Sunday 28 June 2015

No fog on the Tyne...

 Posted via the iPad so layout will be strange, until I can log on with my laptop.

The Angel of the North...





We are in Newcastle upon Tyne for a couple of days while Tim does some teacher training at the Royal Grammar School. It is the first time I've ever visited the city, although about 20 years ago we did a trip to Northallerton where Tim had an interview. We spent time looking around the area at houses we might call home, but in the end the job went to a local candidate and we didn't have to make the decision to uproot and move north. On a rainy day we visited the Metro Centre in Gateshead, but that was as close as we got to the Tyne!

The Millennium bridge with the Sage Theatre, Gateshead in the background.



Our hotel is in Jesmond which is a very nice part of the city and close to the school. However, the apartment blocks along the banks of the Tyne are certainly a very trendy place to live and the cafe culture apparent on a sunny afternoon.


The architecture, both Georgian and more contemporary, is impressive. There is even a statue of Earl Grey, the same Earl Grey of my favourite tea fame. I'll have to check that out later as the Blogger app for the iPad is a bit flaky and if I do a Google search in the middle of writing the post when I come back to finish the post some letters mysteriously disappear from the keyboard...NO, I haven't been drinking...well only one glass of wine!



The Baltic Centre contemporary art gallery was amazing, and the ledges around the building a home for hundreds of breeding pairs of kittiwakes. The shop was amazing. Unfortunately Tim was with me, but I might return tomorrow when I hit the shops...alone!



We had intended to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant at our hotel, but were tempted by Jamie Oliver's restaurant in the city centre. We had a delicious burger and pizza served by a very friendly young waitress who took the time to talk to us.




I believe that these pieces of stonework from some of the buildings demolished to build the Eldon Square shopping centre.






We are now back in Staffordshire having driven over 1000 miles in three days. Tim is training some new teachers at the University, and I have walked and lunched on Cannock Chase with friends in true lady of leisure style!



7 comments:

  1. Well done. When we are away I use the nexus and 5 photos are my limit, it gets too complicated! Great post. When are you back here? Diane

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    1. We get back around 17th July. These photographs aren't that good but when I post from my iPad I can't access the photographs on my camera so have to use the ones I took on my phone, which synchronise with the iPad. All too complicated for me to want to get my head round!

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  2. We visited Newcastle in one day travelling from Chichester for our eldest to look at the university, so we never got to see the city. Your photos give us a view of what we missed.

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  3. I love Newcastle Gaynor. My grandmother was from Chester-le-St, so many summer holidays were spent travelling north to see relatives, and enjoy the delights of Whitley bay. Before Jess chose Liverpool for her studies, and now for her post uni- life.... she thought seriously about Newcastle. We visited a couple of times with her, and we all agreed it would be a great place to be a student....however....Liverpool captured her heart.
    Im glad you saw so much and clearly enjoyed it....the buildings along the Tyne, in the centre are great, and the cafe culture which has developed there is just lovely.

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