IN THE GAOLHOUSE NOW…
So folks, 2026 is going to be the Year of the Gaol for me. I believe it’s the year of the horse too, so my project will develop a bit of a canter, no doubt transforming into a full blown gallop later on.
Last year was a period of stops & starts, but from now on, it’s all about the gaol…
So each month I’ll send out this newsletter for your enjoyment & so you can see where I’m at. Who knows, there might even be a mid-month bulletin if something exciting is happening…
Read on, good folks of Hexhamshire…
POETRY
When I gave a short presentation to the town council last September, I met Suzanne Fairless-Aitken, who works in the rights department of the legendary Bloodaxe Books. I’ve always admired the books they publish. Do you remember the excitement that Tony Harrison’s V caused? The minute I see Bloodaxe on a spine I know it’s appeared for the passion of poetry, not profit. So imagine my delight when a handsome volume landed on my doorstep one morning – The Land of Three Rivers (with sumptuous cover wood engravings by Hilary Paynter). It’s jam-packed with the finest north eastern verse. Some I know, like Terry Conway’s Fareweel Regality, but there’s so many other, new wordsmiths (new to me at least) from the area, like Katrina Porteous.
As I’ve always said… Poetry cures all…
BENCH
A day or so after my speil to the council, Andrew Gooding & Suzanne asked if I’d like to paint a bench for the town centre. Of course, I said yes. I’d painted a couple of benches for my local city centre in Southampton – they were great fun to do. And the brief was simple – include five lines form a poem by another Bloodaxe star, Benjamin Zephaniah. Well, what an honour! I still find it odd to think that Handsworth’s finest is no longer with us.
After a bit of toing & froing, I was in the Old Gaol last week, with a big jumper on, painting away, & after three days, it was done & dusted. So, quite soon, somewhere near the Queen’s Hall I believe, you’ll be able to plonk yourself down on a hand painted bench by me. Care to join me? Because after all…
People need people,
To walk to
To talk to
To cry and rely on,
People will always need people.
BANDSTAND
Of the many interesting stories I’ve been given, this one jumps out…
A fine gentleman, who shall remain namelss, but we will here on in call Mr Hexham, crawled inside the bandstand one Sunday (the date is unimportant, but it was several decades ago), & he played some music on a record player to entertain the park-goers. Imagine if you can, the park is suddenly filed with Handel’s Water Music, courtesy of our mysterious Mr Hexham… Fact, as they say, can be a good deal stranger, more entertaining, & so much more charming, than fiction…
OTHER LEADS
Two local characters were mentioned; Thelma & Sammy, who would walk to Newcastle every day – no one knows why…
There’s the serial funeral goer – Wha’s Deid…
Any stories about Devil’s Water? A taxi driver said I should lift my feet from the floor of the car when I cross it…
Jane Dotchin rode a horse to Scotland…
Some rumours of an Allendale Highwayman…
The Wheelbarrow races in Corbridge…
These are some of the notes I have in my sketchbook. If anyone has any more information on these snippets, get in touch…
or instagram @youarethefolk
EVENTS
I’m, hatching plans for wee events on my visits (hopefully one a month). Who’d fancy a pub quiz in March, hosted by me? Don’t know where yet, but when I do, I’ll send out a mid-month bulletin. There will be live music courtesy of local songsters, and, of course there’ll be prizes. Entry will be free, but in return I need more Hexhamshire stories please. Don’t forget, although my transformation is on the Old Gaol, the historical side of that is sort of taking care of itself (behind the scenes, as curators delve through boxes & leather bound books). But the museum will include several displays that are simply a celebration of Hexham & thereabouts – Allendale, Corbridge, etc. Give me tales of local heroes, recipes, dialect, good & bad folks, anything that helps me make prints & paintings for the museum…
more details about the quiz to come soon…
HAUNTED HEXHAM & STRANGE-GOINGS-ON…
I’ve been given the go ahead to explore ghostly happenings in the area. So come on then, any spooky stories for me? There’s the legend of the Hexham Heads of course. Somebody mentioned a ghost at Dilston castle… any more details? Any stories of witches? I’m about to read a book called Witch Light, which starts off in Hexham… Witches, I believe, are cool right now…
SOME HEXHAM WORDS
Dialect is important. Words peculiar to a certain place. I love ’em…
Here’s two I learned from my marras at Gateway to the Community…
Joogle = dog
Yag = fire
Any more? There must be… give them to me please…
BURNING OF THE WOLF…
Someone mentioned the Allen valleys Folk Festival last week – sounds great. And it seems each year they make & burn a giant wolf. Is this a Hexhamshire Up Helly Aa?
During my last project in your neck of the woods, which was called Northumberland Folk in 2021, I became obsessed with the largely unsolved tale of the Allendale Wolf. So, maybe see some of you at the folk festival, ringside seat for the ferocious flames in September…
POETRY CIRCLE
Back to poetry (it always comes back to poetry), I was delighted to receive some wonderful verse from The Poetry Circle, who meet in the library on the first Saturday of every month. Line upon line with sharp, witty, profound observations about Hexham & it’s history. From the famous Tans (gloves, not the browning of one’s skin), to local statues, tricky to get to.
One poet, Rosemary Mitchell-Schuitevoerder has even written a bespoke poem about the Old Gaol itself. Here’s wee taster…
‘In the dungeon the poorest
of the poor were held,
unlike their richer brothers
on the floor above, uncelled.
They were the Reivers who rustled cattle
or settled feuds in horse-led battle.’
Great stuff, keep them coming, oh poets of Hexham…
BOOK FESTIVAL
I’ll be publishing a new poetry book, under my own imprint, the Cakes & Ale Press, in time for Hexham book festival, probably with three poems about the area. One will be by my good pal Harry Gallgher, who I’ve worked with before. We published a book called True North – Seventeen Northumbrian Poems, for Northumberland Folk, which has now sold out twice – third edition coming soon.
And I’ll be hosting four workshops at the Old Gaol when the book festival is on. The idea is you’ll make your very own unique dustjacket for your copy of my new book, using screenpritning, marker pens, stencils etc. We can’t go wrong… more details soon…
NORTH EAST TREATS
Everytime I’m up I always find treats to take back home. From books in the charity shops to hot vinyl from Snap records. But this time, I bought, rather sadly, some stuff, including a 10 inch stomper, from the Vintage Emporium, a few days before it closed down. A Jelly Roll Morton disc, no less (who isn’t from Hexham… or Corbridge either)…
PRINTED EPHEMERA
Whilst visiting the Vintage Emporium, I also bought another Victorian poster to add to my collection. The owner told me the story how when they opened the shop, there was a secret cubby hole with a huge cache of these letterpress posters. Once upon a time, every town had at least one printer, ready to spring into action to announce sales of goods, or music hall shows, or public meetings. When I did my project in Hartlepool in 2022/3, their printer was John Procter & Sons (many of their posters are collected in a wonderful book called Victorian Delights By local historian Robert Wood). So it seems your printing maestro was called Christopher Armstrong, of 19 Market Place. But there’s something about the texture of these posters that’s wonderful, as the blackest of inks hits the cheap paper, & here we are, all this time later, still admiring them… Does anyone know anything else about this print workshop? If I’d had the money, I would have bought all that the Vintage Emporium (sadly, now gone),were selling…
TALES FROM THE GAOL 
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