Brian Aitken
@briantheqt.bsky.social
Journalist. Nostalgic for the days when Twitter could tell me stuff I didn't know and make me smile.
North East England via Scotland
North East England via Scotland
Seems appropriate to say this today - somewhere on the Sgt Pepper cover is a Newcastle United striker who signed for Liverpool.
Eyes & Ears is not just an essential service for regional news, you know! eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Eyes & Ears is not just an essential service for regional news, you know! eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
September 1, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Seems appropriate to say this today - somewhere on the Sgt Pepper cover is a Newcastle United striker who signed for Liverpool.
Eyes & Ears is not just an essential service for regional news, you know! eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Eyes & Ears is not just an essential service for regional news, you know! eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Reposted by Brian Aitken
Early deep dive by me on the early days of Reform in power in Durham - how’s it going so far? Via the excellent Eyes and Ears North East on Substack. open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
Reform in power in Durham: How's it going so far?
OPINION & ANALYSIS: Events in Durham since the May elections constitute an important case study in the new party’s readiness for government. Professor Bob Hudson takes a look
open.substack.com
July 19, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Early deep dive by me on the early days of Reform in power in Durham - how’s it going so far? Via the excellent Eyes and Ears North East on Substack. open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
Politicised headlines, the cost of NOT dualling the A1, 25 years of Life, our changing high streets, Run Geordie Run's mean feet, Greggs sausage rolls become a cultural icon - and RIP Sir Ian Gibson.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
June 1, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Politicised headlines, the cost of NOT dualling the A1, 25 years of Life, our changing high streets, Run Geordie Run's mean feet, Greggs sausage rolls become a cultural icon - and RIP Sir Ian Gibson.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
How do you write a wonderful and engaging story about your collection of walking sticks? Michael Chaplin shows us how...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
June 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM
How do you write a wonderful and engaging story about your collection of walking sticks? Michael Chaplin shows us how...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
Who remembers Tudor crisps? Would you have climbed a mountain for them? Great bit of nostalgia in this week's Eyes & Ears: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
May 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Who remembers Tudor crisps? Would you have climbed a mountain for them? Great bit of nostalgia in this week's Eyes & Ears: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Start with some volcanic just, add a Durham graduate and some 'field work' from Newcastle University, and you have a cheap way to increase crop yields by 20%, suck carbon out of the atmosphere - and has just won a $5m award. eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/publish/post...
May 6, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Start with some volcanic just, add a Durham graduate and some 'field work' from Newcastle University, and you have a cheap way to increase crop yields by 20%, suck carbon out of the atmosphere - and has just won a $5m award. eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/publish/post...
Now this is worth five minutes of anyone's time... a cracking read from former BBC editor @jacquih.bsky.social
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
April 27, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Now this is worth five minutes of anyone's time... a cracking read from former BBC editor @jacquih.bsky.social
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
"If anyone in the North East hasn't yet subscribed to Brian Aitken's brilliant weekly news round-up, get on it! With proper journalist pithiness, it summarises everything you need to know as well as everything you didn't know you needed to know." eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
April 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
"If anyone in the North East hasn't yet subscribed to Brian Aitken's brilliant weekly news round-up, get on it! With proper journalist pithiness, it summarises everything you need to know as well as everything you didn't know you needed to know." eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Dementia is something that many of us encounter. This is a moving account of how it can impact a family, done with the delicate light-touch of an outstanding writer with first-hand experience.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
April 5, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Dementia is something that many of us encounter. This is a moving account of how it can impact a family, done with the delicate light-touch of an outstanding writer with first-hand experience.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
Quick-fire regional news round-up plus Gazza, SEND crisis, a Tonali cartoon and, who remembers the Cinzano ads with Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter?
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
April 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Quick-fire regional news round-up plus Gazza, SEND crisis, a Tonali cartoon and, who remembers the Cinzano ads with Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter?
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Just one of the images selected by North East photographer Paul Alexander Knox for his feature 'My Life Through a Lens'., which is one of our gems from The QT Archives. The others are worth a look... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
March 31, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Just one of the images selected by North East photographer Paul Alexander Knox for his feature 'My Life Through a Lens'., which is one of our gems from The QT Archives. The others are worth a look... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
My five minute round-up of regional news and a few other bits and bobs: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
March 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
My five minute round-up of regional news and a few other bits and bobs: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
"From Roker Park, the sensation that shook the world of football rigid," said the narrator in a terribly, terribly English accent.
It's not just 'new' news that you get with Eyes & Ears you know... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
It's not just 'new' news that you get with Eyes & Ears you know... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
March 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
"From Roker Park, the sensation that shook the world of football rigid," said the narrator in a terribly, terribly English accent.
It's not just 'new' news that you get with Eyes & Ears you know... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
It's not just 'new' news that you get with Eyes & Ears you know... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Tish Murtha's work is featured across the artwork and merchandise for the latest Sam Fender album. This is well worth a read...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
From The QT: Celebrating the life of Tish Murtha
In March 2024, David Whetstone talked to film-maker Paul Sng about why he was drawn to a feted photographer who died too young
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
March 23, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Tish Murtha's work is featured across the artwork and merchandise for the latest Sam Fender album. This is well worth a read...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
Even if you don't remember The Tube, you'll love this. Contains a link to Tina Turner's comeback, recorded live with Heaven 17 in the early 80s.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
From The QT: When The Tube helped Tina turn things around
In February 2024, Sam Wonfor opened her back catalogue of memories to bring us The Tube's double date with Tina Turner
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
February 23, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Even if you don't remember The Tube, you'll love this. Contains a link to Tina Turner's comeback, recorded live with Heaven 17 in the early 80s.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
If you think you don't have time to read this, then you really need to read this...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Eyes & Ears 21.02.25
If you think you don't have the time to read this, then you really need to read this
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
February 21, 2025 at 8:12 AM
If you think you don't have time to read this, then you really need to read this...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Why did Queen Victoria insist on having the curtains closed when the royal train travelled through Newcastle? Michael Chaplin will tell you in this wonderful long read from The QT Vaults.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
February 16, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Why did Queen Victoria insist on having the curtains closed when the royal train travelled through Newcastle? Michael Chaplin will tell you in this wonderful long read from The QT Vaults.
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/from-the-q...
This is quite the story to discover, as writer Chris Jackson did, when he was on holiday...
From The QT: Eruption which changed the world open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
From The QT: Eruption which changed the world open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
From The QT: Eruption which changed the world
In June 2024, Chris Jackson told the remarkable and tragic story of Edwin Bainbridge, the heir to one of Newcastle’s most famous stores, that he discovered on a trip to New Zealand
open.substack.com
February 8, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This is quite the story to discover, as writer Chris Jackson did, when he was on holiday...
From The QT: Eruption which changed the world open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
From The QT: Eruption which changed the world open.substack.com/pub/eyesande...
My curated round-up of the past seven days. Includes child poverty, Brexit, regeneration, university cuts and public interest journalism and... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Eyes & Ears 31.01.25
It's what you've been missing
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
January 31, 2025 at 3:46 PM
My curated round-up of the past seven days. Includes child poverty, Brexit, regeneration, university cuts and public interest journalism and... eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
Reposted by Brian Aitken
It’s official! Sunderland is a Music City - Sunderland joins the European music cities network!
January 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
It’s official! Sunderland is a Music City - Sunderland joins the European music cities network!
Everything you need to know, in one place, once a week. This week's Eyes & Ears includes academies, Dylan covers, university numbers, boost for business, cyber attacks, hospital beds and rats under the bonnet.
It's free and it saves you time: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
It's free and it saves you time: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
January 19, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Everything you need to know, in one place, once a week. This week's Eyes & Ears includes academies, Dylan covers, university numbers, boost for business, cyber attacks, hospital beds and rats under the bonnet.
It's free and it saves you time: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
It's free and it saves you time: eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/eyes-and-e...
My curated round-up of North East news - all in one place, once a week. You can subscribe for free at [email protected]
January 13, 2025 at 5:35 PM
My curated round-up of North East news - all in one place, once a week. You can subscribe for free at [email protected]
Eyes & Ears North East
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com?r=fkgbj&utm_...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com?r=fkgbj&utm_...
Eyes & Ears North East | Brian Aitken | Substack
Eyes & Ears is a curated round-up of what's been happening in the North East in the past seven days and was a popular part of The QT, an online news magazine for the North East of England. Click to re...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
January 12, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Eyes & Ears North East
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com?r=fkgbj&utm_...
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com?r=fkgbj&utm_...
It's not good at all Bob.
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[email protected]
There’s a lot to unpack in this statement by one of the poorest local councils in the country isn’t there? None of it good.
January 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
It's not good at all Bob.
[email protected]
[email protected]