More rain over night and more forecast as Davina and Lyn caught the Metro into Newcastle whilst Roy and Mick went off to visit museums.
First stop for Roy and Mick was the NELSAM (North East Land and Air Museums) in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. The museum is adjacent to a very large Nissan Factory which produces Nissan vehicles many of which are exported.
To get there we used the Tyne Tunnel which is the name given to two two-lane vehicular toll tunnels under the River Tyne. Completed in 1967 and 2011 respectively, they connect the town of Jarrow on the south bank of the river with North Shields and Howdon on the north. The original tunnel was one of three forming the original Tyne Tunnel Project; the others are the pedestrian and cyclist tunnels opened in 1951. The tunnels are 7 miles (11 km) downstream and to the east of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and form part of the A19.
The entry fee to the museum was £5 ($8) which was probably a fair price as the museum was somewhat dilapidated compared to the previous one we visited at Duxworth (see earlier post) with lots of bits and pieces strewn about the place and seemingly no order to the exhibits.
Despite this there were some good examples of early aircraft which included a Meteor, Avro Vulcan, BAC Jet Provost, Dassualt Mystere, Comet (nose section only), D.H. Sea Venom, D.H. Vampire, English Electric Canberra bomber and Lightening, Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter, North American Sabre and Super Sabre, Republic Thunderstreak and various helicopters.
There were also many examples of engines used in many of the aircraft.
The Canberra, Vulcan (which was still undergoing refurbishment) and Ligthtening (nice condition) were on display outside the major hangar as was a Hawker Siddelely Trident passenger jet also undergoing refurbishment.
The other hangars contained many war time vehicles either refurbished or under going refurbishment and other early wartime memorabilia.
After spending a couple of hours there we decided to go and have a look at the Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields.
Entry to the museum was free and the one shed contained some very nice examples of early and not so early steam locomotives each of which had an audio description which one could listen to through headphones.
George Stephenson, who was born near Newcastle, was an early pioneer and inventor and was known as "The Father of the Railways". With his son, Robert, he built the first ever public railway line to use steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
At the museum there were also lots of things for kids to do with interactive displays which didn't interest Roy and Mick.
Unfortunately the cafe was only open on weekends so we weren't able to get a coffee as expected, so we headed back to Whitley Bay in the huge rain storms to get a coffee and for Mick to have a haircut at the barber shop which Roy uses. The wet weather coat Lyn bought for Mick is getting a bit of a workout at the moment.
Thirst sated and hair cut for a cost of £8, $12.80, we then headed to the Metro station on the flooded roads to pick up the girls.
First stop for Roy and Mick was the NELSAM (North East Land and Air Museums) in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. The museum is adjacent to a very large Nissan Factory which produces Nissan vehicles many of which are exported.
To get there we used the Tyne Tunnel which is the name given to two two-lane vehicular toll tunnels under the River Tyne. Completed in 1967 and 2011 respectively, they connect the town of Jarrow on the south bank of the river with North Shields and Howdon on the north. The original tunnel was one of three forming the original Tyne Tunnel Project; the others are the pedestrian and cyclist tunnels opened in 1951. The tunnels are 7 miles (11 km) downstream and to the east of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and form part of the A19.
The entry fee to the museum was £5 ($8) which was probably a fair price as the museum was somewhat dilapidated compared to the previous one we visited at Duxworth (see earlier post) with lots of bits and pieces strewn about the place and seemingly no order to the exhibits.
Despite this there were some good examples of early aircraft which included a Meteor, Avro Vulcan, BAC Jet Provost, Dassualt Mystere, Comet (nose section only), D.H. Sea Venom, D.H. Vampire, English Electric Canberra bomber and Lightening, Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter, North American Sabre and Super Sabre, Republic Thunderstreak and various helicopters.
There were also many examples of engines used in many of the aircraft.
The Canberra, Vulcan (which was still undergoing refurbishment) and Ligthtening (nice condition) were on display outside the major hangar as was a Hawker Siddelely Trident passenger jet also undergoing refurbishment.
The other hangars contained many war time vehicles either refurbished or under going refurbishment and other early wartime memorabilia.
After spending a couple of hours there we decided to go and have a look at the Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields.
Entry to the museum was free and the one shed contained some very nice examples of early and not so early steam locomotives each of which had an audio description which one could listen to through headphones.
George Stephenson, who was born near Newcastle, was an early pioneer and inventor and was known as "The Father of the Railways". With his son, Robert, he built the first ever public railway line to use steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
At the museum there were also lots of things for kids to do with interactive displays which didn't interest Roy and Mick.
Unfortunately the cafe was only open on weekends so we weren't able to get a coffee as expected, so we headed back to Whitley Bay in the huge rain storms to get a coffee and for Mick to have a haircut at the barber shop which Roy uses. The wet weather coat Lyn bought for Mick is getting a bit of a workout at the moment.
Thirst sated and hair cut for a cost of £8, $12.80, we then headed to the Metro station on the flooded roads to pick up the girls.
Tollgates at the entrance to the tunnel under the River Tyne
In the Tyne Tunnel
Blackpool tram awaiting restoration (with Herring Gull!)
Avro Vulcan B.2 XL319
English Electric Lightening F53 - the fastest British aircraft ever built
Locomotive NTR 1, 0-6-0 built in Newcastle in 1961
The F53 was capable of Mach 2, just in case you did not know that...
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