Archive for December, 2013
Happy New Year
Given that I’ve been a boy of moderately good behaviour over the last year, I was lucky enough to become the proud owner of one of Lego’s architectural sets on Christmas Day. As you’ll have hopefully worked out from the picture above the set in question was the Palace of Westminster’s Clock Tower, which of course […]
Filed under: Architecture, Lego, Radio | 2 Comments
Tags: Architecture, BBC, Big Ben, Happy New Year!, Ian McMillan, Lego
Ladybird Ladybird
The first Ladybird Book that ever came into my possession was ‘Going To School’. I received this book (I think) as a leaving gift from the play school I attended before entering the world of education proper at the age of five. Given the fact I have almost no memories before the age of about […]
Filed under: Books, Design | Leave a Comment
Tags: BBC4, Books, Ladybird, Ladybird Books, The Bugs That Got Britain Reading, The Ladybird Books Story, Timeshift, Wills & Hepworth
The Sun Also Rises
In order to take the picture above earlier this year (over at Happisburgh in Norfolk) I rose just after four in the morning to take the short drive to the coast. Minutes later I was stood on the beach watching the sun rise. I awoke at an almost identical time this morning to find the sun wasn’t scheduled […]
Filed under: Festivals, Music | Leave a Comment
Tags: Kill The Wolf, Matt Berry], Solstice
The Continuing Joy Of Concrete
Whilst in the wilds of Northumberland I also got to spend a little time admiring one of my favourite buildings in Newcastle. Originally called Swan House*, it now rather sadly goes by the hideous name of 55 Degrees North. Built in the late 1960s and designed by Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall & Partners (that’s Robert Matthew of […]
Filed under: Architecture, Travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: 55 Degrees North, Bank of England, British Telecom, Joseph Swan, Lighbulb, Moseley Street, Newcastle, Newcastle Chemical Society, Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Northumberland, Pilgrim Street, Robert Matthew, Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall & Partners, Royal Festival Hall, Sir Basil Spence, Swan House
The Dark North
Well if the handsome coast at Embleton Bay in Northumberland was good enough for Mr Joseph Mallord William Turner then it’s good enough for Mrs Weir and I. To be frank there aren’t many places I’d up sticks from dear old Norfolk for but in another life I’d be happy to trade my time on […]
Filed under: Travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: Dark Skies, Embleton Bay, Joseph Turner, Mr Joseph Mallord William Turner, Northumberland, Turner
The Sounds Of The (Inter) City
Over the years I’ve spent a good deal of time sat in Newcastle Central Station. Time normally spent waiting for a train to return me back to the flatlands. Today I visited the station as a destination rather than a point on my route home. Not to take part in the noble art of trainspotting, […]
Filed under: Sounds, Travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: BBC Radio 4, Central Station, Chris Watson, Field Recordings, Newcastle Upon Tyne
