Readers page invited from someone in NETA.

October 2011 Update 2.

  • Latest photo of the Geordy Grapes.

  • The second part of " Newcastle to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway and back", complete with pictures is included below.

  • Chris Cross took advantage of the recent warm weather in two walks north and south of the Tyne. The results of his walks are shown in the pictures below.

  • The Support Centre's new Assistant is Rosie Robertson . Rosie has previously assisted NETA as a volunteer at the Centre . NETA Trustees welcome Rosie and look forward to working with her.

 

  • See article below about Dr. Rose Hilton's Gig at the Blue Flames Club .

  • Three years ago Janet and I hatched a plan to travel to Oslo via Copenhagen by ferry . This year in April , we set out on the journey ,which had been booked entirely on line. The second instalment of our travel experiences with pictures , hits this page below.

  • ______________________________________________________________________________

  • Geordy Grapes , October update . Latest photo of the ripening grapes shown below.

  • Three years ago ,I asked for a grape vine (the ornamental sort ,which have nice leaf colours in the autumn) for a birthday present . What I got was a specimen of "Black Hamburg" which is a grapevine of the eating variety. I did not give it much of a chance ,but duly and hopefully planted it against a west facing fence. The hard winter of 2009 -2010 came and went ,by which time ,I had written it off . However surprise , surprise , not only did it survive the winter , but eventually rewarded us with a bunch of grapes . I use the word "bunch" guardedly, for they were only the size of red currants , but they looked like grapes and more surprisingly , tasted like grapes. Not too acid , nor too sweet . Not only that but we could make our own stuffed vine leaves. Then came last winter and very low temperatures of minus 10 deg C for days at a time , plus twelve inches of snow which seemed to last forever. This time I had really written the vine off. Then came April and the really big surprise, for the vine came into bud more vigorously than last year.
  • July 2011 update on Geordie Grapes- Several flower heads developed and the tiny fruit have now set . There are about several bunches which I pruned back to three . July saw the number of bunches pruned to three and surplus leaders have been cut back.
  • August - two of the three "bunches" are developing with the grape measuring about 4mm and are swelling nicely with all the wet weather we are having . The leaves are quite big now and look forward to making our own stuffed vine leves. There is certainly plenty of foliage and have our fingers crossed for a good display of autumn leaf colour.
  • October saw us sample the vine leaves as stuffed vegetables , whilst the grape bunches continued to bask in the late summer sunshine. The indian summer over , we are leaving the fruit on until the end of October, providing there is no frost, in the hope that the sugar content increases slightly . Tasting last week indicated that they were edible but slightly more acid than last year and could do with a little more sweetness . Diameter of the fruit is 10-11 mm maximum - next year we will be a bit more ruthless and trim out many of the surplus fruit to allow the better looking ones more room to develope.

______________________________________________________________________________

  • Pictures by Chris Cross , October 2011

  • Blyth Harbour
  • _______

 

_____________________________________________________________

Happy Cats & the Blue Flame Club.

Held on  1st July at the Blue Flame Club at Longbenton , the event was organised by Dr. Rose Hilton and family to celebrate her retirement from the NHS. Proceeds were to be donated to the North East Trust for Aphasia (NETA) .The Tombola was organise by Heather Curry whose bottomless cupboard seems to house untold quantities of potential prizes and went ahead with all of Heather’s efficiency. Two special items , a guitar  and a bongo drum were up for bids . Despite some anxious days over ticket sales which almost affected the grey hair ratio , the night proved a huge success and was packed to the doors . The evening was warm , with liquid lubricant being dispensed at the bar at a high rate of knots.

 Compere was Frank Laws who kicked off the session by introducing the well known and very popular “Happy Cats”  trio.The Happy Cats were in fine fettle and got even better as the night progressed . The music was enjoyed by all and tickled the tonsils of the many people who gave voice to the folk songs. All in all , a highly succesful night for which the Trustees of NETA give thanks to all who attended and contributed.

 

The Boat with the Knitted Jacket ,or Knit one,Purl one then Cast Off .

It was late Feb 2010 and winter seemed to be reluctant to say farewell. Which reminded me about this time last year when the weather was the exact opposite of the current wintry spell when I was at bit of a loose end and badly needed to stretch my legs. My other half was otherwise occupied and I needed a bit of space . So I took my camera and the Metro to South Shields and for no particular reason , wandered along the old riverside buildings. The day was bright , plenty of blue sky , white fluffy clouds and although it was February , it was not uncomfortably cool . I must add , that in earlier times I had an interest in amateur boat building and  did a bit of sailing . As a consequence , the sight of a stretch of open water and a hint  of a breeze brings on glazed eyes and a touch of nostalgia. 

My wandering from the ferry landing took me past a boat house with an open door , within which was a “proper” boat . Proper that is , in the sense that it was made out of wood and not out of plastic.  Conversation with the builder led to information that it was a work boat which was in need of some TLC and repair , following which it would be returned to service. Nice to hear these days ,of an old timer being kept in service.

Further conversation with the builder led to his questioning whether I had visited “next door” . Next Door turned out to be the premises of the North East Maritime Trust . I was introduced to the friendly bunch of lads who run it and was invited to look around .The Trust had four boats in , all individual projects at various stages of refurbishment.

One project however , was peculiar . Based on a racing coble design ,(yes there really was a racing coble (pronounced coble or cobble ,depending upon which school you went to)) it was being made in four  sections. At this point the story took on several  odd twists . Once completed , the boat was to be enclosed in a woolly  jacket . Gullible as I am , one of my eyebrows was raised and remained so for the duration of the  visit . Furthermore , the boat was to get its knitted coat in the Customs House at South Shields ! And it was intended to sail the boat inside its coat on the Tyne. This was really stretching credulity , but I decided to humour them  and carried on listening  politely. Just in case the reader is having doubts about my story and wondering whether I was sober , I attach a couple of photos of the boat in question . Her (the boat) construction was familiar , and took me back to the time when I began to build my second boat (some 14 feet long by 6 feet beam ),in the living room. I confess my memory plays me tricks here ,as I cannot recall Janet’s views (this was in her pre stroke days) or the views of the rest of the family (daughter ,son  and three cats) about sharing the house with a boat .I rather suspect the cats enjoyed it but waited until everyone was asleep. Some comment or look must have passed (probably because of wood shavings in the scrambled egg) , as once the bottom boards and bow had been assembled , the remainder of the construction was promoted to the garage and the family once more took possession of the living room. But I digress ……….

Getting back to the N.E Maritime Trust . Also scheduled for restoring was a genuine coble , “Royal Diadem 2” -BK No 255 . For the benefit of those of us who are still scratching our heads as to what a coble is , it is a rather beautiful traditional wooden boat possibly with some Viking influence , peculiar to the North East coast , with a deep bow keel and twin stern keels (or skegs ) with a lot of tumble home at the gunnels plus lots of other lovely curves . Once there were hundreds of them ,large and small ,on the Northumberland , Durham and Yorkshire shores and supported many coastal fishing families . They were ideal for setting off from and landing on the wide shallow beaches of the North Sea which can be decidedly turbulent on occasions.  The last was built in Amble in the 1960’s . Although the fleet is now just a shadow of what it once was , there are still examples up and down the coast which continue to earn their keep. The photo below shows “Royal Diadem 2”  restoration under way.

Much larger and with an interesting story ,the boat shed was dominated by the hull of the “Henry Frederick Swan “ , a Tyne lifeboat built in 1917,  whose age is approaching her centenary, and is one of the longest serving lifeboats in Britain . Retired in the 1930’s  , she was recalled to duty in 1941 , and retired a second time in 1947 . Her double diagonal mahogany planked hull is in good shape and her engines are also being restored. I am not sure where she is going when completed but I look forward to seeing her again.

I spent a good couple of hours wandering around the premises looking at the hulls and machinery and reminiscing about the shipbuilding days on the Tyne and looking at the exhibits in the museum section. I bought a couple of the attractive NEMT mugs to remind me of my visit and found my way back home .

Some six months after the event , a head line in a local news paper , the gist of which was “A Boat with a Coat” ,  caught my eye . It was about an exhibition at the Customs House , South Shields , about knitting with a maritime flavour , which set off something jingling at the back of my mind. So Janet & I wandered down to South Shields to have a look in the Customs House. You can imagine my surprise when I found that the main exhibit was – a racing coble with a knitted jacket . She now had a name – “Salma’s Dream” . Not only was she dressed in her jacket , but there was film evidence showing her manned and sailing (in knitted jacket ) on the Tyne! Unfortunately , copyright prevented the taking of photographs , but just in case you are still sceptical and concerned for my sanity , the full story can be seen by tapping in “A Coat for a Boat” into your search engine and then into the BBC web site which appears. Which just goes to show that some things are not as daft as they sound ! The boat and knitting is now on a world wide tour , spreading the word about South Shields, Cobles (or Cobbles), knitting ,the North East and the North East Maritime Trust.

So for those of us who are at a loose end and are looking to spend a couple of interesting hours , pay  a visit to the North East Maritime Trust , however please note there is no access for disabled . If you can't make it , then excercise the key finger and tap into:

www.nemaritimetrust.co.uk 

which will take you into the NEMT web site and a wealth of information about them and their projects.

 

Article by R.Speight with thanks to the NEMT . Photos by courtesy of the NEMT.

Racing coble on the stocks at NEMT (1)

Racing coble on the stocks at NEMT (2)

Royal Diadem II being restored.

Some of the lads with Henry Frederick Swan in the background.

Newcastle to Denmark, Sweden , Norway and back, April 2011. Part 2

Came the day . Set off time was a comfortable 9.30 in the morning leaving Newcastle , first class at no extra cost !! Before boarding one thing struck us about the Victorian origins of our railway system,  was the height of the carriage step above the platform and also the horizontal  gap between the platform and the carriage step. Not for the elderly faint hearted ,and we wondered how someone with walking difficulty would manage.   A strange announcement before we started moving was “ that due to rail stock changes ,booked seats may not be as marked relative to the carriage identity ” (!!!! -??) - followed after a short while by two other passengers who were arguing  that the seat  one was sitting in was not his.  A placatory Conductor  sorted things out ,by which time we were on our way. All of this was in stark contrast to the Danish Railway way of doing things of which more anon. however, service was polite and friendly.

 First stop was Peterborough and a quick train change to the train for Stowmarket , which was achieved without problem . This took us in the direction of Norwich , which we had not seen before. As luck happened, the weather was bright , sunny  and verging on the hot side. A further hour or so took us to our third train change  at Stowmarket (no platform change), which was accomplished without problem and we were on our way to Manningtree. Incredibly ,the weather continued bright , sunny and warm. The  journey through the Cambridgeshire and Essex countryside where the trees  were just breaking into blossom, was enjoyable.

At Manningtree ,we had eight minutes to catch our last connection  to Harwich Ferry Terminal. No worries , the train was waiting at an adjacent platform  and was a matter of a two minute walk from train to train and we were on the last leg of our journey in England.

We arrived at the ferry terminal an hour and a half early , which gave us the opportunity to sample a bowl of chicken soup to fill the gap before the evening meal on board. We checked in and received our boarding passes, all straightforward and no hassle, sat back and relaxed . Meanwhile , we watched and were amused by the antics of some Danish schoolkids  who were returning home , which led us to the conclusion that kids are kids the world over , and not much different from when we were young -only the technology differs. We spent the remainder of the time taking photographs of tapestries made by schools in Harwich which represented Harwich thro’ the ages .   The ferry ,the “ Dana Sirena“ was finally  loaded up with articulated trailers and cars following which  passengers were then  requested to board . This ferry was slightly smaller than previous vessels we had travelled on , but cabins were side cabins with proper beds rather than bunks  with a window out onto the sea. We had about an hour before the Dana Sirena  left port ,  which we spent wandering around the ship and getting our bearings, and making use of our cameras. Then came the moment when the engines were started , the moorings cast off  and the first sea crossing commenced .We left around 4.00 o’clock in the afternoon with the sun blazing down from a blue sky and kept our fingers crossed for the weather  in the days ahead. The ship threaded its way through the busy container traffic of Harwich and Felixstowe ,giving us a fine view of the old town of Harwich. The North Sea was in one of its more gentle moods  as the  Dana Sirena left the safety of Harwich and headed into the open sea.

Having sorted out the (confusing) difference between Greenwich mean time and  ships time ,  18.30 hours saw us heading into the Seven Seas  restaurant for a well  deserved and needed evening meal. It was sometime towards the end of this meal that a remote photo was taken of Janet  about to be devoured by a giant snowdrop. Apart from the fact that the picture was taken after a couple of glasses of rather nice red wine (a Bordeaux ,if I remember rightly)  it was the wrong time of year for snowdrops. Janet survived  the devouring and we rosily watched the sky above the North Sea turn steel blue to indigo and then to velvet black  . We eventually hazily wandered back to the cabin for a well earned rest.

Up with the larks (sorry ,  seagulls) at 06.00 hrs ,we hoped for our first sighting of Denmark. No such luck ,so we wandered around to see what was photographical  and were first at the door of the breakfast table. Around about 08.00 hrs we got our first view of Denmark , which was the first of a number of sandbanks off Esbjerg. the only other indicator that we were going somewhere were the occasional red (port) and green (starboard) navigation buoys . A number of twitchers on board became excited at flights of waders that were flitting around the edges of the sandbanks.   About 0830 hrs ,  the low shoreline of Denmark was in sight and the ship turned right(starboard) and started to make its way south, parallel to the shore , and towards Esbjerg. First sighting of significance were the four magnificent giant white statues of  “Men at Sea”  ( a la’ Tor Heyerdal ) at Esbjerg. These appeared small at first , but as we neared the shore , the huge size of these statues became apparent.  By  09.00 we were in the busy harbour at Esbjerg , 09.30 we were moored and by 10.00 hrs we were on the No 5 bus to Esbjerg station. Here we met up with how to run a railway. As luck happened , we had just missed the through train to Copenhagen. We could get the next train to so and so and change at Christiana – the waiting time would be 12 minutes.  Could we have a return ticket for the 11th April / Yes , were we certain we were returning on the 11th ? Definitely . Were there any concessions  for elderly passengers ? Yes , were we sure we were elderly ( quite a compliment ,really) ? Oh, yes . At this point , British train operators please note : we booked two hours before the train left and we had our seats  Booked, yes booked , no hassle and we did not have to speak Danish.   The train fare ,which was for a journey about the same as Newcastle to London  was also cheaper. British train providers please note : Danish trains are more modern . Although there was no restaurant car , there were coffee machines at various points ,even on local service trains. Toilets were clean and designed for disabled . It would seem that rail travellers in Denmark are valued as customers and not just things that are there to fill 50 year old carriages.

We were on our way to Copenhagen.

The "Dana Sirena"

Janet & the giant snowdrop

The four men at sea.

Entrance to Esbjerg harbour.

 

Ferry terminal at Esbjerg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

121 Interviews

 

Each month or there abouts , a 121 interview will be published at www.neta.org.uk website.

The interview consists of a question and answer session with an individual who has either had a stroke, brain injury and/or suffers with aphasia.

The person interviewed may also be someone who is involved with speech and language therapy, a student or a friends or a family member of someone who has had a stroke etc.

Each month will highlight a different persons approach to dealing with aphasia.

We have retained Tracy's story and added Janet's story for the October update.

We at NETA hope you all will enjoy the "121" interview and will further increase the awareness of individuals who have aphasia in the north east.

If you want to nominate yourself or someone else to be "121" interview in the future please contact any of the following people.

 

Gordon Doney, Trustee 01207 270633

Bob Speight, Trustee 0191 2678906

Janet Moss, Secretary 0191 2228550

121/1/2009 - Tracy's Story.

Our very first 121interview is with Tracey Atkinson.

Thanks Tracey for being involved and all of us at NETA hope you enjoyed being "121'd.

 

A brief introduction to Tracey Atkinson.

Tracey has 3 sons Mark, Phil and Carl and also a daughter called Meagen. Tracey has also a partner called Lesley. Tracey two years ago was knocked over by a taxi in the Newcastle city centre after having a meal with friends and family. Sadly Tracey suffered a severe brain injury to the left side of her brain. With significant help and medical care Tracey is now on the mend. Well done to you....

Tracey has just completed the spring therapy programme at the Aphasia Centre.

 

NETA: Can you tell us Tracey where you born and where do you live now?

Tracey: Born and bred in Newcastle and my family and I live in Fenham.

NETA:What do you like the most about the North East?

Tracey: I love the North East because of the wide range of people and of course the fantastic coastline and the countryside.

NETA:Whats your favourite and least favourite on TV and why?

Tracey:My favourites are programmes involved with home improvements etc. They are very interesting and educational. I HATE SOAPS AND WILL ALWAYS !!!!!!!!

NETA:Tracey if you and your family/friends were going out for a meal in a restaurant what would be your first choice?

Tracey:My favourite by far is fish, especially salmon We love going to italian restaurants and there some great ones by the coast.

NETA:What type of holiday do you like the best i.e in the UK, Europe or somewhere else?

Tracey:My firm favourite is the USA. I've been there on a couple of occasions and I thought the people are great and how everything thing is big, the cars, the food and the country.

NETA:How has aphasia affected your approach to life?

Tracey:I know now to understand the importance of help and support and with that it has made me see the person I am behind the disability.

NETA:Tracey in attending the Aphasia Centre, Spring 2008 how much have you benefitted/enjoyed it and tell us why?

Tracey:I have looked forward to the group therapy sessions, to meet with other group members, many now have become friends!With the group I thought that I would be the only person with speech difficulties. We help each other which is so important. I can see as a result of the Aphasia centre programme my speech has improved a great deal! Thanks for this.

NETA:Any thoughts on how we at the Aphasia Centre can help you more in the future?

Tracey:Just keep on doing what you are doing so well!

NETA:Do you like the individual sessions or the group sessions the most?

Tracey:By far I really enjoyed the group sessions, they are fun and it helps me to interact with others.

NETA: And Tracey, any final thoughts about the Aphasia centre, the staff, the students etc

Tracey: I think the staff and the students are brilliant and each week I feel very welcomed and relaxed every time I visit the Centre. Everyone has time to help me and others

NETA: In one word describe yourself since the car accident two years ago?

Tracey: Determined!!!!!!!

NETA: Tracey, thank you very much for your time today.

 

NETA'S interviewer was Gordon Doney, Trustee

121/2/2010 - Janet's Story.

 

Janet has chosen a different format for her story .

Janet's background . Janet had had a problem with an accoustic neuroma for some time .She had retired from Youth Work around 2000. By 2001 the neuroma had destoyed her hearing in one ear and there was an indication that the neuroma was growing . She decided to have an operation for its removal , which went fairly well . However 48 hours after the op., she suffered a stroke which,to cut a long story short , left her with aphasia and some disability on her left hand side.

 

Janet takes her story from here.

 

"I had a stroke in 2001 and my speech and my left side were affected.    In hospital I thought that I could write down the words that I could not say to doctors, nurses etc. but I could not even make the shapes of the letters. My husband made many lists of words for me to copy and that helped me greatly.  After I went home, I still practiced the writing. One day I had to write a letter to a friend but to my dismay, I found that I did not put the sentences together and I did not remember where the words could fit into the sentences.

I was very lucky to offer a place on the Aphasia Clinic (as it was called at that time) and as part of my therapy I asked for help in my grammar and constructing sentences.  After the sessions with the Aphasia Centre, I returned to community Speech and Language Therapy services and there I had more help in my written grammar.

Following that I enrolled on a HNC in Photograph and then I discovered that I had to write a lot of writing that culminated with a dissertation of 3,500 words.  To accomplish this I had a lot of help – a encouraging tutor and a very good support worker supplied by the College. (Note: This course lasted for two years. Ed. note).

After the course, I wanted to do more writing and then I found an organisation called “Skills for Life” ran by the Newcastle Council.  The classes are for adults to have trouble in literacy/numeracy and people can have help about reading, handwriting etc.  The classes were run on a one to one but each tutor has two or three students to work with.  I have problems with verbs and other grammatical difficulties and I have give numerous exercises, which helped me, and after three months I had to write a creative story and this were my story".                      

"GUS"

by Janet Speight

I met Gus on one hot summer.  The sun was bright and the sky was blue and full of clouds.  The streets were hot and dusty, the verges were dry and the grass was yellowed.  The trees were hanging limp and the flowers looked rather old and shrivelled.  The houses sparkled in the sun while the mams looked out their dusters and hung the snowy clothes onto the lines.  I lived on a council estate with houses for both families and the elderly.  Gus lived at the end of my street and I think he was about ten years old at that time.

He was an engaging character with a pleasant freckled face with red hair, a grin and a snub-nose.  He was rangey and rather coltish as if his legs were too long for his body.  One could see that Gus would be athletic although awkward.  He was very busy and rushing about the estate doing shopping for his mother, odd jobs for the neighbours (for pennies), and calling for his friends.

On this day I saw Gus up my apple tree and I shouted “What are you doing up my tree?  There are no apples.  Jump down directly!”  The urchin swiftly climbed down like a monkey grinning unabashed.  The moment he descended to the ground, he said “I was just climbing up the tree. I have climbed the sycamore in my mam’s garden; I have climbed the yew in the churchyard; I have climbed the oak on the Green and I climbed…………..”  I interrupted this litany of trees.  “So you have climbed my tree last?”

“Would you like some homemade lemonade?”  “Yessss!” he replied.  I put a glass of iced lemonade and a plate of cookies in front of him.  I looked back to my own childhood in a time when people didn’t worry about children climbing trees.  In my photo album, I found a photo of myself and my sisters and one of my brothers up a tree grinning like Gus.  Parents are rather protective now-a-days and it is sad that now children are not so free.

While he tucked into the cookies he talked about his friends.  I had seen the group roaming around, being boys.  They all went to the same school and lived in the estate.  There was Fred, tall and skinny; Tom with long hair; Darren who was very quiet; Russ the clown of the group and Rolly who was lumpy and round in physique. Gus said, “Nat, my brother, is a pest!  He follows us all the time also he tattled about our adventures” I asked about their adventures.  “We go into the Dene but my mum doesn’t like that.  One day we found a little stream and we had fun making a dam using twigs and mud and also we made a brilliant swing from a tree.  BUT, Nat fell into the stream and fell from the swing and so I climb up trees and he follows me up trees and he gets stuck and I have to get him down!!”  I asked him why he climbed all the time and, quickly, he said, “I want to be a mountain climber”

Next day I met Gus’ mother in the post office and I talked about Gus’ obsession.  She said that he climbed up trees, over fences, of windows and anything that did not move.  I told her that the Leisure Centre has a climbing wall “I know the climbing instructor and I could take Gus to meet him.”

This was the turning point for Gus and when he finished school, he obtained a job at the Leisure Centre and from there, he joined a climbing club.  That was how I first met the famous mountaineer, Gus Black.  He still likes homemade lemonade and cookies.

The End.

Copyright Reserved

Stories for this page. Do you have a story you would like to put in this page? It can be about anything , poetry , fiction , history , an event in your life , a journey , your family , your pet(s) , the list of subjects is endless .Everybody has a story in them , now is your chance to tell it. Give Bob Speight a call on 0191 2678906 , or e-mail your story to him on : robert.speight@talktalk.net