Ten Amazing Civic Facts You (probably) Didn’t Know About Newcastle

What's the city's most borrowed library book? What's our tallest building? Here's some things about Newcastle Upon Tyne which you probably didn't know.

Ten Amazing Civic Facts You (probably) Didn’t Know About Newcastle

Newcastle Libraries / Via Flickr: newcastlelibraries

There isn’t a nuclear bunker under #Newcastle Civic Centre, unless you count the staff canteen! The only bunker in the city has been out of action since 1968, is badly flooded and lies under playing fields in Kenton.

While we’re on the subject of bombs, although it didn’t suffer as much as other cities, #Newcastle was bombed during the war. Bombs landing on Matthew Bank, near Gosforth, between Christmas and New Year 1941 tragically killed nine people.

You probably know there are loads of Newcastles across the world. Arguably the most famous, apart from us, is in New South Wales, Australia, and boasts a suburb called Wallsend and a football team called the #Newcastle United Jets.

The Romans established a fort at #Newcastle building one of the first bridges across the Tyne we see today. No-one is exactly sure where it was - our colleagues at @TWArchives think it was somewhere near where the Swing Bridge stands today.

There are 37 council-owned tower blocks in #Newcastle. The tallest is Vale House in Jesmond which stands more than 260 feet tall, making it the loftiest building in #Newcastle.

Want to make a lot of money? Don’t become a councillor in #Newcastle. They earn a basic of salary of £8,775 ever year, but they can add to their income by taking on other roles and sitting on committees.

There are 12 sea horses on top of #Newcastle Civic Centre. The seahorse forms part of the city’s crest and represent our links to the sea. Each head is 1.4m high and 1.6m wide.

Alan Shearer can’t graze his cattle on the town moor. Only hereditary freemen get to do this in #Newcastle. Hon Freemen, like the former toon hero are granted the title by City Council and have no rights or privileges other than the honour itself.

Gone with the Wind? Fifty Shades of Grey? The most borrowed books in #Newcastle libraries are children’s favourites ‘Where’s Spot’ and ‘Spot’s Birthday Party’. Apparently our library service also has a book that contains human skin…Yuk.

Tough punishment – one #Newcastle library clerk was transported to Australia in the mid-1800s for stealing and selling the city’s books.