Mercedes Road trip: The North East

[st4]

Its been a year since the finest car money could buy entered my life. Naturally it needed a proper clean involving a clay bar, lots of shampoo, wonder wheels and wax and maybe a small tour to celebrate this.


_DSC0123 by [e-mail], on Flickr

After this it was a stop off in Edinburgh to see my mate and a trip to the iconic forth Bridge after much Korean food and take away pizzas a few hours later. Shilla restaurant comes very highly recommended for Lunch, but by dinner time, you need Papa Johns delivered:lol::lol:


_DSC0146 by [e-mail], on Flickr

However, I decided as the weather was good the next day a mini tour of Northumberland was in order, I was sort of half way there from Glasgow (I try any excuse to justify a tour) and the weather was to be good Sunday PM and Monday AM.

So I drove down the A1 which really is not a bad route and it introduces you to the area. However, to think thats the main route to London from Edinburgh is galling, as its not even DCW all the way. Sadly, I saw a very serious road traffic incident on the way, in which someone had died (a small hatch into a big Artic) but the police had handled the road closure as well they could.

Further up I took this at Torness powerstation, a sight clearly visible from the A1. Where Nuclear power meets my diesel powerhouse.


_DSC0159 (1) by [e-mail], on Flickr

The idea was simple, to head to the Angel of the North at Gateshead for sunset and Dunstaburgh castle for Sunrise, then head back as the weather (and therefore light quality) was poor for the rest of the day.

I stopped in Craster, found a very good pub and ate very well and scoped out the castle for my sunrise shoot. As you can see the day wasn't as good and the weather closed in. The little roads around here, well, they are C class sport type roads, and just pottering about here was a lot of below speed limit fun.


_DSC0161 by [e-mail], on Flickr

From here it was a gentle run to Gateshead, which really is a hole for my sunset and then back to Craster (wouldn't want to sleep in a car in Gateshead, I'd be murdered) to sleep in the skip. Some horrible kids on bikes came up chanting **** the police etc. It was like being on the filmset of "skint".


_DSC0166 by [e-mail], on Flickr
However, its one hell of a feature and one I've always wanted to see, despite the calibre of the local residents.

One would also say, the metal work resembles a Mercedes, but not my Mercedes


_DSC0186 by [e-mail], on Flickr

And then the sun went down


_DSC0200 by [e-mail], on Flickr

From here, it was a gentle drive back to Craster so I was in position for sunrise, I found a dark unlit car park and set up stall.

_DSC0211 by [e-mail], on Flickr

Whats strange is the amount of noises a car makes as you settle down, 45mins into my kip the electrics woke up, made a humming noise for 5mins, then shut off again.

I am a west coast person at heart, but you get lovely colours over on the east at 5am


_DSC0221 by [e-mail], on Flickr

And the castle, the main reason I drove all the way and stunk the next day.


_DSC0230 by [e-mail], on Flickr

Truly magnificent and another great Mercedes journey which at this


_DSC0238 by [e-mail], on Flickr

Cannot and must not be sniffed at.

So, in 15k miles and 1yr, the C class love affair continues.

[r129sl]

My neck of the woods. Thanks as always.

[mondie]

lovely photos, thanks for posting.

[frogfoot]

fab pics