2nd March 2024
(Updated 19th March 2024)
Dear Readers
This Website forms the basis of a Campaign for more geographic- appropriate news-coverage for communities North of the River Tyne with recognition that wider regional links for folk living in Northumberland are not necessarily other parts of North East England or Cumbria. There are articles on the website illustrating how “local” the output from BBC1 Look North (NE/ Cumbria) and ITV1 News Tyne Tees really is for folk living across England’s Border County, and whether in some situations different combinations of Regional TV, such as those serving Edinburgh and eastern Scotland, may be more geographic-appropriate. Viewers can, of course, put pressure on Regional TV broadcasters by threatening to boycott Regional TV programming to watch a combination local news- websites and Regional TV for Edinburgh and the Lothian areas. This has been discussed in a number of articles.
Regional TV programming and, indeed some of the national programming outside of the Regional TV slots, can leave a lot to be desired for folk living in rural northern Northumberland and in coastal communities north of the Wansbeck. Regional TV news is mainly about Tyneside and Teesside, with a good helping of North Yorkshire and (in the case of BBC1 Look North) Cumbria too. National programming is often metropolitan-focussed on the interests of the broad London-Coventry/Birmingham- Manchester/Liverpool axis. However, even that would not matter too much if there was more local/ Regional programming and documentaries concerned with Northumbrian matters.
“One Size Fits All” National Broadcasting fails Northernmost Communities
There are issues behind uniform Regional TV coverage or National programming across all of North East England, with no variation between Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and Berwick-upon-Tweed 150 miles further north. These issues go beyond just broadcast media. England is a small country compared to others in the World but this does not mean local and wider Regional, even international links don’t change from coastal south-west Cornwall to Berwick-upon-Tweed- a distance by car of almost 550 miles and involving nine and a half hours’ continuous driving in good, clear road conditions! Yet all these areas get the same National news, the same national BBC documentaries, the same BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 live.
For sure, England is a nation in which many are proud of their national identity, and it has a rich history. Folk living across the entire country identify with and associate with England and English affairs, and that is no less true of Northumberland (which voted as a county for Brexit- by 55% to 45%- on a 74.4% turnout). No-one can accuse Northumbrians of not being patriotic.
However, there is strong patriotism towards the country across many other countries in the World. Switzerland is a prime example where there is a national pride in all things Swiss. However, viewers in the very north of Switzerland speak German and can (and do) watch German national and Regional news- programming. There are also more Regional TV-services in Switzerland so that the Regional TV News- services cover smaller areas so are more local. I covered this in this article (https://looknorthmustlooknorth.org/2021/12/30/regional-television-in-switzerland/). This is a bit like folk living in Northumberland being able to get Scottish national news on their TV, or able to get Regional TV from Western Norway. Naturally, no Northumbrians easily have this option!
Dilution of Northumbrian Local identity with legal Hard Borders
During the tumultuous period when Brexit was being debatted in the House of Commons, when Theresa May was Prime Minister (from July 2016 through to July 2019), much was made of the possibility of a “Hard Border” on the island of Ireland. Theresa May did not have a majority and she was held captive by the DUP who did not want a border down the Irish Sea- and a Parliament that was more concerned about a so-called “Hard Border” between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The majority of MPs who thwarted Theresa May in “delivering Brexit”, were concerned at the loss of freedom of movement between the EU and Britain and the impact on trade. Theresa May resigned about seven weeks after the Cooper Bill was passed (a law designed to stop a No Deal Brexit, so-named after the Labour MP Yvette Cooper who tabled this bill).
The border between the Irish Republic remains fairly open in a number of respects. Folk from the North East of England do not need a passport to travel to Ireland. However, try using one’s driving licence to sail from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Stavanger, in Norway and you would be turned back. That’s despite Norway not being in the European Union, even though Ireland is. Rather perversely, because of the EU’s Schengen Agreement (which both Norway and Switzerland are signed up to despite not being in the EU) it is possible for someone from Portugal (over 1,000 miles south of Northern Britain) to travel to Norway on a driving licence, but a Northumbrian could not do the same (despite living a fraction of the distance from Norway). To all intents and purposes there is a “Hard Border” between Northumberland and Norway, which means that without a passport you cannot cross that border.
This has consequences in terms of Northumberland and Tyneside and the Northumberland and Geordie dialect, and in terms with the region’s historical links with Norway. Northern Northumberland also has strong cross-border ties north-westwards with Scotland, although the Scottish Border is not a “Hard Border” (whether that remains the case in future, should Scotland vote for independence is another matter).
Easy-Mixing of folk from the South, but a “Hard Border” in the North Sea
The needs of folk having to travel to get work combined with the effects of immigration into Britain means that the indigenous population of Northumberland and Tyneside has been progressively diluted. Nowhere more has this impact in the North East been brought home to me than when I attended the funeral of a wonderful Christian friend in the West End of Newcastle-upon-Tyne last June. All the shops and homes around the area have been snapped up by folk of Asian origin, and this is an area that fifty years ago would have had Geordie families- miners, shop-owners, fishermen, coal-miners, etc. But it’s not just immigration into Britain that has had this effect, but the impact of folk moving across Britain to retire, to find work, to move nearer parents who have moved, etc. The result has been a dilution of the Geordieness of Tyneside and the Northumbrian-ness of Northumberland.
This sort of change, replicated across large areas of Northern England could well be one of influences behind the Brexit vote.
One geographic-specific type of cross-Border travel and ease-of-movement that would have helped maintain historic Regional ties and strengthened the uniqueness of North East English dialect, Northumbrian hospitality and care for family would have been an easier, more open border between North East England and Norway. The teaching of Norwegian in all Northumbrian schools would also help preserve Northumbria’s unique dialect and help further to maintain historical links between Northumberland, Tyneside and Norway. Happily, the historical ferry-service linking Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stavanger and Bergen (which was axed in 2008) is set to resume in 2026 which will help maintain the historical links between Scandinavia and North East England (https://ferrygogo.com/plans-for-ferry-between-newcastle-and-norway-in-2026/).
The need for a Passport to get to Norway remains. Certain folk in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and coastal/ northern Northumberland don’t have passports because of mental illness or past criminal convictions- and relatively minor misdemeanours can get folk banned from having a Passport: So for such folk in Northumberland there remains very much a “Hard Border” in the North Sea. For instance, a Civil Court can issue a Court Order (on evidence that does not require the proof of a Criminal Court) for your Passport to be confiscated. And that’s that, if you live in Seahouses and have a relative that lives just 350 miles across the North Sea in Stavanger- hard lines! You won’t be able to visit them!
The solution to this matter will either involve the British Government applying for Britain to join the Schengen area (unlikely after Brexit), or for Norway (with Sweden and Iceland) to exit the Schengen Area and join Britain’s Common Travel area. The latter option seems more conceivable because both Britain and Norway have had increased levels of immigration, and the Schengen Agreement facilitates travel across Europe without passports. Another option could be for folk to prevail upon the Norwegian Government to recognise links between Norway and North East England and make the point that travel from Portugal or southern Italy to Norway should not be easier than travel from Northumberland to Norway given closer cultural, linguistic and geographic ties! Folk who live in coastal Northumberland, who may have Norwegian friends or colleagues through North Sea fishing or the Oil Industry could write to them.
For folk writing to the Norwegian Prime Minister (currently Ærede. Herr Jonas Gahr Støre) do write a letter rather than just send an email: Letters have more impact than e-mails and are less likely to be filtered by secretaries. They accept letters in English, so write to this address:
Ærede. Herr. Jonas Gahr Støre
The Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box 8001 dep.
(NO-)0030 OSLO, NORWAY
Do talk about the “Hard Border” and the need for Passports to travel between North East England and Norway, and would the Norwegian Government do something about it. Don’t forget to post the letter Air Mail. The cost of sending a letter to Norway (Standard Delivery) is £2.20.
Relavance to Regional TV Programming.
So how is this relevant to North East English Regional TV and programming received by Northumbrian viewers? It is very much so, because North East England, East and North East Scotland share this “Hard Border” between Scandinavia and Northern Britain, all on the side separated from Norway! This “Hard Border” cuts across all the geographic and community links that are on either side of this “Hard Border”. Language differences and 300 miles of North Sea still make this a significant border all the same, but coastal Northumberland, coastal north-east Scotland and coastal western and southern Norway do have links by virtue of the North Sea between them- in which Northumbrians, Scots and Norwegians have worked together on oil-rigs, in fishing and (more recently)- in constructing a pipeline transporting electricity on the North Sea bed from Kvilldal in southern Norway to Blyth in Northumberland.
To ram home this point, links between Norway and North East England continue today with work starting on the new Dogger Bank Wind Farm situated about 100 miles off the North East Coast in the North Sea: The Head-quarters for the project will be based at the new Tyne Clean Energy Park at the Port of Tyne based at South Shields and North East businesses will be involved in the construction of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. A major Norwegian energy company Equinor, and Vårgrønn- a major Norwegian offshore Wind turbine company will also play a central role in the construction- and later- the operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm which you can read all about here: https://doggerbank.com/doggerbankd/. It is certain that professional and personal relationships between folk from North East England and from Norway will result during the construction and completion of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, as happened in previous decades during the years of North Sea oil prospecting.
But there remains that “Hard Border” separating communities and the links between North East England/ Scotland and Norway- and even though this is at a wide regional level- it is a newsworthy topic that is relevant to folk living in North East England in itself. The further north one is, the more acute the impacts of this “Hard Border” are. There are folk who live in Northumberland, particularly coastal areas who have friends and who may have family in Norway, and Geordies and Northumbrians do visit Norway for short breaks. Anything that gets in the way of those links is not only harmful but is potentially damaging to the Economies of both western/ southern Norway, and North East England/ Scotland alike.
National State- directed conformity of Northumberland to the rest of England
The Brexit legislation and wrangling in the House of Commons was impacted by concern over a possible “Hard Border” between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. But the North East of England and Norway are affected by another “Hard Border” that gets little discussion (or indeed recognition) at Regional level, let alone at National level!
Viewers of Regional TV and local broadcasting in Northumberland are provided with news- services that they are “supposed” to watch because they are in North East England, which is part of England! Whilst National and Regional identity is important (and no-one can accuse born and bred Northumbrians of not being patriotic or not having a strong affiliation with their region) people live in geographical locations, many of them close to the Scottish Border, in which case they have family links or work-related links to those just across the Scottish Border into Scotland. Whilst the International Border between Northumberland/ eastern Scotland and Norway is a harder border, for folk working in North Sea- related businesses they may have connections with the nearest other country on the other side of the North Sea to where they live, namely Norway.
In geographical terms, national borders are man-made lines drawn on maps, but for nature these borders don’t exist (through 300 miles of North Sea between North East England and Norway is a fairly effective natural border, though not an insurmountable one): And for the links within and between adjacent communities (through trade, family connections) as evidenced by the development of local dialects and business links the National Border can get in the way. In terms of ease-of-travel it is quicker to fly from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Norway than to get to south-west England.
Language differences, arising from national British educational and family input, is another border between North East England and Norway, that were geographic considerations to hold more sway would not be there. It is not inconceivable that if more effort was made to preserve the Northumbrian and Geordie dialects, and Norwegian (the root of a number of Geordie words like gan, bairn and hyem) was made compulsory learning across Northumberland and Tyneside from age nine upwards the language barrier with their nearest neighbour across the North Sea would be almost non-existant.
Were Norwegian taught in schools from a young age across Northumberland/ Tyneside the Norwegian authorities would almost certainly respond by conferring on folk from the North East better favourability (possibly waiving the need for a Passport for those from Northumberland and Tyneside to visit Norway) compared to the rest of Britain. At it is, Britain’s National Education system has all schools teaching French, with no difference between Penzance and Berwick-upon-Tweed (and even then kids can drop languages at 14 years-old): Why?- France may be the nearest neighbour for most of England but it is not for Northumberland or Tyneside!
The fact that the USA shares our language in Britain combined with no teaching of Norwegian in North East schools- and thanks to the import of films from the USA, folk living in Tyneside regularly watch films from California over 5,200 miles away but cannot understand or watch a film made in Bergen just 400 miles away. I wonder if folk living in North East England wonder and ponder at such things, and consider whether the connections foisted upon North East England by the National Curriculum and US cultural influences are unnatural and a little against the grain of what would have developed had natural local connections been encouraged and allowed to take their course? Perhaps they do, and older-generation Northumbrians are saddened at the dilution of their local dialect, but one cannot expect the broadcast authorities locally, or local and national government to take much notice.
What Will Labour Do?
There are two crumbs of comfort at the prospect of a Labour Government elected in Britain later this year (opinion polls have Labour over 20% of the Tories): One is that whilst Labour will seek closer ties with the EU- which goes against the grain of what folk locally voted for in 2016- that process might involve some relaxation of International travel between the UK and Schengen Area countries in Europe (that would ease travel between North East England and Norway). The second is that Labour will almost certainly can the proposals for the abolition of the TV Licence- so that means the BBC’s funding stream to maintain (and hopefully improve) local and Regional TV services in the North East continues into the future.
Unfortunately, a likely effect of Labour getting in to power is a further relaxation of immigration controls, for which read, more Asians moving to the North East further- diluting the Geordie and Northumberland dialect. If that happens Regional TV producers for North East England will be put under greater pressure to cater for Asian and Muslim viewers, as has already happened in North West England. Issues affecting local folk in more provincial parts of the Region, like Northumberland, will be covered less.
The Impact of a “Hard Border” separating communities either side of the North Sea should be a News-Topic for North East Regional TV News
That the “Hard Border” in the North Sea impacts trans-regional links between northern North East England and Norway has been discussed at length. There are a number of facets to it, not just the need for a Passport, but also the language barrier by virtue of the fact that school-children in North East England are not taught Norwegian, but French or Spanish (but even this is not enforced). These topics around the “Hard Border” in the North Sea are all ones that Regional News- broadcasters should discuss in Regional News-bulletins head-on, along with coverage of cross-Border links between Northumberland and Scotland as well as cross- North Sea (Border) links between Northumberland and Norway.
Although none of Norway is remotely local to Northumberland and Tyneside, the North Sea touches coastal Northumberland and Tynemouth: The North Sea has had much industrious activity in it from sea-faring, fishing and oil- exploration to modern- day off-shore wind farms in which Northumbrians have worked alongside colleagues from the other side of the North Sea. Historically too, communities in North East England and Scotland hosted Norwegians when Norway was invaded by Adolf Hitler in 1940. These historical (and more recent) ties with Norway are stronger for northern North East England and Scotland compared to other parts of the UK by virtue of geographic proximity and it would be good for Regional broadcast media in the North East to show-case these connections.
The existence of a “Hard Border” in the North Sea and the increasing mixing-in of North East England with folk from other parts of the UK, compounded by the effects of immigration does mean that local dialects, Northumbrians’ unique warmth and friendliness, and unique Northumbrian businesses are being diluted and lost respectively. Northumberland and Tyneside are losing some of that which keeps these areas unique from other parts of the UK. This also has a real impact on local population in ways that are not positive. This is also a topic worthy of serious discussion in a Regional Political programme, perhaps with North East politicians being challenged on what can be done against it. The programme interviewers could suggest measures to stem and reverse the dilution of local dialect, the decline of communities, and local shops by, amongst other things, doing the following:
- Making available Geordie and Norwegian lessons in schools in the North East.
- Eliminating business rates for small businesses in town and city centres (i.e., those with turnovers less than £4 million annually).
- Getting to grips with immigration, mainly from cultures and countries hostile to the UK way of life.
- Seeking closer Regional ties for North East England with both Scotland and Norway.
- Teaching children about the North East’s history, culture, and music rather than just National Curriculum guidelines all the time.
- Eccouraging- and funding- School and College exchanges between Northumberland/ Tyneside and Scotland/ Norway.
- Liaison between North East English politicians and local councils and the Norwegian government to strengthen and facilitate pan- Regional links and the ease-of-travel between North East England and Norway.
- The may be a bit controversial (although it is worth discussing). But Christian school assemblies should be reintroduced in all schools. Teaching morality and the fear of God will help create a kind, caring and selfless society in the North East in the future. It worked in the past so that Christian values can contribute to making the region better in the future. This is certainly a topic worthy of discussion with regards to retaining and restoring the North East’s positive community qualities.
All of these measures, and more, will help to preserve the North East’s uniqueness compared to the rest of Britain. Strengthening the North East’s links with a country that initially gave Tyneside it’s Geordieness and Northumberland the Northumbrian dialect (i.e., Norway) rather than allowing immigration that would dilute it would certainly be one way to help maintain the North East’s unique characteristics. Norwegians are friendly and welcoming, so forging closer ties with them would help maintain the North East’s traditional friendly and welcoming characteristics compared with elsewhere in Britain. All of this is so relevant to North East England, particularly the northern half of the region northwards of Tyneside. Regional TV broadcasters should not shy away discussing these matters, which pertain to a potential loss of Regional and local identity in Northumberland and Tyneside.
These topics (discussed above) should certainly be discussed on BBC1 Look North (NE/ Cumbria) and ITV1 News Tyne Tees. There should also be other Regional programmes, perhaps with North East England joining Scotland to discuss the impact of the “Hard Border” in the North Sea, the importance of maintaining and strengthening links between the north-east quadrant of Britain and Norway and also strengthening local businesses and dialect to keep the unique local and regional characteristics that make Northumberland, eastern and North East Scotland nice parts of the country to live in.
LOOK NORTH MUST LOOK NORTH 