What's down here?

Last night was great. Really good atmosphere - crowd was over 50,000 - and it was good to see lots of old familiar faces on the pitch. The final score was 0 -0 so then there was a penalty shoot out and Milan won 2 - 1. However - unlike the usual matches at St James Park - the result didn't really matter. It was a great occasion for Steve Harper and lots of money was raised for charity. It was lovely to have NEIL with me too.

After the match Neil walked to his girlfriends and I got the bus home. The bus was packed with football fans but I did manage to get a seat.

Today I was in Newcastle again. I had booked a free tour of The Grainger Market which was organised as part of Heritage Open Days. The Grainger Market, a Grade I listed building, is a permanent covered market and has been at the heart of Newcastle life since 1835. It was part of the redevelopment of Newcastle by Richard Grainger and his architect John Dobson. At the time it sold mainly meat and vegetables. The market still retains its traditional feel and houses a number of unique features including a fish market, the world's smallest and oldest branch of Marks and Spencer which has traded since 1895 and the unique weigh-house.

The guide was dressed for the occasion in a long dress with a hooped skirt and wearing a bonnet. Couldn't get a good shot of her though as there was always too many folk crowded around her.

She was an excellent guide and her tour was very interesting. She told us the history of THE WEIGH HOUSE. It was originally used to weigh all the meat which came into the market and when this was no longer necessary it started to be used to weigh people. On a busy Saturday 2,000 people pass through its doors - each paying 30p to find out how much they weigh.

So what is down the steps in my blip shot? Its a large air raid shelter which was used during the war if the siren started when folk were out shopping in the market. The long benches where people sat are still down there and a makeshift toilet. We weren't allowed to go down but the guide showed us photos. She had lots of photos many of which brought back memories of past visits to the market when I was younger - shops and stalls I had forgotten all about but which I used to go to regularly.

The tour lasted an hour and afterwards I did a bit of shopping and banking business. After a really cold few days the weather was lovely today - warm and dry and very pleasant.