As for the curve of Grey Street, I shall never forget seeing it to perfection, traffic-less on a misty Sunday morning. Not even Regent Street, even old Regent Street London, can compare with that descending subtle curve.
Sir John Betjeman
As London has Nelson's Column as a focal point of the city, Newcastle has Grey's Monument. It is more than appearance that links those two tall pillars. Inspiration for building Grey's monument came from the early Victorian decision to build a memorial in London to England's most famous admiral. And as it happened, Newcastle built theirs first. The costs of building that monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey KG PC, came from public subscription, as did that for Nelson's column.
Newcastle's monument is not a tribute to a military hero but to a politician. But not just any politician. It was Charles Grey who, as Prime Minister, oversaw the passing of the Great Reform Act. An act that expanded the voting franchise away from small numbers of the wealthy by extending such rights to the ‘humbler’. Also, under Grey's administration came the Slavery Abolition Act, which led to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Grey was also a staunch supporter of Catholic emancipation at a time when the common perception was Catholicism remained a 'threat' in Britain. It is fitting that the Northeast celebrates such a reforming forward thinker and 'one of its own' in such a way.
That's not to say there isn't recognition of its military figures in the Northeast too. In my piece, 'I must go down to the seas again,' I mentioned the statue of Admiral Collingwood gazing out to sea near North Shields. He took command at Trafalgar after Nelson's death. And, of course, the admiral is forever immortalised in the Geordie Anthem, Blaydon Races …. "Alang, we went doon Collingwood Street".
In a flight of fancy, I imagine Collingwood, on taking command of the English Fleet at Trafalgar, offering Geordie encouragement in line with Nelson's 'England Expects', of "Howay lads, let's get stuck in…."
But to get back to Charles Grey or to give him his full title Earl Grey. Now, why does that name ring a bell?
Well, there are theories aplenty about how the now-popular tea acquired its well-known name, and no one knows for sure. Some say the blend with added bergamot better suited the water of Charles’ home in Northumberland. Some say Charles gave the recipe to the tea-makers Jackson of Piccadilly, who today still supposedly make the blend to the same formula. Another theory is that the Grey in question is not Charles but William Grey, a tea merchant, who added the 'Earl' to the name of the tea to give it more significant kudos by association with the famous Prime minister. In truth, no one knows.
Even with his hard work reforming the political landscape of Britain, Charles found time for a dalliance or two before his eventual marriage. One of the most famous of these dalliances was that with Georgiana, the Duchess of Cavendish. She was born of the Spencer line, from which, in later generations, Diana Spencer, the future 'People's Princess', would emerge. As with Diana, Georgiana was in a loveless marriage. However, in the more 'enlightened' times in which Georgiana lived, Society did not shun a lady for having an affair, provided she had borne a son and heir to her husband. Such was the case with Georgina, who also fell pregnant to Charles Grey. Charles’ parents raised the resulting daughter as part of the Grey family.
The 2008 film, 'The Duchess' portrays a romanticised version of Georgiana’s life with Keira Knightley playing the lead role and Dominic Cooper, a young Charles Grey,
After Georgiana ended her relationship with Charles, he married Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby, and together they had sixteen children. Given the number of offspring, one can't help sympathising with Mary, and there is an argument that she deserves a monument too!
As well as his monument Grey has his street in Newcastle, and as you can see from the words of John Betjeman above, it's quite a street. Some years ago, BBC Radio 4 listeners voted it "Best street in the UK". It's a beautiful example of Georgian architecture, and even when first built much lauded. William Gladstone, the then Prime Minister, described it as the country's "best modern street". Pride of place along it goes to Newcastle's Theatre Royal, built at the same time as the street. Also notable is the Central Arcade with its interior of shops that, whenever I venture inside, reminds me of a scaled-down version of such arcades in Italy—for example, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and the Galleria Umberto I in Naples.
For a few years after its construction, the street, now named after Charles, carried the name Upper Dean Street. So-called because it traced the route of the dene through which the River Locke ran into the Tyne. As with such rivers as the Fleet in London, to improve sanitation, the authorities constructed a road to cover the Locke. But unlike Fleet Street, which runs away from the River Fleet, Upper Dean Street followed the route of the Locke, causing the gentle curve, which John Betjeman mentions, to the east as it descends southwards to the Tyne.
Of course, however well-meant at the time, such monuments to Grey, Nelson and Collingwood are of the past. One can't imagine today's public subscribing to similar monuments to military figures or politicians or wishing to see such personages perched high above them.
Good piece of history, giving name to a street and a tea
Lovely writing ... I love the 'insiders' local perspective flavoured with the wider knowledge of a man steeped in curiosity; thanks so much for sharing. You sound in good form, relishing your return home. I must peek into Substack more often ... I find myself missing things or constantly reading to catch up. Warmly, Barrie