England

This is a photo essay of Tynemouth Priory and its surrounding areas. I took the pictures in January but hadn’t managed to add the pictures until now. ‘Fed up’ were the only two words willing to come to mind. As I sat, drenched from head to foot, looking out from the bus shelter half-protecting me from the horrendous weather, I wondered why on earth I hadn’t checked the forecast before I left. The sunrise I was hoping for had eluded me. Instead, I was about to start the journey back home, empty-handed. I’d give it 10 more minutes, I decided. I hate having nothing to show for my efforts. All I wanted was the rain to stop. The Priory has always held a mystical fascination for me. It sits, not powerfully, but rather, mournfully, on top of...

It isn’t that I believe in ghosts, or anything supernatural, there’s just something about the pedestrian tunnel that doesn’t seem right. Footsteps 500 meters away pound against your eardrums. The acoustics in the tunnel add a fantastical dimension to an already misshapen scene. Only one of the wooden escalators work. A constant creaking sound emanates from the distance, echoing over and over again. The tunnel was built in 1951. I’m almost certain those escalators were the original ones. Looking at the grim, yellow stained walls, I wonder if anything has been replaced in its 62 year existence. The flashing lights in the dimly lit walkway force the pedestrian into a scene from nightmare on elm street. This isn’t a place where someone...

The streets of Newcastle were as busy as I’d remembered. Some of the shops weren’t as familiar. Strolling up and down my hometown, camera-in-hand, I looked at The Toon with new eyes. 2 years in Asia left me feeling distant. I knew these streets. I walked them more than most. Yet, maybe it was because I was looking for picture-worthy scenes, but I was struck by how beautiful the city looked. Everything seemed worth capturing. I felt a stronger sense of pride than ever as I saw the Tyne Bridge for the first time. I wondered if anyone else felt the same way when they looked at the elegant architecture around town. I doubted it. After all, despite towering over us on every street, the wonderful buildings above are obscured by the shops that now occupy the...