Newcastle, Port of Tyne
July 27, 2021
27 Jul '21. HM 147. Newcastle - a city of generous people...
When I emailed ahead to the HM Steve Clapperton (photo 3), he kindly asked me what he could do to help my challenge - shopping, provisions.....diesel? I will leave you to guess what I opted for... but it set the tone for our visit to the Geordie capital.
Steve has a huge job looking after The Port of Tyne as well as 17 miles of river. His current challenge is how to safely pilot enormous ships under some power cables hanging just 85M above the water. With the average cruise ship now 75 M high it is something he can't ignore! In addition to all the extensive commercial operations, Steve is most proud of his salmon! The river is so clean now, that it can boast being England and Wales's best salmon river.
The heyday of the River Tyne began in the 18th century when the North East of England led the way in science and engineering innovation. Much of the legacy of those extraordinary times – the piers, lighthouses, the Swing Bridge and the Fishquay is within the control of the Harbour Authority.
Newcastle is one of the few cities where you can navigate safely upstream and moor up right outside a city centre pub (Photo 7). After a bit of persuasion (!) the council even raised the Millennium Bridge (the famous Blinking Eye) for us. At the mouth of the river is another hidden gem, the town of Tynemouth with its extraordinary Volunteer Life Brigade. Started in 1864 it is still going strong as a land based RNLI. In their museum we found a wonderful "Breeches Buoy" contraption (photo 8) used to haul shipwrecked sailors to safety.
Final word to a very kind man, Dave Farquhar (photo 9) who repaired the damage to Good Dog's stainless steel work with some very skillful welding... completely free of charge! He summed up the kindness and generosity of the Geordies - thank you Newcastle.
When I emailed ahead to the HM Steve Clapperton (photo 3), he kindly asked me what he could do to help my challenge - shopping, provisions.....diesel? I will leave you to guess what I opted for... but it set the tone for our visit to the Geordie capital.
Steve has a huge job looking after The Port of Tyne as well as 17 miles of river. His current challenge is how to safely pilot enormous ships under some power cables hanging just 85M above the water. With the average cruise ship now 75 M high it is something he can't ignore! In addition to all the extensive commercial operations, Steve is most proud of his salmon! The river is so clean now, that it can boast being England and Wales's best salmon river.
The heyday of the River Tyne began in the 18th century when the North East of England led the way in science and engineering innovation. Much of the legacy of those extraordinary times – the piers, lighthouses, the Swing Bridge and the Fishquay is within the control of the Harbour Authority.
Newcastle is one of the few cities where you can navigate safely upstream and moor up right outside a city centre pub (Photo 7). After a bit of persuasion (!) the council even raised the Millennium Bridge (the famous Blinking Eye) for us. At the mouth of the river is another hidden gem, the town of Tynemouth with its extraordinary Volunteer Life Brigade. Started in 1864 it is still going strong as a land based RNLI. In their museum we found a wonderful "Breeches Buoy" contraption (photo 8) used to haul shipwrecked sailors to safety.
Final word to a very kind man, Dave Farquhar (photo 9) who repaired the damage to Good Dog's stainless steel work with some very skillful welding... completely free of charge! He summed up the kindness and generosity of the Geordies - thank you Newcastle.