Overview

VIStory was led from the outset by our former Net and Natter group

Main VIStory contributors: Ms Tonia Foster , Volunteer Barry Lowery and Mr Davie Doyle

This material on this mini site is designed to complement our book . Many of the links are the sources used for the book. We would recommend you download the book and have a read of that first and then use the site for  further digging .

We have tried to avoid the use of PDF files wherever possible. However , some files  could not be converted to Word 97 – 2003 format.

All British Newspaper Archive extracts and some annual reports are PowerPoint files. If you don’t have PowerPoint you can download PowerPoint viewer which will enable you to view PowerPoint files. The following is a link to the site to download the viewer PowerPoint Viewer

This is a link to a summary of the project and its work that was used as the text of boards at our Exhibition

We used one particular PHD thesis by Kenneth Pardey from 1986 as a guiding background and source for the social policy context discussion .

This is a link to the a PDF file of the thesis which you can download

Timeline overview

This is a link to extracts from the Chronological Survey 1934 pertaining to Newcastle

This a link to the 1934 Survey in full

We pulled out a selection of issues and comments from our annual reports to show how our services changed over the years to 1982

This is a link to the changing services file

Ideas for  further research

During the course of our research a number of issues for further digging presented themselves such as

  • Nailing the Workshops for the Blind and our relationship to them. There were more than one workshops  – did we ever have  managerial responsibility for any of them?
  • Gateshead members who seem to have less  about them available through online research . We are particularly interested in the Honourable Katherine Liddell and Alderman William Tait , who like Councillor Clydesdale, was blind himself
  • Exactly why did Northumberland terminate their contract with us in the 1920s?
  • More about Mrs Hatfield Walker stalwart organiser and fundraiser extraordinare. Mrs Hatfield Walker is under represented in our book

You may have your own question after reading the book , annual reports and material on this mini site . We would love more volunteers to work with us on this and , in particular, our new History Group  which started in September 2017. If  you would like to explore more please phone our office on 0191 232  7292 and ask for Angus Huntley.