Eleven daring explorers met outside the Swan at nine o'clock. The pub wasn't open and they decided to explore Gateshead instead, led by local expert Mr Frank Baggaley. Those who thought that Gateshead could not be walked around would have been surprised because Frank's urban walk involved hardly any pavement walking at all.

The walk started high up on the south bank of the Tyne. The factories were quiet and all was sunny, so we had a wide and interesting panorama of the river. Our route was through Hebburn cemetery and Carr Ellison and Campbell parks, green open spaces for those living in South Tyneside. Then we joined the Bowes railway for the first time. We could have followed this all the way to the Team Valley, but Frank took us off the line to visit Monkton Fell for our morning break and Sheddon's Hill for lunch.

The views were just as good on this stretch, east to Sunderland and south to Chester le Street. We rejoined the Bowes railway to descend to the main line and then climbed up to the Angel. The Team Colliery waggon way was our route uphill to Wrekenton, then we followed other lines to Whitehills and down hill all the way to Sunderland Road Villas and the Swan.

Nice to see Frank out walking again and thank you to him for devising the walk.