The Newcastle Drop - July 7, 2025
The Great North 10K attracted thousands of runners and spectators, but bridge closures caused problems for drivers. Elsewhere, TV stars are heading to the city.
Good morning Newcastle. Here’s today’s Newcastle Drop
🏃 Thousands of runners took part in the AJ Bell Great North 10K race yesterday. The race was won by Dean Williamson, of Colchester Harriers, with Louise Small, from Aldershot Farnham and District Athletics Club, winning the women’s competition. - Barbara Hodgson, ChronicleLive
⛔ The Redheugh Bridge was also closed yesterday after reports of a person on the wrong side of the safety barriers. The person was brought to safety, but the bridge was closed for around six hours. - Owen Younger, ChronicleLive
🚗 A crackdown on commuters and shoppers looking for free parking close to the city centre is set to come into force this autumn. - Dan Holland, Local Democracy Reporter
🚍 A second group of bus workers in Newcastle are being balloted on strike action. The engineering and support staff working for Stagecoach in the city are being balloted over pay by the union Unite, following a similar vote by drivers. - Jonny Manning, BBC
🐀 Residents have filmed a back lane in Benwell swarming with rats. The city council cleared the lane at Ellesmere Road of rubbish and said it is ‘committed to keeping Newcastle's streets clean.’ - Nicole Goodwin, ChronicleLive
In the city: historian and podcast host William Dalrymple will be at the Tyne Theatre tonight with his show How Ancient India Transformed the World
💷 A national ceremony celebrating the real living wage has been held in Newcastle. - Graeme Whitfield, BusinessLive
🚁 A public inquiry will be held into a rejected plan to build hundreds of homes on the Newcastle Heliport. Councillors refused planning permission for apartments on the site but developer MB European Limited hopes to have the decision overturned. - Dan Holland, Local Democracy Reporter
⚖️ A former Jesmond taxi driver turned to selling cannabis to feed his own habit after the breakdown of his arranged marriage. Muhammad Ali admitted supplying cannabis and received a six-month suspended sentence. - David Huntley, ChronicleLive
🏳️🌈 Organisers of the Newcastle Pride festival have teamed up with the Theatre Royal to stage family activities for the event. The family and youth zone at the theatre will be open on July 19. - Jason Button, Newcastle World
🏥 St Oswald’s Hospice in Gosforth has welcomed David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission for England, as part of Good Care Month.
📖 Charity Equal Arts is putting on a reading group for people with dementia and their carers. The sessions at the City Library aim to encourage people who are at the early stages of dementia to carry on reading. - Sam Volpe, ChronicleLive
🌊 TV stars George Clarke and Simon Reeve are set to headline Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival in Newcastle. The ninth annual event, which has the theme of ‘regeneration’, takes place at Newcastle Racecourse next week. - Graeme Whitfield, BusinessLive
💷 Councillors in Newcastle want a “fairer” deal over the loss of council tax because of an exemption for full-time students. The gap between the lost council tax income and the reimbursement Newcastle gets from the Government stands at £21.8m. - Dan Holland, Local Democracy Reporter
👨⚖️ A serial shoplifter has been banned from entering certain Greggs and Co-op stores after his latest theft spree. Dylan Curry admitted three theft charges and will be sentenced later this year. - Sara Nichol, ChronicleLive
🚄 Publicly owned train operators Northern, LNER and TransPennine Express are coordinating their maintenance plans at the Heaton TrainCare Centre. It is hoped the new arrangements will enable the three companies to pool their resources more effectively. - Roger Smith, Railadvent
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📌 Newcastle Building Society’s new city centre branch will open today. The site on Grainger Street is a former French Connection and Geordie Jeans site.
📌 The Lemington community engagement ward committee will be held today. The meeting takes place at the Lemington Centre on Tyne View, starting at 4pm.
📌 Newcastle University pro vice-chancellor Jane Robinson has been appointed to join the Independent Commission on Social Cohesion, which is aiming to help build a stronger, more connected sense of community across the UK.
📌 The Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle visited St Mary’s School in the city to help pupils celebrate the Church’s Jubilee Year. Stephen Wright met students and led a Mass for the Year 7 pupils.
The 100 best things in Newcastle
Number 25: Blackfriars
The first restaurant to make our ‘best of’ list - and not just because I was there on Saturday and it was excellent. Based in 13th century former Dominican friary, Blackfriars is reputed to be the oldest dining room in the UK.
In each edition of the Newcastle Drop I’ll be sharing some of my favourite things about Newcastle. You can see the previous selection here. I haven’t got all 100 worked out just yet, so feel free to make suggestions on what I should include. You can get in touch here with your own favourites.
Thanks for reading The Newcastle Drop - a new newsletter that aims to bring together all of the news and community events from around our city. It’s brought to you by Graeme Whitfield, editor of The Journal and long-time resident of the city.
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