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Read more about the article A cavalcade of Newcastle shipping
Sailing ship Mount Stewart, photographed by Sam Hood.

A cavalcade of Newcastle shipping

Newcastle has long been a busy shipping centre, and the list of ships to have visited the city would be enormous - if it was even possible to compile. The interwar years were very busy, and our collection of negatives from that period is especially fascinating, particularly given the often-tragic fates that awaited some of the vessels during World War 2. Here are a few examples of some of the ship photos that appear in our most recent book, Travelling Through Time. The lovely photo at the head of this post shows the Glasgow-built steel ship…

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Read more about the article Rocket Brigade to the rescue!
Rocket Brigade's wagon at Newcastle, May 11, 1938

Rocket Brigade to the rescue!

George William Manby was one of those people who just can't stop inventing things. When he was just a kid, back in the 1770s, he made his own little rocket and used it to fire a line over a church near his home. I'm not sure what the church authorities had to say, but Manby never lost his enthusiasm for rockets. V0003810 George William Manby. Lithograph by [W. J. C] after Sir T. L Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org George William Manby. Lithograph by [W. J. C] after Sir T. Lawrence. Published: -…

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Read more about the article By steamer overnight to Sydney

By steamer overnight to Sydney

Before the railway crossed the Hawkesbury River, the sea route was an obvious choice for intercity travellers, and the steamer wharf in Newcastle Harbour had a busy passenger terminal. A 1930s brochure invites passengers to “take the cheaper and more comfortable route to Newcastle or Sydney, ensuring a complete night’s rest in passenger accommodation comparing favourably with that of steamers employed in deep sea trades”.The brochure promised “up-to-date bath and lavatory accommodation” and “refreshments and moderate rates”. Steamers left both cities at 11.30 each night, except Sundays. Passengers could buy single or return tickets as well…

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