Bloody hell. Pick one of the (relatively few) areas I've never 'done' owt in why dontcha.

Weird, now I come to think of it, considering it's pretty 'local' for me. I'll have to call the Ginger Johnmonster & pencil a trip in for the next weekend we both have free - gonna be quite a few weeks at least for me....

Might just make it up there before you. If we do, I'll rush a weblog up doublequick or something.

Whitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorsewhitehorse

love

Moth

The stuff in Newcastle is shite - and to be avoided at all costs. I'd like to 'restore' both of those features you mentioned.

It is low water in the River Tyne at the moment. When PebbleNicker went to look for the circle at Hexham I'd misrepresented its last known location by one digit. Within that hundred metres was the River South Tyne! By the map there should be just a walk of three or four hundred metres, down a footpath, to it. I haven't used a car for twelve years and am perpetually skint, so haven't seen it since 1974 or 5. Something should still be there.

My computer's had an obscure fault and I've been concentrating on my stonework - at around 1800 feet there's only a narrow window of opportunity. Am learning Ring ouzel.

The largest prehistoric sites in Northumberland are Milfield and Kirkhaugh. Kirkhaugh is disturbing as it has been so comprehensively trashed. Perversely I admire Hexham Abbey. It's a game to spot which stones were quarried by the Romans. And if you go to Brigantium please set fire to something ...

<ahem>

at the risk of causing a riot,
have you seen Hadrian's wall?
There's a little chunk of it right next to the A1.
No great trecks necessary ;-)

.o0O0o.

Well it's not at all antiquarian, but it's made from rock, mazes have a long and important history and it sounds fun. This is from today's Guardian arts section

Last month, the Minotaur labyrinth opened in the grounds of Kielder Castle in Northumberland. Designed by architect Nick Coombe and artist Shona Kitchen, the £125,000 maze is a fine object. A handsome architectural sculpture, it is also a giant game for anyone to play, free of charge, at any time of any day of the year. Built of basalt stones that turn from shining silver grey in the dry to gleaming near black in the wet, caged in thick steel-wire mesh, the Minotaur labyrinth is a perfect match for its forest setting.

It is also a welcome addition to other architecturally inspired artworks built elsewhere in the Kielder Forest Park by the Kielder Partnership. These include James Turrell's magical Skyspace - a circular chamber of ever-changing, challenging and intensely focused, natural and artificial light - and the Belvedere, by Softroom, a mirror-surfaced refuge that distorts reflections of nature and weather, and draws you towards it, like some oddly bright black hole.

Summer or winter, the place is a delight. Whether or not a labyrinth should be delightful is another question. The Minotaur labyrinth is certainly a determinedly serious-looking structure, yet it is animated by the shrieks and laughter of children thrilling to its sudden twists, turns and seeming blind alleys. One of these leads to a stone stair. From its top, visitors get an aerial view of the structure and can try to work out how to get to its secret, glass-lined centre. On the way round the labyrinth, there are slits in the walls, 26 of them, through which you can see and hear others worming their stringless way through this gloriously physical and computerless game. There are alcoves to spring surprises on trailing parents and a constant play of shadows as the sun, or moon, races overhead through the watery Northumberland cloudscape.

Cor blimey - after all that!

Looks like I was the only one that could be arsed to go exploring after all - so we didn't!

Well, the company I was in were not in the best of health, bless em, so we just did the easy options...

I feel a bit ashamed to admit these, but here goes... ;o)

Thursday, we went to Lindisfarne (Holy Island), as this was something we all fancied. It's a bit of a pilgrimage for most of the party for personal reasons, and was, actually, very nice! Liked the drive across the causeway. Nice ruins of Priory. Didn't go to the castle due to it being too much of a walk (not for me! Nossir! I would have been up there like a shot given half the chance!)

Friday, we went to Vindolanda Roman (sorry!) Fort. That was impressive. I know there are a few stern views regarding our frinds the Romans, but it really is hard to ignore the scale of the place... Funny to think that after this period we were back to chucking our own poo out of the windows into the streets... ;o) The reconstructions were a bit embarrassing, tho, but the cake in the tea room was stunning..! Then a nice drive back along the B6319 or something, along the route of Hadrian's Wall, anyway, which was nice. Lovely views! Lots of forts, bits of wall, and a Mithran Temple...

Saturday was hard work! Went out to Colwell (wherever the hell that is!) to look for 3 holy wells. Found 2 of them - Coley's Wll & Pricky's Well (chortle!). Both in serious states of disrepair. Very sad, but glad we found them. Pricky's Well (tee-hee!) was almost indistinguishable, but was right by the road. It was pretty much a square hole with no markings at all... I think it was the well anyway! Nah - I'm sure it was... Saw my first Heron as well - which was nice. And a cow scared me. I'm reet hard, I am! Couldn't find the third well, so went to go home. Stopped off in a pub, and picked up a leaflet which mentioned "Lady's Well" somewhere that looked (by the scribbled map on the back) quite near. Nearly ran out of petrol! Didn't even find the twatting thing! Oh well - saw some nice countryside that otherwise I wouldn't have done... Back via Warkworth Castle along the coastal route, stopping off at Whitley Bay to see Old Hartley (http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=1790) which we did from a distance (cos it was getting on a bit by then), but will go see it proper loike next time.

So I'm now sick of driving.

All in all, not what I expected of my trip up North, but it'll do! Off to Cornwall in a few weeks, and I KNOW that'll be a lot more productive! Yay!

Just thought I'd let you know, anyway...

G
xx

Don't go looking for the things that may have gotten themselves blown up in the Otterburn missile testing ranges.

Do go to the coast where the whin sill meets the sea, round Boulmer haven, the rocks there are unlike any I've heard of on these Islands. They're the sort of rocks that like people who like rocks.