Gateshead Quays

I just got home from a trip to Newcastle for work - a conference at the Baltic Centre on the quay. I won't bore you with conference details, but I did enjoy the walk from the Centre back up to Newcastle Central Station. You walk across the rather lovely Millennium Bridge, and as it was just beginning to get dark, we saw the lights coming on and reflecting in the river.

Crossing the bridge also made me think of another great icon in this part of the world - the Angel of the North. I just love stopping to see it whenever we go up (or, indeed, down) past Gateshead. It is just huge, and wonderful, and breath-taking. When you stand at the feet and look up to the head, it feels like it's falling (just like doing the same thing next to a skyscraper).

Now, I realise it isn't everyone's cup of tea; in fact it was pretty controversial when it was first installed. However, the Angel was 10 years old this year, and had a birthday celebration, the Angel Party on 22 June, to mark the occasion. In true British fashion, the party had to finish early because of bad weather! So belated "Happy Birthday" to the Angel, and many more of them, hopefully with better weather.