Sunderland 264853 225447726 2008-07-13T19:14:08Z 81.154.213.0 /* External links */ {{otheruses}} {{for|the larger local government district|City of Sunderland}} {{infobox UK place| |country = England |official_name= Sunderland |latitude= 54.9061 |longitude= -1.3813 |population = 177,739 ([[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]]) |metropolitan_borough= [[City of Sunderland]] |metropolitan_county = [[Tyne and Wear]] |region= North East England |constituency_westminster= [[Sunderland South (UK Parliament constituency)|Sunderland South]] |constituency_westminster1=[[Sunderland North (UK Parliament constituency)|Sunderland North]] |post_town= SUNDERLAND |postcode_district = SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6 |postcode_area= SR |dial_code= 0191 |os_grid_reference= NZ395575 |static_image= [[Image:Wearmouth bridge.jpg|237px]] |static_image_caption= <small>The [[Wearmouth Bridge]]</small> |london_distance= 240&nbsp;mi&nbsp;(387&nbsp;km)&nbsp;[[Boxing the compass|SSE]] }} '''Sunderland''' ({{Audio|en-uk-Sunderland.ogg|pronunciation}}; [[Help:Pronunciation|IPA]] {{IPA|/'sundələnd/}}, {{IPA|/'sʌndələnd/}} or {{IPA|/'sun(d)lən/}}) is a [[city]] in [[Tyne and Wear]], [[England]]. It was formerly a [[county borough]] but now forms part of the [[City of Sunderland]]. It is situated at the mouth of the [[Wearside]] conurbation. The name "Sunderland" is reputed to come from Soender-land (soender/sunder being the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] [[infinitive]], meaning "to part"), likely to be reference to the valley carved by the [[River Wear]] that runs through the heart of the city. Another meaning is that of the name referring to 'land set aside', derived from the rich [[Christian]] heritage of the city. However, in Danish, ''sønderland'' would mean the south land or southern side. [[Historic counties of England|Historically]] a part of [[County Durham]], there were three original settlements on the site of modern-day Sunderland. On the north side of the river, [[Monkwearmouth]] was settled in 674 when [[Benedict Biscop]] founded the [[Wearmouth-Jarrow]] monastery. Opposite the monastery on the south bank, [[Bishopwearmouth]] was founded in 930. A small fishing village called Sunderland, located toward the mouth of the river (modern day East End) was granted a charter in 1179. Over the centuries, Sunderland grew as a port, trading [[coal]] and [[salt]]. Ships began to be built on the river in the 14th century. By the 19th century, the port of Sunderland had grown to absorb Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth. Recently it was revealed that Sunderland had the highest percentage of [[broadband]] users and [[digital television]] users in the entire [[United Kingdom]], with 66% having both services, well above the national average of 57%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3981243.ece|title=Business.timesonline.co.uk, sunderland streets ahead for broadband}}</ref> A person who is born or lives around the Sunderland area is known as a ''[[Mackem]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2005/06/21/wordhunt_feature.shtml|title=The Mackem Wordhunt|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=BBC|year=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/18/messages/814.html Mackems|title=The word Mackem origins|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Phrases.org website|year=2005}}</ref> ==History== ===Early history=== {{Main|Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory}} The earliest inhabitants of the Sunderland area were [[Stone Age]] hunter-gatherers and artifacts from this era have been discovered, including [[microliths]] found during excavations at St. Peter's, Monkwearmouth.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Sunderland |edition=2nd |year=2001 |isbn=0952512262 |author=Glen Lyndon Dodds |page=5}}</ref> During the final phase of the Stone Age, the [[Neolithic period]] (c.4,000-c.2,000 BC) Hastings Hill, on the western outskirts of Sunderland, was evidently a focal point of local activity and a place of burial and ritual significance. Evidence for this includes the former presence of a cursus monument.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Sunderland |edition=2nd |year=2001 |isbn=0952512262 |author=Glen Lyndon Dodds |page=6}}</ref> Although it is believed [[Brigantes]] inhabited the area around the [[River Wear]] in the pre and post [[Roman Empire|Roman]] era, recorded settlements on the mouth of the Wear date back to 674, when an [[Anglo-Saxon]] nobleman named Benedict Biscop, granted land by King [[Ecgfrith of Northumbria]], founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow (''St. Peter's'') [[monastery]] on the north bank of the river Wear - an area that became known as Monkwearmouth. Biscop's monastery was the first one built of stone in [[Northumbria]]. He employed glaziers from [[France]] and in doing so he re-established [[glass making]] in Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31748|title=Museum and Winter Gardens - Look At Glass|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Echo|year=2005}}</ref> In 686 the community was taken over by [[Ceolfrid]], and Wearmouth-Jarrow became a major centre of learning and knowledge in [[Anglo-Saxon England]] with a library of around 300 volumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weardaleway.wanadoo.co.uk/history1.html|title=Sunderland History|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Weardaleway website|year=2005}}</ref> [[Image:st peters sunderland.jpg|thumb|left|250px|St. Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth. Only the porch and part of the west wall are what remain of the original monastery built in 674.]] The [[Codex Amiatinus]], described by some as the 'finest book in the world',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09227b.htm |title=Libraries |work=Catholic Encyclopedia |accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref> was created at the monastery and was likely worked on by [[Bede]] who was born at Wearmouth in 673.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/academic-bede.php|title=Academic - The Venerable Bede|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Bede's World museum|year=2008}}</ref> While at the monastery, Bede completed the ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]'' ''(The Ecclesiastical History of the English People)'' in 731, a feat which earned him the title: ''The father of English history.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/jan2001.html|title=Book of the Month, Bede Wrings on the Calendar|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=University of Glasgow|year=2001}}</ref> In the late [[eighth century]] the [[Vikings]] began to raid the coast, and by the middle of the [[ninth century]] the monastery had been abandoned. Lands on the south side of the river were granted to the [[Bishop of Durham]] by [[Athelstan|Athelstan of England]] in 930. These became known as Bishopwearmouth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/public/editable/themes/environment/implementation/conservation/conservationwalks/bishopwearmouth/bishop.origins.asp |title=Origins of Bishopwearmouth |accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref> This [[parish]] included settlements such as [[Ryhope]], which fall within the modern day boundary of Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wearsideonline.com/ryhope_village.html|title=Ryhope Village|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Wearsideonline website|year=2008}}</ref> As early as 1100, the Bishopwearmouth parish included a small [[fishing]] village at the southern mouth of the river (modern day [[Hendon, Sunderland|Hendon]]) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland').<ref>{{cite news|title=What's in a name? |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1512&ArticleID=1962253 |work=Sunderland Echo|accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> This settlement was granted a [[charter]] in 1179 by [[Hugh Pudsey]], then the Bishop of Durham.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/page42.htm|title=The North East England History Pages|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=David Simpson|work=The Millennium History of North East England|year=1991}}</ref> From as early as 1346 [[shipbuilding|ships were being built]] at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisissunderland.com/history/a_shipbuilding_tradition.asp|title=Sunderland Ship Building|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=This is Sunderland website|year=2008}}</ref> In 1589, salt began to be made in Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/sunderland.html|title=A Brief History of Sunderland|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Tim Lambert|year=2008}}</ref> Large vats of [[seawater]], were heated using coal. As the water evaporated the salt sediment remained. This process is known as [[Salt pan (evaporation)|salt panning]]. The modern-day name of the area the pans occupied is Pann's Bank, located on the river bank between the city centre and Hendon. As coal was required to heat the [[salt pan]]s, a [[coal mining]] community began to emerge in the area. Only poor quality coal was used in salt panning; quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/coal/1100_1500/index.html|title=North East History, Early Coal Mining|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=The Northern Echo newspaper|year=2003}}</ref> ===17th and 18th centuries=== [[Image:HolyTrinitySunderland-apse.jpg|thumb|right|Holy Trinity church, built in 1719.]] Prior to the [[English Civil War]] in 1642, [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] bestowed the rights to the [[East of England]] coal trade upon Newcastle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1598572,00.html|title=A rivalry with roots in kings and coal |accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Richard Stonehouse|year=2005}}</ref> This had a big impact on Sunderland, which had begun to rapidly grow as a coal-trading town. This created resentment toward Newcastle and toward the monarchy. In March 1644 a Scottish army allied to the king's enemies were stationed at Sunderland and clashes occurred in the vicinity with Royalist troops under the Marquis of Newcastle who moved against them. The most significant encounter occurred in the Hylton/Boldon area.<ref>{{cite news |title=''A History of Sunderland'' (second edition, 2001), Glen Lyndon Dodds, pp. 46-48}}</ref> During the Civil War Parliament blockaded the Tyne, crippling the Newcastle coal trade and allowing the Sunderland coal trade to flourish. Because of the difficulty for colliers in trying to navigate the shallow waters of the River Wear, the coal had to be loaded onto keels (large boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. The keels were manned by a close-knit group of workers known as '[[keelmen]]'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/didyouknow/12.html|title=Did you know?|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=North East History website|year=2003}}</ref> In 1719, the separate parish of Sunderland was carved from the densely populated east end of Bishopwearmouth by the establishment of [[Holy Trinity, Sunderland]] parish church. The three original settlements of Wearmouth (Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland) had begun to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland as well as the salt panning and the shipbuilding along the banks of the Wear. Around this time, Sunderland was also known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shegog |first=Eric |url=http://www2.citysun.ac.uk/minster/history.htm |title=Sunderland Minster |publisher=City of Sunderland College |accessdate=2006-12-09}}</ref> ===19th century=== ‎[[Image:CNV00036.JPG|thumb|left|[[Penshaw Monument]], built in 1884.]] [[Local government]] was divided between the three churches ([[Holy Trinity, Sunderland]], [[Sunderland Minster|St. Michael's, Bishopwearmouth]], and [[St. Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth|St. Peter's, Monkwearmouth]]) and when [[cholera]] broke out in 1831 the "select vestrymen", as the church councilmen were called, showed themselves unable to understand and cope with the [[epidemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/longview/longview_20030415.shtml|title=BBC Diary of an Epidemic|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=BBC website|year=2003}}</ref> Sunderland, a main trading port at the time, was the first British town to be struck with the 'Indian cholera' epidemic.<ref>''Diary of an Epidemic (Cholera)'', [[BBC Radio 4]], [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/longview/longview_20030415.shtml]</ref> The first victim, William Sproat, died on [[October 23]] [[1831]]. Sunderland was put under quarantine, and the port was blockaded, but in December of that year the disease spread to [[Gateshead]] and from there, it rapidly made its way across the country, killing an estimated 32,000 people. Among those to die was Sunderland's Naval hero [[Jack Crawford (sailor)|Jack Crawford]]. The novel ''The Dress Lodger'', by American author ''Sheri Holman'', is set in Sunderland during the epidemic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/Leaflets/Jack%20Crawford.pdf|title=Who was Jack Crawford?|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Council website|year=2005}}</ref> Demands for [[democracy]] and organised town government saw the Borough of Sunderland created in 1835.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2003/3/10/100809.html|title=Burning Questions|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=The Northern Echo|year=2003}}</ref> Sunderland developed on plateaus high above the river, and so never suffered from the problem of allowing people to cross the river without interrupting the passage of high masted vessels. The [[Wearmouth Bridge]] was built in 1796, at the instigation of Rowland Burdon, the MP, and is described by [[Nikolaus Pevsner]], the recognised authority, as being of superb elegance. It was the second iron bridge built after the famous span at Ironbridge itself, but over twice as long and only three-quarters the weight. Indeed, at the time of building, it was the biggest single span bridge in the world.<ref>{{cite web |work=Wearside Onliine |title=Sunderland Wearmouth Bridge |url=http://www.wearsideonline.com/Sunderland_Wearmouth_Bridge.html |accessdate=2006-09-24}}</ref> Further up the river, another bridge, the [[Queen Alexandra Bridge]], was built in 1910, linking the areas of [[Pallion]] and [[Southwick, Sunderland|Southwick]].<ref>{{cite web |title=SINE Project: Structure details for Queen Alexandra Bridge |work=University of Newcastle upon Tyne |url=http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=1242 |accessdate=2006-10-12}}</ref> In 1897 Monkwearmouth officially became a part of Sunderland. Bishopwearmouth had long since been absorbed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunderland: The Sundered Land |work=Sunderland and East Durham History |url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Sunderland%20and%20East%20Durham.htm |accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref> ===Victoria Hall Disaster=== {{main|Victoria Hall disaster}} The Victoria Hall was a large [[concert hall]] on Toward Road facing onto [[Mowbray Park]]. The Hall was the scene of a tragedy on [[June 16]] [[1883]] when 183 children died.<ref name="vic">{{cite web |title=Sunderland's Victoria Hall Stampede |url=http://www.north-country.co.uk/victoria.htm |work=North Country Web |accessdate=2007-01-27}}</ref> During a [[variety show]], children rushed towards a staircase for treats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Victims of the Victoria Hall Calamity |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/Sunderland/VictoriaHall.html |work=Genuki |accessdate=2007-01-27}}</ref> At the bottom of the staircase, the door had been opened inward and bolted in such a way as to leave only a gap wide enough for one child to pass at a time.<ref name="vic2">{{cite web|title=The Victoria Hall Disaster 1883 |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/Leaflets/Victorian%20Hall%20Disaster.pdf |work=City of Sunderland Library |accessdate=2007-01-27}}</ref> The children surged down the stairs toward the door. Those at the front became trapped, and were crushed by the weight of the crowd behind them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/GIVE-THEM-A-FITTING-MEMORIAL.589296.jp|title=Give them a fitting memorial|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Carol Roberton|year=2000}}</ref> With the [[asphyxiation]] of 183 children aged between three and 13, the disaster is the [[List of wars and disasters by death toll#Stampedes and panics|worst of its kind]] in British history.<ref name="vic2">{{cite web |title=The Victoria Hall Disaster of 1883 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A882173 |work=BBC h2g2 |accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> The memorial, of a grieving mother holding a dead child, is currently located in Mowbray Park with a protective canopy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toy Tragedy Children Honoured|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1925815.stm|work=BBC News|date=[[2002-05-12]] |accessdate=2007-01-27}}</ref> Newspaper reports at the time triggered a mood of national outrage and the resulting inquiry recommended that public venues be fitted with a minimum number of outward opening [[emergency exit]]s, which led to the invention of 'push bar' emergency doors. This law still remains in full force to this day. The Victoria Hall remained in use until 1941 when it was destroyed by a [[Nazi Germany|German]] bomb.<ref>{{cite book|first=Bryan |last=Talbot |authorlink=Bryan Talbot |title=Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment |year=2007 |publisher=Jonathon Cape |location=London|isbn=0-224-08076-8|pages=58-60}}</ref> ===20th century to present=== As the former heavy industries have declined, so electronic, chemical, paper and motor manufactures have replaced them, including the [[Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd|Nissan car plant]] at [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/A-good-little-runner-.1616180.jp|title=A Good Little Runner|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Kevin Clark|year=2006}}</ref> [[Image:Sunderland.JPG|thumb|right|320px|Sunderland - taken from Tunstall Hill, August 1989]] From 1990 the banks of the Wear experienced a massive physical regeneration with the creation of housing, retail parks and business centres on former shipbuilding sites. Alongside the creation of the [[National Glass Centre]] the [[University of Sunderland]] has also built a new campus on the [[St Peter's, Sunderland|St. Peter's site]]. The clearance of the Vaux Brewery site on the North East fringe of the City Centre has created a further opportunity for new development in the city centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Centre-will-be-a-glass.817088.jp|title=Centre will be a glass act again|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Laura White|year=2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Sir-Tom-gets-own-campus.598289.jp|title=Sir Tom gets own campus!|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Echo website|year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/HAVE-YOUR-SAY-ON-VAUX.589897.jp|title=Have your say on Vaux site|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Echo website|year=2003}}</ref> Like many cities, Sunderland comprises a number of areas with their own distinct histories, for example [[Fulwell]], Monkwearmouth, [[Roker]], and [[Southwick]] on the northern side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth and Hendon to the south. The town was one of the most heavily bombed areas in England during World War II.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rare images recall wartime blitz |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/4434123.stm |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> As a result, much of the town centre was rebuilt in an undistinguished concrete utility style. However, many fine old buildings remain. Religious buildings include [[Holy Trinity, Sunderland|Holy Trinity]] built in 1719 for an independent Sunderland, St. Michaels's Church, built as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church and now known as Sunderland Minster and St. Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part of which dates from AD 674, and was the original monastery. St. Andrew's Roker, known as the "Cathedral of the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]]", contains work by [[William Morris]], [[Ernest Gimson]] and [[Eric Gill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/Roker39s-39cathedral-of-arts-and.1392538.jp|title=Roker's 'cathedral of arts and crafts'|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sarah Stoner|year=2006}}</ref> On [[March 24]], [[2004]], the City adopted St Benedict Biscop as its [[patron saint]]. A patron had never been adopted before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Saint-that-nice--our.918420.jp|title=Saint that nice – our own patron|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Echo website|year=2005}}</ref> ==Governance== [[Image:Borough of Sunderland COA.png‎|right|thumb|The [[Sunderland coat of arms|coat of arms of the former County Borough of Sunderland council]].]] ===Civic history=== [[Image:Sunderlandciviccentre2.jpg|thumb|left|Sunderland Civic Centre (right background) with Mowbray Park to the left. This road was the route of the old A19 until the 1970s.]] Sunderland was created a [[municipal borough]] of [[County Durham]] in 1835. Under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], it was given further status as a county borough with independence from [[county council]] control. In 1974, under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the county borough was abolished and its area combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. The metropolitan borough was granted [[City status in the United Kingdom]] after winning a competition in 1992 to celebrate the [[Queen Elizabeth II|Queen's]] 40th year on the throne. ===Motto=== Sunderland has the motto of '''Nil Desperandum Auspice Deo''' loosely translated it means '''Never Despair, Trust In God.'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/pages/Press/pritem.asp?Id=10190|title=STILL TIME TO SEE SUNDERLAND SHINE|accessdate=2008-04-03 |author=Sunderland Council website|year=2007}}</ref> ==Geography == {{wide image|Sunderland panoramic riverside.jpg|900px|Sunderland riverside at sunset}} {{See also|List of places in Sunderland}} [[Image:Sunderlandwearsidebridge1.jpg|thumb|right|The Wearmouth Bridge, St. Peter's Metro station on the far left. This road was the route of the old A19, now it is the A1018.]] Much of the city is located on a low range of hills running parallel to the coast. On average, it is around 80 metres [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. Sunderland is divided by the River Wear which passes through the middle of the city in a deeply incised valley, part of which is known as the Hylton gorge. The only two road bridges connecting the north and south halves of the City are the Queen Alexandra Bridge at Pallion and the Wearmouth Bridge just to the north of the City centre. A third bridge carries the A19 trunk road over the Wear to the West of the City (see map below). Most of the suburbs of Sunderland are situated towards the west of the city centre with 70% of its population living on the south side of the river and 30% on the north side. The city extends to the seafront at Hendon and Ryhope (on the south) and [[Seaburn]] (on the north). The area is part of the [[Church of England|Anglican]] [[Diocese of Durham]]. It has been in the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Diocese of Hexham]] since the [[Catholic Church hierarchy|Catholic hierarchy]] was restored in 1850. ===Alphabetical street naming of suburbs=== Some Sunderland suburbs have most streets beginning with the same letter: * '''A''': [[Farringdon, Sunderland|Farringdon]] * '''B''': [[Town End Farm]] * '''C''': [[Hylton Castle]] * '''D''': [[Seaburn]] (some parts) * '''E''': [[Carley Hill]] * '''F''': [[Ford Estate]] * '''G''': [[Grindon, Sunderland|Grindon]] * '''H''': [[Hylton Lane]] * '''K''': [[Downhill, Sunderland|Downhill]] * '''M''': [[Moorside, Sunderland]] * '''P''': [[Pennywell]] and [[Plains Farm]] * '''R''': [[Redhouse, Sunderland|Red House]] * '''S''': [[Springwell, Sunderland|Springwell]] * '''T''': [[Thorney Close]] * '''W''': [[Witherwack]] ===Climate=== As with most East-coast towns, Sunderland is prone to sea [[fog]] known locally as ''Fret''. This is most common in the summer months (April - September). These frets can be very dense, are often very localised, and can appear and disappear in a matter of minutes. ==Demography== {|class="toc" align=right border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 10pt" |- |colspan="2" align=center|'''Population of Sunderland urban area<br /> by ward - (2001 Census)'''<ref>{{cite web|title=2001 Census - Fact Cards for wards in the City of Sunderland|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/theCity/Key-Statistics-Environment/Census/wardmap.asp|work=Sunderland city Council|accessdate=2007-01-26}}</ref> |- ||'''Ward'''||align=right|'''Population''' |- ||Hendon||align=right|13,852 |- ||Central||align=right|12,398 |- ||Silksworth||align=right|12,295 |- ||Pallion||align=right|10,693 |- ||Ryhope||align=right|10,377 |- ||South Hylton||align=right|10,317 |- ||St. Michael's||align=right|10,267 |- ||Thornholme||align=right|10,214 |- ||St. Chad's||align=right|10,006 |- ||Thorney Close||align=right|9,938 |- ||Grindon||align=right|9,548 |- ||'''South total:'''||align=right|'''119,905''' |- |colspan="2"|&nbsp; |- ||Castletown||align=right|10,322 |- ||St. Peter's||align=right|10,264 |- ||Fulwell||align=right|10,171 |- ||Town End Farm||align=right|9,381 |- ||Colliery||align=right|9,006 |- ||Southwick||align=right|8,690 |- ||'''North total:'''||align=right|'''57,834''' |- |colspan="2"|&nbsp; |- ||'''City total:'''||align=right|'''177,739''' |} Sunderland is the [[List of English cities by population|26th largest city in England]]. At 3,874 [[hectares]], Sunderland is the 45th largest urban area in England by measure of area, with a population density of 45.88 people per hectare. According to statistics<ref>{{cite web|title=Sunderland 2001 Census Statistics|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/theCity/Key-Statistics-Environment/Census/dfc-sunderland.pdf|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> based on the 2001 census, 60% of homes in the Sunderland [[metropolitan area]] are [[Owner Occupied|owner occupied]], with an average household size of 2.4 people. 3% of the homes have no permanent residents. 66% (men) and 54.7% (women) of the population within [[Legal working age|working age]] are economically active. 6.7% of men and 3% of women are unemployed. 12.2% of men and 8.6% women are permanently sick or disabled. [[Immigration]] into Sunderland is 2.4%, [[emigration]] is 2.2%. ===Ethnicity=== 98.1% of the population are [[white people|white]], with 1% [[Asian people|Asian]] and 0.4% [[Multiracial|mixed-race]]. In 2001, the most ethnically diverse ward of the city was the (now defunct) Thornholme area - just to the south of the city centre, an area that included the suburbs of Ashbrooke and Eden Vale. Here, 89.4% are white, 7.8% are Asian and 1.3% are mixed-race. The least ethnically diverse wards are in the north of the city. The area of Castletown is made up of 99.3% white, 0.4% Asian and 0.2% mixed-race. ===Religion=== According to census statistics, 81.5% of Sunderland residents class themselves as [[Christianity|Christian]], 9.6% are [[Irreligion|irreligious]], 0.7% are [[Islam|Muslim]] and 7.6% did not wish to give their religion. 114 people of [[Judaism|Jewish]] faith were recorded as living in Sunderland, a vanishingly small percentage. There was no [[Kehilla|Jewish community]] before 1750, though subsequently a number of Jewish merchants from across the UK and Europe settled in Sunderland, A [[Rabbi]] from [[Holland]] was established in the city in 1790. The once thriving Jewish community has been in slow decline since the mid 20th century. Many Sunderland Jews left for stronger Jewish communities in Britain or to Israel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.999sunderland.com/|title=999 Sunderland<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> The Jewish primary school, the Menorah School, closed in July 1983. The [[synagogue]] on Ryhope Road (opened in 1928) closed at the end of March 2006. (See also [[Jews and Judaism in North East England]]) ==Economy== {{further|[[List of companies in Sunderland]]}} {|class="toc" align=left border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-right: 10pt" |- |colspan=2 align=center|'''Employment in Sunderland <br />by sector - 2004'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Sunderland's workforce statistics|work=Invest in Sunderland|url=http://www.investinsunderland.co.uk/inward-facts-workforce.asp|accessdate=2007-01-26}}</ref> |- ||'''Sector'''||align=right|'''% Employed''' |- ||Public Administration, <br />Education and Health||align=right|29.7 |- ||Distribution, Hotels <br />and Restaurants||align=right|22.7 |- ||Manufacturing||align=right|16.8 |- ||Finance, IT <br />and other business activities||align=right|16.3 |- ||Construction||align=right|4.4 |- ||Other services||align=right|4.3 |- ||Transport and Communications||align=right|4.2 |- ||Agriculture, Energy & Water||align=right|1.6 |} Sunderland has some of the most deprived areas in England with 11 of the 24 [[ward (politics)|wards]] featuring in the list of the 2000 most deprived wards in England and in the 1980s it was one of the most deprived cities in England<ref name="eCity">{{cite web|title=Sunderland's Economy|work=Sunderland City Council|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/projects/Pathfinder/e-city/why/economy.asp|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> The most deprived areas are Southwick to the north of the river and Thorney Close to the south - both with chronic levels of unemployment, although the city is performing better than the North East as a whole.<ref name="eCity" /> ===Ship building and coal mining=== Once famously hailed as the "Largest Shipbuilding Town in the World"<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Shipbuilding in the North East|work=BBC|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/nationonfilm/topics/ship-building/background.shtml|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> , ships were built on the Wear from at least 1346 onwards and by the mid-eighteenth century Sunderland was one of the chief shipbuilding towns in the country. The Port of Sunderland was significantly expanded in the 1850s with the construction of Hudson Dock to designs by River Wear Commissioner's Engineer John Murray, with consultancy by [[Robert Stephenson]].<ref>{{cite web|title=SINE Project: Structure details for South Dock: Hudson Dock|work=University of Newcastle upon Tyne|url=http://www.sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=505|accessdate=2006-11-22}}</ref> One famous vessel was the ‘wonderful’ ''[[Torrens]]'', the clipper in which [[Joseph Conrad]] sailed, and on which he began his first novel. As Basil Lubbock states, ''Torrens'' was one of the most successful ships ever built, besides being one of the fastest, and for many years was the favourite [[passenger ship]] to Adelaide. She was one of the most famous ships of her time and can claim to be the finest ship ever launched from a Sunderland yard. She was built in ten months by [[James Laing (shipbuilder)|James Laing]] at their [[Deptford]] yard on the Wear in 1875. Between 1939 and 1945 the Wear yards launched 245 merchant ships totalling 1.5 million tons, a quarter of the merchant tonnage produced in the UK at this period. Competition from overseas caused a downturn in demand for Sunderland built ships toward the end of the twentieth century. The last shipyard in Sunderland closed in 1988. Sunderland, part of the Durham coalfield, has a coal-mining heritage that dates back centuries. At the peak in 1923, 170,000 miners were employed in County Durham alone,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rise and Fall of Coal Mining|work=North East England History|url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/CoalMiningandRailways.htm|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> as labourers from all over Britain, including many from [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]], entered the region. As demand for coal slipped following World War II, mines began to close across the region, causing mass unemployment. The last coal mine closed in 1994. The site of the last coal mine, Wearmouth Colliery, is now occupied by the Stadium of Light, and a miner's Davey lamp monument stands outside of the ground to honour the heritage of the site. [[Image:liebherr Sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Liebherr]] crane factory is the last remaining heavy industry on the river Wear in Sunderland.]] Glass has been made in Sunderland for around 1,500 years. As with the coal-mining and shipbuilding, overseas competition has forced the closure of all of Sunderland's glass-making factories. [[Corning Glass Works]], in Sunderland for 120 years, closed on [[March 31]], [[2007]]<ref>{{cite web |title=End of an era as glass firm sets closure date |work=[[The Northern Echo]] |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1124976.0.end_of_era_as_glass_firm_sets_closure_date.php |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> and in January 2007, the [[Pyrex]] manufacturing site also closed,<ref>{{cite web|title=Energy costs close glass factory|work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6271617.stm|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> bringing to an end glass-making in the city. [[Vaux Breweries]] was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110 years was a major employer. Following a series of consolidations in the British [[Brewing industry|Brewing Industry]], however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999. Vaux in Sunderland and [[Wards Brewing Company|Wards]] in [[Sheffield]] had been part of the Vaux Group, but with the closure of both breweries it was re-branded The Swallow Group, concentrating on the hotel side of the business. This was subject to a successful take-over by [[Whitbread|Whitbread PLC]] in the autumn of 2000. It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area that could be targeted for redevelopment ===Rejuvenation=== ‎[[Image:Echo 24.jpg|thumb|left|The Echo 24 apartment building nearing completion. Located on the south banks of the river close to the Wearmouth Bridge, the building is another new landmark on a transformed river-front.]] Sunderland's economic situation began to improve following the low point of the 1980s. In addition to the giant [[NMUK|Nissan car factory]] in [[1986]], new [[Service industry|service industries]] have moved in, creating thousands of jobs. [[Doxford International Business Park]], in the south west of the city, has attracted a host of national and international companies. Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use of [[Information technology|Information Technology]], in both 2004 and 2005. The city was also included in the top eighteen list in 2002 and 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Pages/press/pritem.asp?Id=1021 |title=TOP OF THE WORLD |publisher=Sunderland City Council |date=2005-01-20 |accessdate=2006-12-09}}</ref> The former shipyard areas along the River Wear have also been transformed, with several high-profile developments close to the river: St. Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland; North Haven, an executive housing and marina development on the former North Dock at Roker; the National Glass Centre, by St. Peter's Church; the Stadium of Light the 49,000-capacity home of [[Sunderland A.F.C.]]; Hylton Riverside Retail Park, a large shopping outlet centre at [[Castletown, Sunderland|Castletown]]. Also in 2007 the Echo 24 luxury apartments opened in the city centre. As in [[2008]] the [[Sunderland Aquatic Centre]] opened, containing the only Olympic sized pool between [[Leeds]] and [[Edinburgh]]. Sunderland Corporation's massive post-war housing estate developments, such as Farringdon, Pennywell, Grindon, Hylton Red House, [[Hylton Castle]], Thorney Close and Town End Farm, together with earlier developments, have all passed into the ownership of Gentoo (previously 'Sunderland Housing Group'), a private company and a Registered Social Landlord. Since the housing stock transfer in 2000 there have been considerable improvements to the quality of social housing in the city, amid frequent criticism of "cowboy" service personnel and skyrocketing rent. The [[tower block]]s at Monkwearmouth, [[Gilley Law]], Hendon and the East End have been transformed and the vast estates are also improving although the plans have not met with universal praise. The [[central business district]] of Sunderland has also been subject to a recent flurry of redevelopment and improvement. In 2000, [[The Bridges]] [[shopping mall|shopping centre]] was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central [[Bus station|Bus Station]], attracting national [[chain store]]s. In November 2004, after several years with no cinema, a [[Cineworld]] multiplex opened in the new River Quarter (rebranded as [http://www.limelight-sunderland.com Limelight] in 2006) an entertainment complex towards the east of the City Centre. The Cinema was taken over by [[Empire Cinemas]] in May 2006. The previous ABC Cinema, situated on the corner of Park Lane and Holmeside, had been derelict for a number of years until it reopened late in 2005 as The Point, an upmarket venue comprising three bars and the Union nightclub. The arrival of [[Roy Keane]] as Sunderland AFC's new manager in August 2006 has had a massive impact in Sunderland's hitherto limited tourism industry. Keane has proved a big pull for the city in terms of attracting tourists to Sunderland, with the Tourism Office reporting a dramatic rise in the number of football fans coming to the city "mentioning his name"<ref name="Keane">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6032905.stm|title=Keane triggers city tourist boom|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2007-02-08}}</ref> as early as October 2006, just six weeks after Keane's appointment as manager. Airline [[Ryanair]], moreover, recorded a 10% increase in passenger numbers travelling to [[Newcastle Airport]] on Fridays preceding a Sunderland home game, some 600 more than on other Fridays. The Tourism Office believes Keane's attachment to the city is furthermore causing a knock-on effect on local restaurants, bars and attractions in that more tourists are "making a weekend of it"<ref name="Keane" /> after watching the football. ==Transport== ===Rail=== [[Sunderland station]] was opened in [[1879]] but was completely redesigned to facilitate football teams and officials from countries who were drawn to play at [[Roker Park]] during England's hosting of the [[1966 World Cup]]. The station as it currently stands was opened on [[4 November]] [[1965]] and since then little has changed in terms of the general appearance of the station. Situated on an underground level, the station is generally considered an eyesore<ref>{{cite news|title= New look arriving|work=Sunderland Echo|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/New-look-will-be-arriving.1010574.jp|date=27 April 2005|accessdate=2008-03-03}}</ref> and is currently undergoing renovation, backed by the artistic team which designed the stations along the Wearside extension of the [[Tyne and Wear Metro]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|title= New rail service launch delayed|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6168002.stm|date=21 November 2006|accessdate=2006-11-22}}</ref> It is situated on the [[Durham Coast Line]] served by direct [[Northern Rail]] services to [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], [[Hartlepool]], [[Stockton-on-Tees|Stockton]] and [[Middlesbrough]], as well as further afield to [[Hexham]], [[Carlisle]] and the Gateshead [[MetroCentre]]. From 1998 to 2004, [[Northern Spirit]] and subsequently [[Arriva Trains Northern]] ran direct trains from Sunderland to [[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool Lime Street]] via [[York]], [[Leeds]] and [[Manchester]]. The services were withdrawn due to a change of franchise which saw the [[Transpennine Express]] route gain a franchise in its own right, distinct from the Regional Railways network which Arriva had inherited. Services are now concentrated around the already heavily overused East Coast Mainline through [[Durham]], as well as a separate service from [[Middlesbrough]], but both go only as far as [[Manchester Airport]]. In 2006, [[Grand Central Railway]] announced plans to operate a direct service between Sunderland and [[King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] via [[York railway station|York]], a service which had been stripped from Wearside twenty years earlier. A scaled-down service of one train each day began in December 2007, twelve months after the initial launch date, due to delays caused by restoring rolling stock and a protracted court case against the now defunct [[GNER]] franchise (which Grand Central won). The service increased to three departures daily each way on [[1 March]] [[2008]], connecting a line which can run from [[Edinburgh]] to [[London]]. ===Metro=== In May [[2002]] the [[Tyne and Wear Metro]] was extended to Sunderland in an official ceremony attended by [[Queen Elizabeth II]], twenty-two years after it originally opened in [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]]. The line now stretches deeper into [[South Tyneside]] and into Sunderland, incorporating [[Seaburn]], [[Millfield]], [[Pallion]], as well as [[Sunderland railway station|Sunderland's mainline railway station]] and stations at the [[Park Lane Interchange|Park Lane Transport Interchange]] and both campuses of the [[University of Sunderland]] before terminating at [[South Hylton]]. At first, six trains per hour ran along the route, but much lower patronage than expected between central Sunderland and South Hylton, as well as scheduling issues, meant that service was cut to five trains per hour to Park Lane, with three or four trains terminating in South Hylton. Upon the opening of the Metro extension, the mainline rail service frequency to [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]] was halved to one per hour. In many quarters, the Metro extension has not been viewed as a huge success due to this cut in the frequency of services.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sunderland Metro Service|work=BBC|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunderland&action=submit|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> Moreover, fare-dodging is an issue, with the lack of service checks and ticket barriers at stations leading to perceptions of a lack of demand. ===Road=== [[Image:Main roads in sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|Illustration of the main roads through Sunderland.]] There are no [[motorway]]s that run through the Sunderland urban area. The largest and busiest road is the [[A19 road|A19]], which runs north-to-south along the western edge of the urban area, crossing the river Wear at Hylton. The A19 originally ran through the city centre until the bypass was built in the 1970s, the route is now the A1018. There are four main roads which support the city centre. The [[A690 road|A690]] ''Durham Road'' terminates in the city centre, and runs all the way to [[Crook, County Durham]] via the city of Durham. This is the main road supporting the south-west of the city. The [[A1231 road|A1231]] starts in the city centre, crosses the Queen Alexandra Bridge and runs through Washington to the [[A1 road|A1]]. Most of this road is [[national speed limit]] [[dual carriageway]]. The [[A1018]] and [[A183 road|A183]] roads both start in the centre of South Shields and enter Sunderland from the north, before merging to cross the Wearmouth Bridge. The A1018 follows a direct route from Shields to Sunderland, the A183 follows the coast. After crossing the bridge, the A1018 follows a relatively straight path to the south of Sunderland where it merges with the A19. The A183 becomes ''Chester Road'' and heads west out of the city to the A1 at [[Chester-le-Street]]. In Autumn 2007 the ''Southern Radial Route'' will open. This is a bypass of the A1018 through Grangetown and Ryhope - a stretch that commonly suffers from [[traffic congestion|congestion]], especially during [[rush hour]]. The bypass will start just south of Ryhope, and run parallel to the cliff tops into Hendon, largely avoiding residential areas. ===Bus=== A multi-million pound [[transport interchange]] at [[Park Lane Interchange|Park Lane]] was opened on [[2 May]], [[1999]] by the then ''[[Brookside]]'' actor [[Michael Starke]]. With 750,000 passengers per year it is the busiest bus and coach station in Britain after [[Victoria Coach Station]] in [[Central London]],<ref name="didyouknow">{{cite news|title=Did you know? Sunderland facts|work=Sunderland Echo News|url=http://www.wear1.co.uk/didyouknow.html|date=21 November 2006|accessdate=2006-11-22}}</ref> and has won several awards for innovative design. A new Metro station was built underneath the bus concourse to provide a direct interchange as part of the extension to South Hylton in 2002. Plans for the South Hylton Metro station led to the demise of the [[Jolly bus]]. ===Cycle=== There are a number of cycle routes that run through and around Sunderland. The [[National Cycle Network]] National Route 1 runs from Ryhope in the south, through the centre of the city, and then along the coast towards South Shields. Britain's most popular [[Long distance|long-distance]] [[Segregated cycle facilities|cycle route]] - The 'C2C' [[Sea to Sea Cycle Route]] - traditionally starts (or ends) when the cyclist dips their wheel in the sea on Roker beach. The '[[W2W]]' 'Wear-to-[[Walney]]' route, and the 'Two-Rivers' (Tyne and Wear) route also terminate in Sunderland. ==Culture and attractions== ===Literature and art=== [[Image:Walrussundcolour1.jpg|thumb|right| The Walrus in Mowbray Park, Sunderland]] [[Lewis Carroll]] was a frequent visitor to the area. He wrote most of "[[Jabberwocky]]" at Whitburn as well as "[[The Walrus and the Carpenter]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Walrus and the Carpenter |url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Sunderland%20and%20East%20Durham.htm|work=Sunderland and East Durham History |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> Some parts of the area are also widely believed to be the inspiration for his Alice in Wonderland stories, such as Hylton Castle and Backhouse Park.<ref>''Alice in Sunderland'', Bryan Talbot, 2007, ISBN 978-1593076733</ref> There is a statue to Carroll in Whitburn library. Lewis Carroll was also a visitor to the Rectory of Holy Trinity Church, Southwick; then a township independent of Sunderland. Carroll's connection with Sunderland, and the area's history, is documented in [[Bryan Talbot]]'s 2007 graphic novel ''[[Alice in Sunderland]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ross |last=Robertson |title=News focus: Alice in Pictureland |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2181289&SectionID=1512 |work=Sunderland Echo |date=[[2007-03-27]] |accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> More recently, Sunderland-born [[Terry Deary]], writer of the series of ''[[Horrible Histories]]'' books, has achieved fame and success, and many others such as thriller writer [[Sheila Quigley]], are following his lead.<ref>{{cite news |title=Grandmother has write stuff|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3004139.stm |work=BBC News |date=[[2003-05-06]] |accessdate=2007-12-28}}</ref> The [[Manchester]] painter, [[L S Lowry]], was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Masters of Art |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/mk4custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31751|work=Sunderland Echo |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> Many of his paintings of seascapes and shipbuilding are based on Wearside scenes. The [[Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art]] on Fawcett Street and [[Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens]] showcase exhibitions and installations from up-and-coming and established artists alike, with the latter holding an extensive collection of [[LS Lowry]]. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures. ===Music=== {{Main|Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East England}} Sunderland has produced a modest number of musicians that have gone on to reach international fame, most notably [[David A. Stewart|Dave Stewart]] of the [[Eurythmics]]. [[Kenickie]], which featured [[Lauren Laverne]] on vocals, also achieved a top ten album and wide critical acclaim in the mid-to-late-1990s. In recent years, a thriving [[underground music]] scene in Sunderland has helped the likes of [[The Futureheads]] and [[Field Music]] gain national recognition. Other famous Mackem musicians include punk rockers [[The Toy Dolls]], who broke the top five of the charts with "Nellie the Elephant" in December 1984; the lead singer of dance outfit [[Olive (band)|Olive]], [[Ruth Ann Boyle]], who achieved a UK chart-topper with "You're Not Alone" in May 1997, and has gone on to work with fellow chart-toppers [[Enigma]]; [[A Tribe of Toffs]] made number 21 with their cult hit "[[John Kettley is a Weatherman]]" in December 1988; [[Alex Kapranos]] of the band [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]] also grew up in Sunderland and [[South Shields]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}} On May 7 and 8th 2005, Sunderland played host to [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Big Weekend]] concert - the UK's largest free music festival. The event was held at [[Herrington|Herrington Country Park]], in the shadow of [[Penshaw Monument]] and was attended by 30,000 visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Radio 1's Big Weekend: Penshaw Monument, Herrington Park, Sunderland |work=BBC Radio 1 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend05 |accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Local boys shine at Sunderland's Big Weekend |work=BBC News |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2005/05/10/stage_two_sunday_review_feature.shtml |accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref> The Empire Theatre sometimes plays host to music acts. Recently it has hosted acts as diverse as [[Morrissey]], [[McFly]] and [[Journey South]] and in its distinguished history it has also welcomed world-renowned bands such as [[The Beatles]] and [[The Kinks]]. ''Independent'', a city centre [[nightclub]]/music venue, satisfies underground music lovers, having previously played host to [[Keane (band)|Keane]], Franz Ferdinand, [[Kasabian]], [[Kaiser Chiefs]], [[Maxïmo Park]] and [[Snow Patrol]] when they were largely unknown and had not yet achieved commercial success. In the past year, the club has hosted gigs from established bands such as [[The Zutons]], [[The Maccabees]], [[Klaxons]] and [[The Futureheads]]. ''The Manor Quay'', the students' union on the campus of the [[University of Sunderland]], has also hosted the [[Arctic Monkeys]], Maxïmo Park, 911, [[the Levellers (band)|the Levellers]] and [[Girls Aloud]] in recent years. The [[Sunderland Symphony Orchestra]] was founded in 2000 to mark the millennium. Also, a more obscure punk band named [[Leatherface]] from Sunderland released 'Mush' in 1992, and this was named by Jack Rabid of the Big Takeover as well as Kerrang magazine as one of the greatest punk albums of all time. ===Theatre=== [[Image:Sunderland Empire.jpg|thumb|right|The Sunderland Empire theatre.]] The [[Sunderland Empire Theatre]], opened in 1907, is the largest theatre in the North East, reopened in December 2004 following a major redevelopment allowing it to stage [[West End theatre|West End]] shows such as ''[[Miss Saigon]]'', ''[[Starlight Express]]'' and ''[[My Fair Lady]]'', all of which have been performed at the Empire. The Empire is the only theatre between Leeds and [[Glasgow]] large enough to accommodate such shows.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sunderland Empire Theatre |work=Sunderland City Council |url=http://www.visitsunderland.com/culture/empire.html |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> The Empire has also recently played host to a diverse range of comedy performers such as [[Ricky Gervais]], [[Roy Chubby Brown]], [[Little Britain]], [[Mark Lamarr]] and [[The League of Gentlemen]]. The [[Birmingham Royal Ballet]] have a season at the Sunderland Empire every year, and it is considered the company's north-east home. The Royalty Theatre is the home to the (amateur) Royalty Theatre group who also put on a number of low-budget productions throughout the year. Renowned film producer [[David Parfitt]] belonged to this company before achieving worldwide fame. === Media, film and television === Sunderland has two local newspapers: the daily evening tabloid ''The [[Sunderland Echo]]'', founded in 1873, and the ''Sunderland Star'' - a [[Free daily newspaper|free newspaper]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Newspaper Report for the publication: Sunderland Star |work=The Newspaper Society |url=http://www.nsdatabase.co.uk/newspaperdetail.cfm?paperid=1012 |accessdate=2007-03-06}}</ref> It also has its own [[Independent Local Radio|local radio]] station [[Sun FM]] and a hospital radio station - [[Radio Sunderland for Hospitals]], and can receive other north-eastern independent radio stations [[Metro Radio]], [[Magic 1152]], [[Galaxy North East]] and [[Century Radio]]. The current regional BBC radio station is [[BBC Radio Newcastle]] University of Sunderland student radio station [[Utopia FM]] has recently won awards for innovation and broadcasts for part of the year. In September 2007, [[Ofcom]], the media regulator, awarded a 5 year full-time [[community radio]] licence to Utopia FM to start broadcasting in 2008. The regional DAB multiplex for the Sunderland area is operated by Bauer DIGITAL RADIO LTD. - owned by Bauer Digital Radio plc. The city is covered by [[BBC North East and Cumbria]] and [[ITV]]'s [[Tyne Tees Television|Tyne Tees]] franchise, which has a regional office in the University's Media Centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julia Barthram |work=ITV Tyne Tees |url=http://www.tynetees.tv/Julia_Barthram.htm |accessdate=2007-03-06}}</ref> ===Events=== Each year on the last weekend in July, the city hosts the [http://www.sunderland-airshow.com/ Sunderland International Airshow]. It takes place primarily along the sea front at Roker and Seaburn, and is attended by over 1.2 million people annually. It is the largest free airshow in Europe. Sunderland also hosts the free International Festival of Kites, Music and Dance, which attracts kite-makers from around the world to Northumbria Playing Fields, Washington. Every year the city hosts a large [[Remembrance Day]] memorial, believed to be the largest in the UK outside of [[London]].<ref>{{cite news |title=North honours fallen war heroes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6141372.stm |work=BBC News |accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> [[HMS Ocean (L12)|HMS Ocean]], an active [[Landing Platform, Helicopter|Helicopter Landing Platform]] of the [[Royal Navy]], is Sunderland's adopted ship. The crew of Ocean regularly visit the city. At Christmas, Sunderland used to host a German market in the city centre selling quality German-made wooden goods, and [[German cuisine|German food]]. It also hosts a large [[ice rink]] near the Empire Theater, which forms part of the wider, regional North East Winter Festival. In 2007 the City Council introduced a weekly firework show in Mowbray Park (Thursday nights), starting with the switch on of the Christmas lights. Sunderland's inaugural film festival took place in December [[2003]] at the Bonded Warehouse on Sunderland riverside, in spite of the lack of any cinema facilities in the city at that time, featuring the films of local and aspiring directors as well as reshowings of acclaimed works, such as [[Alan Bleasdale]]'s [[The Monocled Mutineer]], accompanied by analysis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1099724,00.html|title=The show must go on | Features | guardian.co.uk Film<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> By the time of the second festival commencing on 21 January 2005, a new cinema multiplex had opened in Sunderland to provide a venue which allowed the festival to showcase over twenty films including the UK premieres of [[Shall We Dance]] starring [[Richard Gere]] and [[Kim Basinger]]'s The Door In The Floor, as well as a special screening of [[Shakespeare In Love]], presented by its producer, Sunderland-born [[David Parfitt]]. ===Attractions=== Notable attractions for visitors to Sunderland include Penshaw Monument, the [[Souter Lighthouse]] (the first electrically powered lighthouse in the world<ref>{{cite web |title=Souter Lighthouse |url=http://www.ukattraction.com/northumbria/souter-lighthouse.htm|work=UK Attraction |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref>), the 15th century [[Hylton Castle]], the [[Wildfowl]] park in Washington, and the beaches of Roker and Seaburn. The National Glass Centre opened in 1998, reflecting Sunderland's distinguished history of glass-making. Despite substained support from the [[Arts Council]] the centre has struggled to meet visitor targets since it opened.<ref>{{cite news |title=Another new head for Glass Centre |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3861253.stm |work=BBC News |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> [[Image:Winter Gardens, Sunderland.JPG|thumb|left|The Winter Gardens, Sunderland, from Mowbray Park]] Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, on Borough Road, was the first municipally funded museum in the country outside London. It houses a comprehensive collection of the locally produced [[Sunderland Lustreware]] pottery. The new City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, also houses the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art. The City of Sunderland has been commended several times on its commitment to preserving its natural faculties. As such, Sunderland has been awarded prestigious titles by the [[Britain in Bloom]] collective in 1993, 1997 and 2000. Sunderland has also recently{{when}} been voted as one of the best nights out in the country, finishing 8th behind larger cities such as Leeds, Manchester, London and Newcastle; this is largely due to "The circuit", which comprises around 65 bars and 9 clubs all within minutes of each other based in the St Michaels and Park Lane areas of the City Centre. ===Sport=== The only professional sporting team in Sunderland is the [[Association football|football]] team, [[Sunderland A.F.C.]], which was formed in 1879.<ref>{{cite news |title=SAFC history 1879-1889 |url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=2716|work=SAFC website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> Finishing 15th in the [[Premier League 2007-08|English Premier League in the 2007-08 season]], Sunderland retains its status in the country's top division in [[Premier League 2008-09|2008-09]] and plays its home games at the 49,000 seat capacity [[Stadium of Light]].<ref>{{cite news |title=SAFC Previous Grounds / History / Previous Grounds |url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=3911|work=SAFC website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> Sunderland also has the north-east's top women's football team, [[Sunderland A.F.C. Women]], who have been financially separated from the men's team since summer 2005. They currently play in the top tier of English women's football - [[FA Women's Premier League National Division]], despite their financial struggles. Sunderland were league champions six times within the [[Football League|Football League's]] first half century, but have not achieved this accolade since [[1936]]. Their other notable successes include [[FA Cup]] glory in 1937 and 1973 and winning the [[Football League First Division|Division One]] title with a (then) [[Football in England|English league]] record of 105 points in [[1999]]. Sunderland's longest stadium occupancy so far was of [[Roker Park]] for 99 years beginning in [[1898]], with relocation taking place due to the stadium's confined location and the need to build an all-seater stadium. The initial relocation plan had been for a stadium to be situated alongside the Nissan factory, but these were abandoned in favour of the Stadium of Light at [[Monkwearmouth]] on the site of a [[colliery]] that had closed at the end of 1993.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunderland Cricket Club|url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=3911|work=SAFC website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The City also has two non-league sides, [[Sunderland Nissan F.C.]] of the [[Northern League Division One]] and [[Sunderland Ryhope Community Association F.C.]] of the [[Northern League Division Two]]. Sunderland's amateur [[Rugby football|Rugby]] and [[Cricket]] clubs are both based in [[Ashbrooke]].<ref>{{cite news |title=SAFC Previous Grounds|url=http://vega.sund.ac.uk/ashbrooke/cricket.cfm|work=vega.sund.ac.uk website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A Very Warm Welcome to Sunderland RFC. The Home of Sunderland Rugby Union |url=http://www.sunderlandrufc.com|work=sunderlandrufc.com website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The Ashbrooke ground was opened on 30 May 1887. The history of the cricket club goes back to 1801, where a game was recorded on [[July 25]] at Monkwearmouth shore. The rugby union football club was established in 1873, where it is recorded that practices took place in December, probably on the town moor and in January 1874, games were played against both Houghton and Darlington respectively.(Both matches being won). In its early years, the rugby club were made up of former public school boys and well educated and successful business and industrial leaders of the locality. In 1881, Sunderland were recorded as the first winners of the Durham County Senior Challenge Cup, beating Houghton 9-0.This was the first of five successes, the last being in 1959, when they beat a Durham City team 6-0, of whom there were several county players and internationals. A great triumph. The last appearance in the final was 1997, when they were beaten by Stockton. Sunderland had an [[Ice Hockey]] team from 1977 until the late 1990s when the ice rink at the Crowtree leisure centre was closed. [[Image:Stadium of light from distance.jpg|thumb|right|View of the Stadium of Light from the opposite side of the River Wear.]] From 1976 until 1995, Sunderland had a [[Basketball]] team, winners of the national championship in 1981. Named 'Sunblest Sunderland' the team played at the Crowtree Leisure Centre. The Crowtree Leisure Centre has also played host to a number of important boxing matches and snooker championships including the 2003 Snooker World Trickshot and Premier League Final. In September 2005, [[BBC TV]] cameras caught international boxing bouts featuring local boxers [[David Dolan]], Tony Jeffries and Stuart Kennedy. On [[18 April]] [[2008]], the Sunderland Aquatic and wellness centre was opened. The facility cost the council £20,000,000 and an additional £4,000,000 on the opening ceremony. It has an overall length of 51 and a half metres and a width of 25 metres. It has a separate diving pool which is 3 metres deep but, due to a mistake in the planning, the highest diving point is to high and is a health and safety hazard. There has been a lot of contreversy over the facility, most over the fact that there are swimming lessons nearly every day and that they occur when they are not said to be occuring. Athletics is also a popular sport in the city, with Sunderland Harriers Athletics Club based at Silksworth Sports Complex. 800&nbsp;m runner Gavin Massingham represented the club at the AAA Championships in 2005. On [[25 June]] [[2006]], the first Great Women's Run took place along Sunderland's coastline. Among the field which lined up to start the race were Olympic silver medallists [[Sonia O'Sullivan]] of [[Republic of Ireland]] and eventual winner [[Gete Wami]] of [[Ethiopia]]. The race is now an annual fixture in the city's sporting schedule, with the next race taking place on [[15 June]] [[2008]]. Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in nearby East Boldon. The Sunderland Saints of 1964 closed after 8 meetings. The track re-opened in the early 1970s and known as the Stars and then the Gladiators, raced in the National league Division Two. ==Education== {{seealso|List of schools in the North East of England}} [[Image:St peters campus.jpg|thumb|''St Peter's Riverside Campus'' at Monkwearmouth.]] Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969, becoming the [[University of Sunderland]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=University history |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university|work=Sunderland University |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The institution currently has over 17,000 students.<ref>{{cite news |title=Facts, Figures, Accolades, the University's vision |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts|work=Sunderland University|date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The university is split into two campuses; the City Campus (site of the original Polytechnic) is just to the west of the city centre, as is the main university library and the main administrative buildings. The 'Award-Winning' St Peter's Riverside Campus is located on the north banks of the river Wear, next to the National Glass Centre and houses the School of Business, Law and Psychology, as well as Computing and Technology and The Media Centre.<ref>{{cite news |title=The University |url= http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/campuses/|work=Sunderland University, Our Campuses |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The University of Sunderland was named the top university in England for providing the best student experience by ''[[The Times Higher Education Supplement]]'' (THES) in 2006. Since 2001 Sunderland has been named the best new university in England by ''[[The Guardian]]'' and Government performance indicators showed Sunderland as the best new university in England for the quality, range and quantity of its research.<ref>{{cite news |title=Awards and Accolades 2007/8|url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts/accolades|work=Sunderland University website |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> The [[City of Sunderland College]] is a [[further education]] establishment with five campuses located at the Bede centre on [[A690|Durham Road]], [[Shiney Row]], Hylton, Doxford International Business Park and 'Phoenix House' in the city centre. It has over 14,000 students, and based on exam results is one of the most successful colleges.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Sunderland College |url=http://www.citysun.ac.uk/opencms/opencms/website/home/pressoffice/factsandstatistics/index.html |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the University, is scheduled to open in Autumn 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Work begins on £6&nbsp;m campus college |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/7168780.stm |work=BBC News |date=[[2008-01-02]] |accessdate=2008-01-03}}</ref> The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Peter's Sixth Form College |url=http://www.stpeterssixthformcollege.ac.uk/ |accessdate=2008-01-03}}</ref> There are twenty [[secondary school]]s in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. According to exam results, the most successful was the [[Sunderland High School]], an independent [[selective school]] in Ashbrooke.<ref>{{cite news |title=Secondary Schools in Sunderland League Table |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/394_gcse_lea.stm |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> However, comprehensive schools also thrive, particularly the Roman Catholic single-sex schools St. Anthony's (for girls) and St. Aidan's (for boys). Both continue to attain high exam results. There are seventy-six [[primary school]]s in Sunderland. According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, in [[Doxford Park]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Primary Schools in Sunderland League Table |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/primary_schools/html/va_394.stm |accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> == Notable residents == * See [[List of famous residents of Sunderland]] ==See also== * [[The North Dock Tufa]] * [[List of important dates in the history of Sunderland]] ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *[http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk Tyne & Wear Archives Service] *[http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/ BBC Wear - Local news, pictures and features] *[http://www.thisissunderland.com This is Sunderland - Local news, Community site, Visitors Guide] {{commonscat|Sunderland}} {{Wikisource|Category:Sunderland|Sunderland}} {{T&W places}} [[Category:City of Sunderland]] [[Category:Towns in Tyne and Wear]] [[Category:Ports and harbours of Tyne and Wear]] [[Category:Port cities and towns in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea]] [[Category:Articles including recorded pronunciations (UK English)]] <!--Interwiki--> [[bg:Съндърланд]] [[ca:Sunderland]] [[cs:Sunderland]] [[da:Sunderland]] [[de:Sunderland (Durham)]] [[eo:Sunderland]] [[fr:Sunderland]] [[it:Sunderland]] {{Geographic Location (8-way) | Centre = [[Sunderland]] | North = [[South Tyneside]] | Northeast = [[North sea]] | East = [[North Sea]] | Southeast = [[North Sea]] | South = [[Seaham]], [[Easington]] | Southwest = [[Durham]], [[Chester-le-street]]. | West = [[Gateshead]], [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]] | Northwest = [[Newcastle Upon Tyne]] | image = Compass_rose_pale.svg }} [[lv:Sanderlenda]] [[nl:Sunderland]] [[ja:サンダーランド (イングランド)]] [[no:Sunderland (Tyne and Wear)]] [[pl:Sunderland]] [[ro:Sunderland]] [[simple:Sunderland]] [[fi:Sunderland]] [[sv:Sunderland]] [[tr:Sunderland]] [[zh:新特蘭市]]