Many thanks to the staff of Sir Robert McAlpine, who allowed me to take some photographs of the gradual demolition of the old Thorp Academy today. Health and safety laws decree that I’m not allowed […]
Neil Aiston, his love of Ryton
Fellow Rytonian Neil Aiston has kindly been in touch. His love of Ryton, and of photography, has led him to capture our village in a series of wonderful photographs downloaded on to Flickr. I hope […]
Concert at Holy Cross Church
Whatever your religion, or if you don’t have one at all, we are all privileged to be able to enjoy the beautiful building and grounds of Ryton Holy Cross Church. Have a walk around the […]
Stick to village speed limits
I just want to mention the Ryton Festival again, and something that happened a few minutes after the eleventh session had concluded up in St. Agnes RC Church, Winlaton. A visibly distressed young man from […]
Ryton Festival Eleventh Session
St. Anne’s RC Church in Winlaton was the venue for the eleventh session of Ryton Festival this afternoon. We heard from the choirs of Corbridge Middle School (Junior and Senior) Hareside Primary School Cramlington, and […]
More from Ryton Festival, Tenth Session
The tenth session of Ryton Festival in Emmaville Hall was opened last night (Thursday) by its Vice – President Mrs Doris Williams. The Federation of Festivals is a national movement, but Mrs Williams said that […]
Ryton Festival – Ninth Session
Let’s hear what the adjudicator; Norma Redfearn, has to say about our festival, and the festival movement in general. She was kind enough to give me a written quote. “I have had a wonderful time […]
Ryton Festival – Sixth Session
Yesterday evening gave us the sixth session of the Ryton Festival in Emmaville Hall. Proceedings were opened by Jonathan Morris, the Executive Principal of Thorp Academy, and the entrants came from The Saturday Stage School, […]
Sleeping Dogs rock the Cluny
Our friend Tracey, Heather and I, enjoyed a marvellous sell out gig last night at the Cluny in Ouseburn, roughly situated beneath Byker Bridge. Tracey has been here several times before, but it was a […]
Ryton Festival Third Session
I’m not a parent myself, but I have seven nieces and nephews all under the age of fourteen, and the one thing I thoroughly ‘get’ is that once you have children there is no […]
Second Session, Ryton Festival
Unfortunately I won’t be able to get to all of the sessions at the Ryton Festival, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second session in Emmaville Hall this evening. It was opened by its president, Canon […]
Ryton Festival is nearly here
There’s a lot coming up in and around Ryton. The festival begins on Friday kicking off at 6.15pm in Emmaville Hall, Crawcrook. They have a new-look website, click on the link to see what’s […]
From the Live to the Little (Gateshead Little Theatre)
A local dramatic group not so far covered in this blog are the Progressive Players. They’re an amateur company founded in 1920 at the Westfield Hall in Alexandra Road, Gateshead. Since 1939 their permanent home […]
Ryton Festival – Baby Boomers
My former English teacher Richard Reid kindly suggested I get in touch with Susan Emmett who lives in Ryton and runs the Throckley Drama Group. They are going to be performing Baby Boomers Behaving Badly, […]
Beamish Hall Winter Festival 2016
I don’t envy Mark Zuckerberg his millions, because it’s down to him that I’ve re-kindled many friendships and enjoyed some fantastic times. Yesterday was a case in point, because without Facebook Heather and I would […]
Keeping fit
If, using your own body and without any props or materials, you’ve never been asked to construct a series of objects from a Lynx Helicopter to the Eiffel Tower, or stomp your way through a […]
Thorp Academy, official opening of STEM
I was thrilled when a couple of months ago an invitation dropped onto the mat inviting me to the official opening of the Thorp Academy STEM building. STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering […]
Sleeping Dogs – upcoming gig
During my stint at Ryton Community Library last week, I got chatting to fellow volunteer Lin, who mentioned an upcoming gig at The Cluny in Byker on Saturday 27th February. It’s in aid of the […]
Our own Community Library
Since retiring at the beginning of October, I’ve had the time to visit different events and write about them here, and even had a day’s paid employment on the freezing cold set of Vera. Recently […]
Cats, cards, charity & the doghouse
I was in the Hexham branch of Marks and Spencer’s shortly before Christmas, a regular port of call for Mum and me. It’s one of the growing number of places where Mum has a solid […]
Carols at the Cross
Lovely winter evening enjoying Carols at the Cross, accompanied provided by the Ovington Tynedale Reunion Band, joined by the Caedmon Choir from the Gateshead Sage. Merry Christmas everyone, and thank you for following me this […]
St Agnes reception..more nativity magic !
Another wonderful afternoon along at St. Agnes Catholic School in Crawcrook to see the last of their nativity plays, this time the turn of the reception class. Lovely to get chatting to two of my […]
Nativity magic from St. Agnes !
The first thing that struck me when I arrived at St Agnes Catholic School this afternoon, is that even though I got there half an hour early, the queue of parents, friends and relatives stretched […]
Snow a little too late for the produce market
Today was last Ryton Local Produce Market until the spring. Having to trade from the core of a quagmire didn’t dampen spirits at all, and we were treated to a selection of carols courtesy of […]
