A time capsule marking the transformation of Northumberland Street brings together Newcastle’s rich heritage and future hopes, with a special contribution from Sunday for Sammy as it celebrates 25 years of supporting local talent.
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00:00Right, well, Taylor Woodrow invited us to assist in making a film about the transformation of Northumberland Street, which we did.
00:08It was a lot of fun.
00:09Tim Healy, son of a Sammy chairman, played the granddad in it.
00:13And Marley Sage played his granddaughter.
00:17And after we'd done that, they asked us if we would like to contribute to the time capsule, which we were delighted to do.
00:24So we've had a little piece of parchment made, and on one side it tells all about sort of a Sammy, what we do, our history.
00:34And on the other side, it has the words to a poem called Round Here, written by Scott Tyrrell for us a few years ago.
00:41Newcastle City Council, in collaboration with construction partner Taylor Woodrow, embarked on an ambitious project to transform Northumberland Street into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly destination.
00:52Work began at the end of 2023, aiming to have the street completed by the end of this year, with final touches of landscaping extended into early 2026.
01:04In collaboration with Newcastle College and local schools, the burial of the time capsule celebrates the city's rich past, vibrant present and ambitious future.
01:13I think they're going to dig it up in 50 years, and I'm hoping that some of the young people that we fund with Sunday for Sammy, and I hope they have fantastic careers in the arts.
01:25I hope they're still around, some of them are around, and they can come and stand here and watch it get dug up.
01:29You know, I think it'd be fantastic.
01:30And then they can look back and say, you know, it started all those years ago.
01:33Along with Sunday for Sammy's contribution, items from school children at universities and civic leaders, including Historic Time Bridge Rivets, an assigned Newcastle United Carabao Cup team sheet, are included in the time capsule.
01:49For anyone who haven't heard of Sunday for Sammy, it's a charity concert series held in Newcastle, dedicated to supporting emerging creative talent here in the North East.
01:58Established in memory of Sammy Johnson, a beloved Geordie actor known for his roles in Spender and of Wiedersenpert, the event aims to provide grants to young performers pursuing careers in music, theatre, comedy and film.
02:13Usually, the shows include a star-studded cast, many of which come from the North East.
02:18It's very much synonymous with Tyneside and Newcastle. It's a big part of the region.
02:24You know, you can say it's in James' Park or, you know, Grace Street or the Tyne Bridge.
02:27No Thumbna Street's up there with them.
02:29And I like to think that Sunday for Sammy is equally well thought of and equally synonymous with the North East.
02:35We've been going for 25 years now. We've funded an awful lot of young people, some of which have done very, very well in the arts.
02:40And long may we continue. I hope we're still doing it in 50 years when they dig everything up in the time capsule.
02:48After a five-year hiatus, the Sunday for Sammy variety show will be on at the Utility Arena on the 15th of February, 2026.
02:55Tickets are on sale online.
02:58Tickets are on sale online.