Blob Thing has been having a long think about what to talk about. He's decided that it would be good to tell you about a long walk he went on in June.
It was an unexpected day. Blob and his person had decided to start a very long journey and see how far they would get before being too tired to continue. The journey would be from Sunderland to Hartlepool - the river Wear to the river Tees, following the coast as much as possible. That was the plan but sometimes plans change. And sometimes that's okay. And sometimes it's much more than okay. That day was one of the more than okay times.
Blob and his person caught the Metro to the stop before Sunderland. It's called St. Peter's and it's named after a nearby church at which you can see the outline of where a monastery stood from the seventh century. It's the site where Saint Bede the Venerable spent much of his childhood. Blob's person has looked round the church there a few times - it's full of interesting things and it's a good place to eat lunch. Blob wants to visit it sometime and he also wants to visit the glass museum that's very close. On this walk day he went into the glass museum but only to use the loo and didn't get a chance to look at all the glass or to see people making glass. He wants to go back and Blob's person says that can happen.
Yes. Plans change. Blob's plans changed quickly that day.
Blob and his person got off the Metro and began their walk. They would cross the river Wear at the Monkwearmouth Bridge near the Metro station and then follow the river to the coast before turning right when they reached the sea. A good plan. Blob's person was greatly looking forward to it.
But then the plan went completely wrong. The two intrepid explorers began their epic hike across the river. Oh no! Their way was almost completely blocked. There were a group of people crossing the bridge the other way and Blob didn't know how he would be able to pass them. They were carrying a big banner too. Who were these people? Would they pose a significant threat to Blob? Would they be evil and want to throw him from the bridge into the river?
Fortunately they were nice people. Blob read their banner. "Sunderland Walk For Sanctuary. Refugee Week 2016."
Blob's person decided they might be friendly. She stopped and said hello to one of them. Then the did something very out of character. She asked if she could walk with them to wherever they were going - or at least for a part of it. Even though they were all total strangers. Even though she finds social things very hard. The people seemed a bit surprised by Blob's person's request but they said she was welcome to walk with them, that having another person would be good.
The walk was to be the total opposite to the one Blob was wanting to do that day. Instead of walking to the sea and then turning and going south they would be walking on the other side of the river to the sea and then turning and going north. The walk was from Sunderland to North Shields. And it turned out to be a fantastic day and afterwards Blob was very very glad that they had done it. He's already posted about refugee week and the good people he walked with that day. Now he wants to post about the walk.
Blob was pleased. A few weeks previously his person had gone out walking. She had a very good day indeed walking from South Shields to Sunderland along the coast. She's posted about that on her own blog. But for Blob Thing it had been a less good day. Blob's person had forgotten to take him with her. And he was stuck at home instead of enjoying the world. He doesn't mind being at home and he's got lots of friends there. But if there's a chance to be out walking and adventuring then Blob would prefer to be doing that.
And now here was a surprise. Blob would be walking the same walk or at least a very similar one. But in the opposite direction. He was so happy about that. He'd missed out on something and was now going to experience it after all. He smiled so widely that the stitches in his mouth almost fell off the side of his face.
The first part of the walk followed the River Wear to the sea. It's an impressive river. Blob has seen a lot of it. He's now followed it on different days all the way from the sea to Durham and one day soon he wants to see some more of the river and walk from Durham to wherever he ends up. He's quite excited about it.
The Wear near the sea was impressive. Not only was there a glass centre but there were some very big boats to look at. Blob's person says that the walk from the bridge to the sea includes the entire solar system. It starts at the sun and includes all the planets and then ends up beyond them and looking into the darkness beyond. She says that when he goes to the glass centre she'll show him all the planets and he can look at lots of sculptures too. They had to walk quite quickly that day but next time they can relax and explore properly. Blob is quite excited about that too. He is amazed that he has so many things to explore and so much he hasn't seen. He wants to see everything. Everything. And he's being quite adamant about that so it looks like Blob's person has a busy time ahead of her enabling Blob to see so much.
Here's Blob by the river, looking suitable awestruck by the water and impressed by the ship.
Where the river meets the sea there is a big harbour with massive harbour walls on each side. Blob wants to walk along those too one day. The one on the left of this picture is Roker Pier and it has a lighthouse at the end. The other one was meant to have a lighthouse too but when the walls were being built they ran out of money. Blob saw a programme recently about Roker Pier and what he would really like to do is go in the lighthouse and climb to the top. And then he would like to climb down from the lighthouse and follow the special tunnel that runs inside the wall back to the shore. That would be a very exciting thing. He doesn't think it would ever happen because hardly anyone gets to do that. But if the person in charge of Roker Pier ever reads this then Blob asks that you would consider allowing him to have a very special adventure. Blob says that when he visits the glass centre he wants to walk along the pier too and will be careful not to fall into the sea or be swept away by a big wave.
Here's Blob with the two harbour walls behind him.
And then the longer part of the walk began. Walking from the bridge to the sea hadn't taken too long. But there were many miles ahead. Finally Blob would be able to see things that he hadn't been able to see when he was forgotten. And he would see them with a group of amazing people. Some of them were refugees. They had been through terrible things and were now trying to make a better life in the UK. Some were people who work with refugees in different ways to help them. Some were people who support refugees and the idea of cities of sanctuary. And the organiser and leader or the walk was a Church of England minister for whom social action is a big part of his ministry. Blob decided he was a very good minister to know.
Here's Blob sitting on the grass. Behind him is the journey ahead. He wants to tell you about the journey over the next few days and some exciting and unexpected adventures he had along the way. He also wants to tell you about Winefride and the policemen and how they nearly got arrested. [No, that's not true but Blob has a good imagination.]
And here's Blob with the pier behind him. The first part of the walk was over and already it had been amazing. One day Blob will walk it again and will spend the entire day just in that little walk section. He wants to see the glass centre so much. He wants to visit St. Peter's church. He wants to explore the solar system and walk the pier and see all the sculptures and the marina and possibly have an ice cream by the sea. One day. And that day will be amazing. The walk day was amazing too. He can't wait to talk about it.
[1532 words]
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