Life will go on without fear

Life will go on without fear.

There were times over the first weekend of June 2017 when I could not give an affirmative answer to this question, and despite experiencing through television the wonderful Love Manchester concert last night I went to sleep concerned that my children and their children will not have the length of life I have so far experienced or if will free from the poverty and fear, or the ignorance or evil behaviour of others.

The concert was exceptional and will remain memorable and from the many young faces, predominantly female, of joy mixed with awe at the concert it will have influenced many lives in a positive way.

This contrasted to the evidently organised group of white male men planted with the help of the BBC Election Question Time editorial team on Friday to chastise Jeremy Corbyn over his unwillingness to exterminate millions of civilian men women and children in North Korea. The worst example of the kind of disingenuous politics of spin which Dimbleby’s programme promotes was the ex-public school white male said to have been round the world before going to university and who complaining about the plan to abolish the tyranny of the zero hours contracts imposed by the God of the profiteers and exploiters of the wish of poor people to give better lives to their children. The intent of many of these white men is as evil and dangerous as those who commit individual murders or orchestrated acts of terrorism in that they are insensitive of the suffering, harm and life changing impact on their victims and victim’s families. I accept it is not the fault of the BBC that under the rules of their charter and the nature of our general and other election policy it is open for fascists, racist, fanatics and dangerously mental and emotionally disturbed to be given voice, however one expects editorial staff and experienced interviewers to exercise greater responsibility than was shown.

I had a good Saturday having completed two priority projects on which I had been focussed over the past month. I walked from home to the Greengrocers in the town centre under the entrance to Metro station for cherries although the purchase was a disappointing mixture with only a few sweet. The Britain’s got Talent final was another disappointing mixture of talent from the ordinary to the exceptional with the public under the panel direction rejecting half a dozen superior acts. However, all’s well that ends well as the winner is an interesting compelling piano player bringing classical music to a younger todays audience reminding of the success of Nigel Kennedy in times past. I predict this young man will feature in the best of concert halls worldwide as well as Glastonbury. Later, Saturday, I watched what has been a year-round excellent series of drama serials but Cardinal which opened this weekend neither engaged or offered different slant or new experience. I will not bother with the rest. I switched over to the news before bedtime to see if there was any new Opinion Polls on Jeremy Corbyn over May to witness the aftermath of the horrendous events close to London Bridge and in the neighbouring streets until the assassins were terminated and the inquisitions commenced.

The following morning as I anticipated there was talk of postponing the election presumably coming from Tory HQ sources given the slide in the polls against them. Mrs May tried to pretend her significant fall in personal political reputation was yesterday’s news and put on her Presidential I am safe and stable leadership role forgetting she had caved in to Treasury demands to cut the number of frontline police which subsequently all the other political parties were able to exploit. However, the polls still show a likely Tory win with an increased majority. It will be important that Labour voters in Lib Dem in seats they cannot hope to wino do several Richmonds in the South West and along the South coast.  It was difficult to judge if both Leaders believe the results will leave the Prime Minister with an increased majority or this was a tactic to persuade votes to vote for them and not for Jeremy Corbyn. Meanwhile in Gateshead in the rain another huge crowd assembled to cheer on Jeremy.

There was a hint of rain on Sunday afternoon when I decided I need to walk off a good lunch and undertake my first long walk along the sea front of the season so walked quickly along the North Marine Park towards my destination where I knew there would be cover. Crossing over Ocean Road into South Marine Park I took the route close to entrances crossing the little railway which now charges £1.0 for a couple of circuits around large water area where there are now mostly ducks with only a few Swans evident from the fifty plus of previous years.   A new development is a powerful scale model boat crossing back and forth managed by a couple of elderly enthusiasts on either side. The presence of some stakes with coloured tops at this side of the water suggests this is now a regular feature.

I crossed the road on exit to the sea front and along the vehicle free promenade with sand dunes before the long sandy beach into the North Sea with on my right the Sundial restaurant which offers a curry deal with drink for £5 and poster saying This Week Golden week 2 courses for £4.45 and a check on return reveals this is regular offer together with two mains for £8 and various other bargains on each day of the week. Although it was mid-afternoon a look through the windows as I passed suggested few vacant tables if any.

At the other end of both my walk and the restaurant food scale is the new Coleman’s seafood restaurant which is a clever and attractive conversion of the Temple rotund (and former public toilets) next to Sand Dancer by the former Gypsy Green stadium which now once a year houses the charity support tents at the end of the Green North Run. Coleman is the award-winning fish and chip restaurant among some twenty mainly Asian restaurants on one side of Ocean Road which won the national award a decade ago and where the former South Shields’ Member of Parliament, David Miliband brought Tony Blair and Cabinet for a meal. The new seafood restaurant is even more ambitious so there are no prices outside or at the entrance where there is a small lift which can take a wheelchair or use the steep stairs.  From below one feature is that the tables appear well spaced each with a view over the shoreline. A bottle of wine begins at £16 and rises to £67. Lindisfarne oysters are £2 each and smoked salmon dish £12. Traditional Fish and Chips around £10 so with a pub and coffee, a glass of bottle of beer or soft drink £20 a head for two courses will be average, although with Lobster or stead this will be doubled.

On Saturday morning on my way for the cherries I had also taken the road by North Marine Park which was said to have a couple of million Lottery fund money for a major refurbishment back to its original Victoria splendour although there are no signs of the work yet and which hopefully will not commence until the autumn. The reason for taking the route to the town centre was to peek at the latest eat as much as you can restaurant attempt in the town. The first was commenced on the top floor of a large supplier of Asian foods in the district non-way out to the Newcastle Road and to Jarrow and Hebburn. The roof caught fire in a lightning strike and the building was badly damaged and has taken some time for repair with no sign of the restaurant reopening.  There was also an attempt to make a similar enterprise work at the town centre end of Ocean Road Close to Museum and Art Gallery and Kirkpatrick’s with its unique and impressive façade which also does a pie meal and a pint for under a fiver. The focus on Saturday morning was Adriana’s a small new fixed price eat what you will next to the Subway which I had spotted festooned with balloons as it opened on my way home on Friday evening from going to see the first big screen Marvel Comics Wonder Woman film which was very interesting as enjoyable because of its moments of realism about the horrors of war and the evil which some are capable of. I had book in advance my favourite seat to the right of one aisle at the front of the staired seating with a railing in front. However, a family of three arrived during the advertisements branding a mobile phone and insisting that he had been allocated the first three seats and not those alongside. I decided not to argue took the seat behind and showed him the printed ticket and email printing which proved the right seat location. His wife gave him a long look and she and their child remained silent and I suspect embarrassed by his behaviour. I decided not to make more of the situation then or at the end of the film when the family made a quick exit. There was a time when I would have reacted because of the unfairness. The man came across as the kind of individual who would take out his frustration on wife and child and I feared for them more than for me.

Next to the new Coleman’s on the sea front is the Sand Dancer which I used to visit for an early evening meal on a regular basis usually in time to see the overnight ferry to Amsterdam leave the mouth of the Tyne. The venue is much as it was inside although is now aimed as a haunt for young people with live music on a regular basis. A party of Geordie Shore young women arrived for a Sunday afternoon drink no doubt to review their weekend adventuring. I did note that one can pop down in the mornings from 9am to 12 for a cooked English breakfast £5 plus drinks. It also looks as if Minchella is getting a  an additional fixed site in the carpark close to the two restaurants which  is also not from their previously expanded ice cream parlour and tea room which is much loved by bikers from throughout the North East and close  to the covered walkway, fountains and amphitheatre which was the scene for the first of the Sunday afternoon band concerts from 2 to.4 with the first featuring the former Westoe colliery band some 20 strong and featuring the families of former miners as well as a few of the remaining former pitmen.

When I first arrived to work in South Shields in 1974 nearly a thousand men a shift travelled ten to twenty miles under the north to hew coal and with many accommodated in local authority housing on the Whiteleas and Biddick Hall estates. One of my early functions to visit the Westoe Club for a Sunday drink with over 500 plus men on the two floors of club supping pints with quiet crack and most looking at the sports pages of the News of the World, the People or the Sunday Mirror until just before 2am the Bingo game was played and one individual could put a month’s wages before his missus when. On arrival, I was taken to meet the club committee and the Chairman said to his former colleagues, you contact Colin if you have a problem, and they did although after a while the point was taken that with over 200- staff it was better idea to contact the heads of the six fieldwork teams or the 24/7 duty service but every single came to my desk when it was made and of our response unless I determined I wanted to see what was proposed beforehand.

I found myself a seat on the wall overlooking the instrument cases and about the only seat left out of an unpleasant wind. I stayed for half an hour before deciding to stand and then walk. Next time I will take the shoulder bag seat. There are three other concerts now in June and the first of those in July with the remaining four commencing at 3.30 to 5.30. This is because there are four major free concerts in Bents park, the exhibition park across the road from South Marine and next to the mobile home park. The headliners this year are KT Tunstall, Busted and Sister Sledge with several X Factor stars on July 23^rd Louisa Johnson, Jedward and 5 After Midnight. In August, the amphitheatre concerts revert to 2 to 4 with the highlight the Bright Street Big band which plays music from the era of Swing. These concerts are also free and it is disappointing that many visitors do not make the walk to the hear them. I estimated about 120 listeners with I suspects a quarter to a half were friends and relatives of the performers as they had intermingled during the interval.

There are seven free concerts at the Victoria bandstand in South Marine Park on Saturday afternoon 2 to 4 commencing in mid-July and one evening concert on July 2^nd Proms in Park 7-9.  Between 2 and 4 every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon in August there are entertainment programmes for young children at the Amphitheatre. In addition, there is live music for the teenage audience Thursdays and Saturdays throughout June, eight concerts in total.

On the walk, back I noted that there is now no menu posted outside the Rattler a converted railway carriage with extensions and used to feature Italian emphasis meals. Dogs are admitted to the bar area from 12 to 4. On either side of the Ratler with entrances on the pedestrianised promenade the two pairs of six Sandhaven Chalets which include a kitchen, dining table, lounge TV and WIFI and onsite free parking, sleeping from three to five with prices ranging from 2 nights for £150 low season to £560 for seven nights in the High. Given our indifferent summers and unpredictable weather the development for all weather facilities for children makes the accommodation all round attractive for families with their two bedrooms. In addition to the large area of indoor and outdoor traditional fairground amusements, there is ten pin bowling and pool tables and a soft play and indoor adventure facility with a safe climbing area and now there is the large traditional laned swimming pool with separate large leisure pools plus learning pool with fitness, sauna and jacuzzi. Between these developments is the Sea Hotel which I noted now offers the tradition afternoon tea of sandwiches and cakes for £10 a head, Fish and chips meals as well as   the Sunday lunch. There is another pub restaurant within one   of the indoor complexes, three other fish and chip restaurants as well as two sea front kiosks. There is also provision for meals and snack at the indoor swimming and fitness centre. A new development in a purpose built large marquee/chalet style unit is an outlet selling a wide range of ice creams which had attracted a long queue on my visit. The small Westhovian Theatre before entering North Marine park is hosting Mr Corvan’s Musical Hall a play about one of the original North East musical hall artists with the world premier recently in Durham and which I will be experiencing on Friday at the Sage. I then made may way up the hill through the park to a change of shirt and a cup of tea followed by a news catch up as the opposition Parties led by Labour reminded voters that Mrs May had yielded to Osbourne pressure to cut police numbers by some 20000.