Alternative designs for condemned Gateshead flyover unveiled
Designs reimagining a condemned concrete carriageway as a green landmark have been unveiled.Newcastle University's Farrell Centre invited ideas for how the Gateshead flyover, which was closed six months ago due to structural concerns and is set to be demolished, could be repurposed.The entries, now on display at the centre, imagine it as a lush green space lined with trees and gardens, which could also become a walking and cycling link.It is hoped the designs could spark a conversation about the future of Tyneside's wider infrastructure – including the Central Motorway.
Suggestions for how the flyover and the space underneath it could be used by the Gateshead community include allotments, markets, play areas, repair shops, performance spaces, and sports facilities such as basketball courts and football pitches.Farrell Centre director Owen Hopkins told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The council has decided what it wants to do and that is their role, but what we wanted to do was to use this as an opportunity for a counterpoint. "We are not necessarily trying to influence or change any decisions that have been made, it is about showing the possibilities for when other situations like this inevitably occur."There are a good amount of flyovers and ageing bits of concrete infrastructure... we feel that there are opportunities to creatively reimagine those."
Anneliese Hutchinson, strategic director for economy, innovation and growth at the council, said that while the structure's condition meant it had to be demolished rather than repaired or repurposed, the council welcomed the competition's "imaginative approach".She added: "Many of the ideas put forward are not actually reliant on the flyover remaining in place."So there might be potential to integrate some of these ideas into our wider regeneration plans for the town centre and nearby neighbourhoods."
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The gallantry medal awarded to a hero dog who thwarted a terrorist attack on British officers and saved her brother's life has sold for £22,000. Judy, a Boxer Bitch, and her brother Punch sprung into action after detecting intruders at an army compound in Palestine in the aftermath of Second World War The Dickin Medal awarded to Judy for thwarting the attack on a British Army base in Palestine in 1946 Punch, miraculously, also survived, despite losing three quarters of a pint of blood. The terrorists would have been able to sneak in undetected to the house and murder the officers in cold blood without their dogs' intervention. Judy's devotion to her sibling and willingness to risk her life saved his. Both dogs were awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent to the Victoria Cross, for their fearless actions protecting their masters on the night of August 5, 1946. Judy's medal was sold by a private collector who has owned it for 14 years. It went under the hammer at auctioneers Noonans, of Mayfair, London, where it outperformed the pre-sale estimate of £14,000 to £18,000. The dogs were the pets of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, who was Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Jerusalem Military Court, and the Adjutant General Lt Col Niven. The officers shared a house in the Jerusalem suburb and, seemingly oblivous to the danger posed to them, had left the front door open. Judy was awarded for her heroics in Palestine. So far 38 dogs have been awarded the Dickin Medal Judy's Dickin Medal citation reads: 'For beating off a terrorist attack on British Officers at risk of her own life while serving with Army H.Q. Palestine, on August 5th 1946.' Returning to the UK and after undergoing quarantine, both dogs were presented with their Dickin Medals during the Royal Tournamentcat Olympia on June 14, 1947. 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'Judy protected and undoubtedly saved the life of her severely wounded brother Punch, at risk to her own life.' Christopher Mellor-Hill, head of client liaison at Noonans, added: 'The sale of a Dickin Medal is always hugely emotive and this story is no different reflecting bravery and courage as well as emphasising the great British tradition of the almost human-like relationship that dogs have for us and others.' In December 2024, the Dickin Medal awarded to Antis the dog who flew in over 30 wartime combat missions was reunited with his master's family after a £60,000 sale. Antis the Alsatian loyally sat next to his owner Czech airman Robert Bozdech in the turret of a Wellington bomber for operations over Nazi-occupied Europe. He was twice wounded in action; once by shrapnel over Kiel and then when a shell exploded under his aircraft during a raid on Hannover. Antis was the only dog who flew in World War Two operations and his medal had left the Bozdech family when a private collector bought it in 1994. In October 2022, the Dickin Medal for an SAS dog who did over 20 parachute jumps behind enemy lines in World War Two sold for a record £140,000 at Noonans. Rob, a black and white collie-retriever from a Shropshire farm, was involved in the North African campaign and sabotage missions in Italy.
