When I first planned this trip I didn't intend to go into Newcastle but for various reasons changed my mind. One of those was that I wanted to visit the Discovery Museum to have another look at Turbinia (which I last saw when it was located in a building in Exhibition Park). Originally I'd planned to drive to one of the park-and-ride Metro stations but as there's a bus stop not far from the site I caught the bus into Whitley Bay and got the Metro from there. My navigational memory was a bit off when I arrived in the City, it is 33 years since I lived there, and quite a bit has changed! I managed to get myself back on track though with a quick look at Google Maps (just remember in City Centres, when it says 2.3 miles that's driving and it may be less than a mile walking).
The whole story of Parson's revolutionary steam turbine powered ship, and his demonstration at the Spithead Review, is available online. Bad timing has caught me out on a couple of things this trip and did so again. The Museum is currently undergoing some works ready for displaying Stephenson's Rocket later in the year so Turbinia isn't being displayed to her best, and isn't as accessible as normal. She looks very much like a model in this picture!
The rest of the museum is interesting, with typical modern presentation, but I can strongly recommend the café - the piece of cake I had was big enough to mean I didn't need any lunch!
As the museum is down towards the River I thought I'd visit some old haunts starting with the Bridge Hotel, I used to go there for the folk club (still running, one of the two oldest in the country). It has changed somewhat, I was confused having so many hand pumps to choose from, they used to have two (Sam Smith's Old Brewery Bitter and a guest) and it was one of the very few pubs in the City that wasn't all keg. Having had a pint of Doom I thought I'd look out another pub, The Cooperage, by now I'd got my sense of direction back and came down the steps right alongside the building. Knowing the Quayside has been much improved I did wonder what I'd find, if anything, but it wasn't this:
The name is still just visible on the brown signboard, but that's about all. I'm not sure really why this affected me so much. It wasn't a particularly good student pub but holds some happy memories. Back in the day, as they say, it had an existentialist Aussie barman who was given to ask questions such as, on being asked for a pint of Scotch (ale that is, not whisky), "Why?" We used to often have two separate rounds running in pubs, one for the drinks and one for the crisps. I was fairly well known for the fact I don't like flavoured crisps and therefore would always have Ready Salted. Sitting in a crowded Cooperage bar one night a bag of plain crisps landed on the table in front of me unexpectedly, I looked around but couldn't see anyone I knew and never did find out who sent them. Having looked online apparently in 2009 the Council required better sound insulation due to noise complaints and Enterprise Inns decided not to spend the money so the place closed. It's a shame Wetherspoons, who've opened up just over the road, didn't take it on. The building itself dates back to the 14th Century and is definitely part of the City history.
Downstream from there I will say the rest of the quayside is much improved, it was busy and vibrant even the day after the Bank Holiday with plenty of locals and tourists about. I'd say it's somewhat spoilt by The Silver Slug (The Sage Arts Centre) across the river but that's probably just me! I had a walk over the Blinking Eye Bridge, a Millennium Bridge that actually worked first time, unlike the one in London. The name comes from the fact that it tilts to allow taller vessels through. From there I walked up through Sandgate (cue folk song) and back up Grey street. The cars on show, Porsche, Bentley, Rolls Royce, show how trendy that is now.
I was starting to flag a bit, it was very hot, but I did find that some things haven't, and hopefully never will, change. The Central Arcade is still there in its Victorian finery, and JG Windows are still there with their music shop, the M&S Penny Bazaar is still in the Grainger Market as it has been since 1895, and later I could still get an ice cream on Whitley Bay prom.
I caught the Metro again from Monument station, continuing around the old North Tyneside Loop back to Whitley Bay. One of the aims of this holiday is to get some walking exercise so instead of catching a bus I followed the coastal path back to the caravan site. It's probably a bit under three miles but it was still very hot (hence the ice cream mentioned above). On the way I noted that even Spanish City (cue Dire Straits song) is being redeveloped. It's probably long overdue for this and at least the famous appearance will be preserved.
It was only as I got fairly close to site that the weather started to deteriorate, with it clouding over and quite a strong cool breeze developing. Being in need of refreshment I dived in to the Delaval Arms at the site entrance, two pints later I came out to find it had been raining. It did pick up again around sunset after a bit more rain but the forecast for tomorrow isn't too bad.
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