Kim Sanderson (Hexham)
I am ‘officially’ a Geordie according to the definition I know, as I was born in within reach of the ships hooting on the Tyne, in the suburb of Jesmond. I lived there until I was 11; as this area is close to the university, I went to school with people originating from all over the UK and further afield. I never really developed a Geordie accent, although I kind of wish I had!
I went to secondary school in Brampton, Cumbria, then spent periods in Tanzania, Paris, Bristol, Réunion Island, Munich and Edinburgh before finishing my education and translator training. I studied French and German, then translating and interpreting, at university.
After a year working in-house in York, I moved to a job in London and worked there for four years before going freelance. In London I worked for two government departments: agriculture/environment and trade/industry. I continue to translate material relating to the environment and to international development. My other specialisms have developed since I went freelance: I enjoy creative challenges such as advertising and marketing texts, and have branched out into architecture and planning.
I now live in Hexham, twenty-odd miles to the west of Newcastle, and still enjoying visiting the Toon! I work from a home office, a welcome change from commuting by train in London.
- What I like about Newcastle…
Newcastle is self-sufficient in terms of entertainment, culture, shopping, sport, and has a strong sense of identity. This helps counter the impression you sometimes get in the UK that everything revolves around London.
- My three favourite places:
Central Arcade is a lovely shopping arcade rebuilt in the Edwardian era, with mosaic floor and tiled walls. It’s also home to J.G. Windows, a music shop where I bought my first 7” single!
Jesmond Dene has a lot of maintained green space to walk in, a burn (the Ouseburn), an imposing bridge across it (Armstrong Bridge), and even a Pets’ Corner and boating lake.
As a child, I was excited about the prospect of going to the Hoppings. The Hoppings is a huge funfair held on the Town Moor. It seems the name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word hoppen, meaning a fair.
- My favourite Geordie word…
It’s hard to decide, can I have two?
‘Howay man’ is a very satisfying way of saying ‘come on’. It can also be used to address women, or you can expand it to ‘howay man, woman’!
‘Sneck’, as in a latch or catch. I use to ‘put the door on the sneck’ meaning to engage a Yale type lock but without using the key to lock the door. A very useful term.
