BUSY DAY

Up earlyish this morning as I had an appointment at the doctors.  The results of the tests I had a few weeks ago had come back.  News was good - I don't have anything wrong with my liver or kidneys, my Vit D levels are very good and I don't have rheumatoid arthritis. I do however have Osteoarthritis and the doctor gave me a prescription for some different painkillers for that.

Then I went to the bank before getting the bus to Gateshead.  Then I got the shuttle bus to the Quayside. I got off at The Sage - a concert venue and also a centre for musical education.  They have a piano on the ground floor which anyone can play and fortunately there was someone playing as I passed through.  Quite a crowd formed to listen to HIM and he played for about 10 mins.  

I came out of the Sage at about 11.45am and realised that in 15 mins the Millennium Bridge  - a footbridge over the River Tyne - would be raised.  They raise it every day at noon as a tourist attraction.  There seemed to be a lot of tourists about today including a couple of coach tours.  I nipped over the bridge to the Newcastle side and stood waiting for the bridge to rise.  As I was waiting my phone rang.  It was Becky ringing while she was on her lunchtime walk.  She had phoned me at home and was very surprised that I didn't answer. I am usually never out when she phones. We talked for about an hour.  It was her last day at her present job.  She and Mike are staying up through the night to follow the election news so they both have the day off tomorrow.  She will start her new job on Monday.  She was sad to be leaving her work colleagues.  She has worked there for 3½ years so it will be a big change for her to be somewhere else.  

See my extra photo for a shot of The Millennium Bridge when it was fully open.

The kittiwakes are nesting on the BALTIC art gallery at the moment but you can also see them on their NESTS on ledges of other buildings too.  The ones in my blip have nested on The Guildhall in Newcastle which is quite near to the river.

Then I got another shuttle bus which goes along the Newcastle side of the river  - I wasn't going anywhere - just wanted to see what the route was.  So I stayed on the bus and came back to where I got on.  Then I walked into central Newcastle and got the Metro to Byker.

I mooched about looking in various charity shops,  They have 2 bigger charity shops there which sell furniture.  I am in the market for a second hand sofa since I had to get rid of mine after Tino ruined it. So I was doing a bit of reconnaissance today.  Anyway I saw a lot of nice sofas going really cheap.  I asked about delivery charge - this would be £20. So I think I will go back again in a few weeks and choose something.  No good getting anything delivered at the moment as my bed ( in its box ) is still in the hallway so there would be no room for a sofa to pass through ( there is barely enough room for me to pass through actually )

Came back to Newcastle on the bus.  Then got the bus home. Neil was here when I got in - I wasn't expecting him.  

So a busy day for me for a change.  No visit to the polling station though as I have a postal vote and my ballot paper was sent off last week.  I did get a phone call this evening from our Labour candidate - who is our current MP - asking if I had voted yet.  I guess if I hadn't then he would have been ready to try and persuade me to vote for him. I wonder if he is " running scared " and trying to drum up a few votes.  It will be interesting when the final figures come out.

Steps today - 13,503