Newcastle's History and Modernity

My first impression of Newcastle can be characterized as an unfortunate state of feeling underwhelmed. I guess when I envisioned studying abroad, the most magnificent and extraordinary European views and sights come to mind. You may picture the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, or the beautiful beaches of Santorini. But Newcastle is a heavily populated city, bustling with students and young individuals, and at first, I felt as though it could be comparable to any random city in the U.S.

Almost a month into my time here, I now feel differently, and the uniqueness of Newcastle only seems to become more prominent to me as time passes.

Whether it is 8 am or 8 pm, the crowded streets do not subside. Passing by strangers, I catch pieces of their conversations, enthralled with their accents and the things that excite them enough to talk about.

As someone who has never experienced culture shock to such an extreme before, many of the U.S. to U.K. differences have been, well, shocking. A great deal of the slang utilized here is not familiar to me. For example, when someone asks you, “you alright?” they are not asking if you are ok. Instead, this means “what’s up?”- This still confuses me. There are so many small phrases that have been ingrained into my brain and vocabulary at this point: “cheers” instead of “thank you,” “module” instead of “class,” “waiting on the cue” instead of “waiting on a line,” “lad” instead of “guy,” and so much more that I know and have yet to learn.

I think of the cities I have frequented myself: Baltimore while at school and New York when home. I compare them to Newcastle and one of the first similarities that comes to mind is the homeless population. Although a worldwide phenomenon, I notice how homeless people differ here from those in the states. There is a subduedness to them. When strangers pass by, they either stay quiet or politely ask if anyone would be so kind as to spare some change. In New York, I have observed some homeless individuals to be quite irate in their asks for money, especially when someone refuses to give them money. However here, there is a simple silent, just acknowledged existence of homeless people, and it is an issue that I would like to get involved with through Newcastle University if possible.

There is a particular scent that engulfs the city that I have grown quite familiar with. Endless amounts of people, including students younger than me, smoke cigarettes. The rich, woody scent floods the air, leaving its mark through mobile clouds of milky white and grey. Yet, in the moments I am not near a smoker, I breathe in the crisp, chilly air, pulling my large blanket scarf closer to my face.

As an addicted coffee drinker, I enjoy the scent of it emitted in every direction. Through the spills that marinate into the sidewalk or open cups being sipped by strangers passing by, it is always present. Through a monthly subscription to Pret a Manger, I can enjoy up to five coffees/handcrafted beverages every day. Thus, my friends and I have established our routines for getting our caffeine fix after class each morning.

Considering the endless food and beverage options in this city, you would assume that a great deal of litter and pollution exists. However, Newcastle prides itself in being quite a sustainable city, and this is something I have noticed in living here. Despite this, a city is a city, and there will always be cigarette remnants, spills, wrappers, and food crumbs on the street. However, the populous bird population has no issue taking care of those food scraps. Pigeons litter the ground in every direction, cooing and pecking at remnants of French fries and pastries. Pedestrians almost step on them as they rush by, stimulating many to take flight. They hang low in the air, practically brushing over the heads of humans.

Although many citizens powerwalk, bag in hand attempting to reach their destination swiftly, I have noticed an overall lessened sense of rushing here. Back in the U.S., in every aspect of life, it feels as though Americans struggle to be present, as they are constantly in a rush, thinking about the next thing to occur. People briskly walk by the city centre (British spelling!), taking in their surroundings, and simply enjoying life.

Street performers are a daily presence in the city. Saxophones blare through big, black speakers as I walk to class, and by the time I get out, a duet of young women sing pop songs against a backing track. I enjoy the fact that every time I walk into the city, there is a new individual or group, singing or playing an instrument, sharing their preferred musical genre with the public.

Newcastle’s current exciting nightlife, fresh faces, smells, and musical sounds would not exist without its extensive history, dating back about 2,000 years. Most likely very obvious, Newcastle gets its name from a castle! In 1080, the Scottish were taking over the area and the Normans were attempting to reclaim the land, thus William the Conqueror of England sent his eldest son, Robert Curthose north to defend the kingdom. The original castle was actually made of wood, however, when King Henry II was crowned king in 1154, he decided to rectify the issues that come along with building a castle out of wood (for example, wood rots over time). 1168 was the year the wooden castle began its transition into a stone castle. Although the castle has experienced some rebuilding and restoration over the years, the famous “Black Gate” in front of the castle still stands.

The famous "Black Gate"

Views from the top of the castle!

You can see the Tyne Bridge from up here!

Newcastle has an extensive industrial history, and besides the castle, is known for its numerous bridges. In fact, it was the first city in the world to build a combined road and rail bridge, with the High Level Bridge considered the most remarkable historical engineering project in the city. Countless bridges have been constructed over the River Tyne in Newcastle over time, but only seven bridges between central Newcastle and Gateshead exist today. The Tyne bridge appears to be one of the most iconic to Newcastle in my opinion, as before arriving in the U.K. I constantly came across pictures of it while researching. It was even more impressive than I had imagined, and I am grateful that I got to see it in person.

Me in front of the Tyne Bridge