When the lights went out

Earl Grey pokes his head up.

The Northumberland family that gave us Earl Grey tea, the Reform Act and told us that the lights were going out over Europe in 1914 has its monument at the head of one of the most beautiful of all streets; Grey Street. It is a street that rises elegantly and has majestic Georgian order.

Years back when I studied art and architecture it was intriguing to read the local press cuttings at the time about the proposed design of Grey Street by John Grainger and the resistance to his Georgian style. Now that style is globally celebrated.

I took this shot at the top of a multi storey on Percy Street (more architectural irony). In fact on my infrequent visits to Newcastle I had seen this frame before but the hassle of the day had won and I had never bothered capturing it. This time I stopped the care before exiting, reversed into a new spot, jumped out and took the picture. The kids were a bit bemused.

There are so many hackneyed views of Greys Monument. I liked this because there is an elegance where it sits, rising above the hurly burly of city life. In some ways it looks out of place in the chaos created by the depth of field. The image creates an impression of congestion with Greys Monument stacked up in a tight area. The reality is very different. The Monument sits comfortably and in proportion in a large metropolitan square.