Northerners: The bestselling history of the North of England

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A hugely respected film producer who co-founded of Trademark Films and began life as an actor. Readers of a certain vintage will remember him playing Peter Harrison in the sitcoms ...And Mother Makes Three and its sequel ...And Mother Makes Five. He went on to be produce a series of hit films including Shakespeare In Love, the Madness of King George as well as being behind The Wipers Times and Parade’s End for TV. George Clarke He was the most prolific film director in British history, directing nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as 20 films per year. He also produced more than 50 films - his own as well as films directed by others.

Northerners by Brian Groom | Waterstones Northerners by Brian Groom | Waterstones

One of the UK’s best selling crime writers whose books including the Vera and Shetland which have been turned into successful TV series. Ann was born in Hertfordshire and moved to the North East in 1987, living in Whitley Bay and has won a series of awards for her works. Tom McGuinness The daughter of a miner, Gina is a hugely talented stage, screen and TV actress who won a BAFTA award for her role as Mary Soulsby in the iconic series Our Friends in the North. She has remained in great demand ever since, her versatility revealed in her CV with appearances in the likes of satirical programme Brass Eye, the film Notting Hill and telly dramas like The Bodyguard and Line of Duty. Andrea Riseborough Brian, originally from Stretford, Lancashire, is a former assistant editor of the Financial Times and editor of Scotland on Sunday. He will be talking about his book and Northern history at Newcastle Lit & Phil on Thursday, May 26. Northerners: A History from the Ice Age to the Present Day (litandphil.org.uk) Northerners also shows how the past echoes down the centuries. The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, recalled the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. The book charts how the North-South divide has ebbed and flowed and explores the very real divisions between Northerners. Born in Newcastle and raised in Cramlington, Ross is one of the country’s top stand up comics as well as one of its most original.

Tynesiders and other North East folk have played a crucial role in shaping modern Britain, according to a major new book. She became known as “Our Kate” after she became one of Britain’s best loved and most widely read authors. In all she wrote 100 books and more than 120 million copies were sold worldwide. They were largely set in her native South Tyneside and coloured by the deprivation she endured growing up. Sting At the age of 47, after 33 years down the mines, Cornish, with the great support of his wife Sarah, decided to quit the industry and concentrate on his art, with huge success. Brian Johnson For over 60 years she captivated theatre and cinema audiences, appearing in 113 stage plays in London and on Broadway, and starring in more than 60 films. Her movies included 1936’s Fire over England, in which she gave a towering performance as Elizabeth I. Kate Adie Born into a working class family - his dad looked after pit ponies - he studied fine art at the University of Newcastle and later became a pottery teacher in London, all the while aiming for a career in music. Ferry formed Roxy Music in 1970 with a group of friends and acquaintances, including Newcastle drummer Paul Thompson. Roxy Music’s first single, Virginia Plain, was a top 10 hit, the beginning of a rich seam of chart topping successes and multi-million selling albums as well as a successful solo career. Alan Plater

Urban Dictionary: Northerner

Brian recounts the notorious visit by Bradford’s JB Priestley to Tyneside in autumn 1933 for his book English Journey. Dosed with medicine for a heavy cold and tired of travelling, Priestley described the Geordie accent as a “most barbarous, monotonous and irritating twang”. Gateshead, he added, was a town “carefully planned by an enemy of the human race”. Marjorie “Mo” Mowlam became one of Britain’s most popular politicians as MP for Redcar. As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, she helped lay the foundations for the Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998, which led to the temporary establishment of a devolved power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly. Her brave fight against a brain tumour which eventually claimed her life cemented her place in the hearts of the country. Adam Wakenshaw Best-known as one of the ‘Hairy Bikers’ along with fellow biker and fellow cook Dave Myers, the pair are a fixture on our TV screens. Si was assistant location manager on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and location manager on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He met Dave Myers in 1995 on the set of a TV drama entitled The Gambling Man, on which he was the second assistant director. Mike Neville It has been a humbling experience to draw up our list and be reminded of the talent the region has produced since 1919, people who are not just champions of the North, but champions of the world. Dame Catherine Cookson

And it has been an extraordinary century for the North East and its people, many of who have made their mark on the national and international stage. Rodney Bewes and James Bolam as Bob Ferris and Terry Collier in the BBC sitcom Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads (Image: BBC)

Northerners, a major new book tells how our region helped

Photo dated circa 1979 issued by Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd of (left to right) Michael Palin, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones on the set of Life of Brian

A prolific and brilliant writer, his work spanned 60 years and graced the stage and the TV. There was always a moral and working-class sensibility to his output – and a hint of the surreal at times – which made him stand out at a time when the country was blessed with great TV writers. Northern is committed to providing a rail network that is inclusive and as accessible as possible, giving everyone an equal opportunity to travel and enjoy all the north of England has to offer. An acclaimed writer whose book ‘The Ghost Road’, part of her ‘Regeneration Trilogy’ set in the First World War, won the prestigious Booker prize in 1995.

things only Northerners living down south will understand 18 things only Northerners living down south will understand

He was the master of self-deprecating humour and the mother-in-law joke, all delivered in his broad North East accent. Norman Cornish

A singer/songwriter whose voice became imprinted on the minds of all who watched the TV programme When The Boat Comes In with his rendition of “Dance Ti Thy Daddy”. Glasgow was also a writer, penning episodes for the first series of the programme. A famous collaboration with Alan Plater and Sid Chaplin led to the 1968 musical Close the Coalhouse Door. A socialist and political animal, he got into trouble in 1970 when he sang a song on the BBC about selling bombs to apartheid South Africa. Tim Healy A NASA astronaut, his flight on the 2006 Discovery STS-116 mission made him the fourth person born in the United Kingdom to go into space. Born in Saltburn, his family lived for a number of years in Great Ayton where legendary explorer Captain James Cook was educated, before emigrating to the US. He has logged more than 638 hours in space on shuttles Discovery and Endeavour. He has also carried out three space walks and in 2010, carried a flag modeled on that which flew on Captain Cook’s Endeavour to the International Space Station. Suzannah Clarke Here at Northern, we’re always looking at ways to improve what we do – for the customers that travel with us and the communities we serve. We couldn't do that without our team of Northerneers. Join our customer panel now! He first appeared in his local comedy club at 15, before studying performing arts at Newcastle College. He has been touring the UK and other parts of the world since 1999. Noble has released several DVDs and appeared on shows including Top Gear and Have I Got News For You. Mark Gatiss Please be aware that some of our services are designated ‘dry trains’, meaning no alcohol is allowed on board during the journey.