johnstonezone: Newcastle upon Tyne

It snowed on the way to Newcastle from Liverpool. Not much, but enough to stick to the grass. The journey across Britain's heartland took about 3 hours. We were alll quite pleased to check into our styly Hotel located right downtown ! Newcastle, home to a university, is a happening little town. we were fortunate to spend a day off there, taking in the sights and digging the vibe. Its full name, Newcastle upon Tyne, indicates its positon along the banks of the river Tyne, which links it to the North Sea. One of the central features is a castle which has been defended for centuries. The city was once surrounded by a wall with the castle at its center. The castle dates back t the 12th century during the reign of Henry II. Before that, there is evidence of a Roman settlement there around the time of Hadrian. No shortage of history here.

The show was a success. The venue was called City Hall. About 700 people attended. We signed cd's and met the folks. The accent gets thicker as you move north. after the gig, explored the nightlife around the hotel. There were many bars and nightclubs frequented by the local "hipster" types. There was live music as well as DJ's. The next night we spent at a pub across the street listening to a trio of bass, guitar and vocals. The played some standards, bossa nova and Blues. The singer's name was Sarah. She is from Ireland and sang beautifully. Surprisingly, we didn't find Newcastle Brown ale on tap, so we opted for Duvel, a Belgian beer with quite a kick. Good fun. Nothing that a bowl of porridge and an Earl Grey tea couldn't fix the next day!