The Tales of Missus P.

Fenwick is a large department store in Newcastle.  When I first went to it in December 2009, I saw the big window display of the Nativity scene.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the Christmas story in a public place, along with a large, popular window display that had a line around the block.  That’s a tradition we lost in the States a long time ago.

At the Discovery Museum we saw a lot of old carrier bags, dress patterns and pictures from when the store first opened.  I love that the city has so much history in it.  That’s something we just don’t find a lot in Florida.

Fenwick (founded 1882, Newcastle upon Tyne) is an independent chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom.

The group has its headquarters at the flagship Fenwick department store in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, one of the largest department stores in the UK.

A to Z Blogging Challenge

This is the neatest thing to see when you come into Newcastle.  The Gray’s Monument is huge and old.  It’s like a centerpiece for downtown Newcastle.  This is where the winter markets are housed and it’s a neat square to just sit and hang out (as many, many people do on a Saturday.) Earl Grey was from Northumbria so it’s fitting to put the monument on Grey Street here near the Charles Grey Pub.

Grey’s Monument is a Grade I listed monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey built in 1838 in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was erected to acclaim Earl Grey for the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832 and stands at the head of Grey Street. It consists of a statue of Lord Grey standing atop a 130 feet (40 m) high column. The column was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green, and the statue was created by the sculptor Edward Hodges Baily (creator of Nelson’s statue in Trafalgar Square).

The monument lends its name to Monument Metro station, a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro located directly underneath, and to the Monument Mall Shopping Centre. The surrounding area is simply known as Monument.

Other possible “E” entry was going to be Eldon Square in Newcastle, but I can’t just blog about shopping malls.  Or can I?

A to Z Blogging Challenge

Dunston was originally an independent village on the south bank of the River Tyne. It has now been absorbed into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in the English county of Tyne and Wear. Much of Dunston forms part of the inner Gateshead regeneration area.

To the west of Dunston is the site of Dunston Power Station, now demolished. The site is now home to the MetroCentre, the largest shopping and leisure centre in Europe.

I chose Dunston as my “D” entry because it houses my beloved Metro Centre.  Granted, there are some big malls in America but, wow, this place is amazing.  It has its own bus station, it’s own bowling alley, and enough sparkly, poofy, tasty, smelly, shiny things you can imagine.  It’s definitely one of my favorite places to go in Gateshead.

Gateshead Leisure and Culture’s site also gives information on Dunston Pond, Dunston Library, and Dunston Activity Centre.

A to Z Blogging Challenge

The Castle Keep of Newcastle upon Tyne was built by Henry II between 1168-1178, it is one of the finest surviving examples of a Norman Keep in the country.

The Castle Keep is one of the local attractions that sits in the background but I’ve still never gone to.  Not even sure what’s inside.  Ghosts? They have a tour to find them.  I’ll update when I find out myself.

A to Z Blogging Challenge

Gateshead Council first conceived the idea of transforming the former 1940s grain warehouse on the south bank of the River Tyne into an international gallery which would be at the forefront of contemporary visual art in December 1992.

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts is a really cool place that holds a lot of modern art, which I’ve not seen a lot of in my life.  I remember going there with Steve the winter before last and seeing an exhibit from a lady who set up a camera behind her, and took a video of herself standing in various, busy streets around the world.  Kind of odd but impressive too.  They also have a deck to stand outside and look out over the river too.

Gateshead Leisure and Culture

A to Z Blogging Challenge