TYNE & WEAR

 

ANGEL OF THE NORTH

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

THE ANGEL OF THE NORTH

Standing on a hillside outside Gateshead, instantly recognisable against the Tyneside skyline, Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North is probably the country’s most famous work of public modern art. It is easily seen from both major road and rail networks, and immediately gives you a sense of having 'arrived'

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

Newcastle surprised me. I'd always had the impression that, being in such an economically depressed area of the country, it would be a little shabby and run-down.
It's not. It's a gorgeous city with lots to see and do, and some of the grandest buildings in the country.
Over the past couple of decades or so, it has been massively regenerated and restored, none more so than the Quayside, down by the river. They have even installed a fake sandy beach, complete with deckchairs! And all over town, there are statues and points of interest.
And bridges - Newcastle has many, all different, and each attractive in its' own right.
This statue was just there, in the street, almost as if it had just strode out of the subway behind him.

St. James' Park football stadium lies in the heart of the city. This is the statue of Sir Bobby Robson outside the main entrance

The Chinese Gate - which appears to be in the heart of the Irish Quarter!

One of the most iconic Art Deco buildings in the country, this is the marvellous former flagship Co-Op Building, built in 1932, and designed by the Co-Op's in-house architect, L.G Ekins. 

It has had a £17 million refurbishment, and opened as a Premier Inn hotel in 2016. They have done a wonderful job of restoring the exterior detailing. The Co-op as a department store, closed in 2007, but the ground floor food-hall remained until 2011. 

The renowned Tyne Bridge, currently sporting Olympic rings, as St. James' Park was used for Olympic football matches in 2012. The building behind is the Sage, which lies across the River Tyne, in the twin town of Gateshead. The Sage is an amazing music and theatre venue, known throughout the world.

The complete (almost) collection of bridges over the Tyne

The curved Millenium Bridge, known locally as the 'Winking Eye', which links the Quayside, Newcastle to the Sage, Gateshead

The Art Deco former Baltic Mills, now a vibrant art gallery and venue, showing the curve of the Millenium Bridge