Saturday Soiree, Sunday in the Sun - and Swans!

SATURDAY SOIREE

Iron Man

I had the greatest night out with 'my girls' in Newcastle last Saturday.  

At Pinocchio's Restaurant

We had a lovely Italian meal in Pinocchio's, after rummaging around the courtyard of the Black Swan where a stunning statue of the 'Iron Man' is displayed in all its glory!  



 Leah and I did a 'knees-up and bums-out' around the statues at Central Station (much to Dawn's chagrin) after tanking up just an eensy-weensy bit in the Long Bar!

Whoops-e-Daisy!

Tan Stripes on Show (Dawn is definitely NOT AMUSED!)

Big Laughs in Flairs

Givin' it Large!

We boogied on down at the famous '80's bar, 'Flairs' just off the Bigg Market .  The fascinators and posh frocks were out in force after Ladies Day at the Races.  And, oh, what a superb time we had. We laughed all night at the afro wigs and the Arnold Schwarzenegger look-a-like-ee(!) We danced and sang to all the golden-oldie songs of the 80's - and cocktails and southern comforts were on our Long Bar and Flairs menu.  Mmmm!
Then we all bought a girls' night out key ring, complete with photograph- how very BIZARRE! 

The Three of Us...

 SUNDAY IN THE SUN

The garden's looking great, now that summer's here, the sun's out (most of the time!) and my tubs and baskets are vibrant with all the colours of the rainbow.  This year, my resident blackbird is getting fat on cat food and my resident frog hops about happily, catching flies and enjoying the watering can. 

So this hungover Sunday afternoon, we 'hung over' in the garden until it was time to go down to Newcastle's Tyne Bar to see the 'Scoundrels' rock band.

The amazing sounds of Russ's Stratocaster and Ronnie's blues harp echoed as we parked the cars down the road.  Maybe they heard those soulful sounds all the way down the Tyne to the Wear!  The band played on the famous open-air stage, with perfect acoustics under the tunnel of Ouseburn Lock.  After a great afternoon, Leah went off to Walker, Dawn and Steve drove to Sheffield - and Dave and I went home to CRASH!!  

 WRITE ON:

 It's been a busy couple of weeks.  I've been taking part, once again, in the Writers Weekly 24 hour writing contest.  It's the greatest fun, any of you competitive writers out there.  It's an American company - and I know they're bone fide, having already won an honourable mention prize from them last Winter.  If you're interested in joining in with the next one, go to:
www.writersweekly.com - or just click on the shortcut link below

I want to enter the Fall 2011 contest.     

I've also entered the WOW Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction contest (750 words max).  That's great fun too.  I keep getting to first base with them - but no further.  MAYBE THIS TIME!
If you want to enter - or join WOW - go to:
www.wow-womenonwriting.com 
or just use the shortcut below:
Click to Download the SUMMER 2011 FLASH FICTION Contest Terms & Conditions PDF 

You can read my short, short fiction story, 'Oh, Lord', published by Authspot Online, if you click on the link below:

Oh! Lord

http://authspot.com/short-stories/oh-lord-3/

And my latest penning for North East Life, 'North Meets South on the Shields Ferry' is at:

North meets South on the Shields Ferry

http://northeast.greatbritishlife.co.uk/community/blogs/detail/north-meets-south-on-the-shields-ferry/id/5292/ 

...SWANS 

It's been time, this week, to write about my experiences in Windermere (See my last Writing for my Life blog, 'A Tale of Two Sisters'). One of the articles is PARTLY about SWANS, the other is ALL about SWANS.

 So...


My North East Life Blog, 'Walkers Ticket on Windermere Lake' will be published soon.
My Article, 'Swan-ee, How I love Ya' will be up for publication soon too.  
I'll give you both links when I get them.










For now, CONSTANT READERS, au revoir.  Talk to you SOON

A Tale of Two Sisters - An' The Adverb's a Cissy!

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS:

I haven't blogged here for such a long time and I apologise, dear readers.  But there's a reason - a good reason, honest!
My sister Barbara came to visit from the hot deserty salty air of Karratha in the North West of Australia for six weeks, armed with a Brit Rail pass for two - and we travelled the length and breadth of England, trekked hither and thither, investigated every bit of woodland, moorland and craggy landscape we could find. We saw wildlife galore in the strangest places, doing the strangest things!

Seagull eating chips in St Ives

Squirrel in Sefton Park, Liverpool

Red Robin, Red Lion, Dittisham, Devon

Hareshaw Linn, Northumberland

Bunny on Northumbria University Campus, Newcastle

St Bees nr. Whitehaven, Cumbria

Preening Swan at Windermere

Digitalis Overdose in Durham!

  

Heron up a Weeping Willow, St James's Park, London

Moorhen makes a nest in Dover

Family of Ducks in Calais

We flew to Corfu for a week of wonderful wild scenery awash with birds, butterflies and beautiful critters.

Beautiful Butterfly settles on Ground

Stunning Bird in Treetops

Tortoise Crossing the Road

 

Yellow Butterfly in the Pink (Orange?)

Cheekiest Parrot EVER!

Window-Box Wild Cat?

We rediscovered our roots in LOVERLY LIVERPOOL.

Back to my street in Liverpool 1

My Nanna's house in Liverpool 15

In short, we had a BALL and I'll blog each trip in GLORIOUS DETAIL - so - WATCH THIS SPACE!

WRITE ON:

On 16th June, I was published FOR THE SECOND TIME by the fabulous FLASH FICTION CHRONICLES with a tongue-in-cheek, 'about writing', piece about the ADVERB.

 Here's the link:

Flash Fiction Chronicles: Adverb: Amigo or Adversary

http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/adverb-amigo-or-adversary-2/#comments

...and if you go to the 'Little Leaf Guesthouse' Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/littleleafguesthouse

you'll find 'Adverb' posted there too!!  Thank you Little Leaf - the best B and B not only in St Ives, Cornwall, but in the whole country too!!

 My commissioned article about GORGEOUS LA GREZE and the stunning countryside and hilltop villages of the MIDI-PYRENEES in Southern France has been published online by TRIFTER.  Here's the link:

Gorgeous La Greze of the Tarn

http://trifter.com/practical-travel/gorgeous-la-greze-of-the-tarn/

John and Judi of La Greze

So...thank you for your patience constant readers...

...And I'll talk to you soon

Boats 'n' Barbeques!

WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN

The boat I'm talking about is the Shields ferry that runs between North and South Shields.  We popped down to take a look at this icon on a blue-skied, sunny Sunday afternoon at the new ferry landing at North Shields. 

The boat was tethered (anchored?) taking on passengers who were about to make the seven minute journey to South Shields.

 
The famous Chain Locker pub that overlooked the North Shields side has gone, to be replaced by the majestic 'Chain Locker Apartments' (for rich yuppies only!) with its listed exterior called 'The Crane House'.
The infamous 'Jungle' that also overlooked the Tyne at North Shields has long gone, to be replaced by beautiful Collingwood mansions apartments.

Me and Collingwood Mansions

How the world has changed, hmm? 
And then we saw SWANS.  Yes, SWANS - on the River Tyne no less.  Oh, yes, the world has certainly changed!  I remember clearly, when nursing at the A & E department at Newcastle General Hospital (oh, dear, that's gone too) if anyone fell in the River Tyne, they were unlikely to survive the filth and pollution of the Tyne.  Now there are salmon -and SWANS. 


I came here to do a bit of last minute research for a story I was writing for the ALIBI television channel's annual story-writing competition.  Fingers crossed for me, dear readers, please?  The story is about an old Scottish busker whose already gammy legs meet with a crowbar after a trip on the Shields ferry to perform at South Shields Market.  It's called

 'MACK THE KNIFE'.

BARBEQUES ON BALMY EVENINGS

Me and Phil in Sausage mode!

After we'd pulled up shrubs, potted tubs and baskets, mowed the poor old dilapidated lawn, we were ready for some fun, the garden being SET FOR SUMMER!!

Mr Jim Cat ran up a tree and pawed at us forever from his lofty position!

                

Rosie Cat went to bed!

We set up up the barbeque, hungry and ready for a good old beanfeast.  We cooked sausages and burgers for Phil and Dave; a lovely bit of salmon (NOT from the River Tyne, I don't expect); a big old salad bowl - YUM!

Maybe Summer's here, finally, CONSTANT READERS 

Talk Soon