England’s Northeast: tall tales and sea shanties The Rough Guide to Everywhere

From the region's coal mines to keel boats plying the mighty River Tyne and ships on the hunt for precious whale oil, shanties eased and animated working life in England's Northeast for centuries. Host Neil McQuillian heads up to Newcastle for a dose of salty sea-shanty culture, meeting a couple of guardians of this bawdy, moving and always rousing oral culture.

Thanks to our producers Femi Oriogun-Williams and Alannah Chance of Reduced Listening (reducedlistening.co.uk).