Like a rerun of lockdown

 

The ghost of the 1960s has come back to haunt Gateshead residents and Gateshead Council. On Friday last week, the Council took the emergency decision to close the A167 flyover in central Gateshead following a structural inspection. Public safety comes first and so, in avoiding crumbling concrete dropping onto people and vehicles, this major arterial road has closed until further notice.

The flyover was built in the 1960s but it was never completed. The aim was for the raised carriageway to continue over the Tyne and join up with the central motorway in Newcastle. Indeed, you can see the sudden end of the flyover in Gateshead and the point in Newcastle where the flyover would have joined it.

The flyover was never finished as the Labour government of Harold Wilson pulled the plug as an austerity measure. That left Gateshead with a rather out-of-place and oddly short raised dual carriageway which literally ends at the end of the road. Meanwhile, as this is a major arterial route, the congestion, bad as it was, is now vastly worse around the flyover but there is no traffic to be seen on it. It reminds me of lockdown when the roads were empty.

Mopping up in Bridges

 

On Sunday last weekend I was in Bridges ward in Gateshead for the Lib Dem action day. As I hadn't finished the 3 patches I was given to do, I headed back there yesterday. The job was almost but not quite finished - I was 30 leaflets short!

Mopping up in Birtley

 

Yesterday I headed back to Birtley. My aim was to deliver the remaining patch of Focus newsletters I had which didn't get delivered in November. Just as I finished, it started to rain. Good timing!

eFocus on NE16 no. 190

Gateshead Lib Dems recently published edition 190 of eFocus on NE16, covering the Whickham area. Key issues covered include:

• Dunston Pool under new management;
• Local Remembrance services and parades;
• Whickham North and Swalwell by-electon result;
• Concern over Sunniside woodland;
• Christmas lights switched on by Peter Pan in Whickham;
• Whinnies Community Garden Christmas Fayre;
• Christmas tree lights switch on in Sunniside.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Sunniside lights

 

Friends of Sunniside Community Hub put on a great event on Saturday evening to light up the Christmas tree outside Sunniside chapel. Unfortunately I was double books as I had a prior engagement in Newcastle. It meant my offer of using some of my goats cunningly disguised as reindeer at the event could not go ahead. I've looked through the photos and video taken by people at the event. It looks as though everyone had a great time.

Bridges action day

 

We had another action day in Gateshead over the weekend. This time we were in Bridges ward, now one of the most marginal in Gateshead. Following the by-election in the ward in September, Labour have a majority of only 65. Sunday saw us delivering our latest Focus across the ward. I took 3 patches and delivered 2. At some point I will fit in delivering the final patch.

Lights on in Whickham

 

Christmas tree lights in Whickham were switched on this afternoon. It was quite a fun event with the cast of Peter Pan (Little Theatre in Gateshead) leading the ceremonies. Well done to everyone who took part. I was cornered before I left after the event - I was asked to be on the Light Up Whickham committee. I used to be on it some years ago. So I'm now back.

Delivering in Birtley

 

It was Birtley's turn to host an action day on Sunday 24th November. So I headed down there in the morning and picked up 2 patches, one with 200 houses, the other with 250. I delivered the smaller patch and will go back soon to deliver the 2nd patch. Fortunately the snow has gone from the ground by the time I arrived in Birtley on Sunday.

Farewell Norman

On Wednesday we said farewell to my friend Professor Norman McCord. He had passed away in October and his funeral was the occasion for some of the lecturers from my day as an undergraduate and postgraduate at Newcastle University to meet up. It was good to see them again. Norman had been one of my lecturers but also my mentor when I was working on my PhD thesis back in the late 80s and early 90s. Much to my surprise, I was given a mention in the eulogy as a former student who kept in touch with Norman.

Norman discovered the Roman fort at Washingwell, Whickham in 1970. All that is left are the crop marks but the site at least could be viewed from my bedroom window of my childhood home. I had been working on a piece of research about the fort which I planned to complete this year. Alas, 4 election campaigns kept me occupied with the result the completion of the work will now be next year, meaning Norman cannot get to see it. At least I was able to meet up with him at his house in Cullercoats in 2022 to discuss the project.

So thank you Norman for all the help and advice over the years. Farewell my friend.

No show at the fair

I was due to take some of our goats to the Whickham Library Christmas fair this morning. They would have been cunningly disguised as reindeer. Sadly, the weather has put an end to that plan. We are under about 10cm of snow that started falling about 6am. Goats and snow don't mix!

This is the 2nd cancellation for the goats at a local fair. The Sunniside Community Hub are switching on their Christmas lights on Saturday 30th November but my diary has been double booked. We've agreed to take the goats to the Easter fair next year instead.

Photos from Whickham Remembrance Parade

 

After a short delay, here are the photos of the Whickham Remembrance Day parade. Cllr Peter Maughan (to my right in the photo above), myself and Cllr Susan Craig laid the wreaths on behalf of residents across the three Whickham wards. In total, 52 wreaths were laid at the Whickham war memorial. You can view the full set of photos of the parade and service on this link.