Si je puis

As I had a bit of time to spare in Newcastle today, and did not fancy shopping, I decided to have a look at an exhibition in the Laing Art Gallery – The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now. I find the Arts and Crafts Movement fascinating, especially with its emphasis on ‘creative domestic pursuits’, the idea of ‘If I can’. It’s a fascinating, if rather small, exhibition, but I really wasn’t able to do it justice and I aim to return before it finishes at the end of January.
  
No photography allowed, so the blip is a totally unrelated picture of a building opposite the Laing. This was a Lying-in Hospital built in 1826 and designed by John Dobson (1787-1865), a local architect of whom Newcastle is justifiably proud, as he designed many impressive buildings in the area. 

The Hospital was built by subscription to provide suitable accommodation for expectant mothers – but only married ones need apply! Oh and you had to have a home and clothes for the baby and not be infected by anything nasty. So, not a haven for the destitute then!