Newman had a close knowledge of the East Anglian countryside, and a notable interest in folklore and related areas. He was a member of the
Folklore Society, contributing articles to the Society's journal
Folklore on a range of topics. He served as the Folklore Society's President between 1943 and 1945. 15 volumes of newspaper cuttings collected by Newman, and dating from the early 1920s to the 1970s, are now housed in the Special Collections of the University of Sheffield Library. The cuttings come from a range of magazines and newspapers, and include articles on topics such as folklore, country customs, witchcraft and ghosts. == Selected publications ==