The Angel of the North is an iconic large-scale sculpture located in Gateshead, near Newcastle upon Tyne, in Northern England. It is one of the most famous pieces of public art in the UK and a well-recognized symbol of the North East of England. Despite having been to that region a few times, it wasn’t until September 2022 that I finally backpacked to it. It was on the same trip that I played footgolf at Whitley Bay and I first visited Hadrian’s Wall.
Key Features Of The Angel Of The North
1.Design and Dimensions:
-The sculpture is a depiction of an angel with outstretched wings.
-Designed by Sir Antony Gormley, a renowned British sculptor, it was completed in 1998.
-It stands at 20 meters (66 feet) tall, with a wingspan of 54 meters (177 feet), which is wider than the height of the Statue of Liberty.
-The wings are angled slightly forward by 3.5 degrees, giving the sculpture a sense of embrace or welcome.
2.Material:
The Angel of the North is made from weathering steel, a type of steel that forms a stable rust-like appearance after exposure to the elements. This material gives the sculpture its reddish-brown color and allows it to withstand harsh weather conditions.#
3.Location:
Positioned on a hill in Low Eighton, the sculpture overlooks the A1 motorway, one of the busiest roads in the UK, as well as a main railway line. This makes it visible to thousands of people passing through each day. On Google Maps it is here.
4.Symbolism:
The sculpture is intended to symbolize transition, both in the historical sense and in human experience.
It stands on the site of a former coal mine, and thus represents the transformation from the industrial era of the North East to a more modern, artistic future.
Gormley also designed it to be a monument to human endurance and spirituality, with the angel representing a connection between earth and sky. I even took my Northern Ireland flag to its NORTH ANGEL!
5.Public Reception:
Initially, the project faced some controversy and opposition due to its cost and scale. However, since its completion, the Angel of the North has become widely loved and embraced by the public. It is seen as a proud symbol of the region and one of the most important pieces of contemporary British art.
6.Construction:
Weighing 208 tonnes, the sculpture had to be built in sections and assembled on-site. Its foundation extends 20 meters (66 feet) into the ground to ensure it remains stable even in strong winds.
7.Cultural Impact:
Over time, the Angel of the North has become a cultural landmark. It is frequently used in media, art, and photography to represent the North East of England, and it attracts visitors from all over the world.
The sculpture has inspired several artworks, documentaries, and even replicas, and it regularly features in the UK’s artistic and tourist landscapes.
Significance:
The Angel of the North is not only a feat of modern engineering and sculpture but also a symbol of the resilience and spirit of the people of the North East. Its dramatic size and presence serve as a reminder of the area’s industrial past while looking forward to a future defined by creativity and innovation. I have been to Newcastle and Sunderland a few times, plus Gateshead once. I stayed in a few places there including the Albatross Hostel, Chaise Guest House and the swanky Doxford Hall Spa.
To visit the Angel of the North, located in Gateshead near Newcastle upon Tyne, there are quite a few different ways to do it. We hired a random orange car and backpacked by road!
1. By Car
From Newcastle/Gateshead: The Angel of the North is about a 5-minute drive south of Gateshead and about 10-15 minutes from Newcastle city center.
From the A1 Motorway: The sculpture is located right next to the A1 motorway. If you’re driving on the A1, take the exit for Low Eighton or follow signs for the Angel of the North. It is clearly signposted from the A1.
Parking: There is a free car park directly next to the sculpture, making it convenient for drivers.
Postcode for navigation: NE9 7TY
2. By Public Transport (Bus)
From Newcastle or Gateshead: Regular buses run from both Newcastle city center and Gateshead to the Angel of the North.
Take the Go North East Bus Service 21, which runs frequently from Newcastle and Gateshead. The bus will stop close to the site at Durham Road, from which it is a short walk.
Bus Stops: Look for buses heading towards Chester-le-Street or Durham. The stop nearest the Angel of the North is called Angel of the North (Low Eighton).
3. By Train
The nearest train station is Newcastle Central Station. From there, you can take a bus (as mentioned above) or a taxi to reach the Angel of the North.
4. By Taxi
Taxis are readily available from both Newcastle and Gateshead. The distance is short, so this can be a convenient option if you’re nearby. The trip from Newcastle city center will take about 10–15 minutes.
5. Walking or Cycling
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can walk or cycle to the Angel of the North from Gateshead or Newcastle. There are paths and roads that make the journey possible, but it may take an hour or more depending on where you start.
Some people enjoy walking the route as it gives them the opportunity to see the sculpture from different perspectives as they approach it.
Practical Tips:
Best Viewing Times: The site is open 24/7, but many people prefer visiting during the day for the best light for photography, or at sunset for a more dramatic view.
Weather: Since it’s an outdoor site, check the weather beforehand and dress accordingly, especially in colder months. The area is open and can be windy.
The Angel of the North is free to visit, and the view of the massive sculpture is accessible from the car park, making it easy to enjoy for travelers by any mode of transport.
Enjoy! Here is a video I made at Angel of The North:
“After all, you’re my Wonderwall” – Noel Gallagher.
In 2022, I finally stopped and visited Hadrian’s Wall (Haidy’s W). I had of course passed it manys a time but this was my first time to stop, walk it, stand on it, understand it and backpack it! This is NOT the border between England and Scotland however, which is often assumed! It is way older than that – it is a wall in Northern England which was originally built to be a wall/border between Roman Britain and what is now the very north of England and all of Scotland🏴.
What is Hadrian’s Wall?
Hadrian’s Wall is a Roman fortification that stretches across Northern England. It was built during the rule of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD and served as a defensive barrier marking the northern limit of the Roman Empire in Britain. Lots of it still remains and you can backpack any brick of it and say you have backpacked it. We chose to hire a car and drive to the Birdoswald part. It was easy to drive to, not far from the current England to Scotland border, and near Gretna.
Some Information on Haidy’s W
Historical Context:
Built between AD 122 and 128, the wall was constructed after Emperor Hadrian visited Britain in AD 122. Its purpose was to control movement and trade and protect Roman Britain from the tribes in what is now Scotland.
Location:
The wall stretches approximately 73 miles (117 kilometers) across the width of northern Britain, from Wallsend (Segedunum) on the River Tyne near the North Sea in the east to Bowness-on-Solway on the Irish Sea in the west. I backpacked to Hadrian’s Wall when touring Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead.
Construction:
Originally planned to be made of stone for most of its length, some sections were built using turf. The height of the wall ranged from 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters), with a width of about 8 feet (2.4 meters).
It was reinforced by milecastles (small fortlets every Roman mile), watchtowers, and larger forts, like Birdoswald, Housesteads, and Vindolanda, which housed Roman garrisons.
Defensive and Administrative Role:
The wall served as both a military defense and a means of controlling trade and immigration. Roman soldiers stationed along the wall monitored movement, collected taxes, and enforced Roman law.
Gates along the wall allowed for controlled passage of people and goods between Roman Britain and the northern tribal lands.
Legacy:
After the end of Roman rule in Britain around AD 410, the wall fell into disrepair. Over centuries, stones were taken from it for building materials, though significant portions remain today.
In 1987, Hadrian’s Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of the “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” listing, which recognizes it as one of the most significant Roman remains in Europe.
Tourism and Archaeology:
Today, Hadrian’s Wall is one of Britain’s most famous historical landmarks and a popular destination for hiking, archaeological tours, and history enthusiasts. Many of the forts and museums along the wall, such as Vindolanda and Housesteads, offer insights into Roman life on the frontier.
Significance:
Hadrian’s Wall represents the might of Roman engineering and their ability to impose control over vast territories. It is a symbol of the empire’s reach and the complex relationships between Romans and local British tribes. The wall’s remnants continue to be a testament to Rome’s influence in shaping British history.
My Journey To Birdoswald
To visit Birdoswald Roman Fort, which is part of Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England, here are the steps you can follow:
1. Getting To Birdoswald
By Car: Birdoswald Roman Fort is located in Cumbria, near the town of Brampton. It’s accessible via the A69 road from Carlisle or Newcastle. From Carlisle, it’s about a 30-minute drive. This is what we did. Use the postcode CA8 7DD for navigation.
By Train: The nearest railway stations are Brampton and Haltwhistle. From there, you can take a local bus or taxi to Birdoswald.
By Bus: The AD122 Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus runs along the Hadrian’s Wall route during the summer months, providing access to many of the wall’s key sites, including Birdoswald.
Walking/Cycling: If you are hiking the Hadrian’s Wall Path or cycling the Hadrian’s Cycleway, Birdoswald is an excellent stop along the way.
2. Opening Hours
Check the official English Heritage website for the most up-to-date opening times and any seasonal variations. I was there in September 2022, those hours are in my photo below.
The site is generally open year-round, though hours can vary by season. Birdoswald Fort often closes earlier during the winter months.
3. Admission
There is an admission fee for entry to the fort and visitor center. Members of English Heritage and National Trust may get free or discounted entry.
You can buy tickets online in advance through the English Heritage website or at the site.
4. Facilities
Birdoswald has a visitor center with information about the history of the fort and Hadrian’s Wall.
There is a café on-site, offering refreshments.
Parking and restroom facilities are available.
5. Things to Do
Explore the Roman fort ruins and learn about the soldiers who once guarded Hadrian’s Wall.
Walk along well-preserved sections of Hadrian’s Wall near the fort.
Enjoy the stunning views over the River Irthing and the surrounding countryside.
Participate in guided tours or educational activities (check in advance if available).
6. Nearby Attractions
Housesteads Roman Fort and Vindolanda are other notable Roman sites along Hadrian’s Wall, both of which are a short drive or bus ride away from Birdoswald.
Gretna, where you can married on the day and whackpack into Scotland!
Planning Tips:
If you’re visiting in the summer, plan to spend more time walking along the wall to other points of interest.
Weather can be unpredictable, so bring appropriate gear if you plan to walk or spend time outdoors.
Go on a Sunday or after hours, as then parking is free.
We got snap happy, here are some more photos of my time backpacking Birdoswald, Hadrian’s Wall…
I wrote about some musical backpacking sights of London before. On that trip I backpacked Pulp, Oasis, The Clash, The Beatles and Iron Maiden. Sadly the day I visited Iron Maiden, the pub of their birthplace, was shut for renovation. I was there on 1st January 2020, just before the world was thrown intill chaos with the coronavirus pandemic.
Then in 2023, again when backpacking 🎒 in London, England 🏴 🇬🇧, I also visited The Cart And Horses Pub, The birthplace of heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It’s at Maryland on The Elizabeth 🟣 Tube Line.
“Questions are a burden and answers are a prison for oneself” – Iron Maiden.
You can either go to Maryland or West Ham train station – both are okay and walkable. I have actually done it both ways, use your Oyster Card (standard in London) and you can try the purple Elizabeth Line which opened not long before Queen Elizabeth II died.
Turn left out of Maryland station and keep walking and you can’t miss it – The Cart And Horses sits on a prominent corner.
Pints At The Cart And Horse, London, England
This time it was open although we only had time for two quick beers, even though we wanted a bite. The reason was we had booked a train to Birmingham that night and had to rush back to Euston. Rafal Kowalczyk, my best friend and a huge Iron Maiden was delighted that the bar was open this time. Here are a few photos from the trip.
We just opted for the cheapest beer on tap and chilled out for about an hour or so. It was good to finally tick this one off.
Here are the details of The Cart And Horses Pub, Maryland, London:
Sheffield FC are widely regarded as the oldest club in world football that have been continuously playing. They were formed in 1857 and as much as I hate FIFA, they are the governing body of world football and they recognise Sheffield FC as the world’s first football club. That’s staggering that they have been around since 1857. The people’s game, the game we love is almost 170 years old, clubwise. At least here in a leafy, tranquil Sheffield suburb known as Dronfield.
This is more than a trip down memory lane for the football enthusiast, this is where it all began. I reminisced on some of my previous wacaday football trips in my life, here’s a memory jog blog –
Somehow, this one, and this time I was about to eclipse all of those. Surely not? Surely yes. This is the HOME of football.
Also, this was my second trip to Sheffield and my third football stadium in Sheffield, completing a remarkable and unplanned 20 season journey. I first visited Sheffield in March 2004, when, on Saint Patrick’s Night the plucky Cherries smashed a textbook away win against Sheffield Wednesday, at Hillsborough. That was in the Third Division and AFC Bournemouth won 2-0, with goals from Carl Fletcher and Steve Fletcher.
Then, in a staggering lifestyle, I’d start this travel blog (in 2007) and backpack the world before returning back to Sheffield on a really sentimental trip, twenty seasons on and two hundred and twenty countries backpacked later…wild times.
“It really really really could happen” – Damon Albarn.
On my return, we also won away in Sheffield by two clear goals, this time a 3-1 win! I even had the same flag and posed for the same photo in the away end behind the nets. Ironically in both matches, the first two Cherries goals were both scored in the first half at the opposite end from where we were (the away fans)!
And after securing that wacaday brace, it was time for the treat – we were heading to the home of football.
My Visit To The Home Of Football: Sheffield FC, England (Formed 1857) – Getting There
I was with my best friend Rafał on this trip and we decided to go by train as it is the quickest way. Basically the train leaves from Sheffield Central Station and the next stop is Dronfield. From Dronfield train station to The Home of Football is about a 15 minute walk. There’s also a bus if need be. Sorted.
We were on the 12:06 from Sheffield to Nottingham which would stop first at Dronfield. We would be there by twenty past 12 and then a 15 to 20 minute walk to the Home Of Football Stadium. Then…at 12:28 the train was still not here and the sign went up for INDUSTRIAL ACTION and train strikes.
This was a bummer as we planned a return on the train too. Still, a train arrived just after half past twelve and was apparently a replacement train to Dronfield. We got on.
Then it was also cancelled, so we got off. There was a bus option but it had too many stops on the way and we couldn’t miss this trip on our last day in England on this adventure, so we bit the Uber bullet and within 5 minutes, our driver Mohammed (from Pakistan where I had just backpacked!) arrived and drove us straight there for £12.
Thanks to Mohammed and we are here – at the Home of Football Stadium!
The Car Park at Sheffield FC (Home of Football, 1857)
Actually there are two car parks at Sheffield FC, we arrived at the one by the pub, the Coach And Horses. It was a drizzly wet Monday and nobody else was about. We hadn’t even emailed or called the club Sheffield FC to check if it would be open. We got lucky anyway.
The pub was on the right and glancing down at us there it is – the Home of Football Stadium. 1857. This is Sheffield FC. It’s one of those wow moments in life.
We walk round past the car park into the staff car park and find the entrance. It’s open.
“Can we go inside for a look please?” I shyly ask.
“Of course you can!” the response!
Now I have been very busy travelling, writing, blogging, teaching and editing recently so this is not as long a blog post as mine normally are. It’s more about photos and trying to inspire you to visit and see it all for yourself. We pop into the stands through the players entrance.
The Stands at Sheffield FC (Home of Football, 1857)
Here are some photos from the stands and stadium, we went on the pitch, it gets quite wet this one and the club are planning to move soon, so now is a good time to go!
The Club Shop at Sheffield FC (Home of Football, 1857)
The groundsman kindly opened up the club shop which is as small and typical as you’d expect. I picked up two cards as mementos here but wasn’t quite ready to buy a full kit, but you can buy them! Even the retro one and the goalkeeper top.
The Office/Boardroom at Sheffield FC (Home of Football, 1857)
We chatted to Stuart and Dylan who were working the day we visited. The boardroom is fascinating, and reveals some interesting secrets, I’ll leave you to discover them for yourself. The club played Inter Milan before, as well as Polish club Hutnik Krakow and Northern Irish club Cliftonville. It wasn’t clear whether these were all full level matches, friendlies or where they were held but get ready for a treat with all the signed shirts and pennants in the club office.
The Changing Rooms At Sheffield FC (Home of Football, 1857)
Our last port of call was to check out the changing rooms and player’s entrance which had some facts and plaques around too. All highly curious and well maintained. A proper football club and I’m delighted to have been there and I wish success to all at Sheffield FC. Thanks for a great tour!
Pint, Pie and Chips at Sheffield FC? (Home of Football, 1857)
Unfortunately we weren’t here on matchday and even The Coach and Horses Pub wasn’t open on our visit, but you can get a pint in the club bar in the stadium, there’s a Pie Club and The Coach and Horses, the bar next door is open on every matchday for good ales and banter. One for another day…this is a highly recommended trip!!
Here are the details about The Home Of Football: Sheffield FC, England (Formed 1857):
“You come in on your own and you leave on your own” – Richard Ashcroft.
My latest trip back to England threw up undoubtedly more surprises than my backpacking glory days in that country. I spent a few days back in Birmingham. It’s a city I’ve been to many times of course, mostly to visit and hang out with Lock In Lee Adams. Indeed Lee, and Birmingham have featured manys a time on my blogs and books from Europe’s (former) longest bar to an 8-0 away win at Birmingham City FC to touring the nearby hat-trick of West Bromwich Albion, Halesowen and Shell Corner. Here are a few of those memories…
One of my best friends here for a hat-trick of decades is Lock In Lee Adams, who I met while studying at Bournemouth University. We were in The Lock In (a spoof Big Brother) together. That story did feature a bit on my blogs down the years and is also a Chapter in Don’t Look Back In Bangor.
Again we met up in 2023 on this jaunt, including an epic Black ⚫️ Sabbath Pub crawl on Black ⚫️ Friday 2023, the day I launched my new book, The Black ⚫️ Volume. As well as eating Black pudding, I opted again for a pint of black ⚫️ 🍺Guinness and this was a special one. We poured it ourselves at Autobrew. Yes, we visited the UK’s first EVER self-service bar! It’s housed in the building below…where those arrows are on the left hand side (or you can also enter from the Custard Factory side).
What Is Autobrew?
Autobrew is the UK’s first self service bar. You don’t need to talk to anyone. You just walk in, buy your beer, then pour it yourself. Here’s their website and their craic.
We walked it from Central Birmingham. It’s an easy 15 minute walk from the centre to the quirky neighbourhood of Digbeth. It’s actually also not far from Birmingham Coach station, and is also on route to Birmingham City FC. Eventually, at Saint Andrew’s. Also nearby are the quirky districts known as The Chinese Quarter and Gay Village. We backpacked them both as well on route as they are art and have dozens of murals to admire.
Once you arrive in Digbeth, prepare to be charmed by its art and calm. This is yet another part of Birmingham that many backpackers avoided. Digbeth in short, is an artistic neighbourhood, with streets full of quirky art, murals and pubs in every nook or cranny. Courtyards spring up out of nowhere from US president murals to Spiderman to scrap metal crushed cars against a wall. Not surprisingly, there’s also an art college here, never mind a load of bars, cafes and of course the UK’s first ever self-service bar, Autobrew.
Plus, it’s also the home of custard! You can tour The Courtyard at the Custard Factory here. Which is opposite Autobrew!
How Autobrew Works
You walk in through the door (opening hours listed below) and you simply collect your card from the bar, top it up (cash or card payments are accepted) and then you easily pour the drinks yourself. There was a staff member working here at the time, and it was the cool artist Robbie Jeffcott. Rob has created a few of the murals nearby, including the classic Ozzy Osborne one in the courtyard by the pub. I caught up with Robbie for a chat.
If you don’t feel confident to pour your own beer, a staff-member can deliver them to your table via their order system. Cans and bottles from the Craft Fridge are also available for drinking inside or takeout, but it’s always cooler to pour your own. Plus you can grab your own coffee and snacks too using the card system.
We were only having a pint each so we paid the exact price of one pint of Guinness, and one pint of Ale on the card. You stick the card above the taps and pour away! I was with my Polish friend Rafal and we just decided to have one chilled out beer here, for the memory, for the quirk. Prices will obviously vary depending on the beer. My Guinness was £6.80, Rafal’s was slightly cheaper. Of course my Guinness was easy to pour given my backpacking barwork experience in 5 countries.
For those who have never poured a beer before, it’s six easy steps written above the taps, so enjoy!
The novelty won’t wear off. This is a cool new thing! I loved it!
Slainte! Cheers! Na Zdrowie!
Here are the details of Autobrew, England’s first Self-Service Bar:
Located in: Custard Factory
Address: The Custard Factory, 10-11, Greenhouse, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4DJ, England
“The air coming up to the boil; rubbing up against walls and lamp-posts trying to get rid of it. Old women clack their tongues in the shade of crumbling concrete bus shelters” – Jarvis Cocker (Pulp – Sheffield: Sex City).
Sheffield FC are widely regarded as the oldest club in world football that have been continuously playing. They were formed in 1857. That’s staggering. The people’s game, the game we love is almost 170 years old, clubwise. Yet in all of my backpacking travels, football geekery and global tourism, I still haven’t been to Sheffield FC. I wrote about 100 football experiences from 100 countries but Sheffield didn’t make it. However, I have of course been to Sheffield, and that is the reason for this post. I was in Sheffield once, during the 2003-2004 football season. I was there on Saint Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2004. It was a Wednesday night. I went to Hillsborough stadium 🏟 to support my club, AFC Bournemouth 🍒 against Sheffield Wednesday 🦉 away.
On the night, we won 2-0. I was there with Austin and the famous Millwall Neil. It was a brilliant night and trip to Sheffield. It was also my first ever AFC Bournemouth away match!
Fast forward twenty seasons and here in 2023-2024 I am returning to Sheffield!! And for the same reason. Football! This time I am going to Sheffield United v AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League (Division One/Top Tier). I will be returning to Sheffield. This time to visit Brammal Lane with a side trip to Sheffield FC.
In days gone by, I used to play football too. Although this trip is for watching and supporting only.If you are playing regularly, of course you will need a full kit, some football cleat insoles and shinpads as well as decent boots. These days, it’s more than just kicking ball down the park with all the added fitness expectations, levels and rules. However, back in 1998, I was actually a national football champion in my home country of Northern Ireland when we won the National BB Cup and we won that at Loughgall’s Lakeview Park stadium!
So very soon, I cannot wait for my return to Sheffield. As well as backpacking the sights of the city, I might check out The Crucible Snooker Theatre and some places related to the 1990s Britpop band Pulp. Pulp were fronted by Jarvis Cocker, they hail from Sheffield mostly. Though interestingly, their keyboard player Candida Doyle is actually from Northern Ireland!
These are exciting times as I prepare to backpack a few more countries by the end of the year and I have finally completed my Backpacking Centurion series, with The Black Volume being released on 7th November 2023.
“What you leave behind, you don’t miss anyway” – Paul Hewson.
Friday 26th September 2003.
That’s twenty years ago today. Madness. This was the day when life unknowingly all changed for me. It did for me and it could for you too and you will never expect that. I certainly wasn’t ready for a new life. I didn’t have time. Excrement to that.
” You’ve been so busy lately that you haven’t found the time” – Damon Albarn.
The week was a new changed life. It all started on Friday 26th September 2003, about 3 a.m. But let’s backtrack a bit…
“The grass is always greener on the other side” – Anon.
On Monday 22nd September 2003, I had a staff night out in The Beach Bar in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Workmates were there from my job at Steenson’s Food Centre in the seaside town of Bangor. I worked with a lot of people there over a two year period before sowing my seeds to leave behind, Northern Ireland. I have a few photos from those days, but the only one I found in a box this week was with Sarah who worked with me there. Oh we were so young. The following day, the Tuesday, I was back in work at Steenson’s with Chris, Dickie, Janine, Sarah, Emma, Garry, Trevor, Alma, Mark, Jonny G, Steven Boyd, Tracey and Mildred.
That evening, Tuesday 23rd September 2003, I did a final farewell pub crawl in my homecity (then, my hometown) of Bangor in Northern Ireland. On that pub crawl, were my mates Darren Latimer and Gavin Moore, my brother Marko and Debbie, Darren’s girlfriend. It was a quick quiet farewell really because I was leaving Northern Ireland to move to Bournemouth, England. We said our goodbyes and that was that. Twenty years on, I haven’t seen Gavin Moore or Debbie since! Ridiculous but true. And I’ve only seen Darren once since then, a short night out, again in Bangor in 2005. Life was about to change, forever. But I didn’t know it then and I wouldn’t have predicted it. One of my previous jobs in Bangor was working with Darren in McMillen’s Bar and restaurant, this photo below is 2001 though I was close friends with Darren up until I left in 2003.
And then that week, I worked in Steenson’s on the Wednesday and Thursday and then came home to pack for my trip. On the Friday, I’d leave Northern Ireland at 3 a.m. for Bournemouth in England. As I type this up, TWENTY years on, it’s staggering that I never returned. I just never moved back there, not even for Easters, Christmases or Summers. In fact my longest time back in Northern Ireland since then was only when I broke my leg in 2007 and fell into depression in 2016, when I spent a few weeks in my homeland. Yet suddenly, from 3 a.m. on Friday 26th September 2003, I had left Northern Ireland forever. If you told me that back then I’d never have believed you. I’m flabbergasted.
“You never know what’s around the chimney corner” – RT.
“You don’t know what awaits you in life. Sometimes, you can’t predict it” – AM.
Why Bournemouth?
Oh this was destiny. Come on. I was meant to move here. Of that there is no doubt. If you really don’t know the story by now, then you’ll have to read my books on it, or meet me down the pub. In that, you’ll know it was a mixture of –
Coastal B seaside towns on the brain (Ballyholme, Bangor, Belfast, Boscombe, Bournemouth)
Northern Ireland’s last World Cup goal was scored by Colin Clarke (then of AFC Bournemouth)
Northern Ireland legend George Best’s last European club was AFC Bournemouth
I was too busy working to choose a university for UCAS so I stuck the first 6 alphabetically (Belfast, Brighton, Aberystwyth, Bournemouth…)
Bournemouth was the first of those 6 to accept me
If I hadn’t got into Bournemouth University, I had decided I wasn’t going to any University at all
“It was written in the stars for me to score that goal” – Steve “Super Fletch” Fletcher. “We were bust and going down, but Fletcher scored v. Grimsby Town” – Jonny Blair.
But there was more to it than sticking a pin on a map. A few weeks earlier, I had received confirmation from Queen’s University in Belfast that I had got a 72% grade in my Tech Access Course. It was a ridiculous result for me. I needed 70% to pass. I needed 70% to get into Bournemouth University as I had chosen a course that was strict to get into – BA Honours Public Relations. Bournemouth had requested I submit an essay and get over 70%.
Here, in Newtownards my birthtown, I was studying English Literature, Irish History, European History and Sociology. A quadruple that sure as hell inspired my journeys later. I passed that course with wacaday aplomb and this meant I was accepted onto a new course at Bournemouth University in England – Bachelor Of Arts Honours Public Relations. I had no idea what that even meant!
Working full time in the local butchery and salad bar, this was a victory for the underdog, against the run of play. There was time for one last Northern Ireland home match, versus Armenia before I headed away. Weirdly, since that 1-0 defeat, we haven’t played Armenia since!
I was too busy working to expect I’d pass that course. I worked flat out. 6 days a week at Steensons Food Centre. I’d work 5 of the days between Monday and Saturday and then I’d work every Sunday. I was saving money to be able to survive when I moved to England. If I ever got that 70% grade.
“I miss you like a hole in the head, because I do boy” – Sugababes.
In honesty, I hadn’t expected to pass that course and get it. I felt like an underdog. I wouldn’t make it. But then the news came in that morning when I drove to Ards Tech to collect my results. 72%! I was in. I was going to Bournemouth! Seaside B towns on the brain (Ballyholme, Bangor, Belfast, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Brzezno…), inspired by George Best and Colin Clarke, this was my dream, my new adventure. My trip to from B to B, Bangor to Bournemouth was overland and oversea. I wasn’t flying in with a Miss World like Geordie had done…
Caught in the here and now, I travelled to Bournemouth by car. I had my own car back then. Those shifts in the local pub and butchery had helped me own that. The car was paid off and I loved that car. A white Hyundai Accent 1.3 litre.
Even my move to Bournemouth was a sign of things to come. I backpacked 4 countries on route!! From Bangor through Newry in Northern Ireland and down to Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland. I had filled my car with things I might need for my new life in Bournemouth. Dad was more a traveller than Mum and so he wanted to come with me and help me settle in. Although my parents were never big travellers, Mum had backpacked in Canada and Dad had backpacked in northern Spain. They both did that in the 1960s. Each time I tried to chat to them about it, they didn’t want to tell me about it, they always tell me to focus on the present and the future, but the sentimental past intrigues me more! I still wonder how tourism all was back then. I was leaving behind a life here in Northern Ireland, could I cope without all that? No more Marlo, Kilmaine, Ballyholme, BGS, Glentoran, Belfast, Northern Ireland…
The four country trip to Bournemouth
That morning, Friday 26th September 2003, after byballing sleepy Newry, we were now in the Republic of Ireland. We then went from Rosslare to Fishguard in Wales with Brittany ferries ⛴️.
Then I drove across the border into England, passing by Warminster and Sturminster Newton to end up in the seaside town of Poole. In the irony of life, despite moving to Bournemouth that day, I’d be working in Poole, studying in Poole and later (at Alton Road) living in Poole. My first stop was at Bournemouth University in Poole. It was here where the reception held my house key for a “unilet”.
I had organised through Bournemouth University to sleep in a flatshare (“unilet”) in the district of Charminster, on Avon Road, number 72. This was a 6 bedroom house and the mystery awaited me. I had no idea who these new flatmates would be!! Actually, that was exciting. Somewhere in the previous week they had changed the plans and I would now be sharing a 4 bedroom house in the district of Springbourne. My address was to be 256 Holdenhurst Road. No Google Maps back then, I had no clue where it was or what it would look like.
Once here, I’d never forget it, and the first thing I did was to check how close the AFC Bournemouth football stadium (Dean Court) was. Dean Court was, to all intents and purposes at the end of the Holdenhurst Road. 20 minutes walk. This dream was certain to be a good one. I picked up my keys 🔑 and opened the door of my new house. I was in room 1, on the lower floor. There was nobody else in the house. Back in 2003, I wasn’t on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram. Some of them hadn’t even been invented yet! I was on Friends Reunited and Bebo! If you remember those. I had never heard of Google or Wikipedia. My search engines were Altavista and Yahoo. I used Ask Jeeves if I couldn’t find something.
“Times have changed but I’ve only aged a little” – Jonny Blair.
It’s also important to note that when I started University, I had never used a laptop before, nor bought or owned one. I simply didn’t know how to use a laptop. We did have a Bournemouth University login portal though and it looked like this –
In 2003, I had never used videocalls, smartphones, photo messages and even rarely emails back then. Technology was on the evening of a golden rage. 50% of our assignments at university were done by paper and pen and handed in to be marked the same way. Hardly anything at university was done online in my day.
“Don’t know what is pushing me higher. It’s the static from the floor below” – Girls Aloud.
So while we didn’t have all that technology back then, at least in the flat, we did have the classic paper and pen. And that’s how I got to know who my new flatmates were. In the kitchen of our flat, we each chose cupboards. I had been the last of the four of us to arrive, yet the first to move in. Basically I learnt my other three flatmates grew up in England. They had all popped into the house on the Monday of that week to choose their cupboards, move some stuff in, check the place out and leave notes. Then, they had left, back to their English hometowns. I was to learn that Steve was from Horndean in Portsmouth. Hannah was from Oxon in Oxfordshire and had been born in Sri Lanka 🇱🇰. Claire was from Cowroast near Tring and Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. They had all left notes, introducing themselves and writing they’d be back to move in properly on the Saturday! I liked the idea of 2 girls, 2 guys. A cosy start to a fresh new life.
“Traded in my sorrows for the joy that I borrowed; back in the day” – Kylie Minogue.
I moved in for good on the Friday. Dad was with me. That first Friday night will stick in my mind. I seem to have a better memory for things that happened way back then, than what happened this week. After unpacking all my stuff at that new house, Dad and I went for a walk. It was already dark by then. We dandered to the left out my front door, as this road was a main road that headed into town. A few streets down and we found a small Italian restaurant called Casa Pepe. We ate in there and knew there was a live English Premier League match an hour later. It was Arsenal v Newcastle United. That Italian restaurant, Casa Pepe, I only was ever in twice. The second time would come in January 2004 for a date with Emma Halstead. It doesn’t exist now, like many things in my life.
Again, we continued our walk into town from here and on a corner near an Asda and a Halfords, we found a pub. It had white walls and red writing and was called Samson’s Bar.
We popped in and got 2 seats, 2 pints of Carling and the football came on. My Granda is Sam, Dad’s Dad so the irony that our first bar and beer in Bournemouth fell on “Sam Son’s” wasn’t lost on the brace. Two of them were here. No prefix (Dad) and grand (me).
[photo to be added]
As we watched Arsenal bate Newcastle United 3-2 that night, we heard some live music from a bar next door. It turned out that Samson’s was connected to a rock club / nightbar called The Villa.
There were a few vacant seats at our table and some rock lads asked if they could join us. They could and they were Fleudian Slip, a Pink Floyd covers band. After the match we headed back to my new home and slept. Dad slept there that night. It had been a tiring trip. The next morning we were up early sorting my stuff into various rooms (lounge, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom). We went to the shops B and Q and Wilkinson to grab a few more essentials and then…I met my three new housemates, they all moved in that day. In order, I met Hannah, Claire, then Steve.
Steve, Hannah and Claire. Luckily they all also moved in with help from their parents so it wasn’t uncomfortable that Dad was here. In fact, the parents all went together to the University campus that day for a parents event! I had now moved in to my new home. With that group of 4 we decided on going out that evening for drinks and to get to know each other. Claire had reckoned we head to the “student bar”. Even though there were three student bars on our street – Heat, The Inferno and The Old Fire Station, we headed by taxi across into Poole to Dylans Bar. The place was rammed. Totally packed out. At the start I began to get frustrated actually. Service at the bar was so slow (not like in the photo below).
There were no free seats and the queue at the bar was huge. I could hear the echo and subsequent strange looks as I spoke in a Northern Irish accent in a room packed with English people. I was the foreigner here, the outcast, the odd one out.
“One million light years from home, throwing up and feeling small” – Tim Wheeler.
At the start, I didn’t like that. I wanted to be the same as everyone else, but I wasn’t. I had been naive all those years, of studying English language, English Literature, Irish History, British History and Politics.
Now it was clear to me. There was no country called “UK”, “United Kingdom” or “United Queendom” for me. This was a country called England. I wasn’t from here.
I’m from a country called Northern Ireland.
The contrasts were staggering. Now. It was only now when I realised it and then, I revelled in it.
Once I knew I was a foreigner here, I loved it. I put my Northern Ireland flag on my bedroom wall the day I moved in.
I’d also form an international group in University. Soon, I’d be studying with people from a load of different countries. Early ones were England, Wales, Botswana, Isle of Man and Costa Rica. I’d later work with people from Guinea, New Zealand, Poland, Australia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, France, Algeria, Germany, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Venezeula, a pretty dancer from Hungary and more…I was suddenly global and Bournemouth is where that all began. This was a bigger world here than in my Bangor homecity.
“Round round baby the world’s spinning out on me” – Mis-heard Sugababes lyrics.
So back to that first night in the packed bar, Dylan’s, as I was queueing in a mad frenzy for cheap beers, my irritation was clear to see. I’m impatient. I hate queues. When I turned to the random lad next to me in the queue, I thought well everybody is in the same boat here, we are probably all new to this bar, this University, this town. However the lad next to me wasn’t. We got talking in the queue. He was Austin. In the noisyness of the bar, I heard his name as “Ossty” and knew for sure I was in a wild foreign land. Austin was local, from Poole. Like me though, Austin was also out on his first night out with his new University housemates. Soon we were talking like a house on fire. He was an AFC Bournemouth fan, a local cherry. I told him about George Best, Colin Clarke, Jimmy Quinn and Warren Feeney. 4 famous Northern Irishmen who played football for AFC Bournemouth. Before we’d even got to the bar to be served (the queue was people deep), he’d invited me to the AFC Bournemouth match that next Saturday, at home to Hartlepool United at Dean Court. He’d also invited me and my new housemate Steve to their table as they had some space. Then finally I got served an ice cold beer. At Austin’s table, our two houses came together as we met the girls Hannah, Sarah and Ali. By coincidence Hannah was on my course and Sarah was studying journalism which I had done in Belfast before. We also met the lads Chris and Haz. After a few drinks, we all decided on a nightclub and chose the Showbar. We partied in there. I had new friends, a new life and a new adventure. Here’s a photo of the four of my new flatmates on our first night out.
Steve. Jonny. Hannah. Claire.
I loved being the foreigner here. Within a week, I’d have started my university course, got a local bus pass, got two new jobs (ironically in ASDA and Tesco – rivals), watched the Cherries and met Warren Feeney! After one week, I knew I wasn’t going back to Northern Ireland. I just knew it. Life had turned on its head.
There was no way I was moving back to Northern Ireland, when I now had all this…
The Cherries – My Love For AFC Bournemouth
Having met local Cherries fan Austin on the Saturday (27th September 2003), we arranged to meet in The Dolphin Pub pre-match for Hartlepool United at home, the following Saturday. Steve my housemate also came and over the next few years, we’d develop a bigger group of Cherries fans all going together. This first match was unforgettable and I fell in love with the place from day one! While warming up, Warren Feeney spotted my flag and came over for a quick chat!! We went 1-0 down and then Warren Feeney came on as sub. He scored one and set up one as we went 2-1 up. In the 90th minute, a Gavin Strachan free-kick dimmed it as a 2-2 score but I was in love already and felt like I’d always been a Cherry. Over the next 6 years, I’d amass over 100 home matches and about 30 away matches. It was nuts. I’d meet Warren Feeney, Steve Fletcher, James Hayter, Brian Stock and Eddie Howe.
“Boscombe back of the net” – AFC Bournemouth fans.
“Up the Cherries; in all departments” – AFC Bournemouth fans.
My Jobs In Bournemouth
In the first week, I got a job in both Tesco and ASDA. When it came to choosing one, I eliminated ASDA as they wanted me to work every Saturday, which dug into the football time. In fact it was a crazy story as I broke the overhead projector at my ASDA interview and still got the job!! I’d also work for the Students Union, on Nerve Radio, on Nerve TV, for Nerve Magazine. By the next summer, I was working by the beach selling ice cream and back in the bar trade working nights on the bar at the Heathlands Hotel (where ironically I had stayed on my first ever visit to Bournemouth in 1994). Jobs there kept coming and I’d also work in the theatre, the BIC, the arcades, on ferries and even at a crazy golf place. There were so many jobs available in those days! I estimate I made 500 new friends from all over the world. It was madness.
“It’s funny how your new life didn’t change things. You’re still the same old boy you used to be” – The Eagles.
The Likely Lads
Aside from my housemates and coursemates, there were so many young people around to meet. In my first year at university, I met two of the lads who would become friends for life – The Famous Millwall Neil and Lock In Lee (Lee Adams).
I’d end up at Millwall matches with Neil when I later lived in London and actually we met up in 4 continents since, backpacking over 10 countries together, room-sharing in 3 of those – he was my flatmate in England, Australia and Taiwan!!
“Bo bez ciebie nie ma nic” – Pawel Kukiz.
In my second summer, I’d meet Rafal from Warszawa in Poland who worked with me (at one point I was actually his boss!) and he was to become my best mate and we’d tour 8 countries together.
PR Course
On the PR course, my favourite girls were Rebecca (from Marlow) and Clare (from Ashington). Lovely ladies, I’d later house-share with Clare. I’d guest on the radio station B1rst as well, also in my first year living there.
Of course there was studying to be done here too, but that was the fifth most important thing for me here. My top 5 would have been –
1.work (we need money)
2.partying
3.football
4.radio/PR
5.the actual degree itself (it was the least important thing – it was really just an excuse to be here!)
Nerve Radio
Then there was Nerve Radio. I DJ-ed again, as I had done on Radio Belvoir at Tech in Northern Ireland. Here it was a bit more professional. “Jonny Blair on the Air” was back and I’d use it to my advantage to get a load of nights out and awards events. I did over 300 radio shows on Nerve, including about 50 on FM. It was all a bit mental. I met Colin Murray, DJ-ed with him in Jumpin Jaks and did a nude radio show for Comic Relief.
The Lock-in (University Big Brother)
I got chosen for the university Big Brother project in my first year. The first auditions were held in D2, the student bar and I passed. The second auditions were held in The Commodore in Southbourne and then I was voted in by the “public” by a text message vote. It was called “The Lock In” and like many things, it also turned my life on its head. I wasn’t shy or solemn anymore, I was wild and confident. In the Gameshow itself, I finished third and should have been second. Weirdly in the final 6, the three lads came in the top 3 and the three girls were 4th, 5th and 6th. That proved to me, that the vote hadn’t been fixed – it was honest.
Lock In Lee, of course, was the deserved winner and became one of my best mates – we encourage freaks.
“Before my eyes, beyond the stars, beneath the sun” – Tim Wheeler.
On the final day, when it was announced I was third, I came out buoyant and wearing my Glentoran shirt and flying high my Northern Ireland flag – everybody else in it was English so I particularly enjoyed that. The coincidence and fate played a part as that is when I first met The Famous Millwall Neil. He was out with his coursemates supporting Danny, also in The Lock In.
“Water’s running in the wrong direction; got a feeling it’s a mixed up sign” – Girls Aloud.
If The Lock-In felt like madness, it had only just begun. Lee and I would hat-trick the Big Brother Auditions (and not get in!). I’d later partake in another university project called “Locked Out” (a spoof of “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here) and muster an invite to the NASTAs, which was utter mayhem. Speaking of which…
National Students Awards (the NASTAs)
This madness would reach a peak in April 2005 when I went to the National Student Television Awards (NASTAs) in Loughborough to represent Bournemouth. I couldn’t have dreamt of being invited to such a thing, in a town of 200,000 people and a University with over 3,000 students! But there I was. My radio station boss Jason Hawkins had invited me and we won a few awards and got smashed on free booze for three nights! When collecting an award, we’d all been drinking loads of champagne and beer. They let me go up and collect the award with Alex McKee (who also worked with Nerve Media). When collecting the award, I told the audience of 500 that I’d just got back from “watching Northern Ireland away in Poland” and that “it makes a change to spunking off a monkey in yer bedroom”. Those were wild nights. We all looked really good too – despite lack of sleep and nights on the booze. A shoutout to Alex, Paul, Sandra, Rachael, Jason and Eric – our Bournemouth Team – cosy group!
And so there you go – Bournemouth was where it all properly began for me, TWENTY years ago today. Of course, I’d later leave the seaside town behind, backpack 200 countries, work in 50 jobs, get engaged and split up, study in 6 countries, live in 7 countries and sink into depression. The euphoria of those early days in Bournemouth cannot be beaten. I just didn’t mellow. I just worked and worked and partied and partied and then travelled. It doesn’t always work out right. So it doesn’t.
“I’m not sure if it’ll ever work out right, but it’s okay. It’s alright” – Noel Gallagher.
“Because it never ever ever works out right” – Noel Gallagher.
Here 20 years on, I’ve got busier, now leading a quadruple life where I work as a writer, blogger, teacher and marketer. I live in Poland. I’ve released 5 printed books now, and 5 paper books. For sure I’m proud of that and I know they’re good. The best is yet to come. I’m so busy now, that I’m years behind. I have 3 more books written but not released; I have 1,000 plus unwritten blog posts, 1,000 plus poems penned and I will never find the time to finish all that and release them.
Despite all that, in the end though, leaving Northern Ireland 20 years ago was still possibly the worst decision of my life. It didn’t bring happiness or the only thing I wanted in life, which is of course a wife and kids. Well I found them, about five times. They just didn’t want me, on the flipside. It was supposed to be *** and she got me all wrong. She was the one for me and I was the one for her. It’s still her face, I’m looking for, on every street.
“It’s your face I’m looking for on every street” – Dire Straits.
Maybe one day, something better than all this will happen to me. For now, thanks Bournemouth and as always “Up The Fucking Cherries!”
“You’ll never change what’s been and gone” – Noel Gallagher.
I don’t have many videos from my early days in Bournemouth, but here are a few I managed to find down the years:
As always, I’ll never get time to write all the stories I want to write. I had a glance at my places slept and places visited list today and they are nowhere near updated – there are a lot of places I have been that I have never mentioned, nevermind written about. Officially, I’ve been to Milton Keynes twice. This is a part of England that confuses people. Was it built from scratch? Is it a town or a city? What is Milton Keynes? Why is it not Northampton? Who are MK Dons? AFC Wimbledon fans might want to look away for this post, though bear in mind that I have backpacked Wimbledon before, met the Womble of Wimbledon, covered Wimbledon’s away trip to Real Madrid and I recognise Wimbledon as a real football club, and MK Dons as an artificial/thieving one.
However this post is actually about Milton Keynes, and Woughton! In summer 1992, I was with my parents on an epic overland trip through 4 countries. We went by car through Northern Ireland, then Scotland, then England and finally we got a ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe – we were on the Stena Londoner and the Stena Parisien (one there, one back). Before that, we backpacked Larne to Stranraer on the Stena Antrim. And yes I was backpacking in those days – my bag was my backpack from school so I was a backpacker and an overland tourist, though Dad was the main driver. Sadly, photos don’t really exist from those days. I’m from Generation X and we remember a life before the internet, the SmartPhone and blogs – all those gimmicks, the Gen Z-ers and Millennials know about. I did find a few photos though…
As a kid, I used to love building Lego boats – I loved the ferry crossings from Northern Ireland to England, to Scotland and from Republic of Ireland to Wales and England.
Arrival in Milton Keynes
I remember it was late afternoon when my Dad drove us in to the city of Milton Keynes – we had driven down from Stranraer on a long day of driving. It was an odd place but Dad had one of those UK road Atlas books in the car and it was written that there was a hotel of some sort called The Woughton House Hotel. We decided to stop and see if they had any free rooms for the night. Dad was always fighting a bargain, and my Mum was even more of a bargain hunter and still is! She’s the queen of bargains. This hotel looked amazing, as a 12 year old I loved it and hoped we could a bargain to sleep here – otherwise we’d end up in a B and B somewhere. Tonight, we got lucky.
So when we arrived, tired and weary at the Woughton House Hotel, I remember thinking how plush and posh it looked. Somehow Mum and Dad got us a bargain or two adjacent family rooms with ensuites including free shower gel, shampoo and soap and breakfast the next day. I’m guessing they bargained down to about 60% of the original price. I shared a room with my brother Marko and sister Cathy. My youngest brother Daniel was born in 1994, so he wasn’t here at Woughton House Hotel. The bar looks like this now, below – it wasn’t quite so swanky back in 1992.
The Woughton House Hotel
Our room was elegant and excellent. This was glory days loyal. My love of travel digs right back to those days. Backpacking in Woughton – who does that? Well maybe Trevor Warman from Nomadic Backpacker who grew up nearby and has written about backpacking Bletchley, Bletchley Park and Milton Keynes. I backpacked Warsaw in Poland with Trevor in 2024.
Ye Olde Swan For Dinner
After checking in, putting our bags in our rooms and freshening up, we made the short walk nearby to the local pub for our dinner. It was called Ye Olde Swan and was a textbook English country pub.
It was a warm July evening and dinner would have been something like chicket nuggets, beans and onion rings. Afterwards, ice cream and sauce. Memorably I had 2 bottles of a fizzy lemon drink called GINI. I have never seen or drank that drink before, after or since – only during my time backpacking in Woughton. I Googled it to check it wasn’t all a dream…it exists and is a French drink!
Milton Keynes After 1992: Oasis Away
13 years later with Millwall Neil, Jody and John Johnson we backpacked Milton Keynes again but only for a day – we attended the Oasis concert here at the Milton Keynes Bowl in July 2005. One of the biggest memories of this concert was seeing some truly beautiful girls near us showing their breasts! Those sorts of memories just stick with us. They never told us their names. As an AFC Bournemouth fan, I also saw us play home matches a few times with the Keynes side, MK Dons. The Oasis concert was huge and quite memorable – it’s part of a 4 day book story which also includes us surviving London’s 7/7 bombings which were 2 days before and we were on the tube just before the first bomb.
In an odd twist of fate, my Dad ended up BACK at the Woughton House Hotel later in life, on a business trip with Business In The Community. He spoke of the oddness at being there alone, years on, for work. For me, and for this lifetime I don’t want or need to go back to Woughton. It was a great memory of a fond time and I’ll leave it at that. Here are some links, maps and videos of the Woughton House Hotel. Thanks for the memories.
Page · Hotel · Restaurant
Newport Road. Woughton On The Green, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom