So here it is.  My aim for this blog is to share old stories and images from the Northeast of England.  For the most part this will be from the five volume Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore & Legend which was published at the end of the 19th century.  It’s chock full of interesting articles, anecdotes, songs, poems and descriptions of local places which I hope you will find interesting.  I can’t beat the introduction given in the first volume, so here it is:

To the Reader

The scope and intention of the Monthly Chronicle can be briefly explained.  A few sentences will do it.  To collect and preserve the great wealth of history and tradition, legend and story, poetry and song, dialect and folklore, which abounds in the ancient kingdom of Northumbria-this is the scope and intention of the monthly chronicle.  As no district in the British Isles is richer than our own in singular character or romantic incident, so no district, it is thought, will have a stronger desire than our own to see those characters and incidents presented in some accessible and preservable form.

I am passionate about the Northeast.  It’s my home and it’s where I am bringing up my kids.  The area has such a rich heritage that we can all be proud of.  Considering how tough times are today we should all spare a moment to remember where we’ve come from. I hope you enjoy.

JPM