Throughout our journey down the East Coast we have been struck by the continuing misery caused for local populations by the closures of the old industrial sites including coal mines, steel and aluminium plants. I have noted before in this journal that it takes communities decades to recover from large scale job losses. Promises from local and national government of grant aid generally do little to actual replace the thousands of jobs that have been lost. Such major industries do not appear over night but are slowly developed over a number of years and in their passing leave a huge gap in the lives of the people who worked in them. Mining and steelworks are about more than the actual jobs themselves; they are also about self-supporting communities, their cultures and traditions. Throwing a few bob at the areas to pretty up old industrial sites does little to support the people in their changed circumstances, address continuing poverty or to replace the camaraderie of a close working unit.
Going through Lynemouth we go in to the local community centre to use the toilet facilities, buy home made sweets from a local community enterprise and coffee to go from the community cafe. We have learnt on our travels to take advantage of the ‘facilities’ when they are on offer, as you never know when the next one will come along.
For much of our time on the road leaving Lynemouth we were walking on a pavement behind shrubs and bushes so were not too troubled by the noise and pollution of the cars. The OS map shows a public footpath to the right of the entrance to the power station that runs in to the town of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, following an old railway line over Newbiggin Moor. Finding the footpath at the power station took a bit of doing because it is located right at the entrance gate to the power station and it is easy to think you are in the wrong place. Once on the public footpath we missed a turn off from it that we think would have taken us back down to the coast. As a consequence, we came in to the town from the back, rather than from the left which would have taken us round Beacon and Newbiggin Points.
We found Newbiggin to be an attractive little town, on which a lot of money has been spent in recent years to assist in reclaiming its status as a seaside resort following the closure of local heavy industries. The first feature to catch your eye as you enter the promenade is the massive public art structure, ‘Couple’, that stands out on the breakwater in Newbiggin Bay, atop of a massive metal frame. It is an intriguing and enigmatic structure with the couple gazing out to a distant horizon with their back to you. It was reported that the art installation split opinion in the community. | A smaller version of the sculpture sits back from the road on the land. In both he is wearing a workingman’s flat cap and she is in blue jeans. You find yourself asking questions of the couple; what exactly are they looking at, are they speaking, what do they see: the past, present or future? Are they a couple? There is nothing immediately obvious that suggests intimacy between them. Later, as we make our way around the bay our eyes are constantly drawn back to them; more questions, seeking more answers. In addition to the sculpture, the redevelopment included a new promenade and 500,000 tons of sand was brought in for the beach. |
Crossing over the road bridge we looked over the bridge parapet to see a pedestrian bridge running over the river and a cinder-type path coming up to it from the direction we had travelled. At the other side of the bridge, although no path was marked on the map, there was some evidence of a passage on the far bank. Taking a chance in the hope there was a route that would take us down the river, down the embankment we went at the bridge end and were rewarded with a clear, rambling grassy path that took us up and over a small hill and down in to the hamlet of Cambois. | ! Going over the hill we found a number of wild, spotted orchids growing in splendid isolation in the long, green and dewy grass. In Cambois (pronounced locally as 'Camus') we stopped in a pub, Charlton's, owned by the great English football player and former England captain, Jackie Charlton. Located right on the edge of the beach it was a very handy place for a stop. It promised and delivered nice food and drinks for lunch. Its understated comfort provided a nice wee resting place for an hour or so as we gathered energy for the remainder of the walk. Just as well we did! |