Wednesday 27 October 2010

Tuesday 19 October 2010

The Fish Quay and old High Light, North Shields

























In the foreground can be seen the Fish Quay at North Shields on the River Tyne. The tall white building is called the old High Light, once a navigational aid to ships entering the river it is now a residential house.

Monday 18 October 2010

Conversation Piece






















Conversation Piece by the late Spanish sculptor Juan Munoz is located near Littlehaven in South Shields at the mouth of the River Tyne. The sculpture consists of 22 bronze figures which were installed in 1999 as part of an Art on the Riverside programme.

Saturday 16 October 2010

Arbeia





Arbeia was the Roman fort founded around 120 AD near the mouth of the River Tyne in what is now South Shields. Standing high over the river it became  the maritime supply fort for Hadrian's Wall.  It was occupied until the Romans left Britain in the 5th century. One theory about its name  is "fort of the Arab troops", referring to the fact that part of its garrison at one time was a squadron of Syrian boatmen from the Tigris. The photo above shows a reconstruction of the fort's West Gate.

Friday 15 October 2010

Tuesday 12 October 2010

hawser


a metal hawser, probably from a fishing trawler,  washed up on the beach north of Amble in Northumberland

Monday 11 October 2010

a trace


the receding waters leave  tide marks of coal dust at the mouth of the river Coquet at the once thriving coal exporting port of Amble in Northumberland

Sunday 10 October 2010

Amble Harbour

























Amble lies at the mouth of the river Coquet on the Northumberland coast, it once served as a  port for coal exports from the once thriving mining industry in Northumberland. The port  now has a thriving marina for leisure yachts but also still supports a small fishing fleet,  of which the Nimrod, can be seen here.

Saturday 9 October 2010

time and tide






















This is a Second World War beach defence near Warkworth in Northumberland. It once would have nestled, disguised, amongst sand dunes which, due to coastal erosion, have retreated some 20 metres over the last 70 years, a process that will continue because of rising sea levels.

Friday 8 October 2010

Yum Yum


a take-away called Yum Yum in Edinburgh, and not a deep fried Mars Bar in sight

Friday 1 October 2010

roadside shrine
























it is increasingly common to see these at roadsides where a fatality has occurred, some, like this one, are in place for years before the local authorities clear them away