Hanging on

February is the month that paces up and down like an expectant father. Spring has not arrived; it puts in fleeting hints on the edges of days only now showing signs of lengthening, albeit, very slowly and some days hardly any movement by the clock. Winter hangs on. It snaps back on days of wind, sleet and rain. "I'm not finished with you yet." We may see more snow.

A portrait then of the Battlefield on top of the Lower Ouseburn here. (off site link)

I began by snapping the slower progress of the new independent cinema, the Star and Shadow's replacement on Warwick Street. A faithful band of volunteers and a small grant are beginning to make a difference. The opening  date – never a fixed objective – has had to retreat. Maybe later this year the lights will go on and the doors open. I hope so.

Around the fringes of the Battlefield more student housing has gone up. More rapidly to consume the speculative money on offer while the going is good and the students are still rolling in to the universities. It  could have been worse; it could also have been a lot more interesting.

Droit du seigneur

Article on the B.B.C. about the Nunsmoor Allotments (deceased). Photograph above shows happier times. (Hat Tip: Greening Wingrove.)


The (unaccountable) Freemen have been given carte blanche by the ever compliant City Council (partners in the Great Leazes Park Scandal together with John Hall's United Sporting Club) to do what they want with the bulldozed allotments. After the 'dozers departed the field glinted with broken glass. I seriously doubt the top soil being spread now will prevent injury to grazing cattle if that is what is planned.

Allotments at Leazes Park and next to Fenham Hall Drive have been removed previously. What do the Freemen have in mind? Who knows. They don't say nor can they be compelled to say and the Council isn't asking in any case.

"The Freemen, which has grazing rights on the land, has not commented, but Newcastle Council said it could do what it "deemed fit" with the land."

Meanwhile an upperty serf objects!

"A tradition established in the 13th Century to allow Freemen to graze cows has now become so irrelevant in the 21st century that there needs to be a rethink."

Something Feudal still about this town ...