I wrote the following in a private forum. I have copied my postings here to share with others. To read in Chronological order – CLICK HERE. I live in the South of my UK region which is the North East of England. The north-most part borders on Scotland and is incredibly beautiful. The south-most part borders on Yorkshire and is equally beautiful. I am going to take a road trip and document places that have made me who I am and places I love. I’ll upload live using my USB modem. I think I’ll start at Bamburgh Castle which was mentioned in a book I read recently Midday will be Newcastle where there will be a sandwich waiting with my name on it at Byker Library (100 years old this year)
Many who die for a cause are faceless, ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations, not the famous, not great leaders but those that stand at the back, a face in the crowd, everyman. 
One of the worst Pit disasters in the north-east of England was on the afternoon of Thursday January 16th, 1862 at New Hartley Colliery, near Seaton Delaval, in Northumberland. The accident was caused by a beam, weighing forty-three tons, which fell into the pit shaft, trapping the majority of men who worked at the colliery. For six days and seven nights rescuers tried valiantly to save them and up until the Sunday they could hear the trapped miners but then silence reigned. Eventually, after ten days, on Sunday the 26th of January, the rescuers were able to bring out the 204 dead. 
During the Second World War many young girls from the north-east and many other parts of the U.K. met and fell in love with American servicemen and Steve Thompson’s auntie, Evelyn Haggan, became a GI Bride. She left her family behind and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth to begin a new life in America. Evelyn wrote a poem, which Steve has turned into the song, ëGI Bride’…
Jarrow man Tommy Kelly was a German Prisoner of War from April 1940 until the end of the war. He spoke little of his experiences but what he did say was that it was nothing like the 1950 British film, THE WOODEN HORSE which gave a very different picture to the harshness he experienced.