Out for quick wander around the hotel's immediate environs:
and then picked up by L & P, who drove us to Monkseaton, where we caught the Metro to Newcastle:
Our first destination was The Biscuit Factory, which P (who, it seems, had paid little attention to L's briefing earlier in the week) was bemused, perhaps even disappointed, to find was not a factory and contained no biscuits (except in the cafe)...
We spent around 90 minutes looking around this great gallery (and enjoying excellent bacon rolls) before heading out, where P was, as is his habit, immediately drawn into conversation with a fellow BMW bike owner:
Out onto Stoddart Street and then along Stepney Bank, where we encountered this strange building, with its first-floor front door (complete with doorbell, letterbox and mail) leading to and from nowhere...
Later research revealed that the building houses Roots and Wings Design, a "creative agency specialising in multimedia design", which probably at least partially explains the whimsy of the front door. Also featured on this building is this plaque:
Since I'm fairly familiar with the story of how Edison invented the lightbulb, the claims seemed unlikely - and so it proved, when I later researched Cimrman and found that he is a completely fictitious character. See also here and here.
We continued on down Stepney Bank and through the Ouseburn Valley area:
The Byker Bridge, with the Byker Viaduct behind it and the Ouseburn Viaduct behind that:
Our destination was the Ouseburn Farm, where L & P were keen to check that the farm was making good use of the chicken house that they had donated to them when forced to give up keeping their own birds:
Exiting the Farm, we continued on our way, along Riverside Walk. We passed this apparently steampunk-influenced contraption without knowing anything about it. Later research led to this and this. The presence of The National Centre for Children's Books explained the number of (very) young people who waved enthusiastically at us from the windows overlooking the river.
The Ouseburn Barrage:
How many people does it take to prepare a boat to be lifted from the Tyne? Apparently nine - three to position the strops on the vessel and six to observe from the bank:
Across Quayside and onto Hadrian's Wall Path, from where we could see the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art:
and behind it Sage Gateshead:
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge and, behind it, the Tyne Bridge:
I was busy checking out how the Millennium Bridge worked:
and a quick look at "River God" by Andre Wallace:
before moving on for a closer look at the Tyne Bridge:
It was absolutely fascinating to see how the bridge ran over the adjacent buildings, making them appear so much smaller:
On and further into the city, past the Theatre Royal, in front of which this Remembrance installation, with its periodic shower of poppies falling onto the bronze soldier's head, was drawing much attention:
Our next stop was the Laing Art Gallery, where (after further refreshments) we visited the touring Paul Nash exhibition. Amanda and I had already seen this at Tate Britain earlier in the year, but considered it well worth a second viewing.
Out, and back to the Metro, by which we returned to Monkseaton where we picked up the car. Back to L & P's to recuperate and chat, fuelled by tea and L's excellent apple cake, and then out to Turknaz for an evening meal.
Our table was on the galleried first floor, and was therefore adjacent to this large light fitting, which was hanging over one of the tables below, and which the 2IC insisted I photograph (for reasons largely lost on me, but which I suspect might be related to some future craft project...):
My Adana Iskender was excellent:
as were L's Chicken Beyti and Amanda's Chicken Shish:
P's Kelefitko (not pictured) also disappeared sufficiently quickly to indicate that it was most acceptable.
The company was even more wonderful than the food:
Replete, we returned to L& P's for yet more tea and conversation, before being returned to our hotel - the end of a wonderful day, spent with dear friends, doing things we all enjoy.
A last look back at the Baltic Centre (which would have to wait for another day):
before moving on for a closer look at the Tyne Bridge:
It was absolutely fascinating to see how the bridge ran over the adjacent buildings, making them appear so much smaller:
On and further into the city, past the Theatre Royal, in front of which this Remembrance installation, with its periodic shower of poppies falling onto the bronze soldier's head, was drawing much attention:
Our next stop was the Laing Art Gallery, where (after further refreshments) we visited the touring Paul Nash exhibition. Amanda and I had already seen this at Tate Britain earlier in the year, but considered it well worth a second viewing.
Out, and back to the Metro, by which we returned to Monkseaton where we picked up the car. Back to L & P's to recuperate and chat, fuelled by tea and L's excellent apple cake, and then out to Turknaz for an evening meal.
Our table was on the galleried first floor, and was therefore adjacent to this large light fitting, which was hanging over one of the tables below, and which the 2IC insisted I photograph (for reasons largely lost on me, but which I suspect might be related to some future craft project...):
My Adana Iskender was excellent:
as were L's Chicken Beyti and Amanda's Chicken Shish:
P's Kelefitko (not pictured) also disappeared sufficiently quickly to indicate that it was most acceptable.
The company was even more wonderful than the food:
Replete, we returned to L& P's for yet more tea and conversation, before being returned to our hotel - the end of a wonderful day, spent with dear friends, doing things we all enjoy.
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