South Shields Beaches

Ruby, Eric, and, of course, Johanna and Luke, are up in the North East getting a taste of what it was like for me when I was their age. One of the photographs shows my Aunty Kathleen and Uncle Stewart. Kathleen is only 5 years older than me and we really grew up like brother and sister. She came with us most times when we were going anywhere, even on our holidays down to Herefordshire.
Photos were taken at Marsden Bay, famous for its big rock with the caves/tunnels, until one part of it collapsed. The one with them sitting is at Marsden Grotto, a restaurant/bar which was created in the caves beneath the cliffs. It's amazing it's still there as rockfalls are not uncommon. I used to go there 60 years ago, apart from trips to the beaches.
The beaches at South Shields are just fabulous. The North Beach is a small, but lovely, sandy beach in between the North and South piers of Tynemouth and South Shields.
Then there is a stretch of a mile of beautiful sandy beach (The South Beach) with an amusement park, restaurants etc.
The cliffs start at the end of the South Beach and the sandy top of the ciffs is where the Great North Run finishes after the participants have run from Newcastle Tyne Bridge in the half marathon.
Marsden Beach is enclosed by cliffs so can be more sheltered than the other beaches and there are rock pools to explore at low tide.
They are having a great time and tomorrow they are going to Beamish, the living museum, which is a MUST visit if you go up that way.