wor::site

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Lunchtime sortie

....is the temporary home of the Newcastle Local Studies Centre (previously housed at the now demolished Central Library....check out progress on the rebuild webcam here) Wasn't looking for anything particular, just to find out what they had. Here's an hours worth.....

A quick search of the (delightfully tactile) card index for "Haltwhistle" came up with "The Official Guide to Haltwhistle distributed by the Haltwhistle Rural District Council, 1951", it being the year I was born I just had to ask one of the very helpful ladies on the desk to dig it out from the archives for me.....lots of adverts, front and back.....there were some memorable taglines....

Kilfrost
"Haltwhistle, The Home of Kilfrost"
Arthur F Graham
"Tinned Goods in Large Variety"
J Wear Elliott
"Cylinders Rebored on the Premises - by the Latest Appliances"
T & A Hannah
"Our Bread Deserves a Trial"
W Thompson & Son
"Stockings Knit to Order.....and Refooted"

And under the heading "Shops" was this....
"Haltwhistle has a busy shopping centre which is made up of a large variety of shops and stores including branches of some of the large multiple stores. All household, personal and general needs may be obtained in the town and the quality and variety of the goods displayed attracts shoppers from a large surrounding area"......so there!

Anyway.....think I'll be spending some more lunchtimes down in the depths!!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Losing stuff.....

OK, so we've all done it.....can't find something vital when we had it in our hands a couple of minutes ago.....it happens to me at least twice a week. Listen to Tony Hawks on the subject (BBC Radio 4, Sunday April 6th 2008)...

But what to do about it?

Help is at hand....online, check out Professor Solomons 12 Principles for finding a lost object or you can download the whole book

Then, if you happen to believe in the dark arts, there's always "Finding lost objects with the aid of Numerology".....but when the first instruction is to "concentrate on the lost object and scribble down a nine digit number on a piece of paper" somehow, I'm not convinced!!!

Eat! NewcastleGateshead 2008

This years local eating extravaganza.....like we needed an excuse!

They say....."EAT! NewcastleGateshead, now in its second year, celebrates the region’s very best food and drink. There’s an exciting programme of unique events with the finest local and fairly traded produce all here on a plate"

I've put a copy of the programme in the box files

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Nah.....think I'll give it a miss!

A conference talk to remember....

....and, let's face it, it's not often you can say that!

"The North Pole....the hard way" by Conrad Dickinson. "Supporting Northumbria" keynote address, 3rd April 2008.

Got me thinking why some people DO things (he and his expedition partner made it to the North Pole "unsupported".....while I find it difficult making it to the far end of the garden supported by the cat and a large glass of chewy red).....but then I got tired and poured another glass! Seriously though, it was pretty inspiring. Check out the expedition here (and consider yourself damned lucky next time it's slightly slushy underfoot)

More warbling from Valentino

Now apparently Ma was rather less than impressed with Rudolf's spirited rendition of "The Kashmiri Song" posted earlier.....can't imagine why. Maybe the picture above will rekindle her interest. But she also needs to hear the rest of his back catalogue.....don't worry folks, there's only the one track! Listen, and marvel, to "El Relicario"