I recently visited Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, for my much-delayed graduation ceremony, having gained an MA in Creative Writing with Teesside University as a distance learning student. I hadn't been to Yorkshire since 1979 when I visited Butlin's Filey as a kid, so I was a tad excited.
On the way, high on the hill near Thirsk, is the Kilburn White Horse (I only realised this when I heard the guy sitting in the seat behind me mention it to his friend). It is the white blob in the centre of the photo.
It is said to be the largest and most northerly hill figure in England, and is 318 feet (97m) long by 220 feet (67m) wide. It was created in 1857, by exposing the underlying sandstone base and covering that with white limestone chips.
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Here's a PDF of what it looks like when it's properly photographed...
The pleasant view from our hotel window.
This area was once well-known for its steel production, until that industry (and British manufacturing in general) began its sad decline in the 1980s. Way in the distance you can see a chimney gushing out smoke. There are still some factories, producing various goods, operating in the area.
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The Riverside Stadium, the home of Middlesbrough FC, is visible in the centre of the photo.
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The low afternoon light was really interesting in this part of the world- moody skies with shafts of brilliant late afternoon sun...
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Look at the way the sun gives this reflective road sign a ghostly glow!
This resulted in this ethereal reflection on our hotel room ceiling.🌈
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I love the iridescent rainbow colours.🌈
The view from outside the railway station, and at the end of the road veering off to the right of the building is Port Clarence, which is on the banks of the River Tees.
Looking north from the station, and this was a rather elegant part of the town. From 1974-1996 the town was considered part of Cleveland, until that county was abolished. You still see references to Cleveland across the town.
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The Albert Bridge was designed by William Peachey, North Eastern Railway's chief architect. Apparently it has "N.E.R. 1874" inscribed somewhere on it, although I didn't see this.
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It's not to be confused with the Royal Albert Bridge, which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and which spans the River Tamar from Plymouth, Devon to Saltash, Cornwall.
On our initial walk to find out where my university is we came across this brilliant bottle sculpture. It's by married couple Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen and is called Bottle of Notes, and was unveiled in 1993. The bottle is designed to slant; as if it had become stuck in the sand after a wave had struck it and receded.
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It is crafted in steel, reflecting the area's rich steel production and fabrication heritage, and stands outside the Middlesbrough Institution of Modern Art (MIMA).
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These crystal clear fountains are behind Middlesbrough Town Hall.
It's funny the way the mind can resurge memories- when standing by these and breathing in their chlorine smell, I couldn't help but be reminded of the lovely fountains which stood sentinel at both ends of the outdoor pool at Butlin's Filey. It was 1979 when I visited there, and the holiday camp's long gone. But its location was further down the coast in Yorkshire, so maybe it's that association which triggered my nostalgia...
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The Middlesbrough Empire sits near the town hall, and is a theatre which opened in 1897. It's also the official venue of Teesside University, which is very close by.
Middlesbrough Town Hall, and this version was opened in 1889. Part of the building is given over to municipal functions and the other part is used as an entertainment venue.
Approaching the town hall from the town, and the building is lit up at night. But the evening photo I took came out blurry (I may have been a tad tipsy, following celebrations...😉)
Street view, and this town has bid- and failed- twice to gain city status, but has applied again, to win this accolade as part of a competition to honour the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The results are to be announced in the Spring of 2022 (so, very soon.) In the media it often refers to itself as a city anyway. Good for Middlesbrough!
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Appealing lit-up trees, and Middlesbrough was pretty good for illuminations..jpg)
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This was only ever going to be a small blog, as we only stayed two nights, and it was essentially a business trip.
I thought the gloaming sun was causing the glow on this church, then I realised that it was an electric light. This is what I mean by this town being quite considered when it comes to illuminations..jpg)
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The frontage of this distinctive building is grade 2 listed. Once the Masham Hotel, it is no longer a pub but is now used as exhibition space.
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The Shakespeare pub has similar frontage, and looked very much closed down.
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Teesside University was very near our hotel (Premier Inn, which I picked partly due to its great, central location).
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The campus is quite large and it looks like everything you need (library, student services, halls of residence, etc.) is on this site.
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This honestly and truly had to be one of the best days of my life!💓
Striking a pose...💓
And another...💓
My last graduation ceremony was 25 years ago, but I no longer have any photographs of that day.
I have to say, the academic robes make me look the size of a house!💓
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But so what? I was ecstatically happy and so proud of myself on this very special day.💓
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The lovely spiral staircase in The Resolution, the pub where we ate most of our meals. It takes it name from the flagship of Captain James Cook (1728-1779) when he embarked on his voyage to the South Pacific; between July 1772 and July 1775. Born in the area, he is Middlesbrough's most famous son and was an explorer, navigator and cartographer.
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The Pig Iron, where we had a couple of glasses of celebratory vino on the evening of my ceremony. Reasonable prices, too.
Pig iron is also known as crude iron, and is an intermediate product of the smelting process. The name comes from the shape of the moulds used for the ingots, which are cast in sand (I remember doing something like this using aluminium in metalwork at school.) The way the channels of molten metal run into the branching moulds resembles a sow with her suckling piglets.
The Tees Transporter Bridge (which is also known as the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge), taken from the train. It is a suspended ferry which carries a carries a travelling car- or "gondola" across the River Tees.
Could I live in Middlesbrough? Yes, I think so, although the climate (generally about 6°C colder than London) is a tad off-putting. .jpg)
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Will I ever return to this area? Oh yes! I'm hoping to visit the holiday park which now stands on the site of the once-great-but-now-demolished Butlin's Filey. It's further down on the coast.
Until then...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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