Tuesday, January 30, 2007

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South Shields Daily Photo

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Monday, January 29, 2007

Dreaming Spire

St. Michael's Church, South Shields

St. Michael and All the Angels

The rather unusual tower and spire of St. Michael's Church in Westoe Road, South Shields is something of a landmark, and can be seen from most locations in the town.

Map.

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Black and blue

picture of South Shields and the River Tyne

South Shields (as seen from Tynemouth)

I've titled this 'Black and blue' to help describe the blackened rocks of the 'Black Middens' on the Tynemouth side of the River Tyne, and the stark blue sky over South Shields in the distance. It's often refreshing to look at your town from a different view point, as an outsider looking in, rather than the inhabitant looking out!
The obelisk just left of centre is the clock tower of South Shields Town Hall, and the high point to the right of centre is the Lawe Top.

Map

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Saturday, January 27, 2007

Family tree!

Image Hosted by ImageShack.uspicture of tree, Cleadon Park, South Shields

Dysfunctional family?

I found this tree in a patch of land that I never thought existed, I was unaware of it. A small patch in South Shields in between The Lonnen and Cleadon Park's Quarry. It looks as though one side of the family has been totally expunged - divorced perhaps?

Map.

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Friday, January 26, 2007

Benny's Pomodoro

Benny's Pomodoro, Stanhope Road, South Shields

Pooling resources!

This is one of my favourite little shops in South Shields, at least it was before the fruit and vegetable diet began! Benny's is on a corner site in Stanhope Road, South Shields and as you can see even looks inviting just after it's been pouring with rain! Italian food of all varieties, I think "Pomodoro" is the Italian word for tomato.

Map

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

Stately Home?

The former Ingham Infirmary, South Shields

Ingham Infirmary, South Shields

No, this very large residence at Ingham Grange, Westoe Road, South Shields, it used to be the main entrance to the Ingham Infirmary. This was our main Accident and Emergency hospital for many years, and I spent some months in one of it's wards when I was a teenager. The hospital was built using public subscription, and opened in 1873 as a lasting memorial to the town's first Member of Parliament, Robert Ingham. You can get a very good background to the hospital's beginnings - here.

Map

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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Finial

picture of mosque, South Shields

Form and shape

I was captivated by the form and shape here, the contrast from bright light on one side and deep shadow on the other. Being a place of worship you might relate this to the contrast between good and evil.

This finial (or small minaret) is a fine ornamental addition to the Al Azhar Mosque in Laygate, South Shields.

Map

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Spot light!

picture of the North Pier, Tynemouth

The North Pier

This is the pier and lighthouse that we look at when standing on our pier on the south side of the harbour. This is Tynemouth's pier and lighthouse, caught about twenty minutes after sunset.

Map

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Monday, January 22, 2007

Secret Shields (No. 2)

picture of alleyway, South Shields

Secret Alley

This little alleyway runs between East Street and the main shopping centre of King Street, South Shields. It is adjacent to an old pub commonly known as The Lambton Arms (Smugglers) and it has the feel of an old smugglers alley.

Map

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

Secret Shields (No. 1)

picture of Tyne Dock Metro Station, South Shields

Tyne Dock Metro Station

This is really the only remaining remnant of the original LNER station at Tyne Dock, the passenger entrance/exit to Boldon Lane, South Shields. It's just a short walk to the left for the shops on Boldon Lane, or St. Peter and Paul R.C. church.
The image has been bronzed in Photoshop, masked then the debris, leaves, etc. revealed.

Map

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Trinket time

picture of South Shields market

Friday Market

Friday is the day for the "flea market" in South Shields, time to find those curios and bargains.

Map

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Friday, January 19, 2007

Men at work

picture of cable engineers, South Shields

Broadband saviours

Two engineers make good repairs to the fibre optic cables that carry our broadband connections, cable television, and telephones. The individual cables are almost as fine as the hairs on our heads, without these men we wouldn't be able to this blogging thing, eh?

Map

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Tryptych

picture of shop assistant, South Shields

The January Sales

Of course when every shop in the street is offering some sort of bargain after Christmas it can be difficult to drag customers into your shop.
What's a poor girl to do, other than look after her nails?

Map

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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

"Titty Lizzie"

picture of statue at South Shields Town Hall

The Town Hall

The Georgian Town Hall in South Shields is widely acknowledged as one of the most ornate and majestic public buildings in the North of England. Originally it had a statue of Queen Victoria outside along with six of her escorts which popularly became known as the "Tittie Lizzies" (yes, we are pretty much down to earth up here!).
Some years later, Victoria's statue was removed to a public garden at Chichester but her escorts were placed on a terrace in the South Marine Park, where four remain to this day. After the opening of the Tyneside Metro Rapid Transit System Queen Victoria was brought back to the Town Hall because the garden at Chichester was to become a Metro station, she is now attended by a pair of "Tittie Lizzies" which helps to balance the front facade of this fine building and provide some symmetry.

Map

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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The workers

picture of commemorative mosaic, South Shields

Readhead's

Many years ago Readhead's shipyard was one of the largest employers in the town, for over a hundred years they had built ships at Redhead's. They built ships to help the war effort and they built ships in time of peace. Sadly they do not build ships now, the name too has gone, with McNulty Aker Marine now operating from the yard once occupied by Redhead's.

There is a car park nearby for the shipyard workers and someone (and I'm afraid I don't know who) has created this mural from small pieces of ceramic tile , a mosaic, to commemorate the thousands who built ships at the famous Redhead's yard in South Shields.

Map

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Monday, January 15, 2007

Old and new!

picture of Westoe Baptist Church, Westoe Road, South Shields

Westoe Baptist Chapel

This is the rather old (1881) Westoe Baptist Chapel in Westoe Road, South Shields. It resides next to a modern office bloc, South Tyneside House, which used to be used by the Borough Council. Oddly, whilst the church is still in plentiful use, the office block is not, and is now waiting for a purchaser.
Late afternoon sunshine about an hour before sunset.

Map

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Sunday, January 14, 2007

Pot Black

picture of snooker player, Shields Snooker Centre

On Cue

It's one of my favourite pastimes and a good way to relax with friends, Snooker is quite popular in South Shields. This picture was taken in the private member's club Shields Snooker Centre in Chichester Road, South Shields.

Map

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Saturday, January 13, 2007

Deserted

picture of Frederick Street, South Shields

Frederick Street, South Shields.

This picture saddens me deeply. This street was one of the busiest that I had ever experienced, it was full of hustle and bustle, it was longer, and crowded with busy shops and busy people when I was a boy. Now it's people have gone, its shops are shuttered and deserted, and some of the properties are decaying rapidly. Just what went wrong?

Map.

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Friday, January 12, 2007

Big yellow skip

picture of skip in back lane

Favourite armchair?

Someone got rid of their favourite armchairs to replace them with some new leather furniture. These yellow chairs were found in the backlane in a big yellow skip. I've tried to replicate the effects of infra red photography with a Photoshop action here.

Map.

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Thursday, January 11, 2007

Olde charms

picture of shop window, South Shields

Sylvia's China and Gift shop

This lovely little window can be found in Westoe Road, South Shields and has all the charm of an older world, a past time for pastimes perhaps. This shop specialises in things like dolls houses, wooden horses, fine china dolls etc. Definately a "girly" sort of place!

Map

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Green Pegs

picture of washing line, pegs, and back door

Washing line and pegs.

Just viewed through a backyard door slightly ajar, green pegs and a red washing line, was it too damp to hang out washing today?

Map

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Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Cayman

picture of Porsche Cayman in South Shields

Porsche Cayman S

I found this little beauty in Laygate, South Shields. We hardly see any Porsches in this town, so I just had to record the moment. You can tell that it was a dull and damp day by the reflections in the bodywork.

Map

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Monday, January 08, 2007

Prime Minister's Place

picture of William Fox Hotel, Westoe, South Shields

Sir William Fox Hotel

This is the door to the William Fox Hotel in Westoe Village, South Shields, it was the birthplace of Sir William Fox, New Zealand's second Prime Minister. Born in this house in 1812, he was educated at Durham School and Wadham College, Oxford, he went on to become Premier of New Zealand four times before he died in 1893.

Map

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Sunday, January 07, 2007

Kirky's

picture of Kirkpatrick's, Ocean Road, South Shields

Kirkpatrick's Bar

This popular bar retains some of the cudos and architectural inheritance of the institution that first inhabited the building. Dr. Winterbottoms Marine School occupied this site for many years.
The current name of this public house was chosen because of it's close proximity to the statue of
John Simpson Kirkpatrick.

Map

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Saturday, January 06, 2007

"F1" Pit Stop

picture of car was in South Shields

The Car Wash

Now just like in motor racing, now and then we need to stop for a "splash and a dash". The place to make your pit stop in South Shields is F1 Handwash in Mitre Place, Commercial Road, near Tyne Dock.Here there are no automated machines or mechanical brushes, your car aerial stays intact and the whole wash and polish is done by hand by Frankie and his boys, a bit more of a "personal experience" , as I found out today. Frankie has operated this venture for the past two years from this site.

This business is part of the new enterprise culture found in South Shields, you can call Frankie for further details on 07796 332977

If you are planning a photographic expedition - wear your wellies!

Map

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Friday, January 05, 2007

Wooden Roses

picture of flower seller, King Street, South Shields

Four pounds per bunch

I caught this picture in King Street, South Shields, of a flower seller and his stall. The roses looked so colourful, but incredibly they were all carved from wood and coloured later!

It was the young lad who caught my eye, perhaps counting out his pocket money to buy a small gift for his mother?

Map

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Wheels

picture of back lane, Laygate, South Shields

Back lanes.

We could never have had a childhood without them in this town! Every decent footballer honed his boyhood skills by playing "doors" with his street mates. Instead of a soccer ball, a tennis ball might be used, and each player had to defend one of the back doors in the lane. Hit the door to score a goal!
This town has lots of terraced housing, as a look at the map link will show, but many years ago there was an awful lot more, especially close to the riverside, the back lanes run in between each row of houses. The back lanes were very communal, women gossiped with neighbours as they hung the washing out to dry in the lane, "fish-wives" and "coal-men" plied their trade in these lanes. Today, of course, the noise of balls thumping against doors may not be tolerated, but some children still get to exercise and play in the lane, away from traffic.

This lane is situated between Laygate and St. Jude's Terrace, South Shields.

Map

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Norman Bates?

picture of Norman Hurst, Westoe Village, South Shields

No, Norman Hurst.

This delightful old house at the top of Westoe Village, South Shields must be one of the largest residences in the town, just take a look at the aerial view via the map link (You might just see the tennis courts and stables to the right of the house).
For many years it was occupied by Mrs. Marjorie Cox, the former Chairman of the Conservative Party in South Shields, often alone whilst her husband "the doctor" worked in Africa for the U.N.

Personally I've always thought it had a bit of Norman Bates about it, so I've tried to spook it up as much as I can (remember Psycho?)

Map

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

No. 3 Westoe Village

picture of No. 3 Westoe Village, South Shields

Who lived in a house like this?

This rather grand Georgian terraced house is No. 3 Westoe Village, South Shields. It is situated quite close to Sunderland Road, and many years ago, before the age of urban sprawl, it would have been almost on the edge of the picturesque village.
For a time in it's history it was home to Elinor M. Brent-Dyer the authoress of over 100 books, including the Chalet series of popular children's titles.

You can read more about her -
here

picture of wall plaque



























Map

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Monday, January 01, 2007

A Happy New Year

picture of the Angel of the North

Dawn with the Angel.

First day of 2007, dawn rises at The Angel of the North. Gormley's world famous statue sits overlooking the A1 in Gateshead just a few miles from South Shields.

Map

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My Photo
Name:
Location: South Shields, Tyne Wear, United Kingdom

Born in 1956, I'm a retailer, father and husband, with two young children a son born in 1997 and a daughter in 2001. I am also a former borough Councillor who has had his passion for people and politics reawakened recently.