Archive for June 2009
Armed Forces Day
A day to remember
A special servive was held on the steps of South Shields Town Hall on Sunday conducted by the Revd. Paul Kennedy, the Rector of St. Michael and All Angels, Westoe, and attended by the Mayor of South Tyneside Cllr. John Anglin, and his Deputy Mayor Cllr. Tom Pigott.
Here is a collection of some of the interesting and inspiring characters that I met.
Template made with Photoshop
The Russian Convoy Club
Armed Forces Day
These are the real guys in the white hats, they were men who served at sea in the Russian Convoys between 1941 and 1945 helping the supply of materials exchanged between the Allied forces of the west and Russia in the Second World War. Their losses were heavy and more men from South Shields lost their lives at sea during the second great war than from any other town in the UK. They made regular journeys from UK and foreign ports via Scapa Flow to Murmansk and Archangel to keep Russia supplied with vital materials to continue her war effort, but their losses were heavy and arduous, 2800 lives were lost in the 78 convoys and over 100 ships ended their voyages at the bottom of the oceans as victims of German U-boats and surface ships.
The Russian Convoy Club have taken to wearing a white beret with badge to signify their participation in the vital logistics operation that sustained the Allied efforts.
On the left is Bob Robertson and his wife, and on the right George Nicols and his wife: I was honoured to meet them as they convened for a special service to mark Armed Forces Day on the steps of South Shields Town Hall yesterday, men such as these inspire the pride and remembrance in both our armed forces and the merchant fleet which protected our threatened democracy during those dark days. We should never forget the impact of their lives’ work and the lessons of history which flow from it.
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 46 mm lens, 1/350 second, f4, iso 200
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Ship’s chandler
138 High Street West, Sunderland
Used to be a ship’s chandler in the days when they had wooden hulls and sails, now it’s a pub.
The area around the bottom end of High Street in Sunderland would have been very bustling and busy about a hundred years ago when it was the centre of a busy commercial port, now it looks a bit run down, although a fair amount of new business and apartments are growing there.
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 82 mm lens, 1/750 second, f5.6, iso 200
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Black and white
A small tribute
Following the death of that strange but talented pop singer Michael Jackson, I offer this as my own tribute – black and white – it was the title of one of my favourites of his recent songs.
The picture is a close crop of some artificial flowers offered on a stall in South Shields Market Place captured in fairly flat light on yet another dull and overcast day, but I hear we may see some sunshine next week!
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 82 mm lens, 1/750 second, f8, iso 200
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A view from a cave
Marsden Bay
There are quite a few small caves to explore down on the beach under the cliffs at Marsden Bay, South Shields, although the exercise should be undertaken with extreme caution. Never venture there when the tide is incoming, and keep your eyes open for fresh looking rock falls, a sure sign that the cliff above you is precariously loose. In the distance you can see Marsden Rock and the light of Souter just poking above the cliff line.
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 28 mm lens, 1/2000 second, f6.7, iso 200
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Converging lines
South Shields pier
Yes they look like tram lines but I don’t think trams ever ran here. This is the south pier, a mile long from the pier head to the wooden doll, (which used to be stuck in the cement of the lighthouse at the end), on the right is the headquarters of the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade. The foundation stones for the pier were laid in 1854 and at that time these lines were also laid for a steam powered crane to carry the gigantic boulders that were dropped into the sea to form the base of the pier , the crane was only destroyed in recent decades! The north and south piers were not completed until 41 years later in 1895.
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 28 mm lens, 1/750 second, f8, iso 200
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The view from over here
The Groyne
Yesterday I showed you the view from North Shields, today you can see the same area from South Shields. In the foreground we whave “the weebles” (“conversation piece” sculptures) and the Groyne pier, and in the background beyond the harbour is North Shields and Tynemouth. On the right you can see the remains of Tynemouth Castle and priory as well as the column dedicated to the memorial of Admiral Lord Collingwood.
Camera details: Pentax K100D, 82 mm lens, /350 second, f11, iso 200
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