Sunlight Chambers, Newcastle

The Bigg Market is a site of historical significance in Newcastle upon Tyne and dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was the site of a thriving marketplace that formed an important part of the Great North Road. The market was named after a type of coarse barley, called bigg, that was widely sold from the stalls. Other nearby markets included the Cloth Market and the Groat Market. The Bigg Market is located close to Newcastle Cathedral. Newcastle's old Town Hall, which was built between 1858 and 1863 was located in St Nicholas Square (between the Bigg Market and the Cloth Market) and served as the meeting place of Newcastle City Council between 1863 and 1968.More recently the Bigg Market has become known for its drinking culture and disorderly behaviour. It has more than 20 bars and restaurants housed in its 31 buildings, many of which are listed buildings in a state of some disrepair.In February 2015 the business improvement district company for Newcastle city centre received initial support of £202,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Approximately £2.9M of combined funding is expected to be used to reinvigorate the Bigg Market by recreating the historic area in a commercially sustainable manner.

The Town Hall was a local government building located in St Nicholas Square, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Balmbra's Music Hall was an early Music Hall in the centre of Newcastle, England, in the middle of the 19th century. In about 1848 a first floor room of the Wheatsheaf Public House at 6 Cloth Market, Newcastle, was opened and in later advertisements was called "The Royal Music Saloon" (this name appears in advertisements dated 1859). Around 1862, the room was rebuilt/converted, and the proprietor at this time was John Balmbra. It was here that the song "Blaydon Races" was first performed by George "Geordie" Ridley in 1862, The song referring to the Music Hall by name, as the starting point of the trip - "I took the bus from Balmbra’s and she was heavy-laden, Away we went along Collingwood Street, that’s on the road to Blaydon."” In 1864 The Wheatsheaf was taken on by Mr T Handford. Thomas Handford (1835-1876) and his elder brother, Henry (1829-1888), blackface artistes, were the sons of John Handford (b.1801), who in 1841 was the licensee of The Green Man in Jackson’s Row, Manchester. In May 1856, or thereabouts, the Brothers Handford, as they were known, worked a six-month engagement in the Saloon at the Wheatsheaf with John Balmbra who had been running the place since 1850, if not before. The Handfords took their customary, farewell benefit at which, 'The Era' reported on 9 November, ‘Mr Thos. Handford danced in a pair of splendid Morocco clogs the extraordinary number of 150 steps, and was most rapturously encored.’ In 1857, the Handfords were back in harness at Balmbra’s Wheatsheaf. On 11 October 'The Era' decided that they had ‘established themselves as public favourites, and appear to be the chief attraction.’ They took their benefit before a bumper house on 3 December 1857. In 1863 Balmbra, whose health was ailing, struck a deal with Tom Handford - now known as 'The Black Diamond' - to take on The Wheatsheaf for a year. It seems likely that John and Isabella Balmbra may have retired to Alnwick where Isabella Balmbra died in 1870, two years after her husband’s death in Newcastle on 26 October 1868. Circumstances suggest that Handford took over on New Years Day 1864 and, by way of honouring his friend, he re-branded the Wheatsheaf as Balmbra’s Music Hall. Balmbra’s became home to Tom, his wife, Helen, his daughter, Catherine, and son, Thomas. On 24 January 1864 Handford put out a shout in 'The Era' for ‘BALMBRA’S CONCERT HALL - (Lessee, Mr Tom Handford.)’ where a host of talent was headed for ‘this old and favourite Music Hall’ including a ‘Mr J D Kelly (who appears in conjunction with Mr Handford in an excellent Negro extravaganza nightly).’ A number of civic events had been arranged in Newcastle to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare on 26 April 1864 one of which, according to the 'Newcastle Chronicle' of 26th, suffered, due to the icy cold conditions in the Town Hall. The 'Newcastle Journal' picked up on the report the following day and pointed out that among the reviews of the 26th, lay a suggestion that the civic party would have been far better directed elsewhere. ‘Among those notices occurs the following modest paragraph which we venture to say is unique of its kind:- ‘ “The glories of the Wheat Sheaf Music Saloon have suffered no diminution under the management of Mr. Tom Handford, and comic and sentimental vocalisation, and some very clever clog-dancing, were appreciated by a full house.” Why did not the reporter who discovered the astounding success of “Mr. Tom Handford” rush off to the Executive Committee and announce the fact. With what haste would they have proceeded to the “Wheat Sheaf Music Saloon” and then and there engaged the “very clever clog dancers for the edification of the icy audience in the Town Hall who, at that stage of the proceedings, had probably begun to yawn and vote the whole thing a bore. Whilst we acknowledge the unequivocal success attained by Mr. Handford in his celebration of the Tercentenary, we must be permitted to express our deep regret that our Local Committee were not permitted to share in it. . . . Good people all, please to consider Shakespeare “celebrated” and your arduous labours at an end: for the future, regard yourselves as entirely free to exercise your little natural partialities, and to desert Hamlet and Othello for the more congenial “comic and sentimental vocalisation” of Mr. Handford, and the clever clog-dancing which you appreciate so highly.’ Having served time with John Balmbra and eased Tom through his early days in the Cloth Market, Balmbra’s right-hand man, a Mr J E Jones decided to call it a day. On 3 August 1864 the 'Newcastle Journal' reported that he was presented with ‘a massive gold chain and appendages’, presumably the gift of John Balmbra. ‘Likewise a splendid gold signet ring , by Mr. T. Handford, proprietor of the Wheat Sheaf Music Saloon, as a token of respect and esteem, and for his attention as manager and secretary to the establishment. The presentation was given by Mr. Handford himself; and in a few words, was suitably acknowledged by the recipient.’ On Monday 17 October, as Handford’s time at Balmbra’s was coming to an end he persuaded his ailing wife to join him on stage. He placed a celebratory shout in the 'Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury' on Saturday 15 October 1864. ‘Mrs Handford, The most accomplished Actress and Danseuse of the day’ was to appear alongside her husband, ‘The Great Black Diamond, in their Celebrated Drawing Room Entertainment.’ Handford’s departure was noticed by 'The Era.' ‘The performances . . . under the management of Mr T Handford, concluded on Saturday evening, and on Monday the establishment opened under new Management, a very handsome new proscenium having been introduced, which gives the hall a very gay appearance.’ The hall had been taken on by Joshua L Bagnall and Walter William Blakey and was henceforth known as the Oxford Music Hall. The name change appeared in adverts c1865, and new owner/managers in the form of Joshua L. Bagnall and Walter William Blakey. Adverts for the Music Hall appeared to cease c1879.Details published at the time showed that the stage was only in the region of 5 feet (1.5m) deep from front to back and the gallery was modified into a showroom c1883.Around 1891 reflected the end of the Music Hall heyday, the building becoming the "Oxford Restaurant and Public Hall". Unfortunately the building and its contents were completely destroyed by fire in 1899, by which time it was being used as a billiard hall. A new building, also containing a billiards room, was erected and opened 1901 as the “Carlton Hotel”. In about 1962 it became "Balmbra's Music Hall" complete with balcony at one end, but it was a poor imitation of the famous mid-Victorian Venue. A plaque commemorating the music hall has been placed on the building by Newcastle City Council

The Round was a theatre-in-the-round in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The region's first theatre-in-the-round, it specialised in theatre for children and young people. The Round opened in September 2007, and was home to the Bruvvers Theatre Company.The building in which The Round was housed is a former flax mill designed by John Dobson in 1848. The 180-seat theatre slotted behind a listed facade in a courtyard space between warehouses on Lime Street.The Round was conceived by the Bruvvers Theatre Company artistic director Mike Mould who bought the derelict Cluny building in 1982 with the intention of creating a theatre within its walls. In 2005, Mould sent a letter to his friends asking each to donate £1 to help fund the cost of building the theatre. Bruvvers director and television scriptwriter Julie Blackie suggested alternative methods of fundraising.The theatre had one wall with a fixed block of 40 seats and three balconies, with the remaining seats moveable according to the needs of each production According to the company, there was "one main route onto the stage for the performers, but also a few secret passages to add an element of surprise."The company filed for voluntary liquidation in May 2008, just eight months after its launch. The Round Theatre had been built with capital funding from a consortium of parties in the Ouseburn district of Newcastle but had failed to secure funding for programming or administrative costs. Directors Jeannie Adams and Julie Blackie decided to cease trading and begin liquidation proceedings. Average houses of just 52% fell far short of the 70% capacity the company had budgeted to break even.

Monument is an electoral ward and area of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was established as an electoral ward in 2018. It takes its name from Grey's Monument. It replaced most of Westgate ward, parts of South Jesmond and some of Ouseburn.

Tup Tup Palace is a nightclub in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. It was created in 2007 by entrepreneur James Jukes and club promoters Nigel Holliday and Matthew Smyth at a cost of £2M. The major investors were Nicholas Woodhead and Scottish & Newcastle PLC. The club is located opposite Newcastle Cathedral in the city centre. The venue has a capacity of 600 people and focuses largely on table service. It has become known primarily for its celebrity customers.

The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers (NEIMME), commonly known as The Mining Institute, is a British Royal Chartered learned society and membership organisation dedicated to advancing science and technology in the North and promoting the research and preservation of knowledge relating to mining and mechanical engineering. The membership of the Institute is elected on the basis of their academic and professional achievements with Members and Fellows entitled to the postnominal MNEIMME and FNEIMME. The Institutes’ membership is predominantly from local industry and from academics at Durham and Newcastle Universities, though members are also located further afield across the UK. The Institute was founded in 1852 in Newcastle upon Tyne, and was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1876. The Institute developed one of the largest collections of mining information in the world. Its library, named after the first President Nicholas Wood contains more than twenty thousand volumes of technical literature, in the fields of mining, geology, mechanical engineering, government blue books, mine rescue, mineralogy, mineral chemistry, mining statistics, mining law, seismology and other related topics. In 2019 the assets of the Institute – building, library and archive collections and staff – were transferred to a new charity, The Common Room of the Great North, established to "celebrate the region's engineering history through education and engagement, with a vision to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers". Neville Hall, the Institute building, was closed for refurbishment in 2019.

Grainger Town is the historical commercial centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Incorporating classical streets built by Richard Grainger, a builder and developer, between 1824 and 1841, some of Newcastle's finest buildings and streets lie within the Grainger Town area of the city centre including Grainger Market, Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street. These buildings are predominantly four storeys, with vertical dormers, domes, turrets and spikes. Richard Grainger was said to 'have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone'. Of Grainger Town's 450 buildings, 244 are listed, of which 29 are grade I and 49 are grade II*. Grainger Town covers approximately 36 ha (89 acres), and the architecture is dubbed 'Tyneside Classical' architecture. One of the streets of Grainger Town, Grey Street, was described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as 'one of the finest streets in England'. The area also includes a mediaeval 13th-century Dominican friary, pieces of the historic Town Walls and many fine Georgian and Victorian buildings. Almost all of Grainger Town is within Newcastle's Central Conservation Area, one of the first to be designated in England. The majority of the buildings are in private ownership. The area around Grey's Monument and Grey Street is expanding fast, with high quality shopping outlets, designer fashions and jewellery. The Central Exchange, containing the Edwardian Central Arcade, is located within this area.

The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne (or the Lit & Phil as it is popularly known) is a historical library in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and the largest independent library outside London. The library is still available for both lending (to members) and as a free reference library.

St John's Church is a 13th-century church on the corner of Grainger Street and Westgate Road in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, dedicated to St John the Baptist.

GreyFriars, Newcastle-upon-Tyne was a friary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, which was founded in Pilgrim Street in 1237, was sold after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and then rebuilt as a private residence, as New Place and Anderson Place, before being demolished to become Grey Street.

Grey's Monument is a Grade I listed monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey built in 1838 in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was erected to acclaim Earl Grey for the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832 and stands at the head of Grey Street. It consists of a statue of Lord Grey standing atop a Roman Doric column on a pedestal of local sandstone, 135-foot-high (41 m) in total. The column was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green, and the statue was created by the sculptor Edward Hodges Baily (creator of Nelson's statue in Trafalgar Square). It was paid for by public subscription.In July 1941, during World War II, the head of the statue was knocked off by a bolt of lightning. In 1947, sculptor Roger Hedley (the son of painter Ralph Hedley) created a new head based on the preserved fragments of the original.The monument lends its name to Monument Metro station, a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro located directly underneath, to the Monument Mall Shopping Centre and to the Monument local authority ward. The surrounding area is simply known as Monument. A spiral staircase leads to a viewing platform at the top of the monument, which is occasionally opened to the public. Old photographs indicate that the monument was originally on a traffic island and was surrounded by railings. These railings are no longer present, and the area around the monument is now pedestrianised and is home to many shops, some independent and some up-scale designer boutiques. The wide base of the monument is a popular spot for people-watching, and often acts as a venue for buskers, religious speakers and political activists/protesters. The Maxïmo Park song By the Monument refers to Grey's Monument and the line "By the monument you hear, man is screaming through a megaphone;'Get your hands off the Middle East'" in the song Play God by Sam Fender is an apparent reference to Grey's Monument. The Monument is in the Monument electoral ward of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, and the parliamentary constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne Central.