I see it's your turn on the rota. Tough luck. Still it will soon be over and then someone else's turn.
Which in Newcastlespeak explains why almost without exception every article you read mentions Monkwearmouth first, Venerable Bede certainly was more a part of Sunderland heritage than he ever was of Newcastle
I thought he had one up the Fulwell End when he was a young lad (apparently it was the initiation ceremony for all young makems), but it isn't something that he boasts about.
You do realise that the river Tyne runs through Tyneside don't you? As stated previously, Bede was based at the monastery in Jarrow [South TYNESIDE] when his sphere of influence began. He merely started his seminary life at Monkwearmouth [Sunderland.] As a result, if you really want to be pedantic, it is Tyneside that is in fact the major sphere of influence. If you really really want to be pedantic, the City of Newcastle upon Tyne [founded circa 1AD as a roman settlement called Pons Aelius and renamed in 2AD by Emperor Hadrian] has had a far far greater influence on English history than the 'City' of Sunderland [founded in 674 AD by Bishop Biscop through his monastery settlement at Monkwearmouth.] Emperor Hadrian built his wall from Newcastle [not the wasteland further south on the Wear] and the future city named Monkchester at the time, became an important stategic centre of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria and eventually the Normans during their conquest of England. You can argue that Sunderland has had a major impact history on English history as much as you like, but you are talking bollocks.
