Steve Thompson
The Guildhall
This is the Guildhall – my band played here many times in the 70’s
The Swing Bridge
The Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge – (puffs chest with pride) Kinda hard to do justice to in a picture just hurriedly pointing and clicking. You see evidence of it in many of these Tyne pics. It was the inspiration for Sydney Harbour Bridge which was also built with steel from this region. (chest swells even larger with pride)
THE TYNE
And now moving down from Byker to the quayside area of Newcastle
My appointment (failed) was in the area to the right. The rest of the pics were shot in the area to the left on the North bank of the Tyne.
The Free Trade
This is an interesting pub. I did not go inside (this trip) but I can tell you what is inside of great interest. The Juke Box remains stocked with a classic set of 60’s records.
Byker Library
4pm arrived in Newcastle – Byker to be precise. Only 4 hours late !!
This is Byker Library (now named the Brinkburn Centre). It is 100 years old this year. Sadly there was a fire recently in the roofspace as you can probably see. I’ll learn more when I return to keep the appointment I missed.
Digital Dark Room
Found a problem I had not expected. It’s hard to choose and edit picture on a laptop in a car with the sun streaming through the windows. I figured a new way to run a digital dark room in a car. I threw my coat over my head to create a cloak over the laptop. Worked a treat but I feared I might get arrested as it must have looked very strange to passers by.
Anyway, now I’m heading South towards home to take in the three major Rivers of the region – The Tyne, The Wear and The Tees.
Titanic’s Sister!
I shall now reveal what is so special about the inside of the Swan Hotel…
You step into the TITANIC !!
The Dining room actually! – well good as. When Titanic’s (identical) sister ship, Olympic was scrapped in 1937, many of the fittings and artworks were auctioned. The “Olympic Suite” conference and dining room were bought by the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick.
more here http://www.pottsoft.com/home/titanic/white_swan.html
The White Swan
I’m inside the hotel I mentioned now having pea and bacon soup and uploading. hotel is something quite special.
Alnwick
2.30 and I’m in Alnwick. My itinerary is shot. Cancelled my meeting in Newcastle. I seem to have arrived during a festival.
The Viking
In the seventies my band performed many times in the Viking Ballrom at Seahouses. Sadly this seems to have gone the way of many a riverside or sea front property.