#county Durham

[richs-pics]

Mossy rocks

[vox-anglosphere]

One of the oldest Saxon churches in England - Escomb, Co. Durham

[venetianwindow]

20240325. 【🚞】

Easter, prelude: A sunny day out in County Durham.

I took a weekend off for a bit of much-needed leisure before launching into work again. The sun has at last graced England with its presence and I had to make the most of it.

Auckland Castle was beautiful, and wonderfully restored. Greatly interesting to learn about its history as well as that of its many bishops.

☞ studygram

[henk-heijmans]

Early morning, West Hartlepool, County Durham, England, 1963 - by Don McCullin (1935), English

[emilytakesphoto]

more

fog

[georgefairbrother]

This is another in our occasional series featuring luminaries of stage and screen with a strong personal and/or professional connection with Northeast England, inspired with thanks by @robbielewis. The most recent previous instalment was on brother and sister acting duo Malcolm and Catherine Terris. This time, James Garbutt.

As with some of our previous subjects, there is an unsatisfying lack of biographical information available; James Garbutt seems to have built a solid career over decades without a high public or media profile.

He was born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, in 1925. In World War Two he was an RAF pilot serving in Africa, subsequently worked as an art teacher and became a leading member of the socialist theatre company, Newcastle People’s Theatre, throughout the 1950s and 60s.

He was active in British television between 1969 and 2002, with his breakthrough role in the 1970s BBC blockbuster, The Onedin Line, replacing Brian Rawlinson for season three (only) as Robert Onedin. (It appears that Rawlinson did not want to continue in the role, but for whatever reason returned for season four and remained until they eventually killed off the character).

James Garbutt is perhaps best remembered for his intense performance as Bill Seaton, the prickly patriarch of the Seaton family and veteran pitman who is paralysed in an underground accident, in 39 episodes of the Tyneside social realism drama, When the Boat Comes In (1976-77).

Amongst over 60 recorded screen credits, his other television appearances include three episodes of Doctor Who (Genesis of the Daleks, 1975), Z Cars, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, Middlemarch, The Bill, the political drama Bill Brand, and three separate characters over eight episodes of Coronation Street between 1970 and 1997. He also appeared in the Superman: The Movie (1978), starring Christopher Reeve.

About to bite the dust courtesy of the Daleks in Doctor Who

In addition to his work for the Newcastle People’s Theatre, his stage appearances include several productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including the stage version of Our Friends in the North which preceded the hit televisions series, for the Leeds Theatre Trust, Alexandra Theatre (Birmingham) and Tyneside Theatre Company.

He passed away in 2020, aged 94.

[colonellickburger]

Graham Smith. ‘Pregnant, watching over her children on a good day – a day when the prevailing west wind was blowing north’ Blackhill, Consett, County Durham, England 1977

[glorianas]

durham, county durham, england, july 25th, 2023

[gregor-samsung]

The Old Oak (Ken Loach, 2023)

[lavendersafe]

the north east is beautiful enough for me to return regularly to show the wife around despite all the bad memories resurfacing because LOOK

[richs-pics]

Surf's up

[mortal-perspective]

all I do is try to take photos of reflections in water

[charrchan]

I'm selling at a market in like 2 weeks!! I'm not ready!!!!!!

Anyway, if you're around Darlington, County Durham in the UK then come check out the alternative market!

[henk-heijmans]

Consett, County Durham, England, 1970s - by Don McCullin (1935), English

[emilytakesphoto]

fog town

[c-40]

A-T-4 107 Prefab Sprout

'Songs Written out of Necessity' or Swoon is the debut album by Prefab Sprout. Like many debut albums some of the songs had been written years before they were recorded in 1983. Swoon was produced by David Brewis of the Kane Gang, the album caught the attention of Thomas Dolby who quickly started working with them on the songs that would become Prefab Sprout's second album Steve McQueen. Swoon and its singles Don't Sing and Couldn't Bear To Be Special are released in the first half of 1984 but before the year is out When Love Breaks Down, the lead single from Steve McQueen is also released, it's the only track on Steve McQueen not produced with Thomas Dolby

Swoon is Prefab Sprout's least consistent album, Paddy McAloon says it's too wordy. I find it difficult to pick a few songs from the album they are all good, so to start I'm going to pick a song that didn't make it onto Swoon and I'll finish with When Love Breaks Down which is post-Swoon

Donna Summer an early song, part of Prefabs Sprout's live set by 1980 that was put on both the b-side of the 12" single versions of Couldn't Bear To Be Special and When Love Breaks Down. Session drummer Graham Lant plays on Swoon but he doesn't stay, they use several drummers around this time, it's David Ruffy of The Ruts who plays on this track

Cue Fanfare one of the standout tracks from Swoon

When Love Breaks Down produced by Phil Thornalley who was playing bass for The Cure at the time and would go on to join Johnny Hates Jazz. I can't find the 1984 single mix so here's the album version that was remixed by Thomas Dolby