Heroes...Captain James Cook was born
in Marton,Middlesbrough.Visit this website which focuses on Cook’s background in the North East to find out more about this remarkable man ;
http://www.captcook-ne.co.uk/index.htm
Grace Darling
Is known for an act of courage on 7 September 1838
In terrible conditions the SS Forfarshire had run aground on the Farne Islands where Grace’s father was the lighthouse keeper. In the morning they saw 9 survivors on the rocks and courageously rowed out over the stormy seas to rescue them.
A small museum in Bamburgh still displays the original coble in which she rowed out with her father to the rescue.
John Simpson-Kirkpatrick was born in South Shields. In the 1st world war during the Gallipoli campaign this son of Tyneside became a hero in Australia. Under heavy enemy fire Simpson-Kirkpatrick rescued three hundred wounded soldiers, In Australia he is known as “the man with the donkey” and is remembered to this day to find out more visit this link; http://www.anzacday.org.au/spirit/hero/chp00.html
The first British soldier to win the Victoria Cross-the highest award for bravery- in the 2nd world war was won by Captain Richard Annand of the Durham Light Infantry in Belgium in fighting over 3 days in May 1940.
Capt Annand ran forward over open ground ignoring vicious incoming mortar and machine gun fire. He drove back a German attack with hand grenades, inflicting more than 20 casualties Capt Annand, Capt Annand, died on Christmas Eve in 2004 aged 90.
British ministry of defence website has information on the UK armed forces past & present;
http://www.mod.uk/
Villains...
William the conqueror;
Norman invader became King of England in 1066.His forces quickly subdued the south.
Northumbrians were rebellious - until they were crushed by William's 'harrying of the north' in the winter of 1069/70.
During this period Williams forces oppressed the northern people, over 150,000 people in the north died as a result of Willams brutality.
To the people of the north at that time William was a figure to be hated.
The Border Reivers.
Reivers is a Northumbrian/Scottish word for raiders or outlaws see if you are related to these villains!
These are some of the Clan surnames;
Archbold; Armstrong; Beattie; Bell; Burns; Carleton; Carlisle; Carnaby; Carr;
Carruthers; Chamberlain; Charlton; Collingwood; Crisp; Crozier; Cuthbert; Dacre; Davison; Dixon; Dodd/s; Douglas; Dunne; Elliott; Fenwick; Forster;
Graham; Gray; Hall; Hedley; Henderson; Heron;
Hetherington; Hume/Hulme; Irvine/g; Johnston/e; Kerr; Laidlaw; Little; Lowther; Maxwell; Milburn; Musgrove; Nixon; Noble; Ogle; Oliver; Potts; Pringle; Radcliffe; Reade; Ridley; Robson; Routledge; Rutherford; Salkeld; Scott; Selby; Shaftoe; Storey; Simpson;Tait; Taylor; Trotter; Turnbull; Wake; Watson; Wilson; Woodrington; Young.http://www.borderreivers.co.uk/
Queen Victoria.
During the later part of her time as Queen when she travelled to her country estate from London to Balmoral she would order that the curtains on the royal train would be closed when she went through the the North East as the dirt and poverty upset her, what a shame she did not think to use her position to help her ”subjects” living in terrible conditions.
Margaret Thatcher.
During the first 2 years of Tory government after the 1979 election 40% of British industry was destroyed and this was to continue during the years of Tory rule until 1997.
Most industry which went to the wall during this period was traditional and heavy engineering and the North East suffered more than just about any other part of Britain.
For the people who suffered Thatcher will go down as a major villain & people will never forgive the Tories.
Hate My Tory - the website with added rage;
http://hatemytory.com/
