Errrg, Yuk !

Many moons ago Cadbury`s as it was then, used to sell their Old Jamaica rum and risen bar for unsuspecting dads at Christmas's`s, birthdays and fathers days. It was a big seller and it was wrapped differently in the usual foil first then covered with an orange label with an old sailing ship on the front, something like a Clipper. Here is the modern equivalent.

Having rarely seen this on the shop shelves, I finally managed to buy a bar yesterday. Knowing the wrapper was different, I concluded that their production methods had just moved with the times but also, they have completely wiped away the nostalgia.
Internet research suggested the recipe was a mix of both milk and dark chocolate but upon tasting,to me it was just a rum version of their dark Bournville bar and chalky as the Bournville bar always was. Tasteless in my opinion after the chocolate had been sucked off the raisins and the rum `flavouring` as described on the packet, must have had a whiff of essence applied to the mix. Incidentally, this bar is made for Kraft, erm I mean Cadbury`s, somewhere in a foreign land in the EU.
I was disappointed to say the least and doubt if the bar will ever be finished off. I can feel it heading off to the bin as I speak. Shame on you Kraft. As we all know, Cadbury`s is on the slippery slope like Thorntons, all that proud history ruined. 

A little more of Levisham

 Mr Blogspot was running a little slow yesterday, but that could be my clockwork ISP, so here is another slice of Beautiful Levisham.

The signalman is also the booking office clerk and so wears two hats at differing times no doubt.

The following photograph clearly shows the punishment the track endures with the passage of locomotives and stock.

The village itself is over a mile away at the top of the hill which has a few amenities and the view from up there looking down on the station is panoramic, although the continued growth of the trees is slowly obscuring it all.
You can here the whistle of the engine in the above photo long before you can see it as there are a number of farmers crossings out of view which the driver is compelled to notify of his approach. This all makes the impending arrival a little more exciting being able to hear it before you can see it. The white steam soon appears at the bend and it takes a few minutes  for the train to reach the station, growing ever larger as she arrives.

Here`s a last look at the station as the sun goes down behind the hills. The beauty of this station is its remote location and the tranquility here, even on busy school holiday or weekend days. Generally only walkers alight here or rejoin the train to take them home.
Levisham, a fab place if ever there was. Only the few modern signs and safety gadgets detract from the overall Edwardian view. Find the time to go and see it for yourself, you`ll not be disappointed !

Ian

Solitude, peace and tranquility...

Every now and then, it is nice to just escape to a place that offers a quieter moment in life, away from the noise, hustle and bustle. I am sure that most of us know somewhere we can go to achieve this. I do not think you have to go to the most remote locations, as often we hear of secluded corners in large towns and cities which a lot of folk do not even know it is there.
For me there is one special place you need to get to by either car down narrow lanes and over hills and valleys or, my preferred choice, to arrive by train. No ordinary train, but one that takes you back to another age, namely the early 1900`s.

Levisham is a small country station on the wonderful North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a few miles north of the busy market town of Pickering ,hidden away at the bottom of a deep glacial valley carved out in the ice age. There is probably no more than five houses dotted around the station itself and its placement in the valley affords panoramic views particularly to the south as the railway line strides away in a dead straight line for over a mile or so.

I once had the opportunity to travel in the cab of the engine over this line and on our return trip north from Pickering at dusk, as we came round the corner of the distant valley in the photo and entered the straight section, an owl came down from the trees and flew level with the cab for most of the approach to the station. A moment of true wonder and amazement I will never forget.

Looking northwards, the line curves away into the valley at Newtondale. There is a popular walk from the tiny wayside halt there which is a request stop, where the opportunity exists to explore in all directions the wooded hillsides spotting wildlife and plants, fantastic views and wild muntjac deer if you are quiet enough.

If the weather is against you, the waiting shelter is there to keep you dry and it is nice to just stand and watch the rain fall. Generally though, Levisham is quite often in a micro climate of good weather all of its own and so the platforms are adorned with original North Eastern railway seats, many of which are fitted with a plaque of gratitude by those no longer with us who gave their time and money to restore the station to what it is now, a mirror image of how it was in the early 20th century. All these seats have of course been sat upon by those who did just the same as I and many others like to do, just sit in peace and quiet............

Hollywood comes to Blyth !

A recent afternoon outing to Blyth-by-the-sea had us caught up in parking chaos. The carpark on the beachfront was full with both day trippers as well as a film crew legion from the Bristol film unit. After shoe horning the car onto the last triangle of tarmac, we walked towards the Fish and Chip shop for a late lunch. The crowds had spilled out of the cafe onto the prominade with their own Hallibut and Hake to watch the proceedings. I must confess, after doing likewise , I could`nt help feel that filming was a long drawn out affair with lots of `bods` doing a lot of standing around trying to look important.
A quick chat with the security guard told us the they were filming a new episode of `Vera` for ITV. A Northeast based detective series apparently. The director was sat in her canvas foldy up chair under the official`Gazeebo`, with a larger attentive crew than the actors. The bloke in the grey vest was trying to look menacing and cool. Cool being the opperative word here as he was fighting off the chill northeast wind. Pity the guy with the reflector, arms outstretched for what seemed like hours.

From this angle, it was difficult to see who was the star of the show. I was soon to be reliably informed by a fan, that `she ower yonder` was Brenda Blethyn. We were forced to wait five minuites whilst the relevant lines were spoken, not that we could hear above the sound of the overhanging gulls, then we would be `allowed to pass` to gain access to the sunny northeastern shoreline. The sun that day,.....  forgot to shine me thinks.

Not sure who the bloke in black is, but I guess he needs to get a proper job.
Anyway, we took a stroll along the coaly beach for an hour or so and found upon our return that they had upsticks and moved to a derelect farmhouse nearby. Did`nt see her anymore though. Probably shot off back to her penthouse suit at the Percy Arms !

Such is life, eh ?

Langley Pt 2

After leaving the Garden Station, we drove northwards to Wark in the River North Tyne valley. On our way, we pass the entrance to the beautiful Langley Castle.

This is the place popular for wedding venues and fine dining in medieval style. An overnight stay is on our `to do` list.
Our destination in Wark is the award winning restaurant and hotel/Bar, Battlesteads. A lovely old coaching inn and the name no doubt inspired from the Roman occupation of the Tyne Valley and of course the infamous Hadrian`s Wall.

This was one of the few dry weekend days we have had in quite a while, so the opportunity to sit and eat outside was grasped with glee. There is a walled garden to the rear of the hostelry with a lovely patio area with tables and chairs. the boarders are filled with flowers and herbs by the smell of things wafting our way in the summer breeze.

There were a number of non native English speakers around our table, but I guess this area of Northumberland will always be popular with tourists both foreign and Brits alike.
I have to confess lunch was a little slow in being served, albeit a late lunch at that. It would appear we landed at a changeover period with staff. After we had eaten, we were able to move to one of the tables with an umbrella to shelter from the afternoon heat and read the weekend supplement of the Times. All peaceful and quiet, just the hum of the bees in the lavender flower boarder.

Overall, a pleasant afternoon out. Trouble is, there is so much to see and do in your own local area, we quite often overlook what beauty is so close to hand.

Ian

Langley and Wark Pt 1

The last Saturday of July allowed us to take the oportunity to explore a little of the Tyne Valley, part of the North Pennines, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Tucked away southwest of Hexham is Langley, a sleepy village that once served the Lead mining industry in the Allendale area. Served by a small station built by the North Eastern Railway, the rambling wooden buildings and brick built house are now part of the `Garden Station`, a small cafe and arts centre. The original trackbed is slowly returning to nature but offers a lovely walk along its path through wooded hillsides and cuttings on a slight gradient.
The owners have tried to keep as much of the original character as possible and I feel they have achieved this to some degree.

 The waiting room is now the seating area of the cafe with lovely views out onto the platform and the flowerbeds. A true sense of calm exists here with just the distant sound of the odd car to pass by. The station is elevated above the road level and the old rail bridge at the end of the platform has been removed. There is just the arch over the approach road to the station remaining.

The interior of the cafe is decorated in muted colours which serves well the overall feel of the place. Tranquility really.

Outside, the Leaning Shed Museum which as the name suggests has a really bad lean predominately on is southern face. All adds to the charm of the garden really and the museum give a little insight into the mining industry around the village.
The walk along the trackbed takes you under skew arch railway bridges that give access to the various fields either side of the line. Because of the intense wooded cutting sides, the sunlight is dappled most of the time and this allows plants requiring a damp atmosphere to take hold. Many ferns and other wetland plants are in abundance. Tiny frogs are under foot almost everywhere !

 There is also a private fishing lake with restricted access protected by an electric fence, but some peaceful views can be obtained through the trees.

Here`s just a selection of the flora and fauna.

The big four.

Ah yes, that familiar sight. Not the best photograph in the world, but it raises the point. This is`nt a slamming of that particular supermarket, but all of them I guess. Yes we are all guilty of using them in this fast paced, short of time life we lead. Over the last two years or so, having attended many Farmers Markets in the Northeast, buying their wares and realising just what we were/are buying from these cathedrals of mass produce, it makes you acutely aware of how different,ie good for you or at least better quality, local small produced items are and that this mass produced, price beating guff on their shelves, is full of things we don`t need in our food.
Sausages is one of my biggest beefs here, or should that be pork ? I no longer buy sausages from the supermarket as there is a marked difference to those locally produced in smaller quantities. Flavour and texture is a major improvement.
A well known sausage producer in Harrogate supplies to the big four. Starting from small beginnings, turnover now huge, enjoyment a disappointment after trying them again at a recent food fair. Shame really. I can see the pound note signs in their eyes.
The point of this rant is to get people aware of how things used to be, quality goods from your local producers. Its not too late to go back to those times as many food fairs/festivals are proving. Use your local farmers market ! They are held regularly in most towns and even cities. Don`t cut corners and make do. Please.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to `Each a glimpse`.  The purpose of this blog is to show just how beautiful the Northeast of England actually is. To sweep aside the stigma of times past of dirt and choking fumes and gritty streets. Most of the cloud clogging industries have either now been cleaned up or demised. Sadly, our biggest industrial heritage has now all but disappeared. King Coal is no longer deep mined here but surface mining is still to be found in a few locations. The great ship building industries of Tyne , Wear and Tees are all but a distant memory too. Even some of the mighty breweries that slaked the thirsts of the working man have also gone but, and thankfully, one or two have been rekindled and many small and micro breweries have taken their place. There is a god after all.
Northeast folk are very welcoming and friendly but above all, proud to be who we are. The Northeast has a wonderful coastline with many unspoilt beaches. They have been denuded of the various prestigious flag awards, presumably due to some unwanted ingredients deposited on the shoreline. Most of this rubbish is thrown overboard by visiting ships to our ports unfortunately and then there is our past heritage which keeps arriving on the incoming tide. No beach here can be complete without the coal deposits that collect in the pockets of the rippled sands. Its part of who we are.
Away from the coast, the hills and valleys offer tranquility of a different and also unspoilt beauty, most of which is yet to be discovered by many. Northumberland, England`s border county is very much undiscovered and one of this country`s best kept secrets, even to some Northeasterners !
I intend to add many photographs to accompany my ramblings for your delectation. Each day I count my blessings for how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful location. To watch the sun come up out of the sea at first light is one of natures wonders arriving with it, the chance to make the most of a new day. My love of history, vintage and times past will be evident here.
So I raise a glass of hearty Northeast brew to you all and say `Welcome` to one and all !