Meet 015 - Oct 15th 2023 NE Gone But Not Forgotten Report
Oct 27, 2023 7:43:27 GMT
Dirty Epic likes this
Post by Albert Riddle on Oct 27, 2023 7:43:27 GMT
First of all apologies for the lateness of my post/report of such a brilliant meet, had a mad busy week or so with some private and personal stuff and the meet deserves a proper post not just a it was great line or two from me.
Secondly massive thanks to Gene for putting together such a brilliant few days of locations and laughs straight from the off in Geordieland too some of which you’d never know featured in the things we like in the North East too.
I’ve tried to not look at the other posts in this thread but certainly will very soon and my post won’t be a verbatim we did this and that in parrot fashion order. It’ll be more a reflection of what was once again a great weekend one of many we’ve had over the years with varied locations some of which have featured in film/TV we like.
Travelled up Saturday with Del, Gene and Steed for liquid lunch on the Quayside in very crisp sunshine on the Tyne. Went bloody cold that weekend compared to what we were used to but much better than the monsoon rains we had a day before or so. Our numbers started to increase over the afternoon and pretty much with everyone here we got set up for an evening out on ‘The Toon’!
The Saturday’s have become just as much important part as the Sunday. It breaks the ice and set’s the ball rolling for the Sunday and it was good to catch up with you lads too.
Sadly due to personal reasons we blew out on our first location/pub stop The Collingwood Arms in Jesmond which featured in WHTTL Xmas Special, sadly these things happen from time to time but looks a nice boozer I certainly wouldn’t mind checking out next time I’m up that way. Still we were soon to make up for that at The Bridge another institution pub in Newcastle we spent most of the night in more of that in a moment via a meal stop at the Hard Rock Café – alright but take away it’s novelty it’s your usual burger fair. Back to The Bridge good beers, (I think) good whiskies too and had a few laughs and jokes, drinks and smokes until last orders – well did you expect anything else?
Set up nicely it was soon Sunday morning, after breakfast it was time to hit the locations and this is where Gene’s knowledge is second to none.
Many of these locations from GC and WHTTL we’ve never covered before on a meet and who would have thought an anonymous branch of Greggs in Gateshead’s Pelaw or a Vauxhall car dealership in Benwell would have such a history as the Post Office, Ken Hailes Bookmakers or Frank’s house from Get Carter again it’s down to the hard graft Gene put’s in on this we’ve managed to be where these locations were some of which like The Fat Ox, the scrapyard and Glenda’s flat have all been consigned to history in the name of successful/not so successful regeneration over the last few decades like the Gateshead car park has had in more recent years.
I think this has set this meet apart from those we’ve done previously as a lot of these locations have radically changed over the years – possibly very recently, again it’s amazing that Gene can pinpoint these locations to the exact point they existed too.
No Sunday is complete without a lunch stop and The Beehive a WHTTLL icon is as good as it gets on a sunny afternoon in the countryside outside Whitley Bay. Good beers and a nice beer garden too a stop I’d fully recommend to anyone who is around that way on a similar day too.
The locations tour may have come to an end but it doesn’t mean our Sunday does and after our evening meal time for a pint or three at Old George Inn. Like The Bridge from the night before we sunk a few and rounded the night (or morning) off at Flares to some ‘70’s/’80’s classics… erm some dodgy ‘90’s/’00’s boy/girl bands and various states of boozed up debauchery – and why not!
Well what more can you say but massive, thanks to Gene for putting all this together for us. As said a brilliant weekend from the off and we’ve pretty much ticked off the works with the rare locations in the North East too. Nobody does it better and as I’ve said before you’re the best in the business with this too and a great mate too. Thanks pal.
Big thanks again to Del for sorting the digs and travel arrangements too as usual much appreciated and had a good laugh with you over the weekend too pal.
Thanks also to our wheels man Peter Picard for the driving on the Sunday and to Sam for shouting the meal at Wagamama too much appreciated lads.
I’m certainly looking forward to whatever we do next, but I think for now it’s a case of reflection on what has been yet another great meet and once again thanks to Gene for the hard work he’s put into it and to all of us for the contribution we bring to it all and making it such a good weekend and the enjoyable experience these meets are. I’ve said it before we all bring something (sometimes quite diverse) to these meets and for me it’s not necessarily about focusing on the films/TV programmes they’re built around or even their locations it’s about having a bit of fun, laughs and beers with a great bunch of like-minded people (and mates) too.
Gene you deserve a nice drink and a break for now and once again thanks very much to you and the lads for making this weekend so brilliant.
All the very best everyone DE!
Great to see you again mate 👍