Day 7 Wylam to Wallsend

We were not looking foreward to this leg of the walk  with expectations of following the River Tyne, walking past dirt , grime and general decay. We were pleasantly surprised to see the whole area had been renovated with well maintained walkways, promenades, and parks. People were out walking with their families, fishing, or enjoying the easter fetivities by the quayside. This was a complete contrast of how the river must have looked 50 to 100 years ago when it was the centre of the industrial revolution in the North East. There would have been several hundred thousand people working in the shipyards or transporting coal and other stuff to all corners of the world.

Geordie Boy had to limp the last 7 miles to Wallsend suffering from a blistered foot. The ending was rather tame. Instead of being heralded by trumpeters, we finished in the road leading to Swan Hunters shipyard. My sister, her husband and Jen, met us and wisked us back to South Shields where we threw our pebbles into the harbour, then went out to celebrate with a curry in Ocean road on black eye friday (as good friday is known in South Shields)

Well thats it! This was probably not a walk for the purist walkers. The 30 to 40 miles in the middle were great. Much of the time on either side was spent walking on or beside roads. But as a challenge it was great fun. Meeting many interesting people along the way and over indulging in the hostilileries made it a special time.