SCHOOL

No Morrisons today as my friend Jan had to wait in for the delivery of a bed..  So I had a nice lie in.

Later on Neil arrived.  He is off work all this week in preparation for his marathon on Sunday in Berlin. We went out for a late lunch to Wetherspoons in the village.  Neil had food but I didn't  - I made do with a couple of cups of coffee.  ( Nothing on Wetherspoons menu was low syn )

Afterwards we nipped behind Wetherspoons so I could get my blip shot.  The Wide Wednesday theme set by  Freyjad is " A Piece Of History".  In my photo you can see what used to be the Parochial School.

It began life as Whickham Charity School in 1714 when Mrs Joan Blakiston left £100 in trust to the Rector of St Mary's Church, the Rev Dr Robert Thomlinson, for the education of 36 poor children in Whickham Parish. In 1742 the first school building was erected in School Lane and was altered and extended in 1825 and 1869.  It ceased to be a school in1971 when a new school opened in the village.

When I first moved to the village as a 6 year old I lived very near to this school. However when my Mam went to enrol me - in mid term - she was told it was full so I had to attend a different school further away from home.

After the school closed the building was used as Council Offices but these facilities were relocated to the Civic Centre in Gateshead many years ago and the building has been left empty.  A few years ago there  was a For Sale board  but I don't know if it was ever sold. At the moment nothing seems to be happening with it   The original School House next door ( where the headmaster used to live) seems to be undergoing renovations at present.

Musical link  SCHOOL's - Out - by Alice Cooper

Neil and I then went into the churchyard of St Marys Church to visit the grave of my old friend Christine.  Then we carried on down the hill to the Garden House Cemetery to visit the grave of my Grandma and Uncle Stanley.  Then to Tesco for some food.

Neil hung around at my house for a while until his girlfriend Rachael arrived to take him home.

It rained all morning but by the time Neil and I walked to the village it was dry and warm.

Steps today - 11,166