June 14, 2022
Newcastle to Whitley Bay
up north with Dave
Well, this is the day. It's been many years since Dave and I had a tour together and while this planned trip is only about a week long, it's better than nothing and will include some of England's finest scenery as we trace the coastline north from Newcastle.
As I ponder this in bed, I stretch my arms out, take a deep intake of breath then stretch my legs. A little twitch makes me wince as a muscle behind my left knee tells me to stop. It must be age.
Our bikes are loaded and it's just a 20-minute ride to the train station for our 10:02 departure. As I pedal along the bike path to Lincoln, my leg leg doesn't feel quite right, with pedalling being a bit painful, but I'm sure it'll be fine and there's a train ride to enjoy for a few hours that will give it a rest.
The sun is out as forecasted and we have ten minutes at Newark Northgate station waiting to switch trains. The one north from here to Newcastle is a high-speen express with minimal bicycle storage, but the staff on the platform are super helpful and show us where to stand so that we're where the bike carriage will stop.
It's a very tight fit, but after turning the handlebars 90 degrees, they slot into the narrow compartments - just.
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Something surprising happens on the journey north, with clouds rolling in by the time we reach Doncaster. When we get out of Newcastle's station at gone 12:30, it's overcast and we need our jackets on.
We find the Tyne after a couple of tries and get pasties and coffees from a busy Greggs, then find a spot across the road to sit and eat.
It's agreed it'll best to explore Newcastle itelf on the way back, as it's already gone one and we want to ride to at least Tynemouth, with a visit to the Barbour outlet in South Shields en route before it closes at six. Decent deals should be on offer and Debbie is a fan of the company's clothing. I'm armed with a piece of plastic.
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We cross over the bent Millenium Bridge to Gateshead on the south bank of the Tyne and follow bicycle path signs. It turns out to be an interesting mixture of what appears to be a dismantled railway line, sections of back streets and a riverside path.
There are gentle inclines here and there and these make my leg hurt - something I thought would have sorted itself out by now. It's becomin a cause for concern.
Each time we pause for a photo or whatever, it's hard to restart pedaling as the muscle tenses and there's a sharp pain behind my knee. There's no swelling, which I obviously interpet as a good sign.
We head into Jarrow and soon find its red brick Town Hall, with a cubic clock sticking out from an upper storey says it's now 2:30. We've cycled about 10km.
I set the tripod up across the deserted Grange Road, bend and peer through the viewfinder trying to get all the building in, then activate its 10-second timer before quickly hobbling painfully back to get into shot.
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The Jarrow Crusade began right here back in 1936, when around 200 of the local unemployed decided that enough was enough, with the town council helping them organise a protest march all the way down to London, with the aim of letting Parliament know about the acute poverty since Palmer's shipyard got closed a couple of years earlier - a place that had employed around 80% of the town's workforce.
Back then it must have felt like the Great Depression was specifically targetting Jarrow and although the march didn't bring any immediate help to the local population, it did provide a foundation for the social reforms that took place after World War II.
We ride alongside a road for a while because the bike path vanishes as we make our way to the Barbour oulet in South Shields. It's on a small industrial park and not a place that would attract psssing traffic. It's actually takes a bit of finding.
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My left leg is not hurting badly. Just getting off the bike is an ordeal and walking is a slow, painful experience.
We make our way around Barbour's unit, which is very big, and find a section with 60% off, but we don't see anything. dave doesn't splash teh cash, but I end up getting a few small items for Debbie - two T-shirts and a cashmere scarf - that about half price, meaning they are not what you would call cheap, but the quality is very good.
It's not too far to the ferry terminal where boats regulalrly take foot passengers back and forth across the Tyne, linking South Shields and North Shields.
We cruise down the short jetty and get shouted at by a worker to get off and walk. He realy doesn't like it when we point out we didn't spot the sign saying that's what we shoul do and goes off on a rant. Chill, dude.
The ferry is heading across the grey Tyne and once on board we pay two quid each for the pleasure of chugging over to the north shore.
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My leg is very painful now. It's hard to say what the damage is, but I know it's not a cartliege issue as it's at the back of my knee where it hurts. It seems like a tendon problem. Who would have though stretching in bed could cause this?
The pasties we had for lunch back in Newcastle now seem like ages ago and we spot a fish and chip shop and as North Shields is a fishing harbour it seems like we'll get a fresh portion. Spot on. It's a great meal that hits the spot.
We pedal east on an empty, smooth path towards the mouth of the Tyne to a small town called Tynemouth, which you could well argue is more fitting than East Shields. A large ship, which has DFDS painted on its hull, looking like a passnger ferry sails past us, probably on its way to Amsterdam.
There's a short climb that I have to walk up leading to the ruins of a priory that resembles a castle and sunshine makes a fleeting appearance as we stop to admire the view.
We're in two minds about finding a hotel here in Tyemouth and ride slowly along the main street and admire the 200-year-old homes that were likely once owned by merchants and captains and those with influence. Room options look to be thin on the ground and after 20 minutes or so we agree to head north for a bit, as there's a beach resort not too far away that will have plenty of hotels and B&Bs.
There doesn't seem to be a distinction between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. It doesn't take us long to reach it and we pause at the southern end of Longsands Beach and see a few souls in the distance braving the cool temperature. It's not swimming weather and they all seem to have jackets on.
I've researched the hotel options and know there are a couple of seafront places and we ride past one that looks pricey and reach The Royal, which doesn't look anywhere near as grand as its name suggests. The receptionist quotes 70 quid for a twin and our bikes can go in an adjacent room, which has a smell saying that it hasn't been used for a long time. It's likely due to Covid.
Lugging my paniers up the carpetted stairs and along a series of corridors is torturous. It takes me ages, with my left leg being of little practical use.
We have to go back down when it's time to eat and the clerk on the front desk recommends a place just along the promenade, so we venture very slowly only to find it closed. There's no choice but to walk up the street into the town centre and by now my knee is telling me this is a very bad idea. My only hope is a night's rest will cure it, or at least alleviate the pain.
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 1,111 km (690 miles)
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2 years ago
The next day's post will be up pretty soon.
2 years ago