Monday 3 June 2013

2453 Planning June 2023 in South Shields and around the region

June 3013 marks a new era of self discipline although I had intended to commence to writing the piece earlier on Saturday the first day of the month, the dawn brought rain and sea fret and depressed after the beautiful sunshine of Friday.

On Friday morning I was filled with a great urge to get out in the bright sky fresh air although I had no plan. Having renewed the Metro pass for another year and with the pass now combined with the National bus pass and still giving for free travel on the ferry this was the first decision and in doing so provided an opportunity to view the work on the grass land adjacent the ferry landing. Such was the surprise and seeing a tall wall built along the area between the landing and almost at the Customs’ House entertainment complex that it was only on return and visiting the South Tyneside site that I learned what is planned for what is now called Harton Quays. There is to be a sheltered parkland between the BT building and the boardwalk and adjacent to the new pathway but it will be open space towards the Customs House and at the other end adjacent to the ferry landing there is to be a new Amphitheatre, and which will feature Glastonbury June 28th June 30 from 12 noon each day, although I suspect they will be pushed to get the work completed in time.

On return home I collected the April August edition of What’s on and then printed out the full list of activities in South Tyneside which are free to locals and visitors alike. I will cover the June options before the this writing ends.

On Friday morning the ferry approached the North Tyneside landing as the cross channel lorry ferry was arriving and for a couple of minutes appeared to be heading directly for the landing until it swung into the mid channel to continue to the docking area on the north bank of the river. Watching the lorry ferry arrive I nearly missed the connecting buses at the now completed bus half circle and terminus. Still waiting was the 333 service which makes the comparatively short journey along to the north bank to the Fish Quay and then up into North Shields and through the town ending at the Tynemouth Hotel which is on the North Sea Coast Road, a short walk along the cliff road passed the activity park to the Gibraltar Pub adjacent to which the traditional jazz/swing band stage is set for the annual Mouth of the Tyne festival across the road from the ruins of the Tynemouth Priory and castle.

This year the North Tyneside Mouth of the Tyne Festival is on 13th and 14th July and ahs a more commercial look than previous years although the move towards booking pay up commenced last year, coinciding with the move of the Whitley bay Jazz festival until later in the year and the abandonment of Whitley Bay as the venue for the event. A comic is booked for the Playhouse o the Thursday with the Human League at the Priory on the Friday. James Morrison and the Lake Poets( band) are the Saturday night offering and on Sunday afternoon there is a more family orientated concerts at £12 adults and £6 children. Gone therefore is the free concert on Saturday afternoons with the only paying evening on the Sunday evening. There are to be street performances in the high street leading to the priory but as yet information is available including if the traditional jazz stage will continue. The Jazz weekend takes place 1st to 3rd of November at a cost of £135 is exceptionally reasonable given the range fo talents and scope fo the music involved. There is usually a pre weekend concert at the Sage but this year a tribute to Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday and Bunny Berrigan is being held at the Customs House here in Shields and I will go an book my ticket during the coming week,

On Friday I decided to wait for 19 bus which take a shorter route to North Tyneside metro having decided to journey to Newcastle, a route I cannot remember previously taking. Work on the replacement North Tyneside Metro station has been completed after three years of work which disrupted services.

The number 19 bus continues on a long journey of ninety minutes to Ashington, the home of the Charlton brothers and also the gallery of the Pitmen painters by way of the Silver Link Trading Park ( a free way petrol and car saving way to get the Odeon Cinema) Seaton Delaval, Cramlington new town shopping centre and Bedlington. I later printed out the time table to work out a visit to the Gallery getting to the Ferry landing for the ferry after 9.30 hoping to make the 9.57 bus which arrives at the Ashington Bus Station 11.27, and the Gallery a 15 minute walk, return on the 15.30 or 16.30 buses. Knowing this I will attempt to fit on a suitable day in the coming weeks, possibly months.

North Tyneside station is ready for automated ticket barriers. The route into Newcastle is not attractive which backs and trees masking the housing mostly square semi detached boxes. At Monument I failed to take note of the way I exited. The sunshine and weekend seemed to have brought out more busking musicians in Northumberland Street than usual mainly local university students I suspected with two classical groups, a quartet and a pair one who looked the younger school age brother. There was a rock guitarist but the most noteworthy was a group of modern jazz players who position themselves at the entrance to the Eldon Square Shopping entrance, The group consisted of a drummer, trumpet, saxophone (female) trombone and one other instrument. I found a seat and listed to several numbers I return via Eldon Square noting the ongoing attempts to modernise and also that a few stores were closed with attractive hoardings and the same notice that a new exciting store would be opening shortly. Back at the Monument which has echoes of Piccadilly Circus there was a young female singer. The Monument Mall Shopping centre with the food court on the top floor is now fully closed looking a long way from completion but promising to become a new major shopping attraction.

I decided to return home the way I had come except that I could not work out where the line platform from St James to North Shields and Tynemouth looping in circular fashion to Whitley Bay and then inland back to Monument Platform 1 and onward to South Shields was located. I considered talking the quicker route half an hour to South Shields from Platform 1 until finding I would have wait 11 minutes. There had to be a way to North Shields. This was eventually discovered via stairs/lift at one end of platform 2. There was a good wait for the went bus back to the Ferry but which left soon after I arrived, this time the boat was packed with those wanting to come to South Shields beach for the day or to the down to earth South Shields Friday market rather than he more arty and up market version on Tynemouth Stations at weekends.

The problem for those coming into Shields who have not visited since the demolition of the buildings backing on to the riverside is that the direct walking across the road is closed and the nearest way into the town centre involves several stairs which is a problem for parents with wheelchairs and the elderly with sticks. I purchased a pound of small but dark cherries from the greengrocers under the metro station ( £2.70 £2.50 a pound with those on sale in Newcastle £3.60/£4) and a fresh vegetables pack from Morrisons for £1.19, after calling in at the Museum and Art Gallery for a copy of What’s on. It was well after 1 when I was home to fid a package from Northumberland Water contained a box marked Water Saving Kit and sub headed Bad habits cost the Earth. This comprises a Toilet Flush save estimated to reduce consumption by 12 litres a day, a timer for the shower, a basin tap water saver and a universal plug.

I exercised well in the afternoon completing my time as Artman 102 for the coming months and noting the end of month position. I have continued to remain professional standard in ten pin bowling retaining a rating of over 1100 to 1140 having reached 1154 at one points with the principal new achievements getting to profession at three hole golf just with 1002 points. I continued to enjoy tennis with some great work outs and strong close single games but getting beyond 700 has proves a major challenge and closed at a high of 753. I have become more proficient at baseball winning most games but yet to break a rating of 750 and 700 with boxing bouts where I had to wins on points and also two drawn matches at baseball..

I have been very successful with the Sports disc training programme which requires three events in succession and which gives an fitness age rating with the minimum possible set at 20. That I have attained a low of 27 and achieved under 30 for month days is a reflection of my general increased skill and alertness on the tree events that were provided, returning tennis balls wand which includes three sets fo five balls at the net and also ten pun bowling with completing spares and then ten successive hits at baseball. To achieve the under 30 rating is necessary to only miss between 1 and 5 tennis ball returns, to make 15 ten pin bowling completions and make 5 to 6 baseballs hits.

Interestingly when I changed characters from Colin 101 to Colin on Saturday the fitness games have changed which included a multiple bowling challenge where it is essential to hit a red skittle for the number of other skittles to increase every time to over 100. For tennis there returning balls to a moving screen at the back of the court.

These two latter games are including in the individual game training features where three events are listed for each of the five sports and where by the end of he month I had achieve Bronze medal status (1) in returning up to 30 tennis balls (19) and (2) hitting the screen (8), in (3) achieving 7 out of ten hits at baseball (1123 metres) in Golf (4) hitting 10 greens with a lowest score of 11 and where 30 meters is added if you miss the green into the rough plus (5) hitting a target across water (295). In Boxing (6) I moved the punch bag to make 14 hits and then 15 with 14 achieving the bronze medal level. In ten pin bowling (7) I went to straight to Silver clearing 12 lanes and also cleared 476 skittles to make bronze thus achieving bronze and one silver in eight fo the 15 events. My aim is to achieve medals in ten events as some I am hopeless and am not at present prepared to spend the time in learning and practice I suspect required. The delight in ten pin bowling is that my clearing 17 lanes I achieved my first gold as Colin this month as well as a second bronze o golf hitting the green with an under 100 score, Returning balls in tennis a bronze with a score of only 13. I am breaking off the writing to commence my Monday morning session.

This proved to my best ever with almost a perfect Sports Training test getting my age down to 22, unlikely to be repeated and then getting my age at only 29 with the Fitness programme, two amazing top scores and then with the Sports Training individual games I achieved the goal of 10 bronze or better medals out of the 15 games plus the Gold, 11 in total and only the 3rd day of the month. I will have to concentrate on the competitive games to try and reach professional level in three of the five sports. After an egg salad lunch I went for a walk purchases some cherries and raspberries, the milk needed and some salted peanuts as a reward. I intended continuing to the Customs House to book for the Jazz show at the end of October but as I was in the High Street I realised I had not brought the credit cards.

There was an interesting story on the Huffington post AOL involving the Prime Minister the details of which I will not mention in case the injunction mentioned would be breached by repetition although no name of the individuals have been included just that the outcome was a top level meeting at number 10. A different kind of story is that over 30 Conservative Members of Parliament are alleged to have sent a letter to the Chairman of the 1922 Backbench Committee saying they had no confidence in Cameron as their party leader and when the required number to trigger a no confidence vote is said to be only 46,

The big fuss over the weekend has involved a series stings of politicians, one in the Commons and three in the Lords. The first a Tory who has resigned his Party whip, and then a northern Ireland Lord plus two Labour men from the North, Lord Cunningham from Cumbria and the other a former police chief from County Durham. The issue is did they break the rule in relation to appearing to accept offer of payments from the posing media man. Existing Lobbying firms were not directly involved but this has raised the issue again. All four deny they have broken the rules. The political hot potato is also in the Lords where today and tomorrow, with the vote in the afternoon on the second reading of the Same sex Marriage legislation. A lose vote in favour of the legislation is anticipated.

And so what of the rest of the month. There are up to seven days more of cricket, with Warwickshire the visitors 12-15th which could prove another crucial match in the championship bid if a draw/win takes place at Taunton against struggling Somerset. I write this as Sussex are holding out against Nottingham at Hove which will be the best possible result for Durham. Sussex will still go back to had the table with their bonus and draw points but it will leave four teams at the top including Durham having each played six games and three wins. Notts who will still have a game in hand will trail Durham with the draw by only seven points because of having gained maximum bonus points this keeping alive their ambitions. The match does ends in a draw. Warwickshire with one win from 6 and Somerset 0 from 7 , Surrey and Derbyshire none from 6 all look out of the running with now that Surrey have the Australian Ponting and Derbyshire Chanderpaul I anticipate they will make a rally, leaving Warwickshire and Somerset look good for relegation at present. Yorks play Notts and Middlesex Sussex on Wednesday with Surrey hosting Warwickshire,

Durham won against Lancs on Sunday in the 40 over competition which makes the games against Scotland on Father’s day and against Hampshire in the 2nd crucial must win home games.
Openers Mustard and Stoneman had a brilliant start scoring at over 8 runs an over for the first when only two fielders are allowed outside the circle, Stoneman went for 85 and Mustard 65 and with Muchall 48 and Stokes 40 the team made 297 for 9. Some members and visitors appeared to have come only in shirts although many had taken the precaution of bringing a woolly and in my instance also a coat which was needed as sun went in and it became cold. I sat in the far corner beneath the new extension given the pitch was located close to the Member’s Pavilion.

The clouding over immediately help Graham Onions who dismissed four of the five opening batsmen in a single spell of 8 overs for 45 runs and at one point the game looked over with Lancs 80 for 5 and needing twice the run rate achieved at that point. It was unpleasant even with my coat so I came home to listen on the BBC Internet relay only to learn that the last two Lancs batsmen had staged an amazing rally with Ally hitting 5 sixes and four in his 59 with Parry not out 10 putting on 51 quick runs after Ali had also had a stand with Clark (72) so that the last two wickets added just under 100 runs, perhaps because the weather brightened as it was clear blue sky again on the Hill when I got back.

The result left Durham in second position in the table to Hampshire who have 1.25 more points and a game in hand, a lead they will still have even if Durham win their home game against Hampshire on the 22nd June the last match before the break. Essex are at home to Surrey this afternoon in a floodlit game where a win will move the successfully team above Durham. I am going for Surrey as they will have played six games as Durham and with coming to Durham later in the year there is possibility of cancelling out the lead. Essex on the other hand would not only take a 1.25 point lead but still have a game in hand. Essex have made a massive 313 so Surrey have almost an impossible task, alas. However Surrey do now have Ponting.

The seventh day of cricket is on 28th with the first 20 20 game of season against Lancs and I am tempted to go Scarborough for the 20 20 game on the Sunday the 30th. I have sent an email to the organiser of travel club for a place on the coach if available at £20 plus purchase of the ticket at gate.

As mentioned earlier I have obtained a copy of the Summer festival brochure from the Museum and Art gallery reception and which also contains the summer programme at the Customs House. It was from this brochure that I learned the plan to relay Glastonbury at the new Amphitheatre on the 28 to 30th. I will miss the 30th if I got to Scarborough.

I missed the first of the Saturday evening concerts at the sea front amphitheatre and the weather changed as the evening progressed. The concerts are held every Thursday and Saturday evenings in June. I also missed the first brass band concert on Sunday afternoon going to the cricket. These concerts are also held at the amphitheatre on Sundays 9. 16, 23rd and also the 30th. One year a Trad band played at the expensive to build bandstand in the park, although no similar event appears listed until August. The brass band continues on Sunday in July when the free concerts with professional groups are held.

If the weather is as good tomorrow as to-day I shall take the metro to Newcastle and go on one of River escapes trips ideally down river to the mouth of the Tyne, and then later up river, a journey I have not taken before. Depending on how I feel I may pop into the Baltic on the way back. I have also checked out what’s on at the Sage this summer and there is nothing that appeals although there is some jazz meal evenings, where a companion is appropriate. There are some lunch time free music session to be considered. I will leave July until later in the month.

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