Around the Town

The other day, before the snow arrived, I went on a bit of an exploration dog walk. Never having lived in the town, I wasn't sure where to take the dog for walks, other than the beach which is usually a short car journey. I set off, dog in hand, late afternoon to see where we would end up.

Blyth has it's bad sides, but has good, even beautiful sides too. People are very quick to slag it off, but they usually haven't stopped to look around them for long.

This is the old staithes on the quayside. Home of windmills, and a sculpture that from a certain angle comes together to form a train. We have had tall ships visit, continental markets, firework displays and summer fairs. Any day of the week you will find people of all age sitting patiently with fishing lines....just as they have for decades. Seagulls flying around scrounging for scraps and people sitting in their cars eating fish and chips or just enjoying the scene.










I stood and listened to the hypnotic hum of the huge new windmill. Some say they are eyesores, personally I think they are definitely more attractive than the power station chimneys that blotted the landscape for years. The row of elegant windmills has now become part of our heritage, and I like them.

Over the last five years or so, the once tired, crumbling and dirty quayside area and park has been spruced up and rebuilt. Cafe's and smart new buildings have replaced the derelict warehouses. Its not what you would call Cosmopolitan or anything, but its a long way from what it was 27 years ago when I first visited the town.<