September 19, 2014

Newcastle – St Nicholas Cathedral

Having spent so many years in a Cathedral I expected to come and enjoy Newcastle Cathedral when I moved north. I went a couple of times, and that was about it. No one’s fault, just life. In recent months they have vastly improved their website and you can now download their music list here. On the evening of Thursday 4 September 2014 we had a dinner in the Hall and a talk from the Dean. The talk was in two parts – before dinner while looking round the Cathedral, afterwards in the hall. It was the same evening as the launch event for the...
Categories Cathedrals/Newcastle upon Tyne/Railway History Comments: 0
September 12, 2014

Allendale – St Cuthbert

Our friend Lewis Hanna had an art exhibition at Allendale Forge Studios, so we drove south on the last Saturday of August. A small exhibition of his wonderful work. The cafe is wonderful too. Here is the puffin picture which we own – it is not for sale. The market square of Allendale looks derelict since the Dale Hotel stands derelict – and apparently has done for 9 years. It must be very depressing trying to keep the village looking good, trying to attract tourists and business, when a major building is decaying. The bright yellow Tynedale links bus turned...
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comment: 1
August 31, 2014

Humshaugh – St Peter (again)

I visited Humshaugh on Boxing Day 2010, and went back on 20 August 2014 to have a look at some plans they have for new access on the north side – their problem at the moment being that the access at the west end is stepped and away from the road. Too many people walk past. At the moment this door simply leads to the vestry and then in to the church. The plan is for a ramped and stepped access, decent porch/vestibule, display area, and toilets. In the vestry is a photo of Monica Bell and there is...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0
August 26, 2014

Bamburgh – St Aidan (again)

It was 2011 when I blogged about Bamburgh. I went back earlier this year but the photos weren’t brilliant. This coming Sunday (31 August 2014) is the Feast of St Aidan and I want to do an Evening Service about him (St Mary’s Ponteland at 6.30 pm). It was a lovely Tuesday afternoon, so we went for a drive. Bamburgh was busy. Since our last visit they have produced two new guidebooks, both by Christopher Hull, one of the church, another of the reredos. Very good, very colourful, but the first only does the church interior – I commented...
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comment: 1
August 12, 2014

Fenham – Holy Cross

I email my Deanery colleagues to thank them for their cover during my sabbatical and said I was around in August “if you need any help”. Me and my big mouth! It was lovely to be invited to do the “Housebound communion” at Holy Cross, Fenham, on Monday 11 August 2014 (even though I did miss Keith’s talk on “The Railways of Ponteland”). The church is in the west end of Newcastle, on Ovington Grove, NZ213654. Pevsner tells me it was built 1935-6 by H.L. Hicks of Hicks and Charlewood, “on land given by J.R. Blackett Ord of Whitfield...
Categories Evetts' windows/Newcastle upon Tyne Comments: 0
August 6, 2014

Seghill – Holy Trinity

Seghill church does not feel as if it is in Seghill – you drive through the town, waving at the Methodists well located on the main street, cross the level crossing on the freight line, turn left at the P&G roundabout, and find the church down the end of a lane – NZ296751. You can buy a 24 page “Short History of Seghill Parish” or a longer “History of Seghill Parish” – I went for the short version! This was a huge mining area in the C19 and the parish of Earsdon had eight townships, but only the parish...
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comment: 1
July 27, 2014

Here endeth the Sabbatical

It is Sunday evening 27 July 2014. Yesterday my daughter was 27 – which makes me feel very old. It is the last Sunday of my three month Sabbatical, so today we had a Sunday off and went to the Bowes Museum in County Durham – website. It was the first time we have ever visited – superb. This exhibition is well worth seeing:   I am very fortunate to have had a Sabbatical – it has been a great three months. We started with a weekend in Greenock and Fort William. We visited Kelvingrove Museum – I will use the...
Categories Personal Comments: 0
July 27, 2014

Brough, Cumbria – St Michael

Driving south over the Teesdale hills en route from Ponteland to steam trains in North Wales we stopped in Brough for a loo, then saw a sign for an ice cream parlour in Church Brough – website. The parlour is next to the castle (EH, but a free property). We had ice cream, then I left Julie and had a wander. There was a roman fort here commanding Stainmore Pass, then the castle was built. The keep is C12, and was frequently raided by the Scots. Later more comfortable living quarters were later added by the Clifford family, only to...
Categories Cumbria/Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
July 27, 2014

Middleton-in-Teesdale, Durham – St Mary the Virgin

When you drive south from Ponteland you either go A1 or M6, or – if you have plenty of time – you go down the Pennine chain. Beautiful B roads to Middleton-in-Teesdale. It is a lovely village and we found a nice cafe – Cafe 1618 – with very good bacon sandwich and lemon meringue pie. I walked round the corner – the Methodist church has a noticeboard listing all the churches’ services. The church website – website – is an ecumenical website (though “What’s On” is only advertising their Holy Week services). St Mary’s was locked and the Tourist Office...
Categories Durham/Outside Northumberland Comments: 2
July 27, 2014

Eriskay – St Michael’s Catholic Church

Tuesday 15 July was such a beautiful day that I decided to have a transport odyssey. I had already worked out that the ferry left Lochboisdale on South Uist for Castlebay back on Barra at 1900, so I chatted to the lovely lady in the tourist office about my options. I could catch the 1025 bus from Castlebay to Airdmhor Slip, then the 1110 ferry across to the Isle of Eriskay. Arriving on Eriskay at 1150 I could catch the bus north, but my friend told me I had to explore the island – and she was right. The lovely beach is Coillesg...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0