• We visit the north-east to stay with some friends of Gill Hitchins - Graham and Anne Spencer
  • We visited Barnard Castle and Newcastle
  • At the Bowes Museum we saw the very same Swan automiton the Mark Twain had seen in 1967!
 
 
Gill   Liz and Gill
 
The Angel of the North
 
 
Liz   Graham and Gill
 
Anne and Graham who lived in a wonderful, large Victorian house in Darlington
     
An automaton in the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle
Mark Twain saw the Silver Swan in Paris in 1867 and noted in his journal that it “had a living grace about his movement and a living intelligence in his eyes”. Many years later, this elegant mechanical toy still runs daily, operating on the original clockworks.
     
 
Graham, John and Gill in various formations
 
High Force Falls
     
I don't remember where the dog was spotted, but he looks a little sad!
 
Newcastle
 
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