WOYWW 494

THE FOG ON THE TYNE....

This week has been great fun - G and I went up to Newcastle for five days as a mini break. More on that later!

The desk:
This is what the desk looks like at the moment, I've been cutting out some linen triangles to make Christmas tree decorations.

You get the idea - Scandi inspired, using up some of my ribbon/trim stash. However, I'm not in the mood for sewing today so it's still looking like that right now!

Before we left for the weekend, I made this with the fabric shown last week:
It worked quite well, I may make some more!

We did enjoy our trip up North. G and I lived in Northumberland for 11 years so it was a trip of reminiscing and catching up with old friends. We visited Penny, whom we last saw about 25 years ago and met up with her daughter Charlie, who was 11 last time we met and is now 36!!! Anyway, Charlie is a crafter and this was her desk:
Quite compact but nicely laid out with everything to hand!  Stupidly I didn't get a pic of us all, we were too busy talking. Penny had I had lost touch through multiple changes of address on both sides but were reunited through FB, just marvellous!

The main reason we were in Newcastle though was to attend the Brass in Concert competition where 12 of the top bands play an entertainment programme, it's a full day event and was held at The Sage.
Which is the big curved glass building, a beautiful place. In fact the quayside was looking extremely lovely all floodlit like that!

We stayed right by this bridge which is the newest of all the bridges over the Tyne. It tips up to allow boats to sail through and is beautifully lit at night.


Our favourite band Cory won the event by a country mile (hooray!) but the real icing on the cake was this:

Meeting up with some lovely folk from the Summer School in Nova Scotia earlier this year! Bona (far left) is from Detroit and incredibly involved with music making and teaching at all levels. Scott (far right) was my tuba tutor on the course and the loveliest, most laid back person you could wish to meet. He's also Professor of Low Brass at Kansas University and an astonishing player. His band, Fountains City, were taking part in the competition and came fifth with an entertaining programme. I hadn't met Scott's wife Mary before but she was a lovely lady who was great to chat with (and was also one of the percussionists). A very unexpected and happy reunion!!

Back to earth with a bump now with lots of practising to do before a band contest in Cardiff on Saturday, Life is picking up speed again!


23 comments:

Helen said...

What a fabulous time you've had - reunions all round; and Newcastle illuminated, looks absolutely stunning! That explains your cryptic FB comments at the weekend! Have a fab-ric centred week! Helen #?

Sarah Brennan said...

Morning Jan, what a fabulous break. Plenty of expected and unexpected reunions. I love FB for catching up with people you have lost touch with. Happy WOYWW. Sarah #3

Neet said...

Your life always seems to be on fast speed Jan.
Lovely photo of you with your reunion pals - what a smiley bunch you all are and well done to the winning band.
Just love the photos of night-time - how absolutely beautiful it all looks.
Have another great week.
Hugs, Neet 4 xx

Tracey@Hotchpotchcreations said...

You always seem to fit in so much within the week Jan, always at full throttle and loving Life.. Amazing! Stunning evening scenes and so nice to catch up with friends from long ago. Lovely reunion.
Happy woyww Tracey #6
P.S loving those scandi makes x

Sylvia/LittleTreasures said...

Wonderful fun photos..a good week for you. Your banner will be adorable when finished as is the eye glass case fabric. Good shots of the night lights, even the reflections are great. Have another good week.

Lynn Holland said...

Hi Jan
I have a goddaughter at uni in Newcastle, she loves it. It’s a very vibrant place, one I think I need to pay another visit to.
Found myself at my desk yesterday for the first time in a while so I joined the party quick before it wore off me again haha
Lynn xx 13

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Yes busy busy there Jan well done you, very impressed with all your doings those ribbon lace trees look great and does the doggy glasses case, I love my dragonfly one 😊
The sight of Novacaian bridges is quite stunning great share!!
Happy WOYWW Shaz in Oz.x 14

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Insert Novacastrian, sometimes auto correct is good... sometimes not!

Sue said...

Hi Jan, Love the Christmas Trees. The material for the case is fab.

Lovely photos from up north. how lovely to meet up with people from so far away.

Also lovely to meet up with friends that you'd lost touch with. FB is fab for things like that.

Happy WOYWW
Sue #12

Julia Dunnit said...

Great shots of the river and the bridges, serious competition for other landmarks I’d say, the Sage really looks gorgeous doesn’t it. I’ve only seen it by day and from the motorway so it’s 8mpact is a bit lost then! So glad you had such a great time, and the reunion with Penny - how lovely. Seeing Charlie’s desk makes me wonder how many craft desks there are out there, quietly getting on with it...
I’m bored with stuff up here, so on Monday I’m coming to yours.

Annie said...

I'm here again with a copied and pasted comment I can add to to save me time sitting at the computer....hope you don't mind.
Lovely photos of your time up north. Love the little trees...handy tip time....why not make them in a full length of fabric the width being the height of the trees then cut them diagonally so one tree is right way up then one is upside down [if that makes sense?]. You can stitch long lengths of ribbons on to save wasting so much of your gorgeous ribbons on each side of the tree.....I'm all for time saving when making batches of things [especially this year!].
Hugs,
Annie x #10

Claire said...

Gorgeous photos, as always!!
Happy WOYWW:)
Claire, no. 2

shazsilverwolf said...

Hiya Jan, isn't Newcastle gorgeous! Awesome images there. Good that you had such a fab break, and meting up with old friends. Facebook can be a great thing sometimes. Literally just had a flurry of huge snowflakes! Stopped now though. Love and hugs to you all, Shaz XxXXXxx

Diana Taylor said...

Newcastle's not a place I've ever been to but it looks lovely and I'm so glad you had such a great time - it's lovely to catch up with old friends. I love the little decorations you are making, my favourite Christmas colours too, red and cream!
Have a lovely week,
Hugs, Diana xx

Anonymous said...

Happy WOYWW. How wonderful to meet up with old friends. That desk looks very much like so many of our's! I have never been to Northumberland (except for driving through), but really want to visit (and hubby does cycling events there). It is one area of the UK that we would like to own a property for the visits back here when we are in Spain most of the year. I have only been to Newcastle on business trips many years ago - and would arrive, sit in meetings all day, and then go home. Great idea for using up ribbon stash. I sold all of mine recently, as I just wasn't using it. Looking forward to meeting up soon. Ali x #22

Marit said...

Facebook can be a pain but it's so nice to 'meet' old friends there isn't it? I, too, had encounters like that with old friends. I LOVE the photos of those bridges, wowzah! Thanks for your visit and "walking" with me today and thanks for taking ME on YOUR trip! Happy woyww, big hug from sunny Middelburg! Marit #21

Lillianb said...

Hello Thank you for you visit and lovely comment on my blog, Love the photo's on the bridge, its always great to meet up with friends,

Lilian B #15

Christine said...

wow! Newcastle didn't look like that the last time I was there .... mind you thinking about it ..... 70's.... yes, things change!! Love those shots of the bridges.
Sounds (!) like you had an absolutely marvellous weekend. You deserved it.
Have a good week
Christine #23

Stacy Sheldon said...

hi Jan, ooh what a beautiful place to visit. I grinned that you shot your friends dd's desk and the bridge just looks fabulous. that is so neat that those people had gone all that way and you all could meet up again too. :) ~Stacy #25

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Hi Jan, loved the photos you took in Newcastle. I would love to go back some time and see how it's changed. I went to teacher training college up there and haven't been back since 1975. They were just working on the underground as I finished my training so I imagine things are quite different now. Before I forget, I am not sure how the leaves will be used either as they are part of a larger project called Beleaf which is an Art in the Community project. When they are all finished they are going to be put together to create one large piece some time in the New Year so like you I await with anticipation. Happy woyww, Angela x19x

Heather M said...

Hi Jan, how marvellous to have double reunions in one trip! I haven't been to Newcastle in years - business trips were the last time I went! Mr M is from Sunderland and has family up there, so it's nice to get back once in a while and catch up. I do like the material you used on the glasses case! Thanks for stopping by earlier, life is hectic but I enjoy every minute of it. It will quieten down again after Christmas I'm sure! Have a lovely week Heather x #9

Shoshi said...

What a great time you had, Jan, and how marvellous to meet up with old friends again after so long, and catch up. So lovely that her daughter is also a crafter, and by the looks of her desk, along the same lines as you, which is pretty amazing. I love the pictures of the bridges over the Tyne - the Millennium ("eyelid") Bridge is so elegant, isn't it. We never saw it lit up at night, and that picture with the reflection is just stunning! We loved Newcastle. Such an elegant city. As I expect you know, the bridge in your first picture was built by the same man who built Sydney Harbour Bridge, hence the resemblance! Thank you for visitng my blog, and hopefully I'll be able to show you what I do with all the flowers in due course! I didn't have time today to do any more on them but I hope to start tomorrow.

Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #14

Lindart said...

What a great weekend you had! Fab photos of the bridges all lit up! Always so nice to meet with old friends and new ones too! Your friend's daughter's creative space looks awesome, thank her for sharing with us! And the cutest little Dachshund glasses case EVER! Thanks for your visit, have a wonderful week! Lindart #24

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