Iron Age Monument?

According to Brigantes Nation Penshaw Monument is built with Roman stone on the site of a much earlier Iron Age fort….

Penshaw Hill is a hill fort so far missed by archaeology because of a later addition – A mock greek temple. Because of this little is known about it other than the physical and some limited documentary evidence. Penshaw is the only triple rampart Iron Age hill fort known to exist in the north of England. It has a similar feel to Almondbury, and probably dates from the early to mid Iron Age. To add to the mistique, Penshaw Monument, which is built on top, may have been built using stone taken from a Roman dam at Sunderland.

Penshaw Hill Iron Age Evidence

Sunderland has challenged us to help.

Sunderland Digital Challenge is asking those of us activie in the community or blogging online to help with its TV project.

Here’s what they have sent out:

Can you help us develop SunTV?

When we asked you about the Digital Challenge competition, you told us that you wanted ‘TV channels’ for Sunderland. ‘SunTV’ was the name given in the Digital Challenge bid for new internet-based television and video services.

We have developed some ideas about what the new services might look like, but we’d like to know what you think before we go further with the project.

We are developing ideas around

· Community news

· Discussions

· ‘What’s On’ in the community

· Amateur and Professional Video

· Information and interactive services

· Supported by an equipment loan pool – cameras, camcorders, laptops

And making it available in early 2009,

· On Sky and Virgin TV, and next generation Freeview boxes as ‘clever teletext’ (like http://www.digitv.gov.uk/digitv/cds/LookingLocal/Netgem/screen.html?id=49005 )

· On the internet as VideoBlogs (like http://www.kingscrosstv.org/ )

· On Virgin as ‘On Demand’ video (like http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/dtv/ondemand/index.html)

· On screens in Electronic Village Halls (like http://www.fug4life.com/Breaking%20News2.JPG http://www.ccn.uk.net/news/Images/Harrowplasma.jpg )

· Through Sunderland.gov.uk and Community of Interest websites (www.sunderland.gov.uk/coi)

· Grouped and organized by where it came from and what it’s about

We’d like to know from you

· What you think of our ideas

· What sort of content you’d like to see

· What you think we should call it

· If you would like to contribute news, events etc

· Anything you think we’ll have to bear in mind in developing all this

· How we might run the services

We’d particularly like to hear from

· Web users

· People with Sky or Virgin TV (but no web)

As well as

· EVH co-ordinators

· COI website managers

· Community bloggers

Find out more at www.sunderland.gov.uk/digitalchallenge

Send your thoughts back to us at graham.jordan@sunderland.gov.uk

Well, what do you reckon – worthwhile?  what you’d be interested in?  Feed your views back here (let’s have a discussion) or feed back to the Sunderland team.

Nellie the Elefffant

Shiney Row connection anyone?

Well, the Toy Dolls were from Sunderland, and the drummer in this clip, famous for apparently not liking the music, is none other than Squire Malcolm of Lumley (Malcolm Dick), one of the north east’s finest percussionists, now playing with Blackmore’s Night (yes he of Smoke on the Water fame).  Malcolm also backs the Billy MacGregor Elvis Collection.

mymarras in the Durham pit villages

mymarras in the Durham pit villages is a heritage website which aims to cover all aspects of the local history of New Herrington, Newbottle, Penshaw, Shiney Row, Houghton and many more.

Mam! I feel like a woman

I’m sure if you know anyone in this clip its even more hilarious….

The mothers from the karen shiel school of dance again refuse to be outdone by the kids. This is their brilliant version of ‘man i feel like a woman’ performed at the recent 10th anniversary show. The dance school is based in shiney row and takes pupils aged 3 and over

Shiney Row, Penshaw and Biddick Woods in 2001 (long version)

Originally made to send to relatives who’d emigrated from Penshaw to Australia… it’s a snapshot of Penshaw in 2001. Features New and Old Penshaw, Penshaw Monument, Penshaw Village and Biddick Woods, Shiney Row.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/penshaw-shiney-row-sunderland/3786462102

Lots of photos of the area at www.chrislongley.com

Wynyard Hall

Ok, what’s the connection?

Well, Wynyard Hall, the home of the Londonderrys, was built with stone from Penshaw Quarry, adjacent to Penshaw Monument – the plaque under its portico says so.

It’s a fine building, latterly owned by Sir John Hall of Newcastle United Football Club and Metrocentre fame.

Lambton Worm

Tony says:
“A dialect story song from around the River Wear, about a myth from the North East of England about a huge ‘worm’ or serpent that was caught by Lord Lambton and cast down a well in County Durham. While he went to fight in the Crusades it grew and devoured everything that it could. He heard of the monster and returned and killed it. The legend goes that since he didn’t follow the instructions to the letter to kill it, every male member of the line of Lambton was doomed and cursed to an untimely end.
“Whisht” means be quiet and listen.
“Haad Ya Gobs” means hold your mouth and be silent.
“He couldn’t Fash to Carry it hyem” means he couldn’t be bothered to bring it home.
There are many different terms of local dialect that are not as frequently used as in the past but they colour this old song beautifully.
When I was younger this was the kind of song that we were made to sing at school so it has taken a long time to review and regard its merits as a good bit of local legend wrapped in an enjoyable, catchy song”

Foo Fighters, Herrington Park

Radio One Big Weekend gig at the park opposite Penshaw Monument

Rocky visits Penshaw