Phil's photos with the keyword: South Shields

The Marsden Grotto, locally known as "The Grotto", is a public house located on the coast at Marsden in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England. The pub is one of the few 'cave bars' in Europe..... other 'cave bars' include the Caves of Xoroi in Menorca. The Grotto is now a pub/restaurant serving mainly seafood. The Grotto is partly dug into the cliff face and fronted with a more conventional building opening onto the beach. Currently The Grotto includes a large bar, the inside cave with another bar and pool room, a bistro, a heated terrace on the beach and a full restaurant upstairs. Access is either by lift from the car park or by a zigzag staircase on the cliff at the side of the building. The lift is housed in a brick shaft rising from the front of the building. A lead miner from Allendale, Jack Bates and his wife Jessie moved to the area in 1782. It is alleged he moved into a small cave at Marsden Rock either after refusing to pay rent on his house in Allendale or simply having nowhere to live. Using explosives from a local quarry, he blasted the small cave into a much larger one, earning his nickname "Jack the Blaster" in the process and creating a rent-free and landlord-free home. The dwelling was accessed by zig-zagging stairs down the cliff, thought to be built by Jack. The unusual and eccentric choice of dwelling attracted visitors, which the couple supplied with refreshments at a cost. It is suggested that he became involved in smuggling activities - offering refreshment to smugglers and using caves of the coastline to hide contraband cargo. (Wikipedia).

The “Conversation Piece” consists of 22 life-sized copper-bronze statues near The Groyne lighthouse at Littlehaven Beach, South Shields. Designed by the Spanish artist Juan Munoz they have been a talking point for the last few years. Locals refer to the figures by various names such as "The Weebles", "The wobbly men" or "The Fisher Folk". Photographed with an Olympus SP55OUZ bridge camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Photographed at the cliffs in Marsden Bay, South Shields, UK, using an Olympus SP550UZ bridge camera. I'm not sure what these birds are...I assumed they were gulls but I vaguely remember my friend (a keen bird-watcher) who was with me telling me they were something else...unfortunately I can't remember what he said :-( Edit: Now identified as Kittiwakes (Thanks Les & Sonja).