Dan Boots
MyTyne's co founder and your guide to the best of Tyne & Wear.
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Dan answers a selection of reader questions about Tyneside.
Public Posts
Planning a Tyneside home renovation
How to brief, budget and choose trades for a renovation that respects the North East's housing stock — from Tyneside flats to Georgian terraces.
Profile updates
looks great so far, plenty of work in progress. update experts and new hubs - paranormal !!! WOOOOOO
The Poppy Girl of Newcastle Castle
Castle Keep, Castle Garth · debtors'-gaol period · Folklore/Reported. The best-known — and saddest — ghost of Newcastle's oldest building, a young flower seller known by the scent of flowers on the Keep stair.
The Hancock Mummy
Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge · modern · Reported/Weird Lore. An after-hours figure among the galleries, tied by tradition to the museum's Egyptian mummy.
The Black Gate & the Queen's Chamber
The Black Gate & Keep upper chambers, Castle Garth · built c.1247–1250 · Reported/Folklore. The Keep's violent ghost — poltergeist disturbance earned in the crowded tenement centuries.
The Grey Lady of the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Grey Street · 19th century · Reported/Folklore. A candle-bearing woman in grey in the upper circle — origin story drifts between tellings.
The Ancient Corridors
Shadows linger in the damp stone corridors of Newcastle Castle Keep — sudden temperature drops and heavy footsteps from empty chambers.
The Ouseburn Culverts
A labyrinth of darkness beneath the city — recordings capture unexplained guttural voices and unseen footsteps.
Tynemouth Swell
Fine-art coastline near Tyneside — a single jagged rock breaking calm, glassy water. Sony A7R IV · 35mm f/1.4
Questions & answers
Q.What actually thrives in heavy Tyneside clay on an exposed plot?
A.Go for tough, clay-tolerant workhorses — hardy geraniums, astrantia, hydrangeas and dogwoods all cope well. Improve drainage with grit and leaf-mould before planting, and plant in spring once the cold snaps pass so roots establish before winter.
Asked by Karen from Whickham · Answered by Dan Boots