FORGOTTEN CORNERS

[Stanley]

I tripped over this image this morning. My dad talked about remembering it happening when he was a lad in NSW. He said that Grandfather Alex was very angry about it, he thought he might have known the Governor Boys.....

[Wendyf]

I came across this photo of Newtown in the EDLHS photo archive this morning.

[Big Kev]

That's a great pic, Wendy. 1950s?

[Wendyf]

Looks like late 1950s doesn't it?

[Tripps]

Mildly spooky - I just found an old memory stick with these pictures on it. I see it was 2005 - on my first pilgrimage.

I had a quick scuttle round the town centre, and took a few snaps. They already look a bit dated.

Let's try this again - Barlick 2005 photos

[Stanley]

That's a feast! Wendy, mid 1950s I reckon and notice how people are still walking on the road. They wouldn't do that today. David, good snaps and nice to see the walnut tree outside Barlic Bites.



Here's the 1950 pic of Wapping from my archive.
Before the demolition of the houses on the right, the shops opposite John Street and Clough mill.

[Stanley]

This is probably a forgotten corner now. A pub in Newbiggin on sea in 1979.

[Tripps]

David, good snaps and nice to see the walnut tree outside Barlic Bites.

If you look closely at one of the snaps- (Market St?) at the far end, there is a guy in a hiviz jacket in conversation with someone. I clearly remember it was a Policeman (with tall helmet) just having a sociable chat with someone - with a wonderful local accent. That - if I hadn't noticed already - told me I was somewhere unusual, and a bit special.

[plaques]

Newbiggin pub forgotten corner.

The general consensus is that its the Railway Hotel. (Blackies) next door to the Dolphin both now demolished. Blackies was a mans pub, not many women went in there.

The Ship in the centre was a bit too posh for me. Spent most of my boozing time round the corner in the Coble drinking Newcastle and playing darts.

[Stanley]

If memory serves correctly Ken it was the Railway.....



You might recognise these Ken.... Cobles at Newbiggin in 1979.

[plaques]

You might recognise these Ken.... Cobles at Newbiggin in 1979.

The beauty of Newbiggin is that nearly everything is the same as 40 years ago. The boats are still there along with the lifeboat house. The main changes are no pits and fewer workingmen's clubs.

We've been visiting for over 60 years. Mrs P's extended family are still there but covid and her cousins current illness have put everything on hold.

[Stanley]

Good people there as well.



Jack did 50 years in one of the pits that went out to sea. He told me that in a storm they could hear the boulders being rolled about on the sea bed. When he retired the NCB gave him a 'serstifikate' which he nailed on the coal house door. His lungs got him in the end. One of a forgotten army.....

[Stanley]

A storm coming in off the North Sea in 1979 at Newbiggin. The breaking waves were going right over the houses at times. I remember the ground shook when the waves broke, the buildings must be on sand..... Impressive!

[plaques]

And on calmer days.

'

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[PanBiker]

Fortunately, both times we took the grandchildren there for their bucket and spade holiday it was like your picture Ken.

[Stanley]

A storm on Eigg, looking out from Kildonnan towards Castle Island. It doesn't look very bad but when we got home the following week I rang the met office and asked them what wind speed they had recorded on the nearest weather station, Tyree. They told me they couldn't give me an accurate wind speed because the anemometer only registered up to 120mph and it was stuck on that reading a lot of the time. In that same storm they wind speed in the Cairngorms had been a record. The wind is blowing so hard that it is chopping the tops off the waves and it looks relatively calm.

[Stanley]

The fly boat Ulva picking up passengers for Eigg from the MV Loch Mor in 1989. The Calmac ferry couldn't get into the harbour behind Castle Island as it was too shallow at the jetty. I think this is a forgotten corner now as they have improved the harbour and the ferry can get in to the jetty.
It could be quite exciting if the sea was rough!

[PanBiker]

It could be quite exciting if the sea was rough!

A lot warmer but no less exciting is the method of access to Navagio Cove and Beach on the North West coast of Zakynthos. The beach is also known as Shipwreck Beach after the coaster MV Panagiotis which ran aground in 1980 and is still on the beach. the only access is via sea. There is no jetty or harbour and the tour boats that visit from all parts of the island run to the beach bow first and you have to climb down ladders at ether side into the surf. They keep the engines running to keep the boat on station. The ladders just reach the surface and you drop into about 3 to 4ft of water depending on the swell, good timing for the drop is an asset! Some folk dive off further back and swim to the shore. Once they have deposit everyone they stand off and drop anchor further out into the bay. The one we went on from the NE side of the island gave us about 90 minutes on the beach. Getting back on is a reverse apart from everyone has to get up the ladders. There is one vessel that visits that has gangplank access on and off. It is a replica motorised pirate ship but it sails from a good deal south of where we have stayed . Cant find a picture as the images are quite iconic and all copyrighted. See this Wiki link:

Navagio Beach - Ionian Sea - Zakynthos

[Stanley]

Access to the largest of the Small Isles, Rhum, was also by fly boat.

[Stanley]

I always thought it ironic that the smallest of the Small Isles, Canna, had a deep water jetty. The Loch Mor could dock to unload.



Here it is at high tide.

[Stanley]

John Clayton and the farmer discussing this thorn tree we found at Hayn Slack near Malkin Tower Farm when we were looking for features marked on the Whitemoor Map. We are obviously not putting this tree up as the one marked on the map but it is obviously a serious landmark as the way it has been grown demonstrates. There must be a reason for this but whatever it is it's a forgotten corner.

[Stanley]

Here's what I would be doing at this time of year in 1969. Loading soft bales like these eight courses high was an art!

[Stanley]

This cider house was reputedly the smallest and oldest pub in Hay on Wye and in 1998 when Daniel and I and friends went there it was on the verge of shutting down. The land lady, Lucy Powell, was famous and told a good story about the Great Train Robbers calling in for a drink... (LINK)

[Tripps]

They've got one of those cast iron pub tables. I think wendyf has one as well?
I love them - it is a risk that on a boring weekend, I might weaken and buy one from ebay. . . . .

Now - it's August 12th today. The Glorious Twelfth - the first day of the grouse shooting season. There was a time when it would be a news item with perhaps a video of them, freshly shot, being rushed from the moors to London to appear on the menu of exclusive gentlemens' clubs.

Not grouse, but on the same lines - it reminded me of the episode in the life of our late Queen -

Animal rights campaigners have criticised the Queen after she was photographed wringing the neck of a wounded pheasant at Sandringham House in Norfolk. She was watching the first pheasant shoot of the year on Saturday when a Labrador brought her the injured bird. She took it from the dog's mouth and used bare hands to kill it. The Palace has said her actions were not cruel and she was merely ending the bird's suffering."It was clearly the most effective and humane way of despatching the injured bird," said a spokesman.

Today - a forgotten corner?

[Wendyf]

My cast iron table definitely isn't forgotten despite being Hammerite Blue. Here it is just now on a windy, cooling evening.

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