Day 16, Newcastle

We had planned for L and D to take us to see some sights of Newcastle but another bro in law of R's was arriving at 12 to take us to collect our hire car and then sister M had to view our house at 3pm that she was interested in buying. So apart from our trip to the car hire place in Wallsend in R's bro in law's Mercedes, it was a pretty quiet day and I got rather bored sitting around.

D did take us out in the morning for an hour, looking at old areas where he grew up and also where R grew up. D, as is R, from Scotswood, mostly pronounced Scotchwood and D is very proud of his Scotswood working class history.

The area where R grew up is now all parkland awaiting rebuilding. The old houses were all demolished and rather than leaving the land as bomb sites, it was turned into temporary parkland and maintained as such until redevelopment starts. Many of the empty streets are blocked off with huge boulders to stop joyriders. There are many streets with houses boarded up and awaiting demolition and they aren't bad houses really. So I was kind of sad that where R lived has now vanished. His school is still there though and many other buildings.

Scotswood Road, which runs along the banks of the Tyne, is now a big multi laned road with very little along it but grassy banks. It used to be lined on one side by warehouses and businesses to do with shipping and on the other side, by pubs. No doubt there was a tram that ran along it. The now turned into a bike path old railway line has long gone but there are plenty of remnants.

Our modest little Ford Fiesta. The car hire man thought Aussies only drove automatics and among his stock, he did happen to have one auto. I did not mention that I am an experienced double de-clutcher. Make of that what you will Brian.
A creek or drain in Hexham. Whichever, it is pretty.