So the Toon won and I think I may be falling for that live football thing. The atmosphere at St James’ Park is just incredible, and the overwhelming emotional whoosh of 50,000 people jumping up and shouting ‘YES!’ has got to be good for the soul.
We passed bonfire night at the Free Trade Inn. The beer garden offers panoramic views of the city and watching the colourful displays fountain across Newcastle and Gateshead was both beautiful and sad – Chap said he missed being closer and smelling the fire and eating a baked potato in the crowd.
It was brilliant then when on Sunday night we arrived in Whitley Bay for the Eddi Reader gig to find the place heaving with people all heading for the seafront where low and behold there was a huge bonfire and fireworks display. Chips in hand, we managed to catch the display and still make it to PLAYHOUSE Whitley Bay in time for the Eddi Reader concert.
Looking amazing and sounding better, Eddi and her ensemble (consisting of accordian, guitar and ukulele) played for two hours to a packed house of enthusiasts. The show was a gentle, toe tapping journey through 25 years of Eddi’s career. I actually shed a tear during Moon on the Rain as it transported me so intensely back to my long lost youth. Interspersed with funny anecdotes and feeling very ‘off the cuff’, the set wasn’t over rehearsed and had the feeling of an impromptu gig in the back of a pub rather than a formal theatre concert. Having been introduced to some of her new material I will definitely be listening again to the Robert Burns album and her 2009 album Love is the Way, on which I will lavish attention on the very lovely song Dandelion.
Coming up this week is the annual stumble and lurch around the outdoor ice rink at Centre for Life, and just around the corner we have panto season! Can’t wait to take my five year old niece Evie to her first one – Dick Whittington at Journal Tyne Theatre.
