Meadow above Barrowburn farm

barrow burn tearoom

Bobby Moore Fund

A Cancer Research Charity shop window for the    Bobby Moore Fund  

England fans can only dream of the success of Bobby's World Cup winning team in 1966 following the recent ignominious exit by the English football team from the current  tournament in South Africa .

Sycamore Gap

 

Hadrian's Wall

This picture was taken today on the site of Hadrian's Wall, which  stretched across the north of England between Wallsend on  the River Tyne in the east, to Solway Firth in the West. It was  the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire. Several, denuded,  sections of the wall remain and it was declared a World heritage site in 1987

England Expects

The Gunner pub in North Shields is bedecked daily with the flags of those countries playing in the World Cup on the day. So today the flags of England, Germany, Argentina and Mexico adorn its walls. The spirit of Winston Churchill is currently featured with a nod to a somewhat fractious rivalry with the Germans in previous years; a  rivalry Charles Gordon of The Northumberland Fusiliers ( seen here in Arras, France August 1916 after July on  the Somme)  knew all too well.

footbridge across the Long Nanny

Long Nanny is the name of the burn that runs down to the  sea across Beadnell Bay in Northumberland

Scarecrow at Long Nanny

A scarecrow at the Long Nanny tern nesting site;  in keeping with the current  World Cup festivities in South Africa and Germany's fate hopefully.

Saint Ebba

St. Ebba III, an abandoned boat at Beadnell, Northumberland. Saint Ebba  was a sister of St. Oswald and Oswi, both kings of Northumberland in the 9th Century. She and her fellow religious sisters were to die as martyrs at the hands of Danish raiders from across the North Sea.

Alfred Gilbert

 A detail from  a bronze statue of Queen Victoria which stands just to the North of  St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was sculpted by Alfred Gilbert and unveiled in 1903 . Gilbert's most famous work is the statue of Eros in London's Piccadillly Circus.

Golf practice

when the ice cream vendor near Tynemouth Priory has no customers he can often be seen practising his golf swing

it's not what you think

Nancy's Bordello is actually a bar / restuarant to be found just off Shields Road near Northumbria University;  Nancys Bordello

Mercedes grille

at a recent vinatge car rally at Wallington Hall, Northumberland

Wayne Rooney missing in action?

Observers of last night's abysmal and dismal 0-0 draw in England's World Cup match against lowly Algeria agreed that the English players simply did not play well enough; most appeared to be missing in action; Rooney's poor performance could be explained because he was actually in Sainsbury's car park in Alnwick, Northumberland.

The Keelmen's Hospital

The keelmen ( boatmen on the River Tyne) of Newcastle upon Tyne formed a charitable foundation for sick and aged keelmen and their families, and by contributing one penny a tide from the wages of each keel’s crew they were able to build  the Keelmen’s Hospital which was completed in 1701 at a cost of £2,000; the building was used until recently as accommodation for students at Northumbria University.

Out with your mates

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A clever Army recruitment advert located on Newcastle's popular quayside which has many bars, pubs and restaurants in the vicinity

Man Creche

This should be self-explanatory ; the Northumberland Arms is a pub in central Newcastle upon Tyne

How did that get there?

a fake dog stuck in a ventilation grille on the flank wall of the offices of a PR company in Newcastle upon Tyne enlivens an otherwise dreary aspect

Lindisfarne Oysters

EAT Festival

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea Gigas) are grown on the seashore within the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve at Holy Island, Northumberland.

100% Pain

a bottle of very hot chili sauce at the EAT Newcastle Gateshead food festival. Chili peppers originated in the Americas and were first brought to Europe in 1493 by Christopher Columbus.

EAT Newcastle Gateshead

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Now in its 4th year this festival of food elebrates local and international culinary excellence. www.eatnewcastlegateshead.com/

Delaval stairs #2

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the corrosive power of time and the elements are quite evident on this once fine balustrade at Seaton Delaval Hall

Stairs at Seaton Delaval Hall

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disused and very weathered stairs at the Hall; needless to say these are not accessible by the public

Caesar at Seaton Delaval Hall

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The central block of the hall was destroyed by fire in 1822 and was never restored; today it is an empty shell within a magnificent facade, this plaque can be seen within the hallway.

Stables at Seaton Delaval Hall

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The stables at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland

1967 Citroen

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a splendid Citroen at the Morris Minor owner's rally at Wallington Hall on Sunday

Car Rally. Wallington Hall

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There was a superb Morris Minor owner's rally at Wallington Hall today, which included some interlopers like this old Vauxhall

Seaton Delaval Hall

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Seaton Delaval Hall was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh ( architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard) in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval. In the words of Nikolaus Pevsner, 'no other Vanbrugh house is so mature, so compact and so powerful.'
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In 1822 the Centre Block was gutted by fire and was never restored. The Hall recently became a National Trust property following a successful fund raising campaign.

keep the red flag flying high

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the National Union of Teachers met in Newcastle last weekend and had a gathering at Greys Monument

sharing a joke

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some mounted police at last weekend's EDL march in Newcastle .

Terns at Long Nanny

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yesterday at Long Nanny

friends

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a stag party reveller gets close and personal with a policeman on crowd control duty.

Infidels

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the police in the earlier photos were there to prevent public disorder during this march by the English Defence League in Newcastle. Officers, from at least five forces including the Metropolitan Police and the Police Service of Northern Ireland were drafted in to assist the local force. The opposing protests were kept separate and the day passed off peacefully with no arrests being made, police said. ( source the Sunday Sun)