Day 26 - Exhibition of the North

Day Twenty Six:  Tuesday.

Today was a very nice day.  The Exhibition of the North is now in full swing and today was the day to check out a couple of things which piqued my interest.

The photo is of Grey's Monument (Earl Grey) all decked out for the party.

The Rocket.  The Rocket is a famous steam engine designed and built in Newcastle in 1829 by Robert Stephenson.  While it wasn't the first steam locomotive, it was the one with the  innovations which became a template for steam engines for the next century and a half.  It was, and has continued to be, recognized in all corners, a potent symbol of Britain's industrial heritage.

After being away from the region for more than 150 years, The Rocket was welcomed home for the exhibition (it's usually in the Science Museum in London) and we went to see it in the Discovery Museum.  

The "we" of Alan and Jenny and me became four as we met  up with Sylvia (she of Hudspith researching fame).  Happily Sylvia stayed with us for the rest of the day and we've all become firm friends.

And the highlights of the rest of the day looked like this:

Early lunch in the cafe "The Cloisters" at St. Margaret's Cathedral (Catholic) in central Newcastle.  Old church (of course) - absolutely gorgeous inside.

St. James United Reformed Church - was St. James Congregational.  
Fortunately for us the caretaker was doing some painting today - so was there and able to let us in to this church which plays a significant role in the family history including being the church where both Alan's and my parents were married - both couples in 1946.  While I'd been inside before, it was the first time for Alan.  

It is also the church where my Uncle Leslie is memorialized.  I believe I have previously said his name is carved into a pew-end but now I realize it's the end of the choir stall.










The Museum of the North (was called the Hancock Museum in days gone by - I remember it well - though it wasn't my favourite.  I preferred the other one up the road which was interactive with model trains and the like.  The Hancock was mostly stuffed things.  That's my recollection anyway).

Today the Museum of the North is a treasure house of all sorts of wonderful things - some of which were brought in especially for the exhibition i.e. A David Hockney painting, John Lennon's piano and original artwork from Guess How Much I Love You.  

An early dinner at Branches - a restaurant in the very nice Jesmond area of Newcastle recommended by Alan and Jenny. 

Today is my last full day in Tynemouth.  It will be spent mostly around the townhouse preparing for tomorrow morning's departure (train to Reading).  Alan has suggested a picnic at the Tynemouth Priory which would be very nice but the fog is incredibly thick at the moment so we’ll have to see if that clears up.  I love the fog.  Two evenings ago we went down to the beach - we walked the length of the beach then went up and walked back via the top road and suddenly the mist/fog came rolling in and in no time flat we couldn’t see a thing much beyond the immediate area around us!  

Next report - and the last - will be from Reading which is 450 km due south of Newcastle.