The most famous view of Newcastle is that of its bridges (although the "Angel of the North" statue on the A1 road might dispute that nowadays). The best known of all the bridges is the Tyne Bridge, with its distinctive arch shape. The observant amongst you might think that this sounds rather similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and you would be absolutely spot on. Not only are they of extremely similar design, but the Tyne Bridge was actually built as a prototype for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and both bridges were built by the same people, which was a company from Middlesbrough, not far south of Newcastle. The Tyne Bridge is somewhat smaller than the Sydney equivalent of course, what with the River Tyne being rather narrower than Sydney Harbour! At night time, the bridge is illuminated, so that the bridge, and its reflection in the river, both look dazzling.
The River Tyne’s newest bridge is the Gateshead Millenium Bridge, which is a spectacular modern design, and unlike its London equivalent, it is perfectly safe for the public to use! It is a footbridge in the shape of an eyelid…at least that’s the closest description I can think of. The eyelid opens up in order to let boats through if they are a bit too tall to fit underneath. There is also a Swing Bridge which is at a very low level, which not surprisingly given its name, swings open to let boats through if necessary.
The whole Quayside area near these bridges has been the beneficiary of much urban regeneration in recent years, after the area fell into decay. Its former prime was when the shipbuilding and coal mining industries were strong, and the quayside was a hive of activity. These days it is somewhat more salubrious, and is home to luxury flats and apartments, and swanky bars and restaurants...how times have changed!
Every few years the Quayside has also been home to part of the Tall Ships Race, when many old style sailing ships are moored on the river, giving the quayside a historical feel, and a glimpse of what it used to be like, with tall ships everywhere.