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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Mary Berry’s Lemon Victoria Sandwich recipe was specially commissioned by the GDST for the 140th anniversary of the Girls’ Day School Trust and appeared in issue 12/13 of Verve Magazine (also available online here). Mary Berry is a GDST alumna, and all girls were given a postcard with the recipe to celebrate the Bake Off event (the final of which was just by one of the hosts of The Great British Bake Off, Mel Giedroyc – another GDST alumna!). I used to teach music at Central Newcastle High School which makes me an ‘Old Girl’, and as I love baking I just had to try out this recipe. If you make your own lemon curd, it will taste even better! I also added buttercream, which is not in the original recipe.

Ingredients

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

225g self-raising flour

2 level teaspoons baking powder

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the filling

About 4 tbsp lemon curd

250g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for dusting)

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml semi skimmed milk

Finely grated zest of half a lemon

Method

1. Lightly grease two 20cm loose bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with a circle of non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Beat the eggs and add the grated lemon zest and mix well. Pour the mix in a little at a time and mix well. Sift in the flour and baking powder and combine together. (Mary’s original recipe suggests using an electric whisk – put all ingredients into a bowl and beat for a couple of minutes).

3. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and level with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until well-risen and golden.

4. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a few moments then run a blunt knife around the edge of the tins to free the sides of the cakes. Turn the cakes out, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

5. As the cakes cool, make the buttercream by creaming together the butter and icing sugar. Add the milk and lemon zest and beat until smooth.

6. Choose the cake with the best top, then put the other cake top downwards on to a serving plate. Spread with the lemon curd and then the buttercream. Put the other cake on top and dust with icing sugar. Put the kettle on, cut a big slice and enjoy! If you’re not a fan of lemon, you could always try out my Classic Victoria Sponge. Either of these cakes are best enjoyed with a cuppa!

Post updated 19th June 2016.

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