20. Berwick-upon-Tweed

CC Site

May 1 – 2

Uneventful drive up the A1, mostly single carriageway, about 30 miles. The site is on a hill on the south bank of the Tweed overlooking the sea and Spittal and looking across to Berwick. Certainly the most spectacular view I've had so far. The day started with high winds and torrential rain and it's only now, at midday, eased a little.

View from the site

I don't think I've ever been so cold in May. I remember once, in 1975 I think, a Yorkshire match at Headingly was halted because of snow. Boycott was batting so nobody minded.

I had an hour's nap then cycled to Halford's to get a new tyre and tube and a set of brake blocks. While they were changing the tyre I walked into the town over the old stone bridge. Some depressed places I have seen look as if they are suffering a loss after the last boom in the Noughties. Berwick looks as if it missed the last boom and the previous five.

 

Dereliction in the town

There are many empty shops and they look to have been empty for some time. Very few of the first-floor accommodation above even the open shops seems to be occupied. Everything was grey and damp, grey stone or concrete walls stained with damp from broken gutters, the roofs and walls encrusted with moss. Tomorrow I will concentrate on the town walls and the harbour and the beaches. The town is just too depressing. It reminds me sadly of Ballina, near where I used to live in Ireland. Such a pity, as the setting is beautiful and quite spectacular. One wonders how much the dereliction is caused by recession and how much by the jumbo Tesco's and Morrison's on the outskirts and the only slightly smaller Asda in town. 

From the pier looking landwards

 

 

Beautiful day to-day, brilliant sunshine all day (and it's now 19:00) although a cold wind. Cycled down to Spittal and along the promenade then along Dock Road to Tweedmouth. Over the old bridge into Berwick and to the end of the pier at the harbour mouth. Lovely houses along the waterfront; not vast mansions but two- up two-down terraced stone cottages in great condition. Presumably former fishermens' homes. Berwick looked a different place in the sunshine, but it is definitely better viewed at a distance. The three bridges and the city walls are very impressive and the Tweed estuary an ever-changing wildlife show. It's interesting that another Spittal is also the next-door neighbour of Galway in the west of Ireland, and Berwick definitely feels to me more like an Irish town.

 

From the pier, looking out to sea

A little game I played while here was to try to guess if the next person I spoke to would sound Scottish or

geordie.