Over a handsome bridge crossing the lake (by the side of which lie a fleet of new pleasure skiffs and a supply of hand-driven boats for children) lies the Palace of Arts, constructed of artificial stone, with an inner lining of concrete blocks. It houses a varied collection of pictures, modern and early.
Newspaper Article at the time of the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition
As I walked towards the Wylam Brewery from the south of Newcastle's Town Moor, it seemed to me that I approached a palace. And indeed, I was, as the building was once named the 'Palace of Arts'. The last surviving building from the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition, the intention of which was to show the world what the Northeast was capable of in terms of crafts, arts, and industry. There was hope the Exhibition might attract new industries to the region to offer work to the many unemployed. However, while the Exhibition ran for six months and gave much pleasure to the over four million people that attended, by the time it closed, the Great Depression had descended on the world, dashing all hope for an industrial resurgence.
After the Exhibition, the Palace of Arts became a Science Museum. For many years housing the steamship Turbinia. Built by a shipyard in Newcastle's Wallsend in 1894, Turbinia was the world’s first steam turbine-powered steamship. It set the standard for the next generation of steamships. When I first looked in awe at the sleek lined vessel around 60 years ago, it had moved to what is now Newcastle's Discovery Museum. I revisited the museum recently, and Turbinia still has pride of place and is still an impressive sight.
The Palace of Arts took on a new life in the 1980s. It became a Military Vehicle Museum until its closure in 2006 because of fears about the building's structural safety. That might have been the end of the building despite its Grade 2 Listing. That is until two multi-award-winning leisure developers, Rob Cameron, and Dave Stone, decided to breathe new life into the Palace of Arts. Their vision was to create a multi-discipline arts and entertainment venue, to support the region's emerging talent by hosting live shows and events. The two invited Wylam Brewery, the area's longest-standing independent craft brewery, to take up residence and offered them the opportunity to host events for independent artisan food traders.
My first visit was to listen to an interview with Stuart Maconie, the journalist, writer, and broadcaster, on the eve of the publication of his book 'The Full English'. Many people may know of Stuart from his BBC Radio show. In the book, Stuart retraces the journey around England first taken by the writer J B Priestley in his 1934 book 'English Journey'.
In the early 1930s, the publisher Victor Gollancz commissioned J B Priestley and George Orwell separately to each write a study of contemporary England. George Orwell focused on the miners of Northwest England and their harsh living and working conditions, producing 'The Road to Wigan Pier'. J B Priestley took a different approach and travelled around England. His book is less unrelenting than Orwell's and more humorous. However, Priestley still offers his sharp observations on the social problems he saw with an appeal for democratic socialist change. Orwell's book describes a hellish vision of a broken Britain before the author, too, offers his thoughts on creating a fairer society. While Orwell’s book is the more well-known today, some see Priestley’s 'English Journey' as the more influential work. For example, Margaret Drabble says the book "has even been credited with winning the 1945 election for the Labour Party".
I recommend both Orwell's and Priestley's books if you seek insight into England in the period between the Great War and The Second World War. Orwell's is the more challenging read of the two, and his writing is less affected by the trauma still with Priestley from his service and wounding in the Great War. Moreover, Orwell reflects on the dangers of fascism more than Priestley, who dismisses the English variant as foolish. But what they both do is ‘put to bed’ any ideas we might have today of some golden inter-World War age.
Maconie faithfully follows Priestley's route around England and offers a personal insight and humorous view of the English and England. I suspect many of us will recognise ourselves. And like Priestley, Maconie is a passionate advocate for the English and England, a people and country they both love and find frustrating. Maconie paints a vivid, and I confess laugh aloud in places, portrait of a country that is at once proud and troubled, confident, and insecure. A nation that continues to struggle to come to terms with its past, present, and future. But he also finds a country that is full of hope and potential. While the book may not influence the next General Election, it is still a very worthy and entertaining read.
My second visit to Wylam was less cerebral and more gastronomic. It was for 'Slice Wars' - a competition between several of the best Pizza places in the area—each to pitch their signature dough, sauce, and toppings for public consumption and comparison. Stuart Maconie had a full house, but 'Slice Wars' filled both the 'house' and all the ground surrounding the brewery, which saw the cooking and serving of Pizzas that filled many stomachs. The estimate is that over the two days of the family and, from the number I met, dog friendly event saw consumed some 20,000 slices of Pizza (I managed 3).
The pizzas offered wide variations in toppings and style. From the deep-pan pizza 'pies' so beloved by those from the USA to the more traditional thin-based 'Pizza Romana'. Now I confess I’m spoilt. Regular readers will know that Naples, the birthplace of Pizza, is my favourite Italian City (see my ‘Vedi Napoli e poi muori!’). I have eaten pizza (and many other Neapolitan delicacies) there many times. From Pizza Napoletana with its soft and thin base and the thicker edge that better encloses what should be a simple topping. And Calzone, the Italian Cornish pasty. To Pizza Fritta, the deep-fried variant that, in my case, always feels stomach-distending. While what I sampled at Wylam was flavoursome, none matched up. Indeed, I have only come across one place in the UK that comes near to what I've enjoyed in Naples: Berthas (the name the owners gave their wood-fired oven) in Bristol. And to achieve that success, the owners spent much time on the road understanding what truly makes great Pizza, and a lot of that time was in Naples.
Of course, you don't have to attend an event at Wylam Brewery if you fancy a beer or a bite to eat. It has a popular tap house that is open for drinks and food. I'll no doubt pop in for a pint when I revisit the Town Moor in a week or so for one of Newcastle's oldest and most noteworthy events. And, of course, I will no doubt share my meander through that.
Living in Blaydon, eh? Well that's worth a follow as far as I am concerned. We once lived in Whickham when I was a boy, Dad was postmaster of Blaydon. I'm enjoying reading and writing in the Substacksphere. Feel free to take a look at https://peterharkness.substack.com/ .
“A country that is at once proud and troubled, confident, and insecure. A nation that continues to struggle to come to terms with its past, present, and future.” That is so true and is exactly how I feel about our England.
Have you come across this piece that was doing the rounds a couple of months ago? Not sure I agree with everything in there but certainly seems to raise the right questions about where we are as a country.
https://www.palladiummag.com/2023/04/27/britain-is-dead/