Walks and Walking – Fergy's Rambles.

A heavy blow in Berwick, in both senses of the term.

“Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot”.

So runs the old children’s rhyme concerning the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Guy aka Guido Fawkes and others attempted to blow up the King and Parliament. I once had a friend who was affectionately known as “Mad Katie” who wore a T-shirt with the legend “Guy Fawkes – the only man ever to enter Parliament with honest intentions” which always amused me. So here I was, 415 years later, waking up in a very comfy bed in the Castle Hotel in Berwick-upon-Tweed and, to be honest, attempted regicide was not really on my mind. Continue reading “A heavy blow in Berwick, in both senses of the term.”

A Sunday stroll and singing in the Saltgrass in Sunderland.

Sunday, 3rd November and the weather had turned wintry again but that was not too much of a problem as I had little planned before a gig in Sunderland that evening. Having had such a wonderful wander round Newcastle the day before, as featured in the previous entry which I do hope you have had a chance to look at, I thought relaxing day locally might be in order. Day of rest and all that. I know the concept of Sunday as a day of rest is bound up with a belief system I do not subscribe to and that being retired means every day is essentially a day of rest for me but you get the idea. Continue reading “A Sunday stroll and singing in the Saltgrass in Sunderland.”

Newcastle – bridges, bridges and more bridges.

Hello again, and welcome to this entry about Newcaste-upon-Tyne which may or may not go according to plan as I am charting new technological waters here. I have “owned” my own website now for quite a while and can still barely believe it but I have so far restricted myself to very standard style entries and this is my first attempt at a gallery post so anything might happen. Continue reading “Newcastle – bridges, bridges and more bridges.”

A trek round the Toon.

Saturday, 2nd November and this was the big one, the final of the Rugby World Cup which I had been watching avidly all the way through but before we get to that I should explain the image that heads up this entry.

My alarm woke me up quite early so I didn’t miss the match and as I opened my eyes I was greeted with the sight you see above. It is fairly obvious what it is but I thought it was a lovely thing to wake up to. Sue loves sailing boats and has models of them all over the house including the windowsill of the bedroom I was in which also just happens to have blue curtains. It was gloriously sunny outside although sadly that didn’t last long but the way the shadows went it looked for all the world to me as if the little boat was riding a swell on an ocean somewhere and I just had to take a snap of it. I know I am always trying to take what I refer to as “arty farty” images and they rarely work but I do like this one. Continue reading “A trek round the Toon.”

A “major trek” from Broadstairs to Margate.

In the last post I promised the reader that I would be going for a walk but I shall very briefly deal with Monday 14th October and it will be brief, believe me. The whole day is best summed up in the images above which show my usual excellent breakfast in the Royal Victoria Pavilion, a murky Ramsgate beach in the early afternoon and the full-bore rainstorm that had settled over Broadstairs by early evening and did not let up. I am a fairly hardy soul but it really was too dismal to consider doing anything of note and so we shall pass quickly on. Continue reading “A “major trek” from Broadstairs to Margate.”

Royalty, rivers and rambling – London LOOP 5.

Hello dear readers and thanks for dropping by to look at the fifth day of my walk round the London LOOP orbital path. If you’ve been reading the previous posts then just skip down to the read more button as the next paragraph is merely a cut and paste of an earlier one for the benefit of readers who have just landed on this post.

The London LOOP is a little over 150 miles of designated and way-marked public right of way which is just concentric to the M25 motorway and as always I start with a quick word of advice. This post is one of a series and it will make more sense if you read from the beginning as it will explain what lunacy had compelled me to undertake such a large project.
Continue reading “Royalty, rivers and rambling – London LOOP 5.”