The phrase ‘taking coals to Newcastle’ is a popular idiom to describe something pointless. It also references the industry the north-eastern city was built around (along with shipbuilding). Both are largely absent from Newcastle’s economic make-up in the 21st century, but the city has established itself in other areas. Office, service and retail employment now dominate in the city, but beyond this it is a rising hub for investment in the biotechnology and life sciences, while the wider North East region is a major destination for automotives, and nearby Blyth is slated to be the site for the UK’s first battery gigafactory. A population of 282,000 however the metropolitan population of Newcastle (which is Tyneside and Wearside combined) is approximately 1.65 million.
