Sunderland

Sunderland is an industrial city and port in the English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear.

Other facts

• The Short Sunderland was a type of flying boat used by the RAF during World War II. It was named after the city.
• Each year, 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.
• Also on the sea front, the annual Sunderland illuminations were a huge local attraction, although this event no longer features.
• On March 24, 2004, the City adopted St Benedict Biscop as its patron saint. A patron had never been adopted before.
• HMS Ocean, an active Helicopter Landing Platform of the Royal Navy, is Sunderland's adopted ship. The crew of Ocean regularly visit the city.
• Sunderland Museum and Winter Garden, on Borough Road, was the first municipally funded museum in the country outside London.
• The new City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, also houses the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, renowned as one of the leading forums for new artists in the North of England.
• The novel 'The Dress Lodger' by American author Sheri Holman is set in Sunderland during the cholera epidemic of the 1830's.
• Sunderland contains more beach area (and green belt) within its limits than any other English city.
• Not far away are the beaches where Lewis Carroll used to walk when visiting his Willcox cousins at Whitburn. He wrote most of "Jabberwocky" at Whitburn as well as "The Walrus and the Carpenter". There is a statue to Carroll in Whitburn library.
• John Osborne began writing his first play while acting at the Sunderland Empire.
• Sid James died on stage at the Sunderland Empire.
• On the weekend of 7th and 8th May 2005, Sunderland played host to BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend concert, the UK's largest free music festival. Acts on show included Gwen Stefani, Natalie Imbruglia, the Foo Fighters, Basement Jaxx, Chemical Brothers, the Black Eyed Peas and Sunderlands own The Futureheads. The event was held at Herrington Country Park, in the shadow of Penshaw Monumnent. The 30,000 tickets were given out across the weekend two weeks prior at Sunderland Civic Centre, ensuring that most attendees were local to Wearside and the North East.