Ancient Greece Versus North East England

 Professor Edith Hall from Durham University  

Ancient Greece and North East England

What!!! Greeks in the North East??? Eh...well we all known about the wellans being here in our region, but the Greeks?

Well yes, and according to Professor Edith Hall, an expert on this matter, they had a massive impact on our society from ancient times up to the twentieth century.
This was highlighted in the thirties when a nine-year-old schoolgirl discovered an archaeological Greek treasure in Corbridge; it reflected how local people had highlighted, with their discoveries, our ancient Greek history.

Edith divided her talk into segments of time and culture, which reflected the influence of Greek architecture, art, archaeology, education and theatre etc and even football!!!...all in the Northeast!!!

For her personally, the passion for all things Greek with its influence on us all, grew from her discovery of the local Pitman Painters as they often reflected Greek mythology in their work.

Her realisation that we are, here in the Northeast, at the epicentre of the Grecian influence of our society in Britain. This had been reflected in the book ‘Britannia’ written by William Campen in 1586. He put us on the map and first coined the concept of Britain or ‘Britannia’ as a nation of Grecian influence.
And when the Earl of Durham, Lord Lambton, built Penshaw Monument in 1844, he wanted to reflect the fashionable Greek Doric style. This influence was again inspired as a football crest on Sunderland AFC club badge.
In the 1930’s, club captain Colin Veitch of NUFC wrote a historical pageant. This was enacted by 6,000 Geordies all dressed up as part of a Greek tragedy on Leazes Park, Newcastle.

And today, the film producer, Ridley Scott, himself from South Shields, carries on the local tradition when he wrote and directed the film Gladiator bringing Romans and Greeks together.
So yes, perhaps we are the epicentre of Greek culture up here in the Northeast?

A vote of thanks was given by Rick who managed to use his six words of schoolboy Latin to good effect!!! in thanking Professor Edith in coming all the way from Durham.

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