Wendy reckons that this Christmas has been the Christmas of wicker reindeer… though neither of us are really sure why they’ve been so prolific.
I was reminded recently that male reindeer shed their antlers in winter—so, I guess, wicker reindeer are almost exclusively female.
This post was filed under: Photos.
This is Cameron’s Brewery in Hartlepool, established 170 years ago—though the site has been used for brewing since 1572. It is the largest independent brewery in North East England.
This post was filed under: Photos, Travel, Hartlepool.
Dominican monks have a long history in Newcastle, with Blackfriars Priory established in 1239. The Friars wore black tunics over white cloaks, as shown in the mosaic, which eventually led to Newcastle United wearing a black and white kit.
The Priory dissolved in the 1500s in line with Henry VIII’s decree. The church was stripped, but, unusually, the rest of the monastery remained standing and was given over to the city’s guilds—butchers, bakers, tailors and the like—hence the mention of ‘crafts’ in the mosaic.
These days, Blackfriars is probably best known for the restaurant which opened on the site in 2001. The unique location means that one can—as, indeed, Wendy and I have—dine in the oldest purpose-built dining room in the UK. I had steak.
This post was filed under: Art, Photos, Newcastle upon Tyne.
This is the River God Tyne on the wall of Newcastle’s Civic Centre. It was the largest bronze sculpture in the UK when it was installed in 1968 and the artist was David Wynne (he of the nearby swans).
Occasionally, water trickles from his outstretched hand, over his head, and into that little collecting pool (but mostly splashing out of it and all over the place—which, I assume, is why it’s normally turned off).
This post was filed under: Art, Photos, David Wynne, Newcastle upon Tyne.
When I told you that there were twelve mosaics under the A1058 in Newcastle, you may have had one of two thoughts:
This post was filed under: Art, Photos, Newcastle upon Tyne.
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