The Town Moor

I've been on the Moor for the Hoppings but would you believe that I've never actually walked across it?  Well, a woman's got to do etc etc, and today was the appointed day.  It was very mild and blustery as I headed up Claremont Road, crossed the bridge over the central motorway and onto the Moor!

I was accompanied by assorted joggers, dog walkers and students going home after lectures and, of course, the roar of traffic.  The main path is tarmac'd so I was able to walk briskly my thoughts running wild as usual and snippets of random songs flitting in and out of my head.  If I can find a clip of a group of people singing, yes singing the Highway Code, I will share it.  I bet my brother still has the vinyl.
http://youtu.be/Qngi_jSaXlI Hope this is it!  If not, it's the weather forecast - just as good!

The Moor is a little treasure in the town.  The Freemen can graze cattle there but the cows seem to have been taken in for the winter as none were in evidence.  Though I did notice hoof prints and trampled ground around every public bench.  Surely the cows don't come round begging for your sandwiches?  Blimey!  The path carried straight on past some man-made-looking hillocks and on towards Grandstand Road.  I paused a couple of times to pick out landmarks (Civic Centre, flats in Spital Tongues, Motor Museum,  Great North Road).

At Grandstand Road, I followed the path along the roadside to Blue House roundabout and then down the Great North Road towards the city centre, turning back into the Moor at a gate about halfway along.  The main path would have taken me back to my original path, so I chose to walk alongside the hedge, eventually coming out into the Exhibition Park.  I have vivid memories of doing this bit at night during a powercut on one of my first forays into Newcastle.  I got hopelessly lost.  And would you believe it, the same thing nearly happened again today in broad daylight!  I found myself looking along an avenue of trees towards the Motor Museum - should I cut left back onto the Moor?  This place did look kind of familiar - ah yes!  the mela! - stalls, fashions, foods, rides, music!  And how did I arrive here then? Ah yes!  Back the way I'd come.  So I retraced my steps and ended up back at Claremont Road and the short walk back to Northumberland Street and the homely delights of Fenwicks Christmas window.