Not an entirely random name for a blog, but close. I am not a goat herder - in the usual meaning of that word; nor does the Urban Dictionary definition apply to me either (for a decade at least): an extremely drunk male who having lost all self-respect and standards, loses his powers of discrimination when pulling females. It is said that Gateshead derives its name from a settlement near an early Tyne crossing where goats once roamed. The goats are long gone, but me - I like to roam these parts - or rather run - exploring new places, rediscovering old ones in and around Gateshead and Newcastle when I'm out jogging. This blog is a collection of my photos, thoughts, observations, rants, loves and hates about Newcastle and Gateshead.
Showing posts with label Newcastle aerial photo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newcastle aerial photo. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Newcastle Vintage Aerial Shot - Guess the Year



Goat Herding on the Tyne: Newcastle Vintage Aerial Shot - Guess the Year: I posted this picture on a Facebook group "Old Photos of Newcastle" to see if anyone could come up with the year the photo was taken.  From the responses I got, the most likely date seems to be 1983.  For me, the main clue has to be the date on which the Tuxedo Princess arrived on the Tyne.  It opened as a floating nightclub in December 1984, but I have no idea how long it had sat on the Tyne before it opened.  The former owner of the Tuxedo Princess, The Michael Quadrini Group, bought the boat in 1982.  In 1983, it was renamed Tuxedo Princess (having previously been called Caledonian Princess - a car ferry operating in Scotland until was retired from service in 1981).

Other clues:
  • Manors Metro station opened in 1982 - seen here as the pristine white square building on the upper right hand side of the picture.
  • NCP Car Park on John Dobson Street - not yet built but the land has been cleared for construction
  • Planning permission for the car park given in 1981&1982
  • Further planning permission sought for alterations in 1984 (so the car park had to have been built by then).
Interesting fact: while trying to find out information on the Tuxedo Princess, I found out from Wikipedia that the famous revolving dancefloor in the night club was originally a turntable for maneuvering the cars on deck - the Princess was a roll-on/roll-off car ferry, but it only had a rear set of doors.

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Newcastle Vintage Aerial Shot - Guess the Year



A few years ago, I salvaged this  5' x 4' wooden photo panel from the rubbish in the basement at work. It had been dumped during a refurbishment of a vacated office in our building.  
Although the photo is scratched in parts and has flecks if plaster on it, I thought it was too good to throw away, especially since the photo aerial shot of Newcastle was taken some years ago.  

I have tried to work out when the photo was taken by looking at what was and wasn't built and have come up with an approximate year, but I can't determine the exact date. Can anyone help?

Below, I have zoomed in on sections of this picture, in a rough grid pattern moving top to bottom, left to right. 

From the top right of picture, here is the Town Moor, Exhibition Park, RVI, University, down to Percy Street and Eldon Square.



Percy Street, Eldon Square, Grainger Market



Percy Street / Old Eldon Square down to Bigg Market and Westgate Road, opposite Central Station

Newgate Street / Bigg Market down to the Turnbull Building and the Quayside


Exhinition Park to Haymarket

Haymarket to Pilgrim Street - Dobson Street car park seems to be missing, I wonder when that was built.

Blackett Street / Pilgrim Street to Dean Street and the Castle Keep

St Nicholas cathedral to the river Tyne

The River Tyne

West Jesmond down to about John Dobson Street

"East Pilgrim Street" Northumberland Road to Swan House Roundabout (55 degrees)

Swan House Roundabout down to the Quayside

The River Tyne


Jesmond and Shieldfield to Mea House, Central Motorway and Panden Building

New Bridge Street roundabout over Central Motorway down to All Saints Church and Panden Bank.  Ooh. . . that white concrete square building looks a bit new, what year did that open?


The Quayside, River Tyne, Bottle Bank

Jesmond to Shieldfield

Shieldfield to Melbourne Street

New Bridge Street to Panden Bank and Quayside