Blyth

The town of Blyth (the largest in Northumberland) is looking a lot prettier these days... at least it is down in the beach area, where we occasionally take Gracie for walks. They've built some lovely little beach huts (for which I guess there's a long waiting list) as well as restoring the old gun battery and generally smartening up the surrounding landscaping. North Tyneside Council could do worse than pay a visit to get some simple yet effective ideas for the ongoing regeneration of good 'ol Whitley Bay.

I remember when they built similar huts along the promenade at WB. They were built on a turntable so that you could turn them to face the sun as it moved across the sky. A favourite pastime of the local kids was to run across the roofs from one end to the other while the occupants ranted and raved at this disturbance of their flask of tea and egg and cress sarnies!

Birthday boy

Last evening me and Bren were out in the Toon, helping Andy celebrate his birthday. Thanks Andy... thandy. Here is the main man coyly opening his card before getting stuck into a fabulous Persian meal. Andy's birth sign is Cancer, which spookily was visually displayed as I took this shot.

Whitleybunions #12

Aaron was up for a few days (before going home and passing his driving test!) Also Matt's girlfriend Sari was visiting from Finland, so we took a trip to show her one of our beautiful beaches.
We also took Leon to The Mouth of the Tyne Festival last weekend. Good quality acrobat action in Front Street, masses of crowds in the sunshine and a grand day out. Teddy Thompson was on the bill at the castle.... but we had to leave just as he started his set!

A story of engineers who tried to reach the heavens

Forty years ago today Bren and me had just had our first wedding anniversary, and we were heading off for our first holiday together to a little resort called 'The Devon Coast Country Club', near Paignton. There was great excitement for us at the thought of a free holiday, courtesy of Bren's folks, but also because the Apollo 11 space rocket had taken off successfully from Cape Kennedy, Florida, at the start of the first attempt to land a man on the Moon. The DCCC had set up a special television room, complete with giant screen and 24 hour blackout, so that guests could drop in at any time to watch the historic proceedings. I think it was the Thursday evening (21st) when the room gradually became packed with just about everybody on the site wanting to be there to see the first man step onto the surface of the moon.

As a boy I had watched in awe as Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the moon. I had also watched the various Apollo missions and their progress towards this amazing moment. Just thirty months earlier the missions were seriously jeopardised when a fire killed three astronauts on the command module of the Saturn B rocket during tests. Now here we were, watching this amazing event in world history unfold. For a spectacular moment, as Neil Armstrong took his 'one small step - one giant leap' we could turn our thoughts away from a disastrous war in Asia, from shameful civil rights violations, from the threat of Russian invasion, and from the dreadful death of the president some years earlier who had sanctioned this project to put a man on the moon.

The writer J. Bainbridge summed up Apollo as "a story of engineers who tried to reach the heavens". You can read Dr Christopher Riley's article about the magic of Apollo here.

I am a proper artist!

Perhaps you remember that a little while ago I submitted a painting to an art fundraiser. The very good news arrived today that my picture had been SOLD! Even more importantly, it was not the LAST picture in the exhibition to be sold, so I am mightily relieved as well as highly chuffed that somebody liked my painting enough to buy it and hang it on their wall (presumably!) There are still a few paintings left in the exhibition to purchase, so why not get over there now and help a very worthy cause.

Rothbury

Friday evening The Lady Brenda was booked to sing at Rothbury House... in Rothbury. I accompanied her to basically do a bit of roadie-ing. What a smashing place RH is! Formerly the County Hotel and nowadays a RAFA respite care home for ex servicemen and their families. The lovely Joy proudly showed us around her gaff, including the magnificent gardens and superbly appointed rooms, and we bumped into an old friend, Olwen, who works there.

We were joined later on by a gaggle of friends who partook of the free plate pie and a beverage or two, then we all drove the five miles back to Weldon Bridge to sample the delights of The Anglers Arms. A lovely Northumbrian evening.

He's Got You - Don McLean

A brilliant version of a wonderful song. Really 'owned' by Patsy Cline but Don stamps his beautiful style all over it. Not great quality on the movie, but I love it. We saw DM a couple of times in the seventies and enjoyed the shows from a thoroughly engaging performer who loved his songs and cared about the people he sang to.