Project365-5

Project365-5
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

Anybody brought up in the old terraced houses should remember the coal house hatch, used by the coalmen to put coal directly into your coalhouse from the backlane. I can recall when I was kid and mothers then used to hang their washing in the backlanes (there was no chance of it getting pinched in them days) we used to listen for the coalman or the binman coming then run down the back lane shouting "missus be quick, the coalmans coming" enabling them to get their washing in before it got marked from the coal van. We often used to get rewarded for this with the occassional homemade biscuit and if we were lucky an old penny, I know it doesnt sound much but it was a lot in the last 50's

Project365-4

Project365-4
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

Yesterday I visited South Shields Roman Fort where they had a snakes day. This is the Royal Python they had on display.


Python regius (Royal Python) is a non-venomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade. No subspecies are currently recognized.

The name royal python (from the Latin "regius") is based in part on the story that Cleopatra supposedly wore the snake around her wrist.

This species is particularly revered in the traditional religion of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It is considered symbolic of the earth, being an animal that travels so close to the ground. Even among many Christian Igbos, these pythons are treated with great care whenever they happen to wander into a village or onto someone's property; they are allowed to roam freely or are very gently picked up and placed out in a forest or field away from any homes. If one is accidentally killed, many communities in Igboland will still build a coffin for the snake's remains and give it a short funeral.

Project 365-3 Bruno

Project 365-3 Bruno
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

I had my day 3 photo all planned out for today and had actually been out and taken it. Then along came my friends and his Boxer dog Bruno. After he finished eaten my slippers, which was rather painful as I had them on at the time,out came the camera to capture this playful pup. Bruno is only 5 months old and still in his playful pup stage, hopefully I can capture so more of him later in my 365.

Project 365-2 - South Tyneside Hospital

Project 365-2 - South Tyneside Hospital
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

South Tyneside Hospital orginally started live as a Workhouse. The orginal South Shields Workhouse was build in German Street (just off Ocean Rd). By the 1870s, the German Street building was proving too small and in 1875 it was decided to build a new workhouse at a site on the edge of Harton Moor. The foundation stone for the new building was laid in September 1877 by the Chairman of the Board of Guardians, Mr WM Anderson JP. The architect for the scheme was Joseph Hall Morton who was also involved in the design of the nearby workhouse at Gateshead. Construction of the building cost £43,361 but the total cost including the purchase of 17 acres from the Church Commissioners was in the region of £55,000. The new workhouse started admitting paupers in 1878 although the building work was not finally completed until early in 1880. It initially accommodated 700 inmates and comprised an entrance block, main building, infirmary, and schools.

Successive additions were made to the site and by 1910 it was estimated that the cost to date had been £94,750 with the workhouse now able to accommodate 1,200 inmates excluding those in the separate lunatics' block at the south-east of the site.

South Shields workhouse has now become associated with the name of the novelist Catherine Cookson (1906-1998). Born into a poor family at Tyne Dock in South Shields, Catherine left school because of ill health before she was thirteen and followed her mother into domestic service. However, she began to try and educate herself through reading and night classes. At the age of 18, she obtained a job in the South Shields workhouse laundry.

Orginal Workshops and Laundry Block

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

Yesterday was the Celebrations of the Chinese New Year in Newcastle, along with a group of togs from Flickr we went along to capture the festivities

Dancing dragons and firecrackers marked the start of the Year of the Tiger, with crowds packed in at Newcastle’s Stowell Street to get a glimpse of the festivities.

Accompanied by flags, cymbals and drums, a green dragon worked its way through the crowds of people who had come to celebrate alongside the Chinese community.

It was followed by lions that danced in front of a group of Newcastle dignitaries before going to each building along the street in turn as firecrackers went off to add to the excitement.

It was very hard to capture the parade with the area been so packed with people, so I decided to wonder around amongst the crowds capturing the stalls and the stage area

project 365-1

project 365-1
Originally uploaded by CrazyDave53

Well today was my first day of my Project 365 and I managed to get up close and personal with the Chinese Dragon during the Newcastle Chinese New Year (more on that to follow). Im pleased to get the first photo in the bag. Just 364 to go :)

Im still here really

I didn't know it had been that long since I wrote in my blog, so I best bring you all up to date on whats been happening. I continued to get out and about with my camera till about November time when my health took a turn for the worse. I was admitted to hospital after having a bad angina attack, after spending the night in hospital, I had to go and see the heart specialist and have a scan. The results of the scan weren't good with 2 of my main arteries closing up again. I was scheduled in to have an angiogram so he could see better what the problem was. The angiogram is a slightly painful procedure but gives the surgeon a clear view of where the problem lies. The surgeon came round later that day and informed me I needed an angioplasty and he would try and fit a couple of stents. Surgery was arranged for the beginning of December, but as the date was getting nearer it was postponed due to me still having swelling in my arm. It was rearranged for Mid-December. I duly turned up at the Freeman Hospital all prepared for the procedure. I was scheduled to go down just after lunch. I made it to the theatre only for there to be a major power cut in Newcastle, although the hospital has emergency generators there was not enough power to go ahead with the procedure. After waiting for another hour or so the surgeon decided to cancel the rest of the operations for the day. So I returned home without having the procedure. As Christmas was approaching I got a phone call from the main surgeon at the Freeman, he had a cancellation and could I come in on the 23rd for my procedure, could this be 3rd time lucky. Again I was scheduled to go down just after lunch. This time I was lucky and the surgery went ahead as planned 2hrs later I was back on the ward. I had 3 stents fitted to to my main arteries around the heart. My Wrist was still damaged from earlier surgery, so they had to go in via my groin, the only problem with this entry is you have to lie perfectly flat for 5hrs, so an overnight stay was required again. Christmas was quite and I couldn't do much having to rest up for a week afterwards. The weather was terrible in the North East so I didn't get out much. After visiting for my post Op Care with the cardiac nurse I was informed I had slight Post Operative Depression, apparently this is quite common for patients who have had heart surgery. I have just signed up for Project 365, where you take one photo a day, I though a challenge like this would get me out and about again and get the creative juices flowing again. Hopefully it will give me something to blog about as well. The Project starts on 14th Feb, I should get off to a good start as I am planning to go to the Chinese New Year.