Sunderland
The Wearmouth Bridge
Sunderland shown within Tyne and Wear
Population	177,739 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	NZ395575
- London	240 mi (387 km) SSE
Metropolitan borough	City of Sunderland
Metropolitan county	Tyne and Wear
Region	North East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SUNDERLAND
Postcode district	SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6
Dialling code	0191
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Tyne and Wear
Ambulance	North East
European Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Sunderland South
	Sunderland North
List of places: UK • England • Tyne and Wear

Coordinates: 54°54′22″N 1°22′53″W / 54.9061, -1.3813

Sunderland (pronunciation (help·info); IPA /'sundələnd/, /'sʌndələnd/ or /'sun(d)lən/) is a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The Wearmouth Bridge is a Compression arch suspended-deck bridge across the River Wear in Sunderland. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government History The metropolitan borough was formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 by the merger of several districts of County Durham - Washington Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Sunderland postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Peterlee, Seaham and Sunderland in Tyne and Wear The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Northumbria Police is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the areas of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in England. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, formerly Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade is the Statutory fire and rescue service covering the The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NEAS is the authority responsible for providing NHS Ambulance services in North East England, covering North East England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Sunderland South is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Sunderland North is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It was formerly a county borough but now forms part of the City of Sunderland. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City History The metropolitan borough was formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 by the merger of several districts of County Durham - Washington It is situated at the mouth of the Wearside conurbation. Wearside is an unrecognised conurbation in North East England, mostly referring to the City of Sunderland, but also including parts of County Durham including

The name "Sunderland" is reputed to come from Soender-land (soender/sunder being the 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. In Grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages The River Wear (wɪə("wee-er" is a river in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards mostly through County Durham, Another meaning is that of the name referring to 'land set aside', derived from the rich Christian heritage of the city. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth However, in Danish, sønderland would mean the south land or southern side.

Historically a part of County Durham, there were three original settlements on the site of modern-day Sunderland. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. On the north side of the river, Monkwearmouth was settled in 674 when Benedict Biscop founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery. Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. Benedict Biscop (c 628 - 690 (also known as Biscop Baducing) was an Anglo-Saxon Abbot and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory. See also List of abbots of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Wearmouth-Jarrow Abbey is a twin-foundation English Abbey located Opposite the monastery on the south bank, Bishopwearmouth was founded in 930. Bishopwearmouth is an area in Sunderland, North East England. 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. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants 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%^[1]

A person who is born or lives around the Sunderland area is known as a Mackem. The term broadband can have different meanings in different contexts Digital television (DTV is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by discrete ( digital) signals in contrast to the analog signals used by The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Mackem is a term that refers to the accent dialect and people of the Wearside area or more specifically Sunderland, a city in North East England. ^[2][3]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 17th and 18th centuries 1.3 19th century 1.4 Victoria Hall Disaster 1.5 20th century to present 2 Governance 2.1 Civic history 2.2 Motto 3 Geography 3.1 Alphabetical street naming of suburbs 3.2 Climate 4 Demography 4.1 Ethnicity 4.2 Religion 5 Economy 5.1 Ship building and coal mining 5.2 Rejuvenation 6 Transport 6.1 Rail 6.2 Metro 6.3 Road 6.4 Bus 6.5 Cycle 7 Culture and attractions 7.1 Literature and art 7.2 Music 7.3 Theatre 7.4 Media, film and television 7.5 Events 7.6 Attractions 7.7 Sport 8 Education 9 Notable Residents 10 Also See 11 References 12 External links

History

Early history

Main article: 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. See also List of abbots of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Wearmouth-Jarrow Abbey is a twin-foundation English Abbey located The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking A microlith is a small stone tool typically knapped of Flint or Chert, usually about three centimetres long or less They are typically one Centimetre Peter's, Monkwearmouth. ^[4] During the final phase of the Stone Age, the Neolithic period (c. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos 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. ^[5] Although it is believed Brigantes inhabited the area around the River Wear in the pre and post 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. The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands The River Wear (wɪə("wee-er" is a river in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards mostly through County Durham, The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Ecgfrith (c 645– May 20, 685) was the King of Northumbria from 670 until his death Peter's) monastery on the north bank of the river Wear - an area that became known as Monkwearmouth. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. 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. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Glass in the common sense refers to a Hard, Brittle, transparent Solid, such as that used for Windows many ^[6] 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. please refrain from editing this article until November It is currently being updated as an academic research project and will be subsequently graded The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of Early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon ^[7]

The Codex Amiatinus, described by some as the 'finest book in the world',^[8] was created at the monastery and was likely worked on by Bede who was born at Wearmouth in 673. The Codex Amiatinus is the earliest surviving Manuscript of the complete Bible in the Latin Vulgate version Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c ^[9] 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. The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the ^[10]

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. The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Lands on the south side of the river were granted to the Bishop of Durham by Athelstan of England in 930. See also List of Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican Bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in These became known as Bishopwearmouth. ^[11] This parish included settlements such as Ryhope, which fall within the modern day boundary of Sunderland. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Ryhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. ^[12]

As early as 1100, the Bishopwearmouth parish included a small fishing village at the southern mouth of the river (modern day Hendon) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland'). For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Hendon is an area of Sunderland, North East England towards the east of the city ^[13] This settlement was granted a charter in 1179 by Hugh Pudsey, then the Bishop of Durham. A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified Hugh de Puiset (c 1125&ndash3 March 1195 was a medieval Bishop of Durham and Chief Justiciar of England under King Richard I. ^[14]

From as early as 1346 ships were being built at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville. See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a ^[15] In 1589, salt began to be made in Sunderland. ^[16] Large vats of seawater, were heated using coal. Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3 As the water evaporated the salt sediment remained. This process is known as salt panning. Salt evaporation ponds are shallow man-made Ponds designed to produce Salt from Sea water. 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 pans, a coal mining community began to emerge in the area. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Only poor quality coal was used in salt panning; quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow. ^[17]

17th and 18th centuries

Prior to the English Civil War in 1642, King Charles I bestowed the rights to the East of England coal trade upon Newcastle. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. The East of England is one of the nine official Regions of England. ^[18] 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 occupied 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. ^[19] 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'. The Keelmen of Tyne and Wear were a group of men who worked on the keels large boats that carried the coal from the banks of both rivers to the waiting collier ships ^[20]

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'. ^[21]

19th century

‎

Local government was divided between the three churches (Holy Trinity, Sunderland, St. Michael's, Bishopwearmouth, and 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. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. Sunderland Minster Church of St Michaels and All Angels (commonly known as Sunderland Minster) is a church in Sunderland city centre England See also List of abbots of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Wearmouth-Jarrow Abbey is a twin-foundation English Abbey located Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a ^[22] Sunderland, a main trading port at the time, was the first British town to be struck with the 'Indian cholera' epidemic. ^[23] The first victim, William Sproat, died on October 23, 1831. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a 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. Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Among those to die was Sunderland's Naval hero Jack Crawford. Jack Crawford ( 22 March 1775 – 10 November 1831) was a Sailor of the Royal Navy known as the "Hero of Camperdown The novel The Dress Lodger, by American author Sheri Holman, is set in Sunderland during the epidemic. ^[24]

Demands for democracy and organised town government saw the Borough of Sunderland created in 1835. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system ^[25] 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. The Wearmouth Bridge is a Compression arch suspended-deck bridge across the River Wear in Sunderland. Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, ( January 30, 1902 &ndash August 18, 1983) was a German-born British scholar of 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. ^[26] Further up the river, another bridge, the Queen Alexandra Bridge, was built in 1910, linking the areas of Pallion and Southwick. This article is about the bridge crossing the River Wear; for the bridge crossing the Ottawa River, see Alexandra Bridge. Pallion is a Suburb, Parish and electoral ward in Sunderland. Southwick Sunderland (known locally as Suddick) is a suburb on the north banks of the river Wear in the city of Sunderland in the county of Tyne and ^[27]

In 1897 Monkwearmouth officially became a part of Sunderland. Bishopwearmouth had long since been absorbed. ^[28]

Victoria Hall Disaster

Main article: Victoria Hall Disaster

The Victoria Hall was a large concert hall on Toward Road facing onto Mowbray Park. The Victoria Hall Disaster A concert hall is a cultural building which serves as performance venue chiefly for classical instrumental music Mowbray Park is a Municipal park in the centre of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, located a few hundred yards from the busy throughfares The Hall was the scene of a tragedy on June 16, 1883 when 183 children died. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[29] During a variety show, children rushed towards a staircase for treats. A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts especially Musical performances and Comedy Skits and ^[30] 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. ^[31] 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. ^[32]

With the asphyxiation of 183 children aged between three and 13, the disaster is the worst of its kind in British history. This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. ^[31] The memorial, of a grieving mother holding a dead child, is currently located in Mowbray Park with a protective canopy. ^[33] 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 exits, which led to the invention of 'push bar' emergency doors. Emergency Exit, by Manlio Santanelli, is a play written originally in Italian. This law still remains in full force to this day. The Victoria Hall remained in use until 1941 when it was destroyed by a German bomb. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers ^[34]

20th century to present

As the former heavy industries have declined, so electronic, chemical, paper and motor manufactures have replaced them, including the Nissan car plant at Washington. Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK Ltd, or NMUK is a Car Manufacturing plant in Sunderland Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. Washington is a town within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. ^[35]

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 site. The National Glass Centre is a cultural venue and Visitor attraction located in Sunderland, North East England. The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, North East England. See also St Peter's Tyne & Wear St Peter's is a campus of the University of Sunderland on the north bank of the River Wear. 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. ^[36][37][38]

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. Fulwell may refer to Fulwell London Fulwell Oxfordshire Fulwell Sunderland Roker (ˈrɔkʌ locally or /ˈroʊkɚ/ is a tourist resort in North East England, bounded on the south by the River Wear and Monkwearmouth, on the

The town was one of the most heavily bombed areas in England during World War II. ^[39] 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 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. The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American Aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896 was an English Architect, Furniture and Textile designer artist writer and socialist associated Ernest William Gimson (Leicester Dec 21, 1864 - Sapperton August 12, 1919) was an English Furniture designer and Architect Arthur Eric Rowton Gill ( 22 February 1882 – 17 November 1940) was a British sculptor, typeface designer, ^[40]

On March 24, 2004, the City adopted St Benedict Biscop as its patron saint. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members A patron had never been adopted before. ^[41]

Governance

Civic history

Sunderland was created a municipal borough of County Durham in 1835. Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to Under the Local Government Act 1888, it was given further status as a county borough with independence from county council control. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. 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 Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales The metropolitan borough was granted City status in the United Kingdom after winning a competition in 1992 to celebrate the Queen's 40th year on the throne. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II

Motto

Sunderland has the motto of Nil Desperandum Auspice Deo loosely translated it means Never Despair, Trust In God. ^[42]

Geography

See also: List of places in Sunderland

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 sea level. The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the 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). Seaburn is a suburb and seaside resort in the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England.

The area is part of the Anglican Diocese of Durham. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England Diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic County Durham (and therefore It has been in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham since the Catholic hierarchy was restored in 1850. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic Diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city This article refers to hierarchy in the Catholic Church. For hierarchy in other communions with a "catholic" character please see articles on the churches

Alphabetical street naming of suburbs

Some Sunderland suburbs have most streets beginning with the same letter:

• A: Farringdon
• B: Town End Farm
• C: Hylton Castle
• D: Seaburn (some parts)
• E: Carley Hill
• F: Ford Estate
• G: Grindon
• H: Hylton Lane
• K: Downhill
• M: Moorside, Sunderland
• P: Pennywell and Plains Farm
• R: Red House
• S: Springwell
• T: Thorney Close
• W: Witherwack

Climate

As with most East-coast towns, Sunderland is prone to sea fog known locally as Fret. Farringdon (known locally as Farra) is a Suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Hylton Castle (ˈhɪltn hil-tn) is a ruined stone Castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England Seaburn is a suburb and seaside resort in the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. Ford Estate (known as Ford locally is a suburb in Sunderland. Grindon is a Suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in the United Kingdom. Pennywell is one of the UK 's largest post-war social housing schemes and is situated towards the west of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East Red House is a Suburb in the north west of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England situated between Downhill to the west and Marley Pots and Witherwack Thorney Close is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear in England. Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground 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

Population of Sunderland urban area by ward - (2001 Census)[43]
Ward	Population
Hendon	13,852
Central	12,398
Silksworth	12,295
Pallion	10,693
Ryhope	10,377
South Hylton	10,317
St. Michael's	10,267
Thornholme	10,214
St. Chad's	10,006
Thorney Close	9,938
Grindon	9,548
South total:	119,905
Castletown	10,322
St. Peter's	10,264
Fulwell	10,171
Town End Farm	9,381
Colliery	9,006
Southwick	8,690
North total:	57,834
City total:	177,739

Sunderland is the 26th largest city in England. This is a list of the largest cities and towns of England ordered by population. At 3,874 hectares, Sunderland is the 45th largest urban area in England by measure of area, with a population density of 45. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, 88 people per hectare.

According to statistics^[44] based on the 2001 census, 60% of homes in the Sunderland metropolitan area are owner occupied, with an average household size of 2. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Owner occupied is a classification of UK housing tenure as described by the Department for Communities and Local Government, a UK government department 4 people. 3% of the homes have no permanent residents.

66% (men) and 54. 7% (women) of the population within working age are economically active. The legal working age is the minimum age required by Law for a person to work in each Country or Jurisdiction. 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. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term 4%, emigration is 2. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. 2%.

Ethnicity

98. 1% of the population are white, with 1% Asian and 0. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular 4% mixed-race. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races.

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 Christian, 9. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 6% are irreligious, 0. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion 7% are Muslim and 7. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 6% did not wish to give their religion.

114 people of Jewish faith were recorded as living in Sunderland, a vanishingly small percentage. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut There was no 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. A kehilla or kehillah (קהילה Hebrew: "community" is a Jewish Community. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. A maritime and economic power in the 17th century Holland today consists of the Dutch provinces of 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. ^[45] 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. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of (See also Jews and Judaism in North East England)

Economy

Further information: List of companies in Sunderland

Employment in Sunderland by sector - 2004[46]
Sector	% Employed
Public Administration, Education and Health	29. The Jewish presence in North East England is focused on a number of important towns 7
Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants	22. 7
Manufacturing	16. 8
Finance, IT and other business activities	16. 3
Construction	4. 4
Other services	4. 3
Transport and Communications	4. 2
Agriculture, Energy & Water	1. 6

Sunderland has some of the most deprived areas in England with 11 of the 24 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^[47] 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. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district ^[47]

Ship building and coal mining

Once famously hailed as the "Largest Shipbuilding Town in the World"^[48] , 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. Robert Stephenson FRS (16 October 1803 &ndash 12 October 1859 was an English Civil engineer. ^[49] One famous vessel was the ‘wonderful’ Torrens, the clipper in which Joseph Conrad sailed, and on which he began his first novel. Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924 was a Polish-born English novelist 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. A passenger ship is a Ship whose primary function is to carry passengers 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 at their Deptford yard on the Wear in 1875. Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. 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,^[50] as labourers from all over Britain, including many from Scotland and Ireland, entered the region. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world 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.

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, will close on March 31, 2007^[51] and in January 2007, Pyrex announced it would close by the end of the year,^[52] bringing to an end glass-making in the city. Corning Incorporated ( is an American manufacturer of Glass, Ceramics and related materials primarily for industrial and scientific applications Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Pyrex is a brand name for glassware introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915

Vaux Breweries was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110 years was a major employer. Vaux Breweries was a major Brewer based in Sunderland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Following a series of consolidations in the British Brewing Industry, however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Vaux in Sunderland and 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. Wards Brewing Company was a Brewing company based at Sheaf Brewery on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, England. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England This was subject to a successful take-over by Whitbread PLC in the autumn of 2000. This article is about the Whitbread company For the sailing race see Volvo Ocean Race. It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area that could be targeted for redevelopment

Rejuvenation

‎

Sunderland's economic situation began to improve following the low point of the 1980s. In addition to the giant Nissan car factory in 1986, new service industries have moved in, creating thousands of jobs. Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK Ltd, or NMUK is a Car Manufacturing plant in Sunderland Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Doxford International Business Park, in the south west of the city, has attracted a host of national and international companies. Doxford International is a 125 acre (50 hectare business park located at the A19 / A690 interchange on the outskirts of Sunderland, in the North East of England Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use of Information Technology, in both 2004 and 2005. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support The city was also included in the top eighteen list in 2002 and 2003. ^[53]

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 Association Football Club is a professional Association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, which plays in Castletown is an area of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. It is north of the River Wear, and is near to Hylton Castle and Washington 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. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Sunderland Aquatic Centre is an indoor sports complex next to the Stadium of Light in the city of Sunderland, England. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow.

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. Hylton Castle (ˈhɪltn hil-tn) is a ruined stone Castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England 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 blocks 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. A tower block, block of flats, or apartment block, is a multi-unit High-rise Apartment building. Gilley Law is one of the smaller suburbs of Sunderland located in between the suburbs of Farringdon and Silksworth and is home to 1500 people

The central business district of Sunderland has also been subject to a recent flurry of redevelopment and improvement. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city In 2000, The Bridges shopping centre was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central Bus Station, attracting national chain stores. The Bridges is a shopping centre based in the city centre of Sunderland, England. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors bus station is a structure where city or intercity Buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers Chain stores are Retail outlets that share a Brand and central management and usually have standardized business methods and practices In November 2004, after several years with no cinema, a Cineworld multiplex opened in the new River Quarter (rebranded as Limelight in 2006) an entertainment complex towards the east of the City Centre. Cineworld Cinemas is a multiplex cinema chain in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Jersey. The Cinema was taken over by Empire Cinemas in May 2006. Empire Cinemas is a multiplex cinema chain in the United Kingdom. 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. Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of 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"^[54] 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. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Newcastle Airport is located in Newcastle upon Tyne, about 6 Miles (11 km) north-west of the city centre 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"^[54] 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. Sunderland station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in Sunderland, north-east England. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July 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. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Situated on an underground level, the station is generally considered an eyesore^[55] 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. The Tyne and Wear Metro is a metro system serving stations in Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside North Tyneside and Sunderland, ^[56] It is situated on the Durham Coast Line served by direct Northern Rail services to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough, as well as further afield to Hexham, Carlisle and the Gateshead MetroCentre. Route Middlesbrough Thornaby Stockton Billingham Seaton Carew Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Hartlepool ('hɑːtlɪpuːl is a North Sea port in North East England Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in North East England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority area and Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. Middlesbrough ( IPA ( Received pronunciation) is a Town in the Tees Valley sub-region of the North East of England Hexham New South Wales|Hexham (constituency Hexham is a Market town in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne. Carlisle (pronounced CARLYLE(emphasis on the first syllable is a City in northern England the largest settlement in Cumbria. MetroCentre is the second most visited shopping centre in the UK attracting 24 million visitor a year In terms of retail area it's regarded as the largest Mall in the

From 1998 to 2004, Northern Spirit and subsequently Arriva Trains Northern ran direct trains from Sunderland to Liverpool Lime Street via York, Leeds and Manchester. This article is about the railway company Northern Spirit For the Australian Football (soccer club of the same name see Northern Spirit FC. Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England 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. First TransPennine Express is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. 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. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England Middlesbrough ( IPA ( Received pronunciation) is a Town in the Tees Valley sub-region of the North East of England Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the

In 2006, Grand Central Railway announced plans to operate a direct service between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York, a service which had been stripped from Wearside twenty years earlier. Background Grand Central operate three return trips per day between the north-east of England and the capital city London along the East Coast Main Line King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 This article is about a railway station in England For the similarly named subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, see York Street (IND Sixth Avenue 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). Great North Eastern Railway ( GNER) was a British train operating company, owned by Sea Containers Ltd. The service increased to three departures daily each way on 1 March 2008, connecting a line which can run from Edinburgh to London. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

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. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Tyne and Wear Metro is a metro system serving stations in Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside North Tyneside and Sunderland, For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England The line now stretches deeper into South Tyneside and into Sunderland, incorporating Seaburn, Millfield, Pallion, as well as Sunderland's mainline railway station and stations at the Park Lane Transport Interchange and both campuses of the University of Sunderland before terminating at South Hylton. South Tyneside is a Metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England. Seaburn is a suburb and seaside resort in the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. Millfield is an independent school in Street Somerset, England. Pallion is a Suburb, Parish and electoral ward in Sunderland. Sunderland station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in Sunderland, north-east England. Park Lane Interchange' in Sunderland is the second-busiest bus station in the United Kingdom, after Victoria Coach Station in London The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, North East England. South Hylton is a suburb in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, on the south bank of the River Wear. Four trains run every hour, making up for the cutback from hourly to half-hourly of the rail service to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England In many quarters, the Metro extension has not been viewed as a huge success due to this cut in the frequency of services. ^[57] 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

There are no motorways that run through the Sunderland urban area. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation The largest and busiest road is the A19, which runs north-to-south along the western edge of the urban area, crossing the river Wear at Hylton. The A19 is a major Road in England, running parallel to and east of the A1 road. 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 Durham Road terminates in the city centre, and runs all the way to Crook, County Durham via the city of Durham. The A690 is a road in County Durham running from Sunderland in the east through Durham to Crook. Crook (commonly known as Crook Market Town is a small market town in County Durham, England. This is the main road supporting the south-west of the city. The A1231 starts in the city centre, crosses the Queen Alexandra Bridge and runs through Washington to the A1. The A1231 road runs between Sunderland and Washington in Tyne and Wear, North East England. Most of this road is national speed limit dual carriageway. The United Kingdom Road Network is an extensive network of routes connecting its settlements The network is of varied quality and capacity A dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or Highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land known as a The A1018 and 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 is a road in North East England. It runs between South Shields, at the mouth of the River Tyne, and the A19 near Seaham The A183 road runs from South Shields in Tyne and Wear, through Sunderland and ends at Chester-le-Street in County Durham. 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. Chester-le-Street is the main town in the Chester-le-Street district of County Durham, England.

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 congestion, especially during rush hour. Rush hour at Shinjuku 02JPG|thumb|right|250px|Rush hour at Shinjuku Station, Yamanote Line]] A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which 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 was opened on 2 May 1999 by the then Brookside actor Michael Starke. Park Lane Interchange' in Sunderland is the second-busiest bus station in the United Kingdom, after Victoria Coach Station in London Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Brookside, commonly referred to as "Brookie" was a Soap opera set in Liverpool, England, introduced with the then new British Michael Starke can refer to Michael Starke (actor Michael Starke (composer With 750,000 passengers per year it is the busiest bus and coach station in Britain after Victoria Coach Station in Central London,^[58] and has won several awards for innovative design. Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London, and is operated by Victoria Coach Station Ltd The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre 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. The Jolly Bus was the colloquial term for Buses that ran on the scheduled service operated by the W

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. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. Britain's most popular long-distance 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. Long distance in Telecommunications, refers to Telephone calls made outside a certain area usually characterized by an Area code outside of a Local Segregated cycle facilities are Roads tracks paths or marked lanes designated for use by Cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded The Coast to Coast or Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C is Great Britain 's most popular long-distance cycle route and is based on minor roads disused railway The 'W2W' 'Wear-to-Walney' route, and the 'Two-Rivers' (Tyne and Wear) route also terminate in Sunderland. The W2W is the name of a cross-country Cycle route in Northern England. Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine Island in England.

Culture and attractions

Literature and art

Lewis Carroll was a frequent visitor to the area. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (ˈdɒdsən (27 January 1832 &ndash 14 January 1898 better known by the Pen name Lewis Carroll (/ˈkærəl/ was an English He wrote most of "Jabberwocky" at Whitburn as well as "The Walrus and the Carpenter". " Jabberwocky " is a Poem of Nonsense verse written by Lewis Carroll, originally featured as a part of his novel Through the Looking-Glass REDIRECT The Walrus and the Carpenter ^[59] 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. ^[60] 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. Bryan Talbot (born February 24, 1952, Wigan, Lancashire) is a British Comic book Artist and Writer. Alice in Sunderland An Entertainment is a Graphic novel by comics writer and artist Bryan Talbot. ^[61] 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. Terry Deary (born 3 January 1946 Sunderland) is a children's author now living in Burnhope, County Durham, England. Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated books published in the United Kingdom and now from 2007 officially in India by Scholastic. Sheila Quigley (born 1947? is a British Author of thrillers Sheila Quigley became a national news story when Random House acquired her first novel ^[62]

The Manchester painter, L S Lowry, was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland. Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976 was an English Artist born on Barrett Street Stretford, Lancashire. ^[63] 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. Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA is a Contemporary art Gallery which focuses on producing exhibitions of new work by emerging and established international Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a municipal museum in Sunderland, England. Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976 was an English Artist born on Barrett Street Stretford, Lancashire. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures.

Music

Main article: 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 Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The following is a list of towns and cities in Yorkshire and the North East of England, each with the bands and musicians to have charted in them included David Allan Stewart, often known as Dave Stewart (born September 9, 1952 in Sunderland) is an English Musician and Eurythmics (often incorrectly referred to as The Eurythmics) is a British Musical duo, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and Dave Kenickie, which featured Lauren Laverne on vocals, also achieved a top ten album and wide critical acclaim in the mid-to-late-1990s. Kenickie were a four-piece punk - indie band from Sunderland, UK. Lauren Laverne (born Lauren Cecilia Gofton on 28 April 1978 in Sunderland, United Kingdom) is a Disc jockey, In recent years, a thriving underground music scene in Sunderland has helped the likes of The Futureheads and Field Music gain national recognition. Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility The Futureheads are a four-piece English Post-punk revival band from Sunderland. Field Music are a band from Sunderland England who formed in 2004

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, 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 also grew up in Sunderland and South Shields. The Toy Dolls are an English Punk rock band. They formed in 1979 playing their first Concert at Millview Social Club Sunderland Olive were a dance / Breakbeat / Trip hop group from the North of England Ruth-Ann Boyle (born April 26, 1970 in Sunderland) is a British Pop music Singer who became famous during the 1990s A Tribe of Toffs were a novelty pop band from Sunderland in the UK. A Tribe of Toffs were a Novelty pop band from Sunderland in the UK. Alex Kapranos ( Greek: Άλεξ Καπράνος born Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley, March 20, 1972 in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire Franz Ferdinand is a rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2001 South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne.

On May 7 and 8th 2005, Sunderland played host to BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend concert - the UK's largest free music festival. Radio 1's Big Weekend (previously known as One Big Weekend) is a Music festival run by BBC Radio 1. The event was held at Herrington Country Park, in the shadow of Penshaw Monument and was attended by 30,000 visitors. Herrington is an area in the South of Sunderland, formerly in County Durham. Penshaw Monument (officially The Earl of Durham's Monument is a Folly built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill (locally ˈpɛnʃə in Tyne and Wear, North ^[64][65]

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. Steven Patrick Morrissey (ˈmɒɹɪsiː born May 22, 1959) known primarily as Morrissey, is a British Singer and Lyricist Journey South are a musical duo originating from Middlesbrough, England, consisting of brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band

Independent, a city centre nightclub/music venue, satisfies underground music lovers, having previously played host to Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Maxïmo Park and Snow Patrol when they were largely unknown and had not yet achieved commercial success. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark Keane (kiːn are an English Piano rock band, first established in Battle, East Sussex in 1995, and taking their current Kasabian are an English rock band from Leicester, formed by Tom Meighan (vocals Sergio Pizzorno (guitar and vocals Chris Edwards (bass Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 Maxïmo Park (sometimes spelled Maximo Park) are an English Post-punk revival band signed to Warp Records, who formed in 2000 Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish / Scottish Alternative rock band which formed in Dundee Scotland, The band achieved worldwide success due to In the past year, the club has hosted gigs from established bands such as The Zutons, The Maccabees, Klaxons and The Futureheads. The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. History The Zutons formed in Liverpool in The Maccabees are an English indie band based in Brighton and originally from south London. Klaxons are a English Indie rock / Dance punk band based in London The Futureheads are a four-piece English Post-punk revival band from Sunderland. 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 and Girls Aloud in recent years. The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, North East England. Arctic Monkeys are a British Indie band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. The Levellers are a popular English rock band influenced by punk and traditional English music. Girls Aloud are a British Girl group created by ITV1 Talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002

The Sunderland Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2000 to mark the millennium. Sunderland Symphony Orchestra, presently directed by Rupert Hanson was founded to mark the turn of the current 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. Appearances Original series The character was originally played by Gunnar Hansen.

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 shows such as Miss Saigon, Starlight Express and My Fair Lady, all of which have been performed at the Empire. The Sunderland Empire Theatre is located in High Street West in Sunderland, North East England. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Miss Saigon is a West End musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil Starlight Express is a Rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music and Richard Stilgoe (lyrics with later revisions by Don Black My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner The Empire is the only theatre between Leeds and Glasgow large enough to accommodate such shows. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom ^[66] 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. Ricky Dene Gervais (dʒɜːˈveɪz born 25 June 1961 is an English Actor, Comedian, Writer, director, Producer and former Roy 'Chubby' Brown (born Royston Vasey on February 3 1945 is an English Stand up comedian known for adult comedy offensive language and outrageous costumes Little Britain is a character-based comedy Sketch show first appearing on BBC radio and then television Mark Lamarr (born Mark Jones on 7 January 1967 in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English The League of Gentlemen is a quartet of British comedy writer/performers formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton The Birmingham Royal Ballet have a season at the Sunderland Empire every year, and it is considered the company's north-east home. The Birmingham Royal Ballet ( BRB) is one of the UK's foremost Ballet companies based at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Birmingham,

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. David Parfitt (born July 8, 1958, Sunderland) is a Film producer and Actor.

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 newspaper. The Sunderland Echo is an evening provincial newspaper serving the Sunderland, South Tyneside and East Durham areas of North Free daily newspapers trace their history back to the 1940s when Walnut Creek California publisher Dean Lesher began what is widely believed to be the first ^[67] It also has its own local radio station Sun FM and a hospital radio station - Radio Sunderland for Hospitals, and can receive other north-eastern independent radio stations Metro FM(now called Metro Radio), Magic 1152, Galaxy North East and Century FM. Independent Local Radio Sun FM is a radio station serving the City of Sunderland and also available in Tyne and Wear, northern parts of County Durham in England Radio Sunderland is the Hospital radio station for the Royal Hospital and the St Bendedict's Hospice in Sunderland, England. Metro Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to North East England. Magic 1152 is the name of an Independent Local Radio station in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Galaxy North East is an English regional Radio station specialising in Dance music and R'n'B. The current regional BBC radio station is BBC Radio North East. The University of Sunderland student radio station Utopia FM has recently won awards for innovation and broadcasts for part of the year. Utopia FM is the radio station based at the University of Sunderland in North East England. 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 Office of Communications (Y Swyddfa Gyfathrebiadau or as it is more often known Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the Communication Community radio is a type of Radio service that caters to the interests of a certain area broadcasting material that is popular to a local audience but is overlooked by more The regional DAB multiplex for the Sunderland area is operated by EMAP DIGITAL RADIO LTD. - owned by Emap Digital Radio plc. The city is covered by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV's Tyne Tees franchise, which has a regional office in the University's Media Centre. BBC North East & Cumbria is the BBC English Region covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Teesside and all but the Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television contractor for North East England. ^[68]

Events

Each year on the last weekend in July, the city hosts the 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. Remembrance Day also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates or Veterans Day is a day to commemorate the London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[69]

HMS Ocean, an active Helicopter Landing Platform of the Royal Navy, is Sunderland's adopted ship. History An invitation to tender for a new Helicopter carrier was issued in February 1992 Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH is the US Navy Hull classification symbol for the Amphibious assault ships of the ''Iwo Jima'' class and three The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) 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 food. German cuisine varies greatly from region to region The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia share many dishes among them and with their neighbours to the south It also hosts a large ice rink near the Empire Theater, which forms part of the wider, regional North East Winter Festival. An Ice rink is a frozen body of Water where people can Ice skate or play winter sports 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. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Alan Bleasdale (born 23 March 1946 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, brought up in Huyton The Monocled Mutineer is a British television programme made by the BBC in 1986 and shown on BBC1, the first ^[70] 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. Richard Tiffany Gere (born August 31, 1949) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Actor. Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger (ˈbeɪsɪŋɚ bay-sing-er often mispronounced /ˈbæsɪndʒɚ/ bass-in-jer) (born December 8, 1953) Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 Romantic comedy / Drama Film. The film was directed by John Madden and co-written by playwright David Parfitt (born July 8, 1958, Sunderland) is a Film producer and Actor.

Attractions

Notable attractions for visitors to Sunderland include Penshaw Monument, the Souter Lighthouse (the first electrically powered lighthouse in the world^[71]), the 15th century Hylton Castle, the Wildfowl park in Washington, and the beaches of Roker and Seaburn. Souter Lighthouse ( is a Lighthouse located in the village of Marsden in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Hylton Castle (ˈhɪltn hil-tn) is a ruined stone Castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England

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. An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Arts mainly by funding local artists awarding prizes and organizing events at ^[72]

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. Sunderland Lustreware is a type of Pottery originating from Sunderland, England. 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. Britain in Bloom is a horticultural competition in the United Kingdom.

Sunderland has also recently 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 football team, Sunderland A.F.C., which was formed in 1879. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional Association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, which plays in ^[73] Finishing 15th in the English Premier League in the 2007-08 season, Sunderland retains its status in the country's top division in 2008-09 and plays its home games at the 49,000 seat capacity Stadium of Light. The Stadium of Light is a football Stadium in Sunderland, North East England which opened in 1997. ^[74] 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. Sunderland AFC Women ( Sunderland WFC, Sunderland Ladies) is a Women's football club based in Sunderland, North East England They currently play in the top tier of English women's football - FA Women's Premier League National Division, despite their financial struggles. The FA Women's Premier League National Division is at the top of the English women's football league pyramid Sunderland were league champions six times within the Football League's first half century, but have not achieved this accolade since 1936. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Their other notable successes include FA Cup glory in 1937 and 1973 and winning the Division One title with a (then) English league record of 105 points in 1999. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) 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. Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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. Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. ^[75] 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 Nissan FC is a football club based in Sunderland, England. Sunderland Ryhope Community Association FC are an English Association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, currently playing

Sunderland's amateur Rugby and Cricket clubs are both based in Ashbrooke. Rugby football (usually just " rugby " may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of Football developed at Rugby School Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Ashbrooke is a residential area of Sunderland, England directly south and south-west of the city centre ^[76][77] 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. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 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. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice.

From 1976 until 1995, Sunderland had a Basketball team, winners of the national championship in 1981. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m 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. David Dolan (born 7 October, 1979) is a British heavyweight boxer who won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the Super

On 18 April 2008, the Sunderland Aquatic and wellness centre was opened. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 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 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. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969 is an Irish runner from Cobh, County Cork. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Getenesh 'Gete' Wami ( Ge'ez:ጌጤነሽ 'ጌጤ' ዋሚ born December 11, 1974 in Debre Berhan) is a female Ethiopian NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The race is now an annual fixture in the city's sporting schedule, with the next race taking place on 15 June 2008. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

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

See also: List of schools in the North East of England

Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969, becoming the University of Sunderland in 1992. The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, North East England. ^[78] The institution currently has over 17,000 students. ^[79] 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. ^[80]

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. Times Higher Education ( THE) formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement ( THES) is a magazine based 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. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ^[81]

The City of Sunderland College is a further education establishment with five campuses located at the Bede centre on Durham Road, Shiney Row, Hylton, Doxford International Business Park and 'Phoenix House' in the city centre. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from The A690 is a road in County Durham running from Sunderland in the east through Durham to Crook. Shiney Row is a Suburb in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear. Shiney Row enjoys good travel links with the rest of Sunderland. It has over 14,000 students, and based on exam results is one of the most successful colleges. ^[82] St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the University, is scheduled to open in Autumn 2008. ^[83] The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College. ^[84]

There are twenty secondary schools in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes According to exam results, the most successful was the Sunderland High School, an independent selective school in Ashbrooke. Sunderland High School is a Junior school and Senior school in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. A selective school is a school which admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria usually academic ^[85] 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 schools in Sunderland. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, in Doxford Park. Doxford Park (known locally as Doxy Park) is a Suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, located to the south-west of the city centre ^[86]

Notable Residents

• List of famous residents of Sunderland

Also See

• The North Dock Tufa

• List of important dates in the history of Sunderland

References

External links

• Tyne & Wear Archives Service
• BBC Wear - Local news, pictures and features
• This is Sunderland - Local news, Community site, Visitors Guide

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