Sunderland is an anomaly in Britain due to the fact that the city is relatively young in comparison to the countless towns in England that predate the Middle Ages. The "Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland" was formed as recently as 1974 on the first of April, causing many to think that its inception was little more than a lavish April Fools Day joke. Sunderland only became a city in the literal sense in 1992, making the city still too young to buy a pack of cigarettes. All the same, Sunderland is a metropolis in every sense of the word, with a population of nearly three thousand citizens.
Just because Sunderland is a young city in name doesn't mean that there isn't a wide variety of rich history in the land that Sunderland encapsulates. The prestigious writer Lewis Carroll, of Alice in Wonderland fame, frequently visited the area and many of the landmarks of Sunderland, like the Backhouse Park and Hylton Castle, were cited as an inspiration to the creative author. His famous stories The Jabberwocky and The Walrus and The Carpenter were reputed to have been written primarily within Sunderland's boundaries and it has prompted more recent writers like Bryan Talbot to pen tales like "Alice in Sunderland". Another historical relic that draws the attention of countless residents and visitors is the famed Sunderland Empire Theatre. This theatre dates back to 1907 and still remains the largest theatre in all of Northeast England. The famed Empire was refurbished this decade and now hosts major events and guests like The League of Gentlemen, Ricky Gervais, and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
It is fitting that The Arts is an important part of Sunderland's citywide attitude because the city has little else of age to boast about. Fortunately, history is being made every day in Sunderland by the vast array of popular music and musicians that consistently come out of the town. Dave Stewart, from the Eurythmics, grew up in Sunderland as did members of bands like The Toy Dolls, Olive, and Franz Ferdinand. Musicians from around the world flock to Sunderland, however, to perform in lavish arenas like the aforementioned Theatre and perhaps this is what causes many of the citizens to try their hand at aural compositions. Most recently, Sunderland was the home to the enormous BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. This concert featured international superstars like The Black Eye Peas, KT Tunstall, and the Foo Fighters. More notably, performers that have held concerts within Sunderland include The Beatles, Morrissey, The Kinks, and Deacon Blue. Sunderland also frequently hosts free concerts under its "Sunderland Live in the City" event. These immensely popular shows have drawn such famous entertainers as Oasis and Take That. Yes, it's true that Sunderland doesn't have the immensity of ancient age behind it but the city is arguably doing more to create new history within its walls than any other city in the region. This is more than enough to make a trip to Sunderland an uplifting and exciting experience.
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