Author: Jim Harland
Alternate names: James Davison Harland
Title: True Tales of Blyth.        Temper - the story of a boy and a pit pony.
Born: 25.06.1935
Bio: Jim Harland was born in Blyth in 1935 and started in journalism on the Morpeth Herald in 1951.  He then moved on to the Blyth News, became Morpeth district reporter for the Evening Chronicle, Newcastle Journal and Sunday Sun before joining the Cambridge Evening News then the Cambridge Freelance and General News Service.  Returning to the North East and The Journal he was head hunted by the Sunday Mirror and moved to Manchester in 1965.  He returned to the North East as deputy news editor of The Journal and then to the BBC in Newcastle working in TV and local Radio  before taking early retirement. He is married with two daughters and two grandsons.  On the sporting side he was captain and  chairman of Blyth Cricket Club and was a Class One local soccer referee.  A baritone,  he has played the leads in more than 35 musicals, the last in the title role of Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD, and has also produced  several shows.  He is still active with two musical societies.