A North Shields Walk

It's funny how much more one sees when carrying a camera with intent. Bill generally gets bored looking at the same things but, with or without camera, I am rarely so. Partly because so much goes on inside my head I could probably sit alone in an empty room and wear myself out thinking. However, carrying a camera pulls me out of my own thoughts and helps me focus more outward. 

I noticed another apple-tree-in-the-wild. With Brexit only weeks away I'm more aware of possible food sources though of course autumn is a long way away. I'm told that in the olden days the weeks when winter stores dwindled and crops hadn't quite grown enough were the hungry time, just when the weather looked so promising. I read somewhere that it is the 7-8 weeks post Brexit that the UK is most likely to be short of fresh foods. We shall see if that is right, I guess, should Brexit actually happen - I still can't really believe it, silly me.

Bill and I both admired the elegant doorways of this side street in North Shields. The end building used to be an office for the Labour party but it appears to be empty now. The lovely curving  and large windows and the curve around to the south make me think it could make nice apartments. Loads of empty pubs and office space finally seem to be being made over into housing to fill some of the shortage. 

Development of existing buildings in North Tyneside doesn't seem to have the same priority as new build for some reason. I'm guessing there may not be as much money in it.

As we turned the corner I found myself admiring a lovely building high up in the southwest sun. 

Bill pointed out it wasn't a home but the Register Office , a former shipping office, where we got married...duh. I'm told there is a wild plum or damson tree somewhere near there but if so it is likely well out of reach. 

The Wooden Dolly has quite the history. Don't believe I've ever been in.

As we walked along the quay I suddenly noticed that I could see both the High Light and the Low Light towers from this opposite direction. 

If anything they are ten times more obvious than when looking up river. Another duh...  The scaffolding may not have been there the last time we passed this way. Wonder how long that development will take?

And then we came to one of my favourite renovations along the fish quay. I gather from a talk last month? at the Tynemouth Historical Society that this was once part of the old Clifford's Fort. I'm told the glass windows are re-claimed windscreens from old lorries (haulage trucks). And then the relative newcomer, the Fishermen's Memorial. 

Then along the small beach and car park where people sit in their cars to eat their fish and chips and look out to sea. There are always plenty of gulls around savaging. The river was unusually blue rather than grey, but then it always reflects the sky and clear blue sky is common enough here in winter an into spring. It's terribly deceptive all that sunshine and flowers you see out the window. 

We climbed the hill then turned our backs to the river to continued home.