Two weeks in Glasgow Gallivanting: 18th-31st March 2024

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Happy Easter from 50% of the penguins

When @GlasgowPenguins posted on Twitter/X on Easter Sunday morning there were four penguins in bunny-ears enjoying their eggs. By the time I walked past in the afternoon, there were only two. People really are mean to steal them! (STOP PRESS Twitter/X on Monday morning confirms the two missing penguins have been replaced).

I missed last week’s Gallivanting round up because we were visiting Tyneside. People who know North East England looked at us a bit oddly when we said we were off to North Shields because it is not an obvious tourist destination. However, I usually have a general idea of where I want to go, in this case the NE coast, then look for interesting accommodation with, preferably, a stunning view. The Observatory delivered on all counts!

The Observatory
Amsterdam ferry arriving
Amsterdam ferry leaving

We had the top two floors of this glass edifice with a view straight down the Tyne estuary. We loved watching the boats come and go, including the DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry which arrived at 9 in the morning and departed each evening at 5. While there we did some coastal walking, but mainly explored history from the Romans onwards. There will be more about this in due course, but it joins a very long queue of things to write about.

In Glasgow I have continued to walk the canal, noting that the tree which came down in one of February’s storms has finally been removed.

Fallen tree from February’s strom
Fallen tree removed

Normally, my walks centre round Stockingfield but one day I decided to go down the spur into the city centre because I had seen on social media that there was a new mural by Frodrik near Spiers Wharf. The kingfisher is new, the face is what was there before. Quite different, but I like them both.

Frodrik mural 2024
Frodrik mural 2021

While there, I checked out Old Basin House, now restored as a community space – see earlier 2020 shot for comparison.

Info panel
Pre renovation
Now renovated and functioning as Gathering Ground

The nearby buildings at Applecross Wharf could do with similar attention, they look a bit scruffy. The elephant sculpture Memory is another new artwork – this one was unexpected.

Applecross Wharf
Memory elephant

John continues to cycle: below is a ride in the Trossachs before we went away. The boat is the steamship Sir Walter Scott coming down Loch Katrine.

Loch Katrine and the Sir Walter Scott

He had one cycle ride from North Shields and was surprised to make it as far as New York. He encountered some muddy paths and was also surprised by a big spoon! This is Eat for England, part of a public art trail.

New York, Tyne and Wear
Approaching the big spoon
Cramlington Spoon
St Mary’s Lighthouse
St Mary’s Lighthouse
Watch House

After we came back, a ride to Lennox Forest showed that Scotland is also no slouch in the muddy paths department!

Lennoxtown Cycle
Lennoxtown Cycle

And finally – I wouldn’t normally post images showing number plates, but this shiny cleaning van is making too good a joke to miss.

It’s shiny!

Till next Monday – have a good week.

 

England, Scotland, UK , , ,

61 Comments »

  1. You were very busy in March, much as we were. I’m so far behind now, so I’m trying to make some progress this morning. John’s bikerides once again showcase some beautiful scenery, especially the one at the Trossachs. I love the Frodrick mural and the Memory Elephant.

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  2. Another action packed post. My parents used to go on holiday to South and North Shields decades ago as we had relatives living in that area. Big changes since that time though but well captured in the original Get Carter film with Michael Caine when the coal waste was dumped by high line buckets straight into the sea. Bob. BSS.

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  3. Hi Anabel – a lovely range of areas you’ve visited – that glass edifice looks like it deserves a longer stay – what a brilliant find. My Dad and I had a fabulous holiday back in 1976 in Alnmouth- further north than you were … stunning coastlines – it was so hot we just wilted mostly. Thanks for the photographic tour … cheers Hilary

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  5. That must have been such a cool place to stay and great views too. What a treat! It is mean spirited to take the penguins. Everyone must know they’re there for people to enjoy. A friend of mine has UK family who live in South Shields.

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  9. I think kids are putting those penguins in their pockets and the adults find them on arriving home. Back they go 😉 The Cramlington Spoon is impressive.

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  10. Sad to read about the missing Penguins and glad that they were replaced. I have never been in that area although Annabell had some family there and she visited them several times. Yes I think Scotland is there with the best when it comes to mud :o) Bogs don’t count – there’re different .

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  11. It’s a fascinating part of the country to explore so look forward to more posts about Tyneside and that amazing accommodation. Love the number plate…well spotted!

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  12. Your spoon would make a good match with my fork (Vevey). John gets to see some magnificent scenery in Scotland – less so in the NE. I like your idea of selecting an area and then finding a quirky lodging. I may have to copy your idea. And YAY for the return of the penguins. Cute as usual with their bunny ears.

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    • Doesn’t always work, but we have stayed in some brilliant places. This one probably tops the lot (though you have to be fit to go up and down 3 flights of stairs all the time)! The guy with the penguins is really patient – I’d have given up by now, they get stolen so often.

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  13. Plenty of gallivanting here, do you ever stay home and just sit and do nothing?? 😀 Great scenery shots from John, especially the Lennoxtown ones, and I love the kingfisher and the elephant. Did someone actually steal the penguins then return them or did their creator remove them for some reason?

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    • They were stolen and the creator added more – I tweeted a picture which alerted him, then he tweeted again this morning. In the meantime, my photo has apparently been viewed by 4000 people which is about 3999 more than usual! I do nothing a lot more than you might think, wasting time on Twitter for example 😀.

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      • I don’t do Twitter but I googled the penguins and came up with several news articles about them, it seems they get stolen on a regular basis. Why do people have to steal things put there for the enjoyment of everyone?? Their creator must be very resilient to keep replacing them, I would have given up long before now.

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  15. That accommodation in North Shields looks fantastic! I love Tynemouth and we had a fantastic stay there one year, although normally we stay in Newcastle itself and take the Metro for a day out at the coast. I don’t know North Shields as well, we really must spend more time there one day. I’m looking forward to your future posts about your stay there 🙂

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    • It was fabulous accommodation and the quayside at NS has been nicely done up with cafes and restaurants. However, there’s not much to actually do in the town itself. We spent a morning wandering round then either walked, got the metro / ferry, or drove elsewhere. Tynemouth is definitely more interesting as a town.

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      • Reading all the comments I am beginning to think I have missed out on the NE. My only brief visit was by train to Newcastle where we changed for a train to Carlisle and I once went up to the Metro Centre when it first opened, other than that a ferry to Bergen in 1973 from Tynemouth I guess. A bit far from me now though.

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        • I suppose it doesn’t have the instant appeal of, say, Cumbria or Yorkshire. I actually said to John that I didn’t really appreciate what I had when I lived there in my youth. And he confessed that when we used to visit mum and dad in Newcastle he wasn’t that impressed but had changed his mind too.

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  17. Don’t worry about seeming odd for visiting North Shields. We’ve stayed in South Shields, and that’s regarded as even odder. We stayed in the lighthouse there so we were quite happy thanks.

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