Weird Walks: The Dark Side of Newcastle

29 October 2021

"Alan’s passion and knowledge of his home town is evident. You can take the tour on foot and listen on the way, or dive in to hear the stories on your device wherever you are."

Violent death, hauntings, incarceration; fire, flood and madness – just some of the stories shared on a new digital trail exploring the spooky side of Newcastle. 

The new Weird Walks: The Dark Side of Newcastle has a downloadable map so people can explore the city stopping at historical landmarks to watch a ghostly tale from legendary north east broadcaster, author and paranormal expert Alan Robson MBE.  

Now live on Must-see Stories, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ (TWAM) new online platform, Weird Walks was written and presented by Alan Robson MBE, and was commissioned by TWAM in collaboration with Robson’s World and produced by Media Arts.  

Alan Robson MBE said 

“We kicked off our ‘Weird Walks’ with a group of 30 brave souls this week to give people a flavour of what’s to come, and they loved every minute. I hope people enjoy experiencing the darker side of Newcastle - one which I am very familiar with!”  

Sarah Younas, Digital Producer at TWAM said:  

“Alan delves in to lesser known stories of Newcastle’s underbelly. We’re delighted to work with Alan to bring out these stories and share them widely online.  

“Alan’s passion and knowledge of his home town is evident. You can take the tour on foot and listen on the way, or dive in to hear the stories on your device wherever you are.”  

The tour starts at Discovery Museum in Blandford Square and weaves its way to the Tyne Theatre where you’ll hear about grave robbers and fatal accidents, unfortunate soldiers at Newcastle Castle, overcrowded gaols in the Castle Keep and a very sad tale of the local florist, the ghostly monk of Blackfriars and many more city landmarks, each with its own unnerving string of stories to uncover.  

Alan Robson MBE is a stalwart of the north east scene and has enthralled generations of Geordies with his trademark voice and unmistakable delivery, with his show NightOwls one of the most enduring shows in the region.  

It is not the first time TWAM has collaborated with Alan Robson MBE – he narrated the popular Heavier! Faster! Louder! The Story of Tyneside Heavy Metal podcast a six part audio documentary which so far has had nearly 20,000 downloads.