Walking Free
"As I walk through the Quay I see the sea, I see life in the raw, cold ice wind blowing and smells of a sea salt fish and trawler engine sounds of the North.
Seagull hovers and swoops but not for fish rather the chips of a young girl who’s icy blue watery eyes reflect the winters sun."
On the south bank of the River Tyne there is a Roman Fort which was first excavated in the 1870's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbeia In the 1970's further excavation took place. This was the coastal supply base for the construction of the Roman Emperor Hadrians Wall www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/hadrianswall/ which begins or ends on the North side of the river at Wallsend, the wall stretched from Carlisle in the west to Wallsend in the east, approximately 80 miles.
I often walk around this site thinking about what the area would have looked like without the houses or modern buildings. I live in this area south of the Tyne, it has a population of about 150,000. One activity which has never changed is fishing, this would have taken place on the coast probably by local inhabitants who probably also worked for the Roman's or those from other parts of Europe who were in the Roman army.
On the north side of the river is a place called North Shields Fish Quay which is where the fisherman leave for far off grounds, their work has been restricted by quotas enforced by Europe, which is good in one sense that it allows the fish numbers to recover. The main fish caught are Cod and Haddock and served all over Tyneside, it is sold from the fish quay to small business, restaurants and hoteliers.
Tyneside was probably as far north as the Romans got from Rome, although there was a grass wall found which stretched from just south of Edinburgh in Scotland to somewhere south east of Glasgow as the Romans tried to push the northern tribes back towards the Highlands.
I always wonder if the weather was warmer then
Before the mines and the shipyards
I always wonder what would have happened if the Romans had never left
Between the 5th and 6th Century AD
I always wonder what would have happened if Christianity hadn't arrived in Jarrow with St Bede, and St Cuthbert who preached in the Lindisfarne Islands off the Northumberland coast
My ancestors had never come over from Ireland for the work and the craic
I always wonder what would have come of me if I wasn't so lucky to have been born in a place with so much rich history
surrouded by people who fought for their freedom
I always wonder
and
I always will
Image Credit » My own image
Comments
Magnolia wrote on January 15, 2015, 1:20 PM
Oh my goodness what a wonderful place to visit. How exciting. I cannot imagine walking through the walls of history like that, great post.
soupdragon wrote on January 15, 2015, 1:36 PM
It is indeed steeped in history and a place that makes you proud of working class roots.
maxeen wrote on January 15, 2015, 2:00 PM
"The fog on the tyne is all mine,all mine " Luverly picture Ged...Sounds more French than Roman with all those fish for sale at the quay.
maxeen wrote on January 15, 2015, 2:55 PM
Ata girl ! I am very proud of my working class roots.
mrsmerlin wrote on January 15, 2015, 4:11 PM
I love history and looking at areas and buildings trying to picture how they would have looked in their hayday or when they were first there. Yet at school I dropped history like a hot brick first chance I got
WorDazza wrote on January 15, 2015, 4:28 PM
Many people walk the length of the wall. My sister owns a company which transports walker's luggage between the various B&Bs along the wall allowing them to travel light while walking. It's quite a lucrative business.
1JustEm wrote on January 15, 2015, 8:46 PM
The place is indeed filled with a lot of interesting history.. That is why I moved here
agvulpes wrote on January 16, 2015, 7:34 AM
The Tyne looks like a 'magical' for me to visit with my trusty camera. You are very lucky indeed to be 'involved' in such glorious history :)
seren3 wrote on January 16, 2015, 10:00 AM
Thank for sharing such stimulating musings! I felt like I was taking your walking tour around the town!
Quinbe wrote on January 16, 2015, 1:58 PM
Some beautiful history you have displayed there - hello i see you are gone from the BB forever it seems?
NorthernLight wrote on January 19, 2015, 5:42 AM
Great post Ged. And good to see so many photos in a post too. Good fish n chips there!!
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:03 AM
Thankyou and yes it is a bit like walking through a history book
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:03 AM
Yes those working class roots hmm I cannot get away from them no matter how hard I try
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:05 AM
Who shall have a little fishy on a little dishy .. can you remember "When the Boat comes in" back in the 70's, I sound like a working class navy who has just come flying out of a pub with a stout in me hand
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:07 AM
"School til now" .. that's a subject we could all write about and see how things have shaped our lives.
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:08 AM
Why didn't I think of that, what a great job to have Daz!
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:08 AM
Yes I forgot you were an outsider haha
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:09 AM
You would love Northumberland and its Castles and coastline.
1GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:10 AM
Thankyou for walking with me
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:11 AM
Yes it seems like I will be gone for good, life goes on and so does the laughter
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:12 AM
Yes I'm sure you have tased the fish and chips .. I think our history is interesting but especially to the US and other new countries
NorthernLight wrote on January 19, 2015, 6:44 AM
I was thinking of the time we had fish n chips at Tynemouth sat beneath the statue of Admiral Lord Collingwood and thinking of all that history that's sailed up the Tyne.
GedWrites wrote on January 19, 2015, 7:18 AM
Yes I didn't even know about the history of Collingwood until a few years ago
agvulpes wrote on January 19, 2015, 7:23 AM
Ah 'castles' now that is the magical word to me ! As far as I know we don't have any here in Australia ?
WorDazza wrote on January 19, 2015, 4:20 PM
Yeah. It must be great just pootling along the wall all day. Great scenery. Country pubs! What more could you ask for.
catsholiday wrote on January 19, 2015, 4:22 PM
What beautiful photos you have taken.It is yet another beautiful part of our country