Comments on: Blog on the Tyne

By: stravaigerjohn

stravaigerjohn — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:05:36 +0000

Grand place = grand people.

By: David

David — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 14:02:01 +0000

Now that sounds an ideal way to research a book.

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:13:56 +0000

Hey, it might have been you and another girl they were picking up!
Anyway, it was a nice day, I soon got another lift into Lochboisdale, spent a night there then caught the ferry to Barra the next morning. Great times.

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 14:41:06 +0000

That was exactly when I was up there so I will have known the 2 guys – wish you’d got their names. That’s hilarious and so typical!

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 14:17:01 +0000

Hi Chris. That’s a great Colin Crompton joke. I was going to speculate on what he’s doing these days, but I’ve just checked Wikipedia and see he died in 1985. Oh well.
Do you know, I lived the first 40-odd years of my life in north Lancashire and Cumbria but I’ve never been to Fleetwood. Morecambe, Blackpool, Lancaster, all those places I know very well, but Fleetwood remains a mystery. Perhaps it’s better that way.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 14:12:24 +0000

Hiya Carol. I like your eel story. That must have taken some doing. Mind you, I hate eels so I would never have gone near it. I have one of those irrational phobias about them. I think it dates back to going fishing with my father in Kirkby Pool (near Broughton) and forever catching horrible slimy eels that wound your line around themselves and thrashed about on the bank.
Speaking of Benbecula, back in 1977 I hitched up to the Orkneys and then down through the Outer Hebrides, and got a lift off two squaddies from Benbecula down through South Uist. But just short of their destination they spotted two girls hitch-hiking, so they asked me to get out so the girls could get in. And that was me left at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
You can’t beat the Geordies for a good laugh. Tyneside is a different world.
Cheers, Alen

By: chrisharrison2013

chrisharrison2013 — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 11:49:56 +0000

Another treasure trove walk. You should put these in a book. I’ve been trying to think of something profound to say about the steps on the ferry: going up posh, but coming back down common (the journey levels us all in the end), or going up common, but coming down special (. . . oh, I don’t know!)

Coastal communities like this are so full of character, history, and fascination. I wish I lived a bit nearer to this sort of fishy community. The nearest place is Fleetwood, which isn’t quite the same somehow: to paraphrase Colin Crompton the only local interest was the bacon slicer. (“lovely girl, she was.”)

Chris

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:03:39 +0000

Love the shop window-chalked signs – very funny. And also the steerage/posh people signage – especially seeing as that’s been done by ‘officials’ – nice when they lighten up a bit! Not sure about the guy with the lobster though – I don’t like to see live animals being played about with before being eaten and especially if it’s going to be boiled alive by someone :-( There were some squaddies in our Benbecula NAAFI playing with a live eel by putting it in their pints and trying to scare folk with it before they killed it for their supper. I acted like I’d be scared of it and then snatched it off them, ran all the way to the beach and put it back in the sea. Apparently, I was lucky it didn’t bite my fingers clean off but I didn’t know they could do that at the time.

We were sat next to 3 Geordie walkers in a Grasmere Pub last night and one had me in hysterics. He was talking about adders and he said that; “they run away if you go near them like” – “well, they don’t actually run you know” – I nearly died laughing. It was the way he said it – that, and me picturing an adder with legs like a lizard running around! Richard was there but he missed him saying it and, of course, I couldn’t really relay it in the same way and make it funny.
Carol.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:36:14 +0000

Hiya Jo. Thanks for that wonderful comment. The wooden dolly has a real history to her ??? as do her predecessors. The entire area is fascinating, though it is changing rapidly. I shall take you up on your offer of links in picture caption. An email is on its way.
Cheers, Alen

By: Jo Woolf

Jo Woolf — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:19:27 +0000

Haha, I loved this, Alen! Especially your captions. Rubber company – dearie me. And your granddaughter has the right idea! I would stand by the ‘Posh’ side, too, without a doubt. A lovely tour of a place I’ve never visited. Love the fishmonger/lobster trainer, and the handwritten signs in Wight’s shop window! It all looks very honest, unpretentious, where people are aware of their roots. I did look up the wooden dolly – interesting story! I’ve never heard of that before! :) BTW if you want to know how to put links under pics I can tell you. Thanks for the lovely post!

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 01:21:12 +0000

Slippin’ down slowly, slippin’ down sideways, think I’ll sign off the dole.
The times might be a changin’ Micaldo, but the lyrics remain timeless.
All the best, Alen

By: Micaldo Combriani

Micaldo Combriani — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:32:33 +0000

Sitting in a sleazy snack bar eating sickly sausage rolls – seems like the the times they are a changin’