara was an agency that represented vocalists, dancers, bands, comedians and magicians in varied fields of TV, entertainment, cruise ships, theatres, cabaret and summer season shows.

We retired in 2010 and permanently moved to south west France although since retiring, Almara Music Productions continues to be the platform for my songwriting promotion.

To listen to a compilation of music by Mark Aynsley Hay & Chris Morris plus family, friends & associates check out the official website: http://www.chrismarkmusic.com

Alikivi   March 2025

HENDRIX IN SHIELDS

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In December 1966 a brand new £50,000 club in South Shields was opened by Cream featuring Eric Clapton on guitar. Back in 2007 I interviewed businessman and owner Stan Henry.

“I used to run a school of dancing with my mother in Beach Road and we wanted to expand our facilities because it was limited in size. So, we went to the local authorities and they gave us a site in Thomas Street which we built the Cellar Club on. We had the Cream on and Jimi Hendrix was there”.

In the coming months Geno Washington, The Family and the John Mayall Blues Breakers were booked to appear, however on Wednesday 1st February 1967 the Jimi Hendrix Experience played The Cellar Club.

On the same night, entertainment in the town included local stage acts at various clubs including the Latino, La Strada, Ranch House and at the ABC cinema the main feature film was ‘One Million Years B.C.’ starring Raquel Welch – wey she was in technicolour!

But the big draw at the 200 capacity Cellar Club was Hendrix. Being just a bairn I wasn’t there but I did find two punters who were regulars at the club. Local musician and regular Rod Hall remembers…

“The Cellar Club was my second home you know. I remember walking down the street near the club and this van pulled up and a bloke popped his head out and asked in a deep voice “Where’s the Cellar Club?” I looked at him and it was Eric Clapton on Fowler Street in a van!”

Another regular was music fan David Robertson “My road to Damascus moment was seeing Jimi Hendrix at the Cellar Club. At first, we thought he better be good cos we’ve paid about ten bob to get in. After watching Eric Clapton everyone wanted to be a guitarist. After Hendrix everybody wanted to be in a band”.

On the off chance the local newspaper had written a review of the gig I recently popped into the local history section of The Word (library) and searched the archives. Luckily, I found this in the Shields Gazette by reporter David Jenkins, it was printed Thursday 9th February 1967. This picture needs to be credited but I think the photograph was taken in the Cellar Club by South Shields photographer Freddie Mudditt.

(Review start) Jimi will soon be ‘leading the fleet’ (headline)

Jimi Hendrix IS an experience. Like a drop of gin in a bucket of retired tonic, heady serum for post teen starvation (which, finger shakily on my own pulse, I diagnose these days).

The actual teen scene of the Cellar Club though like Madame Tussaud’s. The 23 year old next to me gasped “Go” and people turned to stare.

Playing his guitar with his teeth, his Indian head-dress tubes of hair flailing, he fixes a glorious enraptured grin on his face. Little spouts of sweat gloop from temples.

More important, the fiery body of sound, the completely original effect he squeezes out of his guitar. “Follow that” said Les Gofton, lead singer of The Bond, who were to take over later – make Hendrix the most exciting animal in the cage at the moment.

But the Cellar is inhabited by so many? (unreadable). A Wild Thing like you never heard it raises a small cheer, small beer. What on earth do you want?

Well, wait a couple of years, when you have heard another 10,000 discs, as I have, and you too will fall about a Hendrix. (He came up specially to South Shields for this one night appearance). Some day soon he will be the admiral-in-chief. Pipe him aboard somebody, for heavens sake. (Review end)

Little did they know the impact that Jimi Hendrix and his music would have. He has been described as one of the most influential guitarists of the 1960s, but sadly he died in London on 18 September 1970 aged just 27.

After being in business as a nightclub during the 80s and 90s the Cellar was revived as a live music venue until the club was sold and renovated into a dental practice in the 2000s.

If you have a story about the Cellar Club to add to the site just get in touch.

Alikivi   March 2025

SHORT CUTS – Hendrix & Lemmy in Shields

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The music world has always had its fair share of myths, legends and hell raising antics. The time Ozzy bit the head off a dove or was it a bat? Well both actually. According to reports one was in record company offices the other was live on stage. He also snorted a line of ants. The list is endless for the Oz.

I came across a gaffer tape incident involving a music journalist and Killing Joke, as I was trying to find out who, where and when it happened – if it did! There were other short stories I read some with North East connections.

Sadly, both deceased now, Lemmy and Jimi Hendrix were two of music’s biggest characters – their spirit and influence live on. But what is their connection to my home town of South Shields?

In his autobiography ‘White Line Fever’ Lemmy recalls that in early 1967 “I went up north. I woke up one morning sitting on a beach in South Shields eating cold baked beans out of a can with my comb. I thought there’s got to be more to life than this.”

Was this just a random visit to the seaside town? Why not go to the main cities of Newcastle or Sunderland close by, or was there someone or something else in the town that attracted him?

Around the same time Lemmy was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. He explained in his biography that in early 1967 he got in touch with a friend, Neville Chesters, who was a roadie for Hendrix. Lemmy ended up dossing down at Neville’s London flat that he was sharing with Hendrix’s bass player.

Lemmy recalls “They needed a spare set of hands, so about three weeks after I landed at Neville’s, I got a job working with them. I worked for Hendrix’s band for about a year on all the TV shows and tours through England. I was only a fetcher and a lifter but still it was an amazing experience”.

Even though he didn’t expand on the beach story the timeline of the visit to South Shields and a gig sort of fits, but what we do know for certain is that Jimi Hendrix played the Cellar Club, South Shields on 1st February 1967.

When Lemmy was a roadie was that when he ended up on South Shields beach and not on a random visit? Or has he been twice? We’ve got to take in account that after a full on rock n roll lifestyle with Hawkwind and Motorhead, Lemmy’s memory might have been a bit fuzzy remembering events for his biography.

Just a couple of thoughts here – the beach is only a 5 minute drive away from the club, plus to hoy a spanner in the works was Lemmy even a roadie at the Shields gig or did he join the road crew at a later date?

He explained in his biography – ‘I worked for Hendrix’s band for about a year on all the TV shows and the tours through England’. I suppose we’ll never know for certain unless a Hendrix or Lemmy aficionado can help nail down specific dates. Anyone got access to their diaries!

A post looking further into Hendrix’s South Shields gig will be added to the site soon. Where you there in the audience? Where you a member of local band The Bond who also played that night? If you have any information, much appreciated if you get in touch.

Alikivi   March 2025

Research >>>

White Line Fever by Lemmy with Janiss Garza.

Concert Archives – Jimi Hendrix

ALIKIVI IN NUMBERS

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Big thanks to all the readers of the site with just over 4,000 for January and a total of 418,000 since the first post in February 2017. There was an extra push on social media for ‘The Butchers of Bolingbroke’ (Angelic Upstarts) and the punk band proved as popular now after first posting the interview in 2017.

January readers in UK & USA have contributed most views to the site, however there’s been a spike in numbers from Australia and Sweden after another social media push on ‘Ticket to Ride’ from promoter Julie Clay in 2021 and ‘Light ‘Em Up’ from stagehand & lighting technician Par Can in 2023.

Finishing with a big number crunch from the backroom statistics uncover the largest number of referrers to the site are from Google search then Facebook, with smaller numbers from Twitter, Bing and Yahoo.

Drilling down into the count for daily views reveal a rise from the first year (2017) of 46 to 219 in 2020 and 212 the next year, with a slight drop to 147 in 2024. Average views per day in the first month of this year are at 130.

Well, it’s just about the end of the eighth year of the site, loved every minute of working on it and meeting everyone I’ve interviewed over the years. I look forward to seeing who or what will turn up in 2025. If you’ve got a story to add, just get in touch.

Alikivi   January 2025

HADAWAY HARRY – in conversation with actor Jamie Brown

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Jamie Brown.

The incredible true story of Harry Clasper is set to tour the North East in February. The one man play ‘Hadaway Harry’ stars Jamie Brown who won a NE Culture Awards Performing Artist of the year.

Harry Clasper was born in 1812 in Dunston, Gateshead, at two year old he moved to Jarrow where he fell in love with the water watching ships coming up the Tyne. Education was limited for Harry, he couldn’t read or write and signed his marriage certificate with a cross. He started work at Jarrow Pit but unfortunately that didn’t work out so his next stop was an apprenticeship at Browns Boatyard.

‘That’s where he got clued up about boats. Harry revolutionized boat racing and boat design, innovations that became part of boat racing then are still employed in boat building today’ explained Jamie.

‘By shaving the boat they made a gun barrel shape instead of a square bottom and pointed the front of the boat. That increased the speed rather than drag through the water, and they made a scooped shape oar’.

‘It was like the time during the 2012 London Olympics when cycling became really popular, they had lightweight helmets, handlebars were shaped to create more speed – huge innovations just like Harry Clasper done for boating in the 1800s’.

‘Rowing was the main sport then, people would sit on the bank of the river and watch the race. Bets would be placed and there would be sponsors – even in those days. There would be stories of men employed to drill holes in the boats of opponents or tempt the oarsmen with alcohol the night before. There was even a case of someone’s food being poisoned. One of the first cases of boat tampering was with the part of the boat called the scull. The term skulduggery comes from that’.

‘The writer Ed Waugh has a desire to shine a light on people or events that have gone under the radar. We’ve done plays about North East musicians and singers Ned Corvan, Joe Wilson and Wor Bella about a ladies football team plus at the end of last year was The Cramlington Train Wreckers’.

‘These extraordinary stories about the working class, are told so they go unforgotten. There is a thirst for these stories, people responded well to them with standing ovations and sold out shows’.

pic. by Local Historian, Steve Ellwood

The Hadaway Harry shows in 2015 and 2017 eventually got Harry Clasper some recognition as a blue plaque was fixed onto the base of the High Level Bridge in Newcastle. There is also a pub called the Harry Clasper in Whickham, Gateshead.

‘He came from a big family – he was one of 14 and had 12 children himself. His ancestors are still around today, they’ve been to the shows and are very proud of his achievements’.

‘But his story wasn’t straight forward, it’s not looking back with rose tinted spectacles as he suffered personal tragedy and professional disappointments, there was plenty of hardship and personal dilemma’.

Later in life Harry became a publican in Newcastle but sadly died in 1870.

‘Over 120,000 people lined the streets for his funeral the procession was only a few miles but took over 12 hours. His coffin was put on a boat and sailed down the Tyne to Whickham where he was buried’.

The North East has stories of talented people achieving great things – we talked about the footballer Paul Gascoigne, coincidentally also born in Dunston where Harry came from.

‘Before Association football the sport of the people was rowing and Harry Clasper has been likened to the David Beckham of the day. I think, as many people do, he should have a statue next to the river Tyne. His achievements were fantastic. Do you know he won the world championship 8 times in 12 years’.

‘It’s been a privilege telling his story, but sadly this will be my last time on stage doing the Hadaway Harry show. I’ve loved doing the show but in the second half of the play it is hard rowing and narrating the story as a one man show plus I’m 40 in February so it can be a bit exhausting’.

‘So, this is me hanging up my oars but the play will go on and maybe a younger actor will take on the role. This is why on the tour schedule after about three nights we have a day or two off where there is time for rest and recovery and then for the next show I’m ready to be able to give 100%’.

For information about tour dates and venues contact the official website >>>

http://www.hadawayharry.com

Thanks to Von Fox Promotions for the pix.

Alikivi   January 2025

TIME TRAVELLER – in conversation with Local Historian, Luan Hanratty

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46 year old Tynemouth resident Luan Hanratty has strong Celtic roots. His father was born in Jarrow with their family connections going back to Galway in Ireland and his mother originally from Rosyth on the east coast of Scotland.

Luan at Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields.

‘Yes, the Hanratty name is Irish, however, a brief background to my employment story is that I worked the financial sector in Prague, Czech Republic, moved to Shanghai in China where I was employed as an English teacher. I even appeared on TV there and published some books. Education is strong in my background as my father was a Drama Teacher’.

‘After Covid in 2020 I came back to the UK and based myself in South Shields. I was looking for my next adventure when I came across some local history and got obsessed with reading the stories’.

‘With my business partner Gary Holland we put together a website called Penbal – which is a Celtic name for the Tynemouth headland – the site features articles on Tyneside local history, photographs, AI art, links to Maritime Trust, Lifeboats Brigade and Fishermen’s Heritage plus local products for sale – prints, postcards, mugs, t-shirts and more’.

The latest story has recently featured on BBC News >>>

Roman Stones Missing from Mill Dam Roundabout, South Shields – Penbal

Luan’s latest post on the site is about a long lost river which flowed from the Mill Dam in South Shields.

‘Beneath the busy modern landscape of South Shields lies a forgotten natural feature – a river called the Mill Dam Creek but also known as the Branin River. This flowed from Mill Dam, next to Customs House today, out to the sea near North Marine Park and the Pier. This effectively made the Lawe an island’.

‘The channel played a vital role in the development of the town, both as a waterway and a habour, and once it was dammed with ballast, the Mill Dam formed a bridge between the north and south reaches of the early town’.

‘So important then, was the creek as a resource that it forms the base of the first industrial activity in South Shields, with coal mining also evident on the south bank where the pit wheel now stands above Asda carpark in Coronation Street’.

‘If you stand on the long sloping escalator when exiting Asda and look out across the huge carpark, you really get a feel for the valley nature of the Mill Dam Pond. Imagine what it must have looked like all those centuries ago’.

‘Another twist to the story is that in the 19th century much of the eastern end of the creek was covered by Denmark Street, where the Denmark Centre is today. In the 1830s, while building the street, a Viking longboat was discovered beside what was originally the river bed’.

‘Maybe there is someone out there who has more information about this amazing find. We know it featured in The Shields Gazette in the 1980s’.

Viking ship article in The Shields Gazette 1980s.

Full story >>> The Lost Waterway of South Shields:  Mill Dam Creek – Penbal

Luan stresses that he has no plans to research any murders or the race riots that have happened on Tyneside.

‘So far, we have over 200 local history posts and we don’t look at any taboo subjects, I just like to paint a picture of our very rich heritage here on Tyneside’.

For further information contact Luan >>>>

Penbal – Messis ab Altis

Alikivi   January 2025

WISECRACK with playwright & theatre producer Ed Waugh

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Working in media and entertainment can be a risky business and after Covid it only increased. Picking up a couple of jobs but then nothing for a while has been a regular pattern for me these past few years. It’s a struggle but I wouldn’t change it for the world, I’ve loved every minute of it since my first video commission in January 1997.

I remember the day well. I was in a community centre in Hetton le Hole, Durham talking to a group of former miners who were interested in making a video when someone burst into the room with tears in her eyes “You never guess what’s happened?” We all turned around thinking the pipes have burst, there’s been an accident, someone’s died, what’s happened? “Kevin Keegans left Newcastle United”!

South Shields theatre producer Ed Waugh

I was interested how others working in the creative industry have managed so I got in touch with South Shields playwright and theatre producer Ed Waugh. Ed is part of the North East based Wisecrack team who use theatre to document working class history. I asked him about his past year.

‘Where did 2024 go? The whole year passed like a whirlwind. We’d come off a busy 2023 but from January 1 we were focused on Wor Bella, which was transferring to the wonderful Newcastle Theatre Royal in April. If that wasn’t enough to organise, we did a pre-show run in London to get the production on its feet’. 

‘Wor Bella is about North East women footballers in WW1 and the interest was massive. We had full pages in The Guardian and Daily Telegraph as well as tremendous coverage in other national publications. The upshot was London sold out’.

‘Coming home to the Theatre Royal was magnificent – three sold-out houses and just as in London standing ovations after every performance. It was my fifth show at the most prestigious venue in the region, a record for a local writer, so you can imagine how it swelled this Geordie’s heart with pride’.

(Link to interview with actress Catherine Dryden who starred in ‘Wor Bella’).

WOR BELLA HITS LONDON – the incredible story of heroic North East women footballers during WW1. | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

‘I’m just so honoured to be working with a top-class, professional and dedicated Wisecrack Productions team. We have director and actor Russell Floyd and other brilliant actors, technicians and hugely important people behind the scenes who allow us to put excellent stories on stage. It’s a true team effort’.

‘We’ve now sold around 800 Wor Bella scripts, so that’s canny. Many more thousands of people now know the story of these selfless working class women who saved the WW1 war effort’.

‘My book Geordie Plays Volume 1 has also almost sold out – the last few remaining first editions at Newcastle City Library are now officially collectors’ items’.

‘2024 ended with a triumphant tour of our play The Cramlington Train Wreckers. It’s about the General Strike of 1926 and how miners in Northumberland inadvertently derailed the Flying Scotsman during the nine-day strike before it was sold out by the TUC and Labour Party leaders. Word of mouth – the only marketing that really matters – was phenomenal and every venue sold out’.  

‘We’re looking to get The Cramlington Train Wreckers out again in May 2026 to mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike – the biggest rupture in British society since the civil war in the 1640s’.

‘In February 2025, Hadaway Harry – produced by and starring Jamie Brown – is touring the region. Hadaway Harry is about champion Tyneside rower Harry Clasper who was a forgotten Geordie legend’.

‘When he died in 1870, 130,00 lined his funeral procession in Newcastle. It will be the play’s 10th anniversary. I can’t believe a decade has gone by!’ 

‘Then in June, Carrying David will play Newcastle Theatre Royal. My sixth show there. Carrying David is about Glenn McCrory’s rise to becoming the first North East world boxing champion. It is being produced by and stars Micky Cochrane. Don’t miss these plays, you’ll be spellbound!

(It’s worth checking out both ‘Hadaway Harry’ and ‘Carrying David’ reviews on Google).

Actress & Theatre producer Leah Bell

Dirty Dusting, of course, continues to tour nationally – and internationally – and that play is touring venues in the UK in October under the guidance of the inimitable Leah Bell’.

(Link to interview with actress & theatre producer Leah Bell from July 2021)

TAKE A BOW – writer, actress & theatre producer, Leah Bell | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

‘The old warhorse Waiting For Gateaux – written, like Dirty Dusting with Trevor Wood – will be performed in New Zealand this year. Having these four plays produced in 2025 by other people means I can take the year out to write. I’m working on a few new ideas that will hopefully see the light of day in 2026 and beyond’.

ITV news reader Ian Payne & former BBC journalist & presenter Jeff Brown

‘I’ll also be doing my talks throughout the region, which amounted to around 40 last year, and I’m producing a series of talks with Ian Payne and Jeff Brown … “the two lads off the telly”. They are happening in April and May’.

‘We’ve done four of these ‘Evenings with’ before, and they sell out quickly. The lads are always good crack and the event is great fun. Loads of other stuff but I was only allowed 500 words for this post and I’ve used up over 600 already! Have a great 2025’.

For some it may be challenging times but Wisecrack continue rolling on. For further information, tour dates & video contact the official website >>>

Home | Wisecrack Productions

Alikivi   January 2025

ALIKIVI BY NUMBERS

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WordPress, who run this publishing site have a statistics page where all the viewing numbers, countries, dates and comments are gathered and crunched. A new addition to the stats is the percentages from what device the site is being read from – currently it’s mobile 63%, desktop 32% and tablet 5%. We are entering nerdsville territory so some people’s eyes will glaze over but stick with it, the stats can bring up some interesting surprises.

I remember back in 2017 posting an interview with former Angelic Upstarts guitarist Mond Cowie and noticing views from the Bahamas – who’da thought punk would invade the tropical paradise!

The site kicked off in February 2017 with first year views of 15,478 quickly rising to 79,850 in 2020 with most people staying at home during the Covid pandemic. It was March of that year that hit the highest monthly views with 9,700.

2021 reached 77,259 with a high of 8,400 in February that year with a small dip back to a total of 51,482 in 2022. This year has experienced a sharp upturn in numbers, so after eight years you can say ‘it’s daein’ canny’. For non Geordies and Mackems that means ‘it’s doing fine thank you very much’.

2024 has hit over 53,000 views with nearly 3,000 this month. December readers from the UK and USA are high with an unexpected spike in numbers from Belgium. So, yep its daein’ canny. All the best for 2025!

Alikivi   December 2024.

HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE? #8

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How’s it gaan? After sharing stories first posted here in 2018 about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal there’s been a welcome spike in views from Poland, Slovakia and the Netherlands.

NWOBHM has always been popular since the first posts in 2017 which featured Fist, Raven, Mythra, Satan, Hollow Ground and Tygers of Pan Tang, plus stories from Impulse Studio big wig David Woods and producer Steve Thompson who brought the hammer down on seminal recordings on the Neat label. Also posted are stories from Durham’s Guardian Studio, although producer Terry Gavaghan has remained elusive. So far.

While new interviews are being lined up to take the site to the end of 2024, November has featured a compilation of stories from this year – and here’s another batch.

First up is a regular to the site, songwriter & vocalist Emma ‘Velvet Tones of Teesside’ Wilson. Emma first appeared back in 2019 talking about her influences in music…

‘Aretha Now’ and ‘Aretha Sings the Blues’ were both records that shaped my development as a singer. I used to sit for hours listening to the songs on vinyl’.

Emma kick started 2024 being pictured on the cover of Blues Matters magazine featuring her new album ‘Memphis Calling’ recorded in Sam Phillips studio, USA.

‘The studio breathes, it has an immense presence. The live room is awesome, beautifully designed. I let my emotions out on the recording’.

Full story >>> EMMA SINGS THE BLUES – with Emma ‘Velvet Tones of Teesside’ Wilson | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

100 year old actress and entertainer Helen Russell sadly passed away this year. She will be missed. In May, Helen featured on the site looking back at the start of her career.

‘We didn’t have a phone in the house so I’d take calls on the local public telephone box outside to tell me where I was playing that night. Sometimes it meant getting a bus to Newcastle and then catching another to Stanley in County Durham, or Ashington in Northumberland, then heading back after 10pm – all the time humping my guitar and other equipment. I had no helpers.’

‘When guitar groups became popular in the ‘60s I had to stop dancing on stage because of all the leads and wires. That’s when I took up the guitar and later started writing my own songs.’

Full interview >>> TON UP for North East actress and entertainer Helen Russell  | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

Another regular to the site is songwriter and former Neat records producer Steve Thompson, he got in touch in May.

‘I was 24 year old at the time and just quit a waged job to live on fresh air and follow a dream. I was either very brave, very stupid, or both. I quickly began knocking out songs and pitching them all over the place. I knew I needed some action or I was going to starve’.

‘One day I was at the dentist in Wallsend. I’d been called upstairs to the surgery when the receptionist called me back down. It was my publisher on the phone they tracked me down to tell me ‘Hurry Home just entered the charts at 63’. You could’ve knocked me down with a feather, that was the break I was looking for’.

‘From there on in incredible things happened it climbed the charts over a period of three months and peaked at 17. Here I am top 20, I had arrived! Then all sorts of things started to happen, the lyrics were printed in pop magazine Smash Hits, all the airplay on Radio One, name checks from DJ Mike Read on the Breakfast show, and of course Top of the Pops. All this was happening but I was still broke’.

Full interview >>> I WILL GO BACK– with songwriter & former Neat records producer Steve Thompson | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

In February former entertainer Peter Embleton recalled his time in clubland.

‘I had a marvellous time working the North East, the greatest training ground for anyone, my job was to put on a show not just be a singer of songs’.

‘As well as all over the North East I worked in Australia and the cruise lines, I was voted male vocalist of the year twice in the ‘80s in the National Club Mirror awards’.

‘I look at some of the talent now and feel sorry that they never experienced the Saturday night atmosphere of say the King Street club in North Shields. The club full at 7pm, great musicians to play for you led by the inimitable Micky Watson, what a buzz.’

‘Yes of course there were poor nights when it didn’t all go according to plan, but hey the good times by far outweighed the bad times. I feel lucky to have experienced the golden age of clubland, there were some brilliant acts and musicians’.

Full interview >>> GOLDEN AGE OF CLUBLAND with entertainer, Peter Embleton. | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

Got a story to add to the site? Just get in touch >>>

Contact | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

Full list of hundreds of interviews >>>

About | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE

Alikivi   November 2024