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SUNDERLAND - ENGLAND
Sunderland is an industrial city and port in the
English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear.
Before 1974 it was a county borough and municipal corporation in the
traditional county of Durham, North East England. The old county borough has
a population of around 195,000.
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a metropolitan borough which was created in 1974,
and since 1992 has had city status. Somewhat confusingly, the city contains
the town of Sunderland, and also the neighboring towns of Washington, Hetton-le-Hole
and Houghton-le-Spring. For the purposes of this article "Sunderland" refers
to the town of Sunderland as to distinguish it from the city.
Before 1974 the town of Sunderland was a county
borough in its own right. And in that year was merged with several
surrounding urban districts to form the metropolitan borough.
By measures of both population and land area, Sunderland is the largest
British city between Edinburgh and Leeds. This is contrary to common
misconception, which tends to regard Newcastle-upon-Tyne as the largest city
in the North East.
History
The area is part of the Anglican Diocese of Durham. It has been in the Roman
Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle since the Catholic hierarchy was
restored in 1850 Located at the mouth of the River Wear, the name "Sunderland"
is reputed to come from Soender-land: the land divided by the river. In 674,
the King of Northumbria granted a large tract of land to Benedict Biscop to
set up a monastery. As a result, the north side of the river became "Monkwearmouth",
and the south "Bishopwearmouth", and so Wearmouth was cut asunder by the
river, and politics. The monastery quickly became associated with the
Venerable Bede. Biscop imported glassmakers from France who established a
workshop at the Monkwearmouth site, re-establishing glassmaking in Britain.
This event is commemorated by the National Glass Centre which stands on a
nearby site on the river Wear.
During the English Civil War Sunderland sided with Parliament and was a
barrack town by Scottish mercenaries leading the siege of the Royalist
Newcastle. During the Commonwealth Sunderland was given preferred status
over the ports on the Tyne and the City prospered. After the Restoration a
number of Royal Charters restricted Sunderland's growth as a trade centre.
This history has contributed to a lasting civic enmity between Newcastle and
Sunderland.
In 1712 the separate parish of Sunderland was carved from the densely
populated east end of Bishopwearmouth, to serve the port. Local government
was in the hands of the three churches, and when cholera broke out in 1830
the "select vestrymen" as the church councilmen were called showed
themselves completely unable to understand and cope with the epidemic.
Demands for democracy and organised town government saw the Borough of
Sunderland created in 1836, although impatient citizens elected Andrew White
to be Mayor in December 1835.
Sunderland developed on plateaux high above the river, and so never suffered
from the problem of allowing people to cross the river without interrupting
the passage of high masted vessels. The Wearmouth Bridge was built in 1796.
Without blocking traffic, Robert Stephenson rebuilt the bridge in 1859. It
took on its present suspension arch form in 1929. The Wearmouth Bridge and
Tyne Bridge in Newcastle are similar in design and even colour, and provided
inspiration for the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. The Port of
Sunderland was significantly expanded in the 1850s with the construction of
Hudson Dock to designs by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Next to the North Sea, Sunderland was traditionally a major centre of the
shipbuilding and coal mining industries, although the last shipyard closed
in 1988 and the last coal mine in 1994. The site of the last coal mine is
now occupied by the Stadium of Light, the home ground of football club
Sunderland A.F.C.
The Vaux Brewery was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110
years was a major employer. Following a series of consolidations in the
British Brewing Industry the factory was finally closed in 1996.
As the traditional industries have declined, electronics, chemicals, and
paper manufacture have replaced them. Some of these new industries, as well
as the Nissan car plant, and the nearby North East Aircraft Museum are in
Washington, which has more space to allow purpose built factories. The
service sector has countered the decline in heavy industry, and the town is
home to many customer service telephone call centres, the quality of which
means they have avoided the recent trend towards outsourcing overseas.
Commencing in 1990 the banks of the Wear experienced a massive physical
regeneration with the creation of housing, retail parks and business centres
on former shipbuilding sites. Alongside the creation of the National Glass
Centre the University of Sunderland has also created a new campus on the
St.Peter's site. The clearance of the Vaux Brewery site on the North East
fringe of the City Centre has created a further opportunity for new
development in the town centre.
Like many cities, it is comprised of several areas with their own distinct
histories, eg: Fulwell, Monkwearmouth, Roker, and Southwick on the northern
side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth and Hendon to the south.
The town was the one of the most heavily bombed areas in England during
World War II. As a result, much of the town centre was rebuilt in an
undistinguished concrete utility style. However, many fine old buildings
remain. Religious buildings include Holy Trinity built in 1719 for an
independent Sunderland (first brick built church in England), St Michaels's
Church, built as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church and now known as Sunderland
Minster and St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part dates from 674 and was
the original monastery. St Andrew's Roker, so-called "Cathedral of the Arts
and Crafts Movement."
Jewish Community in Sunderland
There was no Jewish community before 1750. Merchants and others moved from
other parts of the England, and Europe and a Rabbi was brought over
from Holland in 1769. The community grew slowly, often as a side effect of
the coal industry. The port exported coal to the eastern Baltic, but there
was little return trade, and some ships accepted Polish Jews, especially
from Crottingen, Poland, rather than loss money by returning empty in
ballast.
The result for this great trading port was a numerous and thriving Jewish
population. The community, which was concentrated in the East End and, later,
Ashbrooke, made a positive community to local business and culture. Sir Jack
Cohen and Charles Slater, two prominent Sunderland Jews, were highly
influential on local politics in the latter half of the 20th century. Slater
led the city council for almost two decades until the early 1990s.
The Wearside Jewish community has been in decline since the mid-20th Century.
Many Jews moved to other parts of Britain and the world, with some families
emigrating to Israel. Other families moved to nearby Newcastle and Gateshead,
where larger Jewish communities are in existence. The current synagogue, on
Ryhope Road, was opened in 1928 and remains in use today.
Current Social and Economic Development
As with most post-industrial towns in the North of England, Sunderland
continues to suffer from multi-generational long term unemployment. As a
result the linked social factors of crime, poor health and teenage pregnancy
are high in certain wards of the City. Sunderland is also victim to a degree
of population exodus resulting in an ageing population. Sunderland has also
suffered with the regional economic strategy promoting nearby Newcastle and
Gateshead as services and leisure centres leading higher income employees to
reside outside of the Sunderland area.
In the past ten years, however, Sunderland's prospects have certainly
improved. In addition to the giant Nissan factory, new service industries
have moved in, creating thousands of jobs. Doxford International Business
Park, in the south west of the city, has attracted a host of national and
international companies such as Nike, EDF Energy, Barclays, Arriva, T Mobile
and Northern Rock. The former shipyard areas along the River Wear have also
been transformed, with several high-profile developments close to the watery
artery of the city:
St Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland; North Haven, an executive
housing and marina development on the former North Dock at Roker; the
National Glass Centre, by St Peter's Church; the Stadium of Light, England's
largest new-built football ground for over 50 years, and the 48,000-capacity
home of Sunderland Football Club; Hylton Riverside Retail Park, a large
shopping outlet centre at Castletown.
The post-war Sunderland Corporation's massive housing estate developments,
such as Pennywell, Grindon, Red House, Hylton Castle, Thorney Close and Town
End Farm, have all passed into the ownership of Sunderland Housing Group,
public-private partership. Since the housing stock transfer in 2000, there
have been massive improvements to the quality of social housing in the city.
The formerly notorious council tower blocks at Gilley Law and in Hendon and
the East End have been transformed, and the vast estates are also improving
considerably. In the spirit of the post-war town planners, Sunderland is now
building more new social housing than any other local authority in the UK.
The central business district of Sunderland has also been subject to a
recent flurry of redevelopment and improvement. The Bridges shopping centre
was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central Bus Station,
attracting new stores such as Gap, Debenhams, Ottakars, H&M, TK Maxx and
Beaverbrooks. It reopened, twice the size, in 2002. A multi-million pound
transport interchange at Park Lane was opened in May 1999. It is the second-busiest
bus and coach station in Britain, after Victoria in Central London, and has
won several awards for innovative design.
The Tyne and Wear Metro system, for a long time confined to Tyneside,
introduced services from Pelaw to the southern terminus at South Hylton. The
trains run at a peak of eight per hour. New stations on the line were opened
at Fellgate, Brockley Whins, East Boldon, Seaburn, Stadium of Light (Portobello
Lane), St Peter's, Sunderland Central, Park Lane, University (Chester Road),
Millfield, Pallion and South Hylton. The service has provided Wearsiders
with easy access to national rail services from Newcastle Central station,
and international destinations via Newcastle Airport and the ferry terminal
at North Shields.
Other facts
The Short Sunderland was a type of flying boat used by the RAF during World
War II. It was named after the city.
Each year, the city hosts the Sunderland International Airshow. It takes
place primarily along the sea front at Roker and Seaburn, and is attended by
over 1.2 million people annually. It is the largest free airshow in Europe.
On March 24 2004 the City adopted St Benedict Biscop as its patron saint. A
patron had never been adopted before.
HMS Ocean, an active warship of the Royal Navy, is Sunderland's adopted ship.
The crew of Ocean regularly visit the city, and are proud to call Sunderland
their home port.
Sunderland Museum, on Borough Road, was established in 1852, the first
municipally funded Museum in the country outside of London. In 1876 the
Museum moved to a larger building next to Mowbrary Park including a Winter
Garden based on the model of the Crystal Palace. The Winter Garden was
destroyed during the Second World War but in 2001 a lottery funded
refurbishment of the Museum created a new Winter Garden extension and
improved facilities. In 2003 the Museum was recognised as the most attended
outside of London. The 'town library', which for decades was housed in the
Sunderland Museum building, was moved to the new City Library and Arts
Centre. The move left more space for museum exhibits. The new City Library
Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, also houses the Northern Gallery for
Contemporary Art, renowned as one of the leading forums for new artists in
the North of England.
Sid James died on stage at the Sunderland Empire
Famous People from Sunderland
Kate Adie Formerly Chief News Reporter for the BBC
The Venerable Bede (674–735)
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (1868 - 1926) Colonial administrator
St Benedict Biscop (628?–690),
James Bolam (1938–) Actor.
Raich Carter (1914-1994) Footballer and Football Manager
Jack Casey Boxer as Cast Iron Casey
Dr William Reid Clanny (1770–1850) Inventor and Physician
Sir Tom Cowie Entrepreneuer and philanthropist
Jack Crawford (1775–1831) Naval hero.
Terry Deary (1946–) Horrible Histories author
Russell Enoch Actor (as William Russell) Most people would now know him
better as Ted Sullivan, Rita's dead husband in Coronation Street.
Bryan Ferry (1945–) Musician
Robert of Geneva Bishopwearmouth's Parish Priest and antipope as Clement VII,
first antipope of the Great Schism.
Sir William Halcrow, civil engineer
Billy Hardy (1964–) Boxer, once Commonwealth featherweight champion.
Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (1795 - 1857) was born in Bishopwearmouth
(a statue, by William Behnes, in Mowbray Park, Sunderland, commemorates him)
Melanie Hill (1962–) Actress
Ernie Johnson Jockey won 1969 Epsom Derby
Kenickie, a 1990s pop band
Ernie Lotinga Film & West End actor. One stage name was Dan Roe.
Gibb McLaughlin (1884.– 1960) Actor born George Gibb McLaughlin
Civil engineer brothers Patrick Meik and Charles Meik
Christine Norden (1924–1988) Actress, born Mary Lydia Thornton
Denise Robertson Novelist and TV agony aunt
Maurice Roëves (1937–). Actor
Dave Stewart (1952–) Musician (Eurythmics etc)
Joseph Swan (1828–1914) Inventor, developed the light bulb before Edison
The Toy Dolls Punk Rock Band formed in October 1979
James Herriot (pen name of James Alfred Wight) (1916–1995) Veterinary
surgeon and author
Bob Willis (1949–) Cricketer
Frank Wilson (1859–1918) Premier of Western Australia
The Futureheads
The Golden Virgins
The Shivvers
This Ain't Vegas
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