Newcastle ambassador call it a day

Date: 2004-03-08, Publication: The Journal

For six years, John Nicolaou has cherished the vision of a network of Newcastles around the world united by their common name.

He has single-handedly represented Tynesides Newcastle at two-yearly summits after writing a book, Newcastles of the World United, having tracked down almost 60 communities of that name.

He has just returned to his Quayside home overlooking the Tyne after being Newcastles sole delegate at the latest gathering in Newcastle, South Africa, where the visitors were entertained by the Zulu nations king.

But John, who is disillusioned by what he says is Newcastle City Councils refusal to become a full part of the alliance, has now decided to call it a day.

He said: "Newcastle in South Africa was deeply offended that Newcastle City Council was not represented at their summit.

"What really hurt me was that coats of arms from the various Newcastles were placed in a Friendship Garden at the summit and our Newcastles symbol was not among them."

The city council has blamed lack of resources for its decision not to send a delegation to South Africa, but John claims that Newcastles ambition to be regarded as a city of international standing and a European regional capital is being undermined by its attitude to the network.

"It is difficult to imagine an international network of Newcastles without Newcastle upon Tyne," said John.

Newcastle under Lyme in Staffordshire sent their mayor and council leader to the South African event and the summit repaid their efforts by voting to hold the 2006 summit there .

"That means that up to 150 delegates from the Newcastles will be there and the spotlight will be on Staffordshire and not Tyneside," said John.

"I have spent years trying to promote Newcastle at international level but if I live to be 150 it will never be acknowledged by the city council. Its a disgrace.

"They say they dont have the resources, but they can find many thousands of pounds for failed ventures like the fountain and concrete men in the Haymarket."

He claims that Newcastle is missing out on forging friendship, cultural, educational and trade links.

"At an American summit, a man told me his great grandfather had come to the town from Newcastle upon Tyne to help in the coal industry and had been part of naming the place after Newcastle.

"It was often the case that if coal was exploited, then miners and engineers would arrive from Tyneside and call the places Newcastle."

He said that Neuburg (Newcastle) in Germany sent 29 youngsters to the South African meeting.

"Our Newcastle should be ashamed of itself," he said.

"When I returned from America I sent a report to city leaders but it was never acknowledged.

"Now I am packing in. I have done as much as I can. But if my standing down means that the city decides to get involved than I will be more than happy."

One potential project which John hopes will be taken up on Tyneside is a scheme whereby North-East schools adopt counterparts in South Africa where many pupils have lost parents to the Aids death toll.

He would like to see North-East pupils making up gift batches of spare clothes, toys and educational equipment for the South African youngsters.

While in Newcastle, John undertook a camcorder interview with Newcastle under Lyme mayor Raymond Slater, who said that there were plans to invite Newcastle upon Tyne to the Staffordshire summit.

"It wouldnt cost them much to get to our Newcastle," he said.

Council casts its eyes elsewhere

Newcastle City Council last night defended the decision not to join the summit of its namesakes.

In a statement, the authority said: "The council has a clear and ambitious international strategy. With limited resources, we focus on partnership agreements with cities carefully selected for economic, cultural and social reasons.

"We aim to focus on cities more like us in terms of size, population, economic and social structure so we can share our problems and learn from each other. This includes Gdansk in Poland, Malmo in Sweden and Talin in Estonia.

"This is proving very successful as our extensive list of international projects demonstrates.

"The library in Malmo, Sweden, is recognised as the best in Europe. We are using this to help us make decisions on the new city library.

"Part of our work with the Pomorski region of Gdansk, Poland, to prepare for it joining the EU will forge a partnership between universities focusing on the transfer of new technology into wider city communities.

"A project between Newcastle and the EU on sustainable development has just been accepted by the European Commission as an example for other countries to follow."

Encouraging friendship

Twentyyears of living in Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, is just one of the reasons why a medical couple are backing the Newcastles of the World network.

They still retain a house in the Australian city, which has areas called Jesmond, Gateshead, Lambton and Stockton.

Dr Alison Hamilton is a specialist in palliative care at Teesside hospice and her husband, Professor John Hamilton, is based at Durham Universitys new medical school at Stockton.

In addition to the 20 years in Australia, the couple, who now live in Durham, have also worked in half a dozen other countries.

Penrith-born Dr Hamilton was given Johns Newcastles of the World United book and came up with the cash to enable him to visit the recent summit of Newcastles in South Africa.

She said: "I thought the book was fascinating and I could not believe that one man was doing all this.

"We have been fortunate to live and work in many countries and meet people from different backgrounds, and a project which helps to link people in cities is to be encouraged. I really believe that world peace is helped by people from different countries getting to know each other."

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