1160 South Shields Riverside

Awake 8am following interesting dreams arising from my walk around Old Sunderland Riverside and docklands area. Mist was in and only commenced to break up around 10 and by then decision to make this a work day.

Great news as an email advises that Don McLean who sings Vincent on Myspace is to appear at the City Hall Newcastle Thursday 11th October and I have booked a ticket in the central balcony at a total fee of £32.50. I will not moan at the cost of concert tickets these days, for once.

Further thoughts on 2007 Northern Rivera Project and decision to transfer and reorganise photos into major folder Northern Rivera with sub folders of Sunderland River Mouth, Sunderland Seaburn and Roker, Whitburn, South Shields Coast and Inland and River Tyne to Jarrow, This has been accomplished by 10 am except for Seaburn Seas, Skies, the airshow weekend photos. Trips planned South Shields down to Hotel to Customs House. Customs House to St Paul's, St Paul's Bede World and Jarrow. Cleadon Hill and Village, Fullwell Mill.

Introduction to include key photo of St Peters and St Paul, Wearmouth Bridge, Tynemouth Castle and Priory, Marsden Grotto, Souter Point Lighthouse, sweep of Bays at Shields and Seaburn. Need to think more on this for 10-12 photos have places now for Jarrow Town Hall Heritage weekend Sat 10.30 and Theatre Royal Friday at 9am.

Could not book Vie en rose Tyneside film theatre box office not open until afternoon evening. Do tonight on return from Hospital. Visit next week Sunderland Bourne film and Empire Visit re Heritage Day. Arranged later 7.55 Sunday September 2nd. Remember to claim over 60 concession ticket.

Will do shop by car beforehand say 1pm. (Cereal Salad Milk Cherries for weekend - work freezer clear means two Pizza's pork chops Fish, need some prawns. Change of plan as the sun breaks out and I cannot resist going for a walk. Go to Supermarket after hospital visit. 2 Litres Asda water for 19p, They are out of milk. Change of plan for evening meal have a prepared stir fry. Beef, onions, peppers, noodles and sauce. Takes 14 minutes and provides oversize helping for one at £3 special offer. Buy two fresh pineapples which together with cherries bought from market earlier in the day and bananas purchased previously will provide fruit for the weekend. Pay Credit card and order some cinema tickets with points accumulated.

Last night's programme on small French village properties Burgundy Region 2-3 bed with ground £75000 raised once more the issue of major change after Mabel without achieving major capital/income injection age health and other issues dream dreams unfulfilled. I am pleased that others will however be having the experience. My two weeks was just a taster. It is amazing that it happened over 15 years ago

Big Brother House enters its last week. Individuals continue to surprise with creativity and greater depth. Last night two task organiser were made to participate in a couple of their ideas) has my suggestion of an insiders programme taken some root? There have been some magic moments for the group over the past two weeks which have been shared with anyone with the time and inclination to participate. I am reminded of the week to ten days I spent at Oxford with a group of friends from Ruskin college after the courses had been completed and we waited for the results to be posted outside the Examination Schools and where we did all the things which Oxford is famed for from punting to a picnic at Blenheim Palace, meals and drinks and chat into the night, speculating on our individual futures and the changes we would make to the world. The experience was irreplaceable and unrepeatable .

I also share the reservation expressed by other about Ziggy and it would be disappointing if be won the event. The public has generally been right about who to evict in that there is only one individual; who I would have preferred to have remained, Gerry, replacing Ziggy.

After an early lunch I took the car to the Little Haven Hotel where it looked as if an all female association was having a lunch in the promenade restaurant. A two or three course is reasonable priced and there is a two or three night special rate which works out around £40 a night BB but is per person. On the river side at the junction with the river mouth beachside there is an ornate metal work bench on its own with a plaque explaining that it is for John who loved to watch the river from his family who watched he river with him. I sat and thought of John and of his family who had provide the facility. Later in the evening I received an email announcing that a former work colleague had been called by his Lord. He was a man of life long public service through his professional work for local government, as a lay preacher and through a political commitment to social justice. I was able to walk around the yacht club slipway noting that the tide was exceptionally low as it had been at the Wear yesterday, on to the promenade around the riverside development where once oil storage tanks dominated the skyline. I had also take more photos of the telly tubby men and women, but forgot to count and note their number about fifteen I think.

I then moved the car, and me, to housing development around the two former small dock inlet west of the ferry terminal to take a close up photo of a sea siren embracing a golden galleon. The roadway now divides the two inlets, creating enclosed rectangular areas of water and in the second, across from where I had parked my car there are now seven model galleons made from steel several feel in both length and height. It was an exciting artwork discovery in the midst of a private housing development where fee travellers venture unless they are residents or visiting residents.

I then was able to walk along the riverbank to the customs house taking photographs as the clouds turned to grey. In the car park at the back of the Customs House project there are also about fifteen white metal sculptures fixed on the high wall avoiding graffiti. There are ships, a crane, an anchor and a navigation wheel. However the amusing sculpture work is nearby on the site of the former La Strada nightclub. What I do not understand from having one visited the club is the limited area of the present site, given that there was the dance floor and bar and a small office area in one corner where I spent most of my time keeping clear of the action, surviving on soft drinks because I was not only driving but was needed as a chauffer. Now there are raised beds of flowers where once were the outer walls of the club , The art work consists of five ten foot or so posts, with bar height round tables on which are glasses, bottles, mobile phones, a hand bags.

Having written about the two ancient churches and monasteries of St Peters and St Paul, mention should also be made of St Hilda's off market Square and the old Town Hall building at its centre. The church is also over 1000 years of age, founded in in 647 AD. The surrounding buildings are unattractive post war structures reminders of the extent of bombing. Earlier by the Custom's house project I had stood in remembrance of the statue to merchant navy men unveiled by Lady Mountbatten in 1990. Thousands who sailed from the Tyne during the second world war perished, with the largest number of deaths from any town or city coming from South Shields. There is a terrace of ancient pubs leading to the Customs House including the Waterfront and the Steamboat, and then a terrace crescent of restored buildings commencing with the Mission to Seafarers building which includes the Flying Angel bar, and a former church no converted into flats.

In the High Street there was a new entertainer, a traditional one man band with a drum and symbol on his back played by a foot, a banjo and mouth organ and playing and singing something which sounded Cajun New Orleans and which brought a great smile to many a face because of past memories, and he was good and great fun. Somehow even the leaden sky above started to smile again and the sun strengthened and it stayed warm for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow is going to be a difficult day, a day, tomorrow has already arrived.