July 2010 Update 1.

• Just a welcome to the re-vamped NETA web sitewhich it is hoped will make better use of space and better positioning of the photos. As a result of the changes we are somewhat behind with our updates, so please bear with us.
• Some of our regular viewers may have noticed the change of title of this page. Alas, another word in our living language has bitten the dust. Some of us are of the view that the previous description did not quite fit our image , hence the new title.
• Whilst the first article about Newcastle's outdoor sculpture park has been deleted ,the third article about a bit of bizzare sculpture will appears below . The next article is running a bit behind schedule and should appear in about a month's time.

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.

Sculptures in and around Newcastle.

"Newcastle upon Tyne’s Free Sculpture Park."

Apart from a long term interest in photography , I became interested in local history some time ago . Shortly after my partner’s stroke , some seven years ago ,I began to notice that bits of Newcastle , some well known and some not so well known , began to disappear, under the guise of re-development. During the times that Janet was undergoing therapy , I began to wander around Newcastle and Gateshead , camera in hand, taking photographs of various buildings that may or may not last for posterity. During all of this , my attention was attracted to many of the sculptures that are dotted in and around Newcastle ,on buildings , monuments or as part of the landscape . What’s more, apart from exercising the old pins and the expenditure of a bit of shoe leather, this art gallery is free ! (This appealed to my diluted Scottish and Yorkshire lineage).

The range of sculptures readily seen range from Roman (to be fair ,this is some way from the city centre) through the middle ages to Victorian , Edwardian , Art Nouvo , Art Deco, Modern period , and what I call current because I am not sure what the term for recent sculpture is.

It is possible that the range of periods could be drawn to include Neolithic (very near the city centre) - but this may be really stretching a point as I am not sure whether a barrow is architecture , sculpture , art or engineering or a combination of any or all four of these (also I am not sure whether it is genuine or a copy, plus the fact it has been modified to let us see inside )). We may also stretch a point and include Classical Greek sculpture (albeit plaster casts) housed in another Newcastle time warp gem. There is also a record of some Nineveh Plaques ,  the whereabouts of which is uncertain or indeed if they still exist . The subject matter is equally broad –religion , Roman (or at least one of the Roman) religions,war, celebrity, memorial , commemorative , justice, anti slavery, middle aged mystery, football and plain bizarre.

Materially , they are as varied as their subject matter. Stone , marble , bronze , terra cotta , plaster, plastic, glass, steel , stainless steel and Corten (if anyone wants to know what Corten is , just let me know).Size wise , anything from human head size to big .

When is the best time to see them ? Some of them are indoors , so the best time is when the premises are open . For the outdoor ones , probably around about this time of year (spring) in the early morning or late evening when the sun is at a low angle if you are interested in photographing them .

But,- Hey !, all of this is free (yes , uncommon in this day and age of consumerism and free enterprise – free ) so apart from the  expenditure of a little energy ,which is good for us , why not try any time of day.

Over the next few months we will be featuring some photos of various sculptures , some well known, others not so well known. See if you can spot whereabouts in Newcastle they are. Or if you have any photos of interest, let us know and we will show them on the Web site.

2) Magnet House & Andrew’s House. C 1930 Grade 2 listed.(Now known as "magnet Court") -Relief Panels -Artist unknown.

Sited on the North side of Gallowgate , almost opposite St. Andrew’s Church yard , are the buildings with the semi obscure names of Magnet House and Andrew’s House .Whilst the latter half of the name may be obvious , the Magnet part is not. However the Magnet name gives a clue as to the origins of this second sculpture subject which forms part of these buildings.

This deceptively large building is a rather pleasing blend of Portland stone and brick . Designed by architects Cackett, Burns Dick and Mackellar , who were also responsible for the Pilgrim Street Police Station .

The building was commissioned by the then General Electric Company which used Magnet House as its Newcastle office . The other half, Andrew’s House , was occupied by the manufacturers of the famed Andrew’s Liver Salts . Built in the 1930’s , it makes an interesting comparison with the new Time Central building  recently opened , just to the west of them .

Enough of the pre-amble , and on to the subject of choice , which is the 14 or so relief panels sited between third and fourth floor frontage and are , I presume , in Art Deco style. Of the crowds  , not to mention the thousands of football fans , who pass up and down Gallowgate , I wonder how many look up and see these panels.

There are seven panels mirrored on either side of the entrance .Three of the panels are shown below .Strictly speaking they are not sculpture but are reliefs.

At this point I must confess I have not found much information about their background. I have no idea who designed or made them , but their execution is reminiscent of the Sunburst Panel on the inside of what was the main entrance to the Co-op Building , Blandford House, which is now the Discovery Museum. The only problem with this theory is the thirty years which separates the building of Blandford House (1899) and the Magnet and Andrew’s House.

Equally obscure is the material from which they are made . They may be in Portland stone with terracotta inlays , but my guess is that they are cast from a fine grade of cement , possibly to match the Portland stone. If so , the technique of incorporating the coloured parts must have been quite interesting. Whatever the material , it has succeeded in weathering the polluting atmosphere of the thirties to the late fifties really well , with minimal , if any , damage.(Note by the Editor,Jan 2010: in an article in the Jan 2010 issue of The Northumbrian magazine , a brief mention of Cackett, Burns Dick and McKellar is made in an article by Bill Grundy on the use of concrete in the North East, which may be a hint of what the reliefs are made of.)

Now after almost seventy years of looking down on one of Newcastle’s busy thoroughfares , they almost look as new as the day they were made.

Back to their subject.

The subject of the panels is “Power” and the harnessing of it from nature and the use of it to benefit mankind. Prior to the First World War, much had been done in the North East in supplying electricity for domestic use . It was one of the North East’s imported sons  that did so much to standardise the electrical supply and promote the introduction of what , after the war , was to be the National Grid.  The figures in the panels are uncompromising, but with a certain metallic ruggedness. They are not beautiful , some may judge them brutal , but they have a certain angular grace .They have a sense of purpose and it is possibly the image of human endeavour and skill in wresting something from nature for human benefit . The almost mechanical figures will not be to everyone’s taste . Designed in a period of new hope after a disastrous war , the irony was that their completion was at the beginning of what was to be the Great Depression.

3) One of the bizarre sculptures. Back entrance Milburn House , 1905

Sited in one of the quietest squares in the centre of Newcastle , away from the hustle bustle (and the noise associated with it ) is one of the bizarre items which we hinted at . The Square is Amen Square between St.Nicholas' Cathedral and Dean Street. In the spring , summer and autumn , this square is a really pleasant place to visit.

For wheelchair users , it is probably best accessed from Amen Corner . Please note :- The stairs which link Amen Square to Dean Street are formidable and are definitely not for the disabled (and in winter time even the most nimble of us need to take care).

There are two sculptures of interest in this square. The first is one which we have shown in the article about the Lit & Phil . If , because of the lack of satisfactory disabled access you could not get into the Lit & Phil , then you can at least see a copy of the bust of Thomas Bewick in Amen Square ( see picture )

This bust commemorates Bewick on the site of his Newcastle workshop in Amen Square .

The second item forms part of the rather impressive door surround at the Amen Square entrance of Milburn House. Milburn House was built in 1905 with money from the Milburn shipping family.Incidentally it is well worth a trip into this building just to see the interior . The top of the door surround is shown below and in the middle of the photo is the subject we are looking at.Just what it is ,is open to question . It is either a mad hare or a rabid rabbit .

Unfortunately , since we first found it , someone has re decorated the surround and painted the hare/rabbit in glossy black which rather spoils the effect and also makes it a difficult photographic subject, especially on winter's afternoon when the sun does not quite reach it.Come spring (Spring ??) we will try and get a better photo to do it justice. For such an impressive building I would have thought that any work of art at an entrance , would have a welcoming aspect , as if to say "Please , come in ".Not so the mad hare/rabid rabbit , with its white fangs (just visible in the photo below) , blood red claws ( a rabbit with blood red claws ??? ) and bulging eyes . Maybe this was the exit which dissatisfied customers were shown out of , whilst the good customers were invited in at the Dean Street entrance. Like the Magnet House reliefs , I have been unable to find out the name of the artist or who made it or what the idea behind it was . Whoever he was , presumably he had a sense of humour .

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

Angela Dodson, Secretary 0191 2228550

121/2 - 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".                      

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