A workshop on rights for the Tyne Catchment
We had a successful event in Haltwhistle on 17 June attended by 30 people from across the catchment. Josh Levine from River Rights Network gave an interesting talk, followed by workshop activities. Ceri Gibson, ex CEO of Tyne Rivers Trust then led a fascinating and engaging walk along Haltwhistle Burn and the River South Tyne. We shall be utilising our experiences from organising this event to develop an interactive approach to gather thoughts from the communities of the Tyne on how we could develop a charter of rights for the River and what this might look like.
Workshop question cards
As part of the day participants answered simple questions about the river and hung cards on a washing line stretching the length of the room!. We share these here as an inspiration and for your interest. Perhaps you might also consider how you would have answered some of the questions?
How do you care for the river?
- I visit it most days
- Periodically I take a bag and clear litter
- I try to provide a voice for the river at Partnership and Planning events
- I analyse sewage pollution data and present it to the public
- I visit it weekly and slow the flow and re-wiggle on my land
- Respect and treasure it
- Not enough!
- Try to remember what it meant to you as a child
- Notice the river’s beauty
- Enjoy the river’s song – celebrate with others
- Look after our septic tank!
- Don’t wash my car in the river
- Litter pick adjacent footpaths and riverbank when out walking
- Mindful when buying cleaning products and trying as much as possible to buy products which are environmentally damaging to water courses
- Include its tributaries in the Valued Green Spaces map in our local Neighbourhood Plan
What do you think the river dreams about?
- Being allowed to run naturally and to be a happy river
- The flow – tide, rains, drought
- What passes through – fish
- Listen to what it says?
- The animal life and the seasons to come
- How things used to be
- Life, breathing freely
- Peace
- The past before humanity harmed it
- It depends on where you are along the Tyne – the source will bubble up with new ideas and dream of fresh possibilities – the mouth will ebb and flow with brackish tidal tendencies and see things from different perspectives and dream of complexity – the rural river will dream its natural neighbours and all the ecosystem inhabitants – the urban river is dense with the memories of many generations and will dream of all the forgotten stories of the past
- It has nightmares about human destruction
What is your favourite memory about the river?
- Not the Tyne so much as Singapore river over 60 years
- The silence, green noise, energy
- Watching flow dynamics and being carried away spiritually
- Drifting down from Watersmeet on a hot summer’s evening in the cool silky golden water – with mayflies filling the air, sand martins dipping to drink all around me, the occasional fish jumping, light from the water rippling up on the trees and the quiet sounds of birds and nature all around
What do you love most about the river?
- Precious sight sound
- Being unpredictable
- Resource and resourceful
- The way it connects me to a sense of timeless peace
- It’s a connected ecosystem
- Tranquillity
- Wildlife
- Inherent beauty, calmness, wildlife, giving a sense of wellbeing
- The energy it brings and its indifference to us – it’s bigger than we are
- All of the above
- Power, (indecipherable) energy, flexibility
- The wildlife and beauty and the peace it brings
What are your hopes for the river?
- Pollution free e.g. sewage / fertiliser run off/ mineral spoils
- A variety of fish
- Rivers will have last word – climate topography, weather etc
- A healthy state for my grandchildren when they have grandchildren
- To thrive as a living respected entity
- A chance to be beautiful
- The river feels happy enough to welcome me as a swimmer
- That it survives
- Native aquatic life thrives
- That it’s a healthy member of the community
- It permeates us all under our feet and it needs to flow and refresh and be refreshed
- That humans will work out a way of cooperating; to love the river as it was meant to be
- That there are sanctions for those that harm it that actually prevent harm. – An economic penalty just becomes another tax that corporations are happy to pay if it protects their profits – The consequences need to actually work to prevent harm
How does the river care for you?
- Key to mental wellbeing – allow me to unwind
- It is a soothing presence reflecting the sky
- The river gives me space to breathe, to reflect, to remember my connection to all of non-human life
- By providing a place of calm and grounding by nurturing the plant, bird and animal life that creates these environments
- A reminder of constancy, history journeys and connection
- A structure for memories, stories, inspiration for art poetry and music
- Relaxation and mental health
- Physical and mental well being (with or without actually visiting it – knowing that it is there and healthy is – would be- enough)
- Regulation of nervous systems in our family
- Part of a connected ecosystem that provides essential and emotional support
Send us your photos and stories
We are collecting stories and photos of the Tyne in support of our aim to develop a Charter of Rights for the River. Please can you send contributions to connect@loveourtyne.org.uk
Stories can be of any length. We’re looking for personal account of what the river means to you and your relationship with it. We’d also love to see your photos of the Tyne. When sending these in please indicate if you are happy to for us to use them in our work and if you’d like to be credited or remain anonymous.
Share your views
Of the Rivers of Hope event
If you attended the Rivers of Hope workshop, thank you! We’d welcome your feedback on how to grow Love Our Tyne and on future events. Leave your feedback on our form here.
On the River Tyne catchment
If you’d like to share views and stories of the Tyne but were not at the workshop, we’d welcome your responses! Please fill out or short questionnaire here.