thejournal~ fantasy tale

TheJournal~ Thursday,October 29, 1998 Regional~

Fantasy taleChildren's bookspotlights statuesof NewcastleByTonyHenderson~nvironmentEditor

AGOLDEN boyhood memory .

has inspired writer ChrisGoulding and illustrator Chris

Mabbott to put the Toon into cartoon.The pair, who are near neighbours

in Jesmond,haveteamedup to '.

produce a cartoon book tale of howstatues in Newcastle come to life oneChristmas Eve.

The result, Tinseltoon, is the first.children's book to be published byNewcastle Libraries andInformation Service and is expectedto be a big seller at £4.99forChristmas stockings.

And in the book the two Chris'shave included a ritual which theysay has become a regular part ofNewcastle's nightlife.

Among the statues which arebrought to life are railway pioneerGeorge Stephenson, who stands in .

Westgate Road, and the fourclassical figures representingNorth-East industries who sit at his.feet. .

"They continually end up with. traffic Conesontheir headsin what

has become a modern folk traditionin Newcastle. Sowe had to have .them wearing the cones in the book,"said Chris Goulding..

The book is narrated by Graingerthe cat, who while prowling aroundthe city sees the golden lady on thetop of the Northern -<~ldsmith'sclock in Pi.1grimSffeetspring to life.She flies fairy-like over the city,sprinkling magic.dust on the statues,who climb down from theirpedestals and buildings for a night -of high jinks.

The first to mQveare the statuesof two mayors of Newcastle, JohnMarleyand Roger Thornton, thenengraver Thomas Bewick and theknight Harry Hotspur.

Earl Grey slides down hismonument and the 19th Centuryinventor and industrialist LordArmstrong decides to pay a visit tohis Swing Bridge creation.

Queen Victoria joins in and isfollowed by St George, a miner, KingNeptune and Jackie Milburn, whoorganises a football match amongthe statues in NorthumberlandStreet.

Former tax inspector ChrisGoulding is now a writer and actor,who has appeared in TV's Byker

..

Grove and in Catherine Cooksondramas, and is also a post-graduatestudent at Newcastle University.

He is also the author of the library ,service's best-selling HiddenNewcastle book, on the little-knowncuriosities to be found in the city.

He said: "It started as a bed-timestory off the top of my head for thechildren of friends.

"As a child I had always beenconscious of the statues lookingdown on people and used to wonderwhat would happen if they came tolife."

Raised in Chester-le-Street, hewould come on shopping trips to thecity with his mother.

"Wewould get off the bus atWorswick Street and walk upPilgrim Street, and the first thing Iused to see was the golden lady onthe top of the clock.

''Living in a small town likeChester-le-Street, Newcastle was

. always a special place for me.''People would be surprised if they

stopped to consider how manystatues there are in Newcastle butthey tend to go 'unnoticed as peoplego about their business."

He hopes that the book will havean educational benefit foryoungsters.

"The worry is that they don't lookat anything unless it is on a TV orcomputer screen, and don't noticetheir surrolUldings as much asearlier generations. .

"Wehope that from the book theycan learn something of the city'shif!tory,of why certain people werecommemorated and what a fineplace Newcastle is."

Chris Mabbott, who worked as at~ch~r for};?_year~ !tad~C?£iput5IISfieain Puncn.and othermagazines. He now works as asupply teacher so that he can devotemore time to his work as a cartoonistand illustrator.

He said: "The book opened myeyes to how many statues there arein the city and a lot of research wentinto each picture."

The book is available only atNewcastle Central Library untilMonday, when it will be on sale inshops.. THE four statues of RogerThornton, John' Marley, ThomasBewick and Harry Hotspur are on abuilding in Northumberland Street,opposite Saville Row.-

Jackie Milburn's statue is at StJames'sPark. .

The miner stands on top of BurtHall in Northumberland Road,opposite the City Hall.

The golden lady in Pilgrim Streethas an identical sister in Westgate

.. .

.Cl

Tlnseltoon - statues come to lifeFunsaga: Left, the golden ladyon Northern Goldsmiths' clock.Right, the golden lady and the'cat in the story. Bottom, left,author Chris Goulding, top,and illustrator Chris Mabbottwith one of the Stephenson

statue figures. Bottomright, Stephenson andhis "mates" dance in thestory.

-,

Road. Queen Victoria sits outside StNicholas Cathedral.

Lord Armstrong is in front of theHancock Museum.

King Neptune stands on top of theold Fish Market on the Quayside.

St George and the Dragon are inOld Eldon Square. THE METROCEr.rrq

. .RegionalNews 3

tale.

Cl sTinseltoon- statuescometo life

Funsaga: Left, the golden ladyon Northern Goldsmiths' clock.Right, the golden lady and the'cat in the story. Bottom, left,author Chris Goulding, top,and illustrator Chris Mabbottwith one of the Stephenson

statue figures. Bottom~ right,Stephensonand

. his "mates" dance in thestory.

Road.Queen Victoria sits outside StNicholas Cathedral.

Lord Armstrong is in front of theHancock Museum.

King Neptune stands on top of theold Fish Market on the Quayside.

St George and the Dragon are inOld Eldon Square.

."

- THE METROCENTRE. SATURDAY31STOCTOBER~, ~~