Through The Looking Glass

---

A beautiful sunset began to descend over the car plant next door. A brisk wind continued to blow from the West. The wind turbines were spinning away in the distance, as I gazed out of the window into the last of the light. I was sitting in the rather plush surroundings of the Penshaw Suite in the Nissan Sports & Leisure Complex on the edge of Washington, awaiting the start of yet another feast of non-League football.



The day started with a forecast of the warmest temperatures in October for the last 40 years. The sky was as good as it gets for a spot of photography, as I pointed the car north on the A19. I pulled off into the south of Sunderland and followed the brown signs towards the Ryhope Engine Museum. The suburb of Ryhope was once home to a mine, but also to the nerve centre of the city’s water supply. The rapid expansion of industry in Victorian Britain led to concerns about the quality of the water supply. The Sunderland & South Shields Water Company was formed in 1852 and 4 acres of land was purchased in Ryhope for the construction of the water pumping station. A huge red brick tower marks the site. The building below houses two huge beam engines, which they fire up on specific weekends through the summer months. It was a quiet midweek morning, so not a lot was happening today. The museum was technically closed. However, one of the very friendly volunteers looking after the place assured me it was fine to just wander around and have a look for myself. I took him up on the opportunity. “Quiet this morning”, smiled another volunteer. “You want to see it in a couple of Sundays, when we have the classic cars here” he cheerily added. I made a note to have another look sometime in the future. Sunderland RCA FC and Ryhope Colliery Welfare FC both conveniently play round the corner to tempt me back.



After my visit to one engineering masterpiece of yesteryear, I set off for the 2018 version. I meandered across the edge of the city, not really knowing where I was going, but generally heading towards the River Wear. I was looking for the new Sunderland landmark. The Northern Spire was opened with much pomp and ceremony a few weeks ago. The first new bridge for many years was mooted in the early 2000s. The plan was to regenerate the lower side of the River Wear, as well as ease congestion on the approaches to the city centre. As with most major engineering projects, the snag was where the money was coming from and after it became clear that it wasn’t coming – a cheaper, cable design was finally adopted. The construction finally got under way in 2015 and began to take shape when the huge central pylon was added in February 2017. At 105 metres, it is the tallest structure in Sunderland. The pylon was brought over from Belgium on barges and careful planning was needed for it to be floated up the River Wear. The tides needed to be just right for it to clear under the existing bridges down river. The result is quite spectacular, especially on a day such as today. It reminds of something like a mini version of the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa, Florida. The economic purpose of the bridge is to restore jobs and prosperity to this part of the river. The flat land, which was once a hub of shipbuilding, crane construction yards and glassworks, shows that it is very much required. Once the Northern Spire construction plant and site offices have been dismantled, there will soon be even more free land. The Northern Spire yellow construction cabins lie on what was the old Egis Shipyard, which was transformed as the Crown works in 1939 and became the production hub of Coles Cranes until it closed in the 1980s.



I parked up near the old entrance to the Doxford Shipyard entrance. The gateway is pretty much all that is left of the yard and is looking pretty sorry for itself. Graffiti daubed and vandalised, there are only the memories of all the famous people and royalty who passed through this entrance on the way to launch the great ships of yesterday. There were plans for the demolition of the gateway to make room for the new spine access road to the city centre, but for the moment the road is unfinished and it survives to remind Sunderland of the shipbuilding heritage. This part of the River Wear is called Pallion, but shipyards dotted the riverfront all the way down to the mouth. At one time, there were 16 major yards operating between Pallion and the sea and since the middles ages, there have been 400 yards registered in Sunderland. The names I can remember as a kid – Austins, Pickersgills, Doxford – are all gone now. The last shipyard closed in December 1988. I drove across the surprisingly quiet new bridge and back – just because I could - and then headed down into the city centre. The bridge looks good from every angle and judging by the press, has certainly been well received. Sunderland finally has a new bridge to rival the 2000 Millenium Bridge in nearby Newcastle. If you understand anything about rivalry in the North East, you’ll know how much that will mean to the locals!



I crossed the river again on the Queen Alexandra Bridge, skirted past the Stadium of Light and parked up down by Roker. The old Roker Park was in amongst the street houses in this area, but is now part of the past with the shipyards. We used to use this area as our B & B base, when in town with the visiting SW6 gang. It was easy parking and convenient pre-match beverage opportunities with non-hostile locals. It usually ended up in disappointment, especially in the early years of the new ground when the continental contingent seemed more interested in the departure time of the return flight to London. I cut down to the river. The Roker Marina was basking in sunlight. A huge 8000 tonne bulk carrier cargo ship was berthed opposite at the Corporation Quay. I checked the shipping movements. “Mandarin” had arrived from Marupol in the Ukraine. There was no sign of activity, so whether it was waiting for a cargo or just the right tide to leave I have no idea. The path I was walking is the Bede’s Way. It runs 12 miles between the 2 ancient Christian centres of Wearmouth Priory and Jarrow Priory. I had been in Jarrow a few weeks ago, but focussed more on the March history. This part of the route is also part of the Sunderland Sculpture Trail. A collection of sculptures line the old industrial quayside. They ranged from stone books to an old house to a metal tree. My personal favourites were the industrial shipbuilding relics – rivets and nuts.



The quayside is also home to the National Glass Centre. Sunderland is synonymous with shipbuilding, but the glass history is less well known. At one point in the 1800s, there were 10 glassmaking firms making bottles. Ayres Quay Bottlemakers were allegedly the largest bottlemakers in the world. The business moved on from bottles to decorative glasswares and in 1921 Joplings acquired the rights to an American heat resistant glass, which would be produced and known in Europe under the name Pyrex. All Pyrex ever produced in the UK was made in Sunderland. The Glass Centre is housed in what is basically a huge metal frame “greenhouse” and I would urge you to go up and walk on the roof. There is a museum with the history of glass on the River Wear, special exhibitions of glass work, regular glass blowing demonstrations and of course, the obligatory cafe and gift shop. I walked on past a campus of the University of Sunderland towards the city centre. A few students huddled up together on the outdoor furniture chatting and playing with their smart phones. They looked chilled by the constant breeze blowing down the river. I was in my shirt sleeves. If they thought today was a little cool, I wondered how they would cope in the coming months. Wait until the wind blows in from the North Sea direction, I thought to myself.



I walked up towards the Monkwearmouth area. The old Monkwearmouth Railway Station building is now the Fans Museum. I was amused to see that the football shirts in the window were an old SW6 gang away strip incarnation. I cut through the industrial estate towards the Stadium of Light. Sunderland AFC were playing later that night in the lower league club cup competition now referred to as the EFL Cup. I had noted the previous week that they were selling their tickets for the clash with Carlisle United for a mere £3 and I had one of those rare thoughts these days about actually entering a big league ground for a match. However I was brought to my senses by a ridiculous ruling that due to the match being a “high security risk” fixture, tickets would only be sold to those with a purchase history from the clubs. The lunacy of modern day football clubs (probably ably assisted by the Police advice received) never ceases to amaze me. The Stadium of Light potentially houses 48,000. I suppose it is a testament to the loyalty of Sunderland fans that the attendance was over 8,000. The other attendances in the same competition that night included a 512 at Morecambe and 702 at Walsall. The 330 visitors from Carlisle were probably wondering why they bothered after 2 minutes. They lost 3-1. The home club didn’t even bother to produce a programme by all accounts.



I wandered over the car park towards the statue of the late Bob Stokoe. He was the Manager of the club in probably the finest moment of their modern era. He danced across the Wembley turf in his old mac and trademark hat to embrace goalkeeper Jim Montgomery after the FA Cup Final victory in May 1973. The plinth of the statue is engraved “The Man, The Messiah, The Moment”. The entrance to the main stand was sealed off with the Murray Gate, after former Chairman Bob. The words Into The Light run across the top as a reference to the stadium name. I still wonder whether it was a wise christening choice, but it’ll make Benfica fans feel at home should they ever visit. The stadium stands on the site of the old Wearmouth Colliery, which closed in 1993. An old colliery wheel guards the entrance to the car park. Barriers resembling parts of the “Engineering” Archibald Lietch old main stand at Roker Park are scattered within. I peered down over the bend in the River Wear, where Liebherr have a facility on the opposite bank. I also discovered a group of metal statues, struggling to push objects up the hill. The plaque explained that these were the 7 Men of Steel by Graeme Hopper pushing coals up the hill to signify the struggle against the odds. I thought it was quite ironic that it was in the shadows of a football club that has sunk to the 3^rd tier of English football, who themselves are fighting an uphill battle to get back to the top. My £3 might have helped, but alas they will have to do without!



The wind was still whipping around, as I crossed the Wearmouth Bridge into the city centre. In view of the similarities with the Tyne Bridge, it will be no shock that it had the same architects. The towers at either end are missing, but it is essentially the same to the eye. A bottle green colour makes it stand out from the adjacent rail bridge. I climbed on the cityc entre side for a view. A plaque on the wall reminded you that the area was originally the salt pans for the city in the 16^th century. I followed the river and crossed into Keel Square. The direction of the sun placed the square in shade. A TV camera was filming some sort of documentary or report. A line runs through the Square. At 291.7 metres lone, it represents the length of the longest ship ever built in Sunderland – the Naess Crusader. A board runs along the boundary of the Square, which lists hundreds of ships built on the Wear. I searched for the SS Stakesby on which one of my relations sailed – built by Pickersgills in 1930, she was torpedoed on the way back from Sydney, Nova Scotia by U124 in August 1940. She was fortunately carrying pit props, so the buoyancy of the cargo kept her afloat.



I presumed that the grassed area in front of me was the former site of the now demolished Crowtree Leisure Centre. The Bridges Shopping Centre lay on the far side. I turned past the old Fire Station, now a pub and eatery, which had retained many of the features of the old building in the renovation. The domes of the nearby Sunderland Empire Theatre and Peacock pub glistened in the now warm sunshine. I looked up at Sunderland Minster – it was covered in scaffolding. A smoker stood outside a pub opposite. He saw my camera and helpfully added that it would have made a good photo – a few months back! The Bishopwearmouth Green next door was quiet, except for a few wandering on their lunch break. Green Terrace was even quieter. I phoned the Other Half and said listen to the silence. The old Technical College had now turned into a bar complex. The other bars were largely closed. The Life of Riley advertised a free bus to all Sunderland matches, although this wasn’t going to happen today – it remained closed too. A few students were milling around by the Priestman Building – part of the University – at the top of the street. I popped in Spoons for a coffee. It is always good value listening to the locals. It was Tuesday – Steak Specials were the order of the day. Three old guys were considering their order. “Have you had a light breakfast”, one enquired. “Nah, the usual full English”. “This’ll set me up for the day”. “I wouldn’t miss a Tuesday in here”. They talked of a possible future cruise – “somewhere different, not bothered where - as long as it is a deal. Oh ... and decent grub too”. “You going to be alright missing a Tuesday?” another one chuckled.



The area around Mary Street and Albion Place seemed quite vibrant. I found a vinyl record store, but couldn’t decide on a purchase. The shiny new Bus Interchange at Park Lane looked quite impressive. The students from Sunderland College seemed to be the main customers. Customers were in very short supply in The Market. Stalls were in short supply too. I noted a mere 3 open. Shutters were the order of the day. The To Let signs also became more prevalent on Holmeside. I nipped in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, which was a decent effort to explain the industrial history of the area grouped in with the Library. It backed on to Mowbray Park, which had clearly had some money thrown at it to restore it to former glories. I found an ornate drinking fountain, a statue of former Mayor, John Candlish MP and tribute to a disaster in 1883 in the Victoria Hall. The monument describes a “calamity” when 183 kids were crushed in a stampede to the exits to claim a prize after a variety show. The disaster led to the introduction of the outward facing push bar exit doors we see today in public buildings. A giant walrus sits by the lake on the edge of the park. The walrus character plays to the links of Lewis Carroll and Sunderland. His sisters lived in the town and he was a regular visitor. I wandered down to the fine and restored area around Norfolk Street. The old Post Office stood majestically at one end.



In amongst the buildings that show Victorian confidence common to most industrial cities, one is missing here. Sunderland has no significant railway station. The original stations were Fawcett Street – to serve Durham, Monkwearmouth to serve the north and Hendon for the Hartlepool line. These were amalgamated in 1879. Sunderland Central was damaged in World War 2 and the remaining sections demolished in the mid 1960s. Today, rail passengers see only a subterranean world beneath the city streets. I headed back towards Albion Place in search of food. I settled for a £5.95 2 course deal in an Italian. The “Happy Hour” ran from noon to 7 pm and for the price, it couldn’t be faulted. I set off back to car.



In the late 1980s tune, local band the Kane Gang sung of the cars rolling by, where the weeds grow high and the rise of the new industries such as Nissan. I headed towards Motortown on the edge of Washington for my football fix. I parked up in a car park within the complex that unsurprisingly was 90% Nissans - all seemingly 18 and 68 plate. The Kane Gang had is sussed - everybodys glorybound,got it made in Motortown. The flat land on the former airfield by the A19 was ideal for the company. A skilled workforce laid off by traditional industries on hand, Nissan moved on from the Datsun brand we knew as kids. The first Bluebird rolled off the line in 1986. It is incidentally to be found in the Sunderland Museum. Today, the site employs 7,000 on a multi acre site. It was a strange environment to watch football and not exactly your typical Northern League ground. The corporate world of Nissan obviously help out Washington even if it is with the use of the facilty, although former a Tottenham and Sunderland defender is no longer lending his experience to their defence. Consett were the visitors in the League Cup. Flying high in Division 1, they were too much for the home team and never looked back from a suspiciously offside early goal. There were no turnstiles, so I am not sure how the official attendance of 82 was established. The 2 non league dogs didn’t get a mention.



Appendix 1

Northern League Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup

Washington AFC 2 Consett AFC 4

Date: Tuesday 9^th October 2018 @ 1945 Hours

Venue: Nissan Sports & Leisure Complex, Washington, Tyne & Wear. SR5 3NS

Attendance: 82

Scorers: 0-1 M Mackay (Consett) 2 Mins, 0-2 M Mackay (Consett) 21 Mins, 1-2 C Pattinson (Washington) 29 Mins, 1-3 D Craggs (Consett) 60 Mins, 1-4 D Craggs (Consett) 77 Mins, 2-4 N Allen (Washington) 82 Mins

---

Comments

[Rainyb]

I'd love that1!!!

[Rainyb]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing!