Photography at the Black Gate and Castle Keep

I recently took some photographs for Old Newcastle at the Black Gate and Castle Keep. Both sites are open to visitors, offering a range of activities for all ages.

View from the top of the Castle Keep 

 The Black Gate, side view

Volunteer dressed as a knight in the Great Hall

Crossbow in the Castle Keep museum

Archery lessons in the Great Hall

The new lift shaft on the side of the Black Gate

Plague Doctor

7thSun: Resignation (Live)

Recorded at The Central last week.

7thSun Live at The Central, Gateshead, 20/08/2015

Set list:

01. 2015 Intro
02. Into the Starscape
03. Resignation
04. China Girl [Iggy Pop/David Bowie]
05. Mandragora
06. Tommysong, Part 2.

7thSun Live 2015

Prussian Intervals and Antivillain

The first Prussian Intervals album is available now on Washy Tapes.

Prussian Intervals: Pretext for a Bugbear
D**D | DAWN REGISTER | TUNE ME OUT | THE SHORELINE THERE | WELTERWEIGHT | DISCRETION VESSEL | CORIA 01 | YOU ON A CLOUDY DAY | PEBBLEDASH DUB | THE WEARY TRICKSTER

Some of these pieces have been available on SoundCloud for some time, but they sound clearer here. The sequencing also suits the tracks very well. The album is a unique mix of treated trumpet, bass and synth.  
You can hear the whole album on SoundCloud or buy it on cassette. 
https://soundcloud.com/prussian-intervals

The first album from Antivillain has also been released.

Antivillian: Antivillain
AWASH | THE STONE HILL | SHOULD BE SLEEPING | UNDER CLOUDS | WHERE EVERYTHING MATTERS | A FAMILIAR SMILE | SLIDES | NIGHT CHILLS | END RESULT

Paul from Gohsten and The Washy Modes has produced an impressive album of delicate, 4AD-style guitar pieces.
You can hear the whole album on SoundCloud or buy it on cassette. 
https://soundcloud.com/antivillain

NIN: Everything Is Not OK

For the launch of Apple Music, Trent Reznor has released instrumentals and outtakes from 1999's 'The Fragile' and instrumentals from 2005's 'With Teeth'. These releases are exclusive to Apple Music.

The Fragile (Instrumentals and Outtakes)

01 - Somewhat Damaged (Instrumental)

02 - The Day The World Went Away (Instrumental)

03 - The Frail (Instrumental)

04 - The Wretched (Instrumental)

05 - We're In This Together (Instrumental)

06 - The Fragile (Instrumental)

07 - Just Like You Imagined (Alternate Cut)

08 - Even Deeper (Instrumental)

09 - Pilgrimage (Alternate Cut)

10 - No, You Don't (Instrumental)

11 - La Mer (Alternate Cut)

12 - The Great Below (Instrumental)

13 - The New Flesh (Alternate Cut)

14 - The Way Out Is Through (Alternate Cut)

15 - Into The Void (Instrumental)

16 - Where Is Everybody? (Instrumental)

17 - The Mark Has Been Made (Alternate Cut)

18 - The March (Instrumental)

19 - Please (Instrumental)

20 - Appendage (Instrumental)

21 - Can I Stay Here? (Instrumental)

22 - Hello, Everything Is Not OK (Instrumental)

23 - Starfuckers, Inc. (Instrumental)

24 - Complication (Alternate Cut)

25 - I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally (Instrumental)

26 - The Big Come Down (Instrumental)

27 - Underneath It All (Instrumental)

28 - Ripe With Decay (Alternate Cut)

With Teeth Instrumentals

01 - All The Love In The World (Instrumental)

02 - You Know What You Are (Instrumental)

03 - The Collector (Instrumental)

04 - The Hand That Feeds (Instrumental)

05 - Love Is Not Enough (Instrumental)

06 - Every Day Is Exactly The Same (Instrumental)

07 - With Teeth (Instrumental)

08 - Only (Instrumental)

09 - Getting Smaller (Instrumental)

10 - Sunspots (Instrumental)

11 - The Line Begins To Blur (Instrumental)

12 - Beside You In Time (Instrumental)

13 - Right Where It Belongs (Instrumental)

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/trent-reznor-unearths-outtakes-of-nine-inch-nails-the-fragile-and-with-teeth/

Photos, April - July 2015

Butterfly World, Stockton-on-Tees

http://www.prestonparkmuseum.co.uk/the-grounds/butterfly-world/

Oval Space, London

http://www.ovalspace.co.uk/

Kirkley Hall and Gardens

http://www.kirkleyhall.co.uk/

http://www.kirkleyhallzoo.co.uk/

Our garden

Hexham Abbey

http://hexham-abbey.org.uk/

The Quayside, Newcastle

Our kitten Timmy, now six months old

Auschwitz I/Auschwitz II - Birkenau

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom (and also International Holocaust Memorial Day). The national commeration day began in 2001. The date was selected as it marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the network of Nazi death camps, by the Red Army in 1945: 70 years ago today.

I visited Auschwitz I and II in 2012. Auschwitz III (Monowitz), where Primo Levi was interned, was destroyed during the Soviet takeover. 

http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2015-keep-memory-alive

Nine Inch Nails in Manchester, 2014

25/05/2014
Manchester Phones 4 U Arena
NIN Europe Tour
Support from Cold Cave

 

01. The Downward Spiral/The New Flesh

02. Me, I'm Not

03. Copy Of A

04. 1,000,000

05. Letting You

06. March Of The Pigs

07. Piggy

08. Survivalism

09. Gave Up

10. Sanctified (2013 Version)

11. Closer/The Only Time

12. Find My Way

13. Disappointed

14. Came Back Haunted

15. The Great Destroyer

16. Eraser

17. Wish

18. The Hand That Feeds

19. Head Like A Hole

20. The Day The World Went Away

21. Hurt.

 

Bottom images from:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/review-nine-inch-nails--7171775

http://skinbackalley.com/2014/05/27/live-review-nine-inch-nails-manchester-arena-25th-may-2014/

http://www.nin.com/

Vancouver Diary, April/May 2014

Day 1
-Ate breakfast at hotel.
-Walked to Midtown and Waterfront.
-Waked to Chinatown.
-Visited Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
-Visited Gastown and gift shops.
-Walked to Coal Harbour.
-Ate at Urban Thai Bistro: keang panang/pad thai.

View from Canada Place, Waterfront 

Day 2

-Rode on SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay.

-Rode bus to Capilano, saw totem poles.

-Crossed 70 m. Capilano Suspension Bridge.

-Walked treetop trail.

-Ate lunch at Loggers' Grill: burgers and fries.

-Walked along Capilano River to the 90 m. Cleveland Dam. 

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Day 3

-Walked around the front of 1,001-acre Stanley Park.

-Saw totem poles, seawall, Coal Harbour, cricket pavillion. 

-Visited Vancouver Aquarium. 

-Saw beluga whales, jellyfish, otters, sea lions, dolphins, etc.

-Cooked meal of chicken and pasta in apartment.

Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park

  

Day 4

-Walked to False Creek and took Aquabus to Granville Island.

-Visited shops and food market. 

-Had lunch at The Sand Bar: seafood platter/fresh swordfish.

-Walked to Midtown. 

-Ascended 177 m. Harbour Centre Vancouver Lookout Tower. 

-Went shopping in Gastown. 

-Ate bagels and fesh fruit from market. 

View from The Sand Bar restaurant, Granville Island

 

Day 5

-Walked along seawall to First Beach and on to Stanley Park.

-Took horse-drawn tour of park. 

-Ate at Spot Café: smoked salmon bagel/grilled chicken hoagie. 

-Road SkyTrain to Main Street/Telus World of Science. 

-Walked to RX Comics. 

-Ate at Toyama: all-you-can-eat sushi and sashimi. 

Stanley Park

 

Day 6

-Walked to Midtown, took SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay. 

-Rode bus to Grouse Mountain, took Skyride to summit.

-Ate lunch at Grouse Grind café: grilled Italian panini. 

-Followed trail to grizzly bears 'Grinder' and 'Coola'. 

-Went shopping at Lonsdale Quay Market. 

-Ate tiger prawns and fruit salad.  

View from Grouse Mountain

 

Day 7

-Walked along seawall to George Wainborn Park, David Lam Park, Coopers' Park and the Olympic Village.

-Had lunch at Yaletown Brewing Company: 

grilled shrimp pizza/backyard burger.

-Walked to Canada Place/Waterfront. 

-Rode SkyTrain to airport.

View of Stanley Park from Waterfront