A blipmeet in a tunnel?

Yes, the small but perfectly formed blipmeet, organised by robindown was in the Victoria Tunnel, under the streets of Newcastle. Here you see flashcube, Shaaamie, davidc, Robin himself and inukshukne. (The latter hates being photographed and had her hard hat obscuring her face when I started to take the photos. When she thought it was safe I kept pressing the shutter!

Mrs Shaamie and Mrs Robindown also came for the day with us.

The tour is for 2 hours and is well worth the £7 fee.  A volunteer guide took us to different points in the tunnel and told stories - happy and sad. This tunnel was built as a wagonway for coal to be taken from a mine at Spital Tongues to the Tyne to be transported to London. (It was inferior grade coal and not suitable to use locally!) This was all in the 1800s.

The tunnel was closed when the coal production ended at that pit.

In WWII the tunnel was used regularly by 7,000 people on an almost nightly basis while bombing went on. It's hard to imagine what conditions were like. The tunnel is about 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. 
It did save many lives.

After the tunnel, most of us repaired to The Ship for a vegan lunch. I had the falafel and salad with pitta bread. Delicious.

Robin, Pam (his wife), Fiona (flashcube) and I went on the The Biscuit Factory to see this weekends craft exhibition. Fiona and I decided that we could have spent a lot of money if only we had taken some with us! The prices were eye watering, but we saw some wonderful art. Not everything was to our taste.

Fiona fell in love with the mirror, see extra. (My goodness a second selfie this week...…..) I caught Robin and Fiona in the reflections of a stainless steel installation and I've included one of our leader, but it is only for those with a strong constitution. (Be warned!)

I called to see Julie for a cuppa and a chat, then home. A grand day out and Arth and Aggie behaved perfectly.