Lord of Harpole
It was up and out this morning after lugging practically everything we own down to the car in our biggest suitcases. We have packed more stuff for a few days up north than we ever did for any of our holidays!
The M1 to Derby was manic. Lots of traffic. We met Ceri at the station for a drink. It was great to see her again as we have had sporadic contact while she has been in Barcelona. The houses around the station are very cute.
Then we made our way to Newcastle. I have never been here before and am very impressed with the bits we have seen so far (I am writing this in the hotel room in the 'travel tavern'). By that I am referring to the bridges and architecture. I am also impressed that the old stereotype that Geordies go out in miniskirts and knee high boots whatever the weather is actually true!
It is just above freezing point tonight with a rather chilling wind blowing through town and NOBODY has a coat on! We stand out as incomers badly as we have been wearing hats, scarves and gloves. And I thought we would at least look 'local' until we spoke.
We headed down to the riverside looking for the fog on the Tyne but all we found was the new Sage building. It is very impressive - at first glance it looks like a giant cruise ship sailing down the river with its lights all aglow. From somewhere across the water the sound of All Saints' Pure Shores being played was floating in our direction, which I thought was rather inappropriate considering the news from The Beach area!
After admiring the new Millennium Bridge and all the old ones, which are very familiar having been seen on TV so much, we wandered into the new town looking for somewhere to eat. We found the world famous Rupali curry house (6 Bigg Market) run by the legendary Abdul Latif, now Lord of Harpole. If any of you have ever read Viz, you would know what I am on about. Naturally, we went in for a meal, despite the fact that from the outside it looked like a real dump.
Inside, we were greeted by his lordship and shown to a table for two. The food was actually pretty good. I was certainly impressed that they had chapattis and prarentha - both hard to find in London toon, even Brick Lane.
After, Lord Harpole came over for a chat and gave us a copy of Viz to take home. What a nice man.
You could, if you wanted, hire him as a Lord-o-gram - for a small fee he will guest appear at your stag do or party dressed in a robe and turban.
The restaurant was plastered with Viz connections such as a special Viz menu, which judging by what some girls were eating on another table, consisted of prawn cocktail and popadams.
When we left, it was lashing down with rain. The girls, who were dressed as if they were mincing up and down Falaraki high street didn't even seem to care that not only were they fucking freezing, they were also soaked to the skin. It is extraordinary.
But on the whole, it is a friendly city with everyone seeming to be out in gangs of mates purely to have a good laugh.
A nice antidote to the dreadful news that the death toll in Asia is about 24,000 people. Every time I hear the news I mumble a hope that this event will help people come together rather than focus on war and terror. Some good news is that the Tamil Tigers have declared a cease-fire in Sri Lanka.
The M1 to Derby was manic. Lots of traffic. We met Ceri at the station for a drink. It was great to see her again as we have had sporadic contact while she has been in Barcelona. The houses around the station are very cute.
Then we made our way to Newcastle. I have never been here before and am very impressed with the bits we have seen so far (I am writing this in the hotel room in the 'travel tavern'). By that I am referring to the bridges and architecture. I am also impressed that the old stereotype that Geordies go out in miniskirts and knee high boots whatever the weather is actually true!
It is just above freezing point tonight with a rather chilling wind blowing through town and NOBODY has a coat on! We stand out as incomers badly as we have been wearing hats, scarves and gloves. And I thought we would at least look 'local' until we spoke.
We headed down to the riverside looking for the fog on the Tyne but all we found was the new Sage building. It is very impressive - at first glance it looks like a giant cruise ship sailing down the river with its lights all aglow. From somewhere across the water the sound of All Saints' Pure Shores being played was floating in our direction, which I thought was rather inappropriate considering the news from The Beach area!
After admiring the new Millennium Bridge and all the old ones, which are very familiar having been seen on TV so much, we wandered into the new town looking for somewhere to eat. We found the world famous Rupali curry house (6 Bigg Market) run by the legendary Abdul Latif, now Lord of Harpole. If any of you have ever read Viz, you would know what I am on about. Naturally, we went in for a meal, despite the fact that from the outside it looked like a real dump.
Inside, we were greeted by his lordship and shown to a table for two. The food was actually pretty good. I was certainly impressed that they had chapattis and prarentha - both hard to find in London toon, even Brick Lane.
After, Lord Harpole came over for a chat and gave us a copy of Viz to take home. What a nice man.
You could, if you wanted, hire him as a Lord-o-gram - for a small fee he will guest appear at your stag do or party dressed in a robe and turban.
The restaurant was plastered with Viz connections such as a special Viz menu, which judging by what some girls were eating on another table, consisted of prawn cocktail and popadams.
When we left, it was lashing down with rain. The girls, who were dressed as if they were mincing up and down Falaraki high street didn't even seem to care that not only were they fucking freezing, they were also soaked to the skin. It is extraordinary.
But on the whole, it is a friendly city with everyone seeming to be out in gangs of mates purely to have a good laugh.
A nice antidote to the dreadful news that the death toll in Asia is about 24,000 people. Every time I hear the news I mumble a hope that this event will help people come together rather than focus on war and terror. Some good news is that the Tamil Tigers have declared a cease-fire in Sri Lanka.
posted by The WyeBird @ 8:37 pm
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