Newcastle and Gateshead photos: Millennium and other bridges, River Tyne, rain and night time street scenes -

Newcastle is a bloody great city, and The Monochrome Set always get a particularly raucous welcome when we visit, so it was a pleasure to be back this weekend, despite the rain.

The dramatic curved roof and clock of Newcastle railway station, which was opened in 1950.

In Simon Jenkins’ Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations, the station was one of only ten to be awarded five stars. I’m rather chuffed to say that one of my photos of Hebden Bridge is also included in this excellent book.

Oops!

Looking across the Tyne to Gateshead.

Crossing the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne which opened in 2001,

Designed by architect WilkinsonEyre and structural engineer Gifford, the bridge is sometimes referred to as the ‘Blinking Eye Bridge’ or the ‘Winking Eye Bridge’ due to its shape and its tilting method.

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art can be seen in the background. A converted flour mill, it opened in 2002.

We were back playing the fabulous Cluny venue, which occupies a former flax spinning mill. Located opposite is the Ship Inn, which serves fine vegan food and top notch ales.

The venue and pub lie in the shadow of a high viaduct.

The metal and glass facade of Northumbria University.

Northumbria.info has the story of this Rolex building:

This impressive building on Blackett Street, Newcastle, was commissioned by Thomas Cooke who engaged a young architect, James Cackett, to “design a new building of elegant proportions”. Northern Goldsmiths was started in 1892 by Thomas Cooke, a Northumbrian worthy, and has grown into one of the major jewellery groups in Britain.

In 1932 the Company installed the golden clocks at the Blackett Street and Westgate Road shops, each of them finished in 24ct gold leaf, they are over fourteen and a half feet in height and weigh one and a half tons.

Each clock is surmounted by a “life size” golden lady, based on the figure of Venus, whose outstretched arms symbolise progress. The clock outside the Blackett Street branch soon became a recognised meeting place in the city centre, in a tradition that dates back to World War II, when servicemen and their sweethearts met there. It still remains a landmark in Newcastle today.

I stopped off to meet an old friend in the early hours at the Nitehawks bar before heading back to the hotel in the rain.

Newcastle’s iconic High Level Bridge, a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead.

Designed by Robert Stephenson to form a rail link towards Scotland, the bridge was officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1849. It also graces the cover of the 1970 prog rock album,”Five Bridges” by The Nice.

At the time there were five bridges spanning the Tyne, but two more have subsequently been built.