10 years in Newcastle
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]September 11th is a date that we all remember, but for me it has other connections too. It’s my Dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!) and it is also the date I moved up to Newcastle from my hometown, York. And that was 10 years ago! I can hardly believe it really, as it doesn’t seem like that long. I moved up here to study for my Music degree, and loved it so much that I stayed. We made our home here and so much has happened during that time – I’m so glad I came!
I decided a little while ago that I’d do a post about it as a sort-of commemoration of my time here. It’s a day later than I’d planned (because I didn’t get myself sorted in time before we went on holiday) but it doesn’t matter! I’ve been looking through lots of old photos and came across this one, which is probably one of the first ones I have of me and Tom. It was taken just after we’d sat our final exam of our first year, which is probably why we’re looking so relaxed![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5300″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large” css=”.vc_custom_1410548069299{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column_text]We haven’t changed that much really! Lots of my old photos will end up in my scrapbook, and I’m hoping to put the pages together this weekend so I’ll share them with you when they’re done. It was interesting to see how my photography has improved over the past 10 years – and during this time when we switched from film to digital, so there are some photos that I had put onto a CD so that I could have a digital copy! A lot has changed now and I take so many photos on my phone, but I love that I can just snap away and delete all the bad ones now.
I decided that I’d have a wander around Newcastle on my own little photography tour to celebrate my time here. I started at the University – the reason why I moved here – as this seemed like the best place to start. So this is the Armstrong Building, which is where the Music department is (although it has since expanded to other buildings).[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5301″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large” css=”.vc_custom_1410548282311{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410548316161{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]When it came to choosing a university, I only wanted to come here so decided not to choose a back-up. That seemed like a good idea, except on the run-up to results day, when I kept thinking “what have I done?!”. I didn’t actually quite get what I needed to study on my chosen course (which was a 4-year course and had a year abroad as part of it) but I got a place on the 3-year one instead. That turned out just fine for me – I met Tom through our course and we wouldn’t have wanted to go in the end anyway! Anyway, the Armstrong Building sits next to the Quad, which is just a lovely place to go and sit. The Quad itself hasn’t changed too much, but the areas around there and the Student Union building have had a lot of work done to them over the years, and it looks fab. Here’s a few more photos:[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_fade” interval=”3″ images=”5313,5314,5303,5302,5305″ onclick=”link_image” custom_links_target=”_self” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” choose_frame=”default”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410548787822{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]From the university I wandered along Northumberland Street – this is a memorial at Haymarket, which can been seen from the building where I work. There’s no trickery on the photo – the sky can actually be this blue in the North of England![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5316″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410549200806{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]What I’ve realised throughout my time in Newcastle is that you need to look around and, more importantly, look up. There are so many beautiful buildings here, but I guess most of the time we’re so busy that we don’t notice these things! It’s nice to notice things about where you live when you pass them everyday but haven’t seen them before. I love these windows on Northumberland Street – the first time I saw them was on a dark December evening, so they were lit up from behind. Aren’t they beautiful?![/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_fade” interval=”3″ images=”5318,5319,5320,5321″ onclick=”link_image” custom_links_target=”_self” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” choose_frame=”default” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410552572645{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]From there, I went to Grey’s Monument (click here for the post about our trip up there!), through the Central Arcade and then down Grey Street past the Theatre Royal towards the Quayside. I decided to go over the swing bridge and then up to the Sage Gateshead, as I’ve spent quite a lot of time there over the years! I’ve actually performed in both halls there – in hall 1 with the University Symphony Orchestra and in hall 2 with a band that I used to play with. It’s such an amazing place – if you haven’t been then you must if you’re in the area! You get brilliant views of the Tyne Bridge from here, and as you can see the city is celebrating the Great North Run’s 1 millionth runner! We went to the opening ceremony for that which was amazing – I’ll probably be posting about it soon![/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_fade” interval=”3″ images=”5323,5324,5325,5326,5327,5328,5329″ onclick=”link_image” custom_links_target=”_self” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” choose_frame=”default” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410550991746{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]I then wandered to the Millennium Bridge and hung around to watch it tilt – this always provides a great photo opportunity! Whilst waiting I went to the Quayside Seaside and had a cuppa :-)[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_fade” interval=”3″ images=”5331,5332,5333,5334,5337,5338″ onclick=”link_image” custom_links_target=”_self” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” choose_frame=”default” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410551699869{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]To finish my tour I walked along the Newcastle side of the river to take some photos of the bridges from downstream. By this time there were some very dark clouds gathering![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5335″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1410552041963{padding-top: 30px !important;}”]I really enjoyed my photography tour – I hope you have too! Here’s to many more years here in Newcastle, and more adventures to come! Look out for my post about documenting this in Project Life, coming soon…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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