For people who live in the U.K. St Mary’s Lighthouse is one that lots of people know if they don’t realise it due to its rugged though photogenic location, it is often featured on photos depicting spectacular sunrises and stormy seas. The rocky, tidal sandstone outcrop 2½ miles north of Whitley Bay, known as St Mary’s… Continue reading St Mary’s Lighthouse
Tag: Newcastle
In the footsteps of Stan Laurel
Whilst out and about on Tyneside, I wanted to visit a little spot that I’d never got to make it to previously, the one time home of Stan Laurel, one half of that legendary comedy duo of a century ago, Laurel and Hardy. Like myself, Stan was born in Cumbria and moved to Newcastle at… Continue reading In the footsteps of Stan Laurel
The Lit & Phil Library in Newcastle
In a rather unassuming building close to the central station is a place I’ve wanted to visit for many years but have always been too busy. The Lit & Phil is Newcastle’s exquisite independent library, open to all and free to explore and browse. Founded in 1793, its purpose-built library opened in 1825 on Westgate… Continue reading The Lit & Phil Library in Newcastle
The Newcastle-Gateshead Swing Bridge
Last week to get away for a change of scene, I went to spend a few days in my childhood city of Newcastle Upon Tyne, to meet an old friend and some new ones who made an epic 12 hour return car journey to drop off food for me during the height of Covid and… Continue reading The Newcastle-Gateshead Swing Bridge
Practical Georgian Dating Advice from ‘Black Jackie’ Johnson
You know how it is; at best you’ve been living miserably, having minimal social contact and at worst you’ve been Excluded from all help and Shielded at home alone for 16 months. With some of freedoms tantalisingly close to hand, you might want to look for that special someone. But what happens if if… Continue reading Practical Georgian Dating Advice from ‘Black Jackie’ Johnson
The monument to Admiral Collingwood
Everyone knows of the famous Battle of Trafalgar and the great old HMS Victory which you can visit with Ye Olde England Tours when life gets back to normal. I think it is perhaps the best day out! Trafalgar Square is of course known around the world along with Nelsons Column which I take so many… Continue reading The monument to Admiral Collingwood
The story of how a Tyneside ship ended up as the Resolute desk of the President of the United States Part One
It’s hard to say much about the desk of the Prime Minister outside the Corona virus, it is almost unheard of him or her to address the nation or indeed The Queen outside her customary Christmas message of goodwill and even then she has more desks than I had hot dinners in 2020 so whilst… Continue reading The story of how a Tyneside ship ended up as the Resolute desk of the President of the United States Part One
The oldest living English language
Today’s post isn’t one that I wrote. I’ve been on the internet way before there was a world-wide web. When it was all Gophers and FTPs in the early 1990’s and even in the late 1980’s on local Bulletin Boards or BBS. In some ways the internet of old was a bit better than today;… Continue reading The oldest living English language
Visiting the home of Joseph Hedley whose murder in 1826 shook the world!
A few weeks ago whilst out on a 11 day tour of Newcastle. Northumbria, Durham and the Lake District, with the lovely Lorraine from Tasmania, I had the opportunity to revisit the Beamish Open Air Museum. The working and living museum is 50 years into an incredible 200 year plan to preserve and re-enact for… Continue reading Visiting the home of Joseph Hedley whose murder in 1826 shook the world!
A 1915 piece of fake news… with good intentions
When German Naval Airship Zeppelin L9 appeared over Blyth on the evening of 14 April 1915, it was only the second time bombs had been dropped on England. Although nobody was killed, it marked the beginning of a series of raids on the North-East which would kill many dozens of people. The Zeppelin L9, on… Continue reading A 1915 piece of fake news… with good intentions
Stephen Liddell 