Social explosion

Harton and Westoe Miners Welfare

Here is South Shields latest, newest, sporting and social facility in the recently named Low Lane. This sports and social club stands on land formerly occupied by the old Harton Colliery, which closed in 1969. The Miners Welfare exists to look after the social and sporting needs of ex-miners their dependents, families, and the local community, you can read all about the opening ceremony in this post.

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My little pony

Horse riding in South Shields

I found this father and daughter riding their horses near Cleadon Park in South Shields, they look happy enough.

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The fall of footsteps

Memorial bench

I often spend time walking on The Leas, South Shields, this swathe of grass covered cliff tops offers a quiet solitude with only the sound of the North Sea constantly crashing or buffeting the rocks below. It offers too a green space for recreation, when the weather is pleasant it’s miles of verdant padding provides the venue for kite flyers, footballers, cricketers, golfers, joggers, walkers, and dogs.

Many feet have tramped across these cliff tops, some looking for gentle peace and calm, some looking for more vigorous exercise, others looking to marvel at nature, and others looking towards an end. Their footsteps can be heard quietly falling before us, particularly when the conditions on the cliffs are damp, drizzly, and foggy with a melancholy mist. Anthony Jackson may have been such a soul, or this may have been one of his favourite spots during his time with us; there are others, many others, who have a bench donated in their memory every hundred yards or so along the small path that gives views over the sea.

The Leas are owned by The National Trust and are a treasured part of this coastal town, as well as being the natural habitat to myriads of wild life, I walk there often, following in the footsteps….

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Update 7th. April 2007

One of my customers at Curly’s Corner Shop has just brought this in, and we decided it would be good to share it.

Wuthering Heights

Marsden Craggs

Near the southern edge of South Shields is an old quarry with some ragged jutting hills around it, we know the area as Marsden Craggs. It’s now a nature reserve for fauna, flora, and fowl (probably a few foxes too). This is one of the landscape shots that I promised you two days ago, and it’s quite amazing to think that we have such scenery right on the doorstep!

Evokes memories of the old Kate Bush song;

Out on the wiley, windy moors
We’d roll and fall in green.
You had a temper like my jealousy:
Too hot, too greedy.
How could you leave me,
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you. I loved you, too.

Bad dreams in the night
You told me I was going to lose the fight,
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights.

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Let’s dance!

Fairground Organ

I had been cleaning out some old files and folders, rearranging etc. when I came across this one in my archives. It was taken at the Tyne Wear Run for vintage commercial vehicles last year which ended for a rally in the Bents Park, South Shields, and I thought you would like to see it, besides the weather was so good today I deliberately set about looking for pictures from last summer! This is a detail from German steam powered fairground organ, and she played superbly too, with all of the characters animated, I only wish I’d shot some video.

Don’t worry, I was out and about shooting some new material today as well, hopefully you will see some nice looking landscapes soon.

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