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
I’m inside the hotel I mentioned now having pea and bacon soup and uploading. hotel is something quite special.
2.30 and I’m in Alnwick. My itinerary is shot. Cancelled my meeting in Newcastle. I seem to have arrived during a festival.
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.
I’m in Seahouses now and I’m running late. I will pass through Alnwick on my way to my appointment in Newcastle. I wanted to take you inside a pub there but there may not be time. I know it’s cheating but if I can’t make it I’ll upload pics from and earlier trip.
Pic from Seahouses looking back to Barburgh Castle
Back in the seventies between my career as a rock star (failed) and becoming a songwriter I took a gig at the famous Newcastle department store, Fenwick. I enjoyed a stint during that autumn on the delivery truck. The deliveries were mostly to Northumberland and one day we delivered some wardrobes to Bamburgh Castle. (yes people have apartments in there) We could not get the truck through the portcullis you can see in one pic so we had to lug the wardrobes through by hand and all the way up those steps and across the ramparts to make the delivery.
Pit stop 9 am – just off A1. I know I’ve been going only a short while but I like this spot and I need to test the connection and the theory of mobile uploads. It’s working even if a bit sluggish. Must press on after this as I’m heading to the far north of the region – NORTHUMBERLAND.
First pic of the day. Gathering essentials for the road trip.
