WEST OF GATESHEAD

The first stop is Emma Colliery at Crawcrook. You can see where it is and where we're going on this map. 

Yet another NER station, this time at Ryton.

The Old Cross at Ryton, seen in in times long past, has recently reopened as a community pub.

Inwards towards Blaydon and Blaydon Burn Colliery with an 0-4-0ST photographed around 1896.

A more modern NCB loco at Blaydon.

Blaydon station, NER.

LNER 0-4-4T no. 405 at Blaydon loco shed.

In BR times, a 2-6-0 at Blaydon MPD.

St Cuthbert's church, Blaydon (Creative Commons License).

A couple of minibuses in Blaydon, operated by Go Ahead Northern.

The Station Hotel in Blaydon is now just a distant memory.

However, the Black Bull is still a thriving boozer.

Just to the east is Swalwell, which once had a NER station.

There's a good pub in Swalwell, the Sun Inn.

Just across the road, a micropub, called Owa The Road.

Now we come to the shopping Mecca of Gateshead Metrocentre. Don't worry, we're not going in, only to the bus station and the car park. At the former, a Blue Bus Bristol LHS and a couple of coaches.

In the car park, a vintage vehicle rally.

In the outskirts of Gateshead is Dunston, best reached by bus.

There is a railway station at Dunston but the service is very limited. Here it is in NER days.

Back in 1990, the Newcastle-Carlisle railway passed over the Garden Festival.

A monorail ran around the site.

In addition, there was a 15" gauge miniature railway with locos borrowed from the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway.

Some road transport in the Garden Festival.

The Tyne & Wear Metro had a unit on display.

There was also a tramway with a ex Sunderland car.

A maritime exhibit.

From the exhibition, a great view of Dunston Staithes.

Finally, a welcome sight, the Riverside Pub, run by Scottish & Newcastle for the duration of the Garden Festival.

Next time, we'll be in Gateshead itself.