Grey's Monument or A View From Above

When they left the RAF and moved into Dad’s family home in Wales, he promised Mum they would visit her family in Newcastle-upon-Tyne at least once a year.  He was true to his word and every summer until I left home we came up and stayed with Auntie Edna.  That’s part of the reason I came up here to University, and now live less than half a mile from where my mother was born (having grown up a similar distance from my father’s birthplace).

One Summer, when I was about nine, very unusually, I had a day alone in town with Dad. 

I think we were meeting Middle(or Big)sister off the train.   

Or perhaps Dad wanted to escape the sisters’ woman’s talk.   

Mum hated hights so Dad took the opportunity to climb the 164 steps to the top of Grey’s Monument, which marks the heart of the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

If you are fit enough it is still possible to go up Grey’s Monument with NewcastleCity Guides; although these days it’s not just a matter of turning up and paying sixpence, you have to book well in advance.   

In 2015 Thunderthighs and I were lucky enough to do so; well I was, he wasn’t so sure.

I had the pleasure of handling public relations for Monument Mall Shopping Centre from when it was little more than a hole in the ground, through its lettings and opening and over ten years thereafter.

I make no excuse for this blog being mainly pictures.   

They provide an almost 360degree view from the top of the Monument.

From Facebook archives

11 April 2015

First photo with my new Sony camera  (my old Canon probably not worth repairing) Thunderthighs accompanying me on a climb up Grey's Monument

Tylebach  Handsome young man!! 

They've turned part of the top of Monument Mall into a roof garden - I can remember when it was the site office for Laing when the Mall was being built.

There was one day, when I was organising a retail property managers event, when I walked from my boss’ offices in St James St down to the Theatre Royal, up to their (2nd floor?) function suite, down and then up to the site office and back again about three times (there were no lifts in operation), and finally back up to St James Street; where I worked out I'd probably climbed the equivalent of half way up Snowdon.   

That was 1991 - I was younger then ....

Thunderthighs doesn't like heights so he soon went back down.  Very brave of him to climb up, but once he got out at the top he pressed himself against the stonework almost unable to move. 

Old Eldon Square

Grey Street

Gateshead, the Baltic and the Millenium Bridge, and in the foreground the top of the old 1920s Police and Fire Station

Gateshead and the Sage peeping out between the Swan House and All Saints.                   The Tyne Bridge can just be seen behind Cale Cross House, which looks so much better now it's grey-green rather than black

Gateshead, Newcastle's castle keep and the lantern tower of St Nicholas cathedral, and a bit of the High Level Bridge

Looking West over the roof of Eldon Sq shopping centre, with a bit of St James Park