Laura Kebby is back with another “Dear Newcastle”. What do you think? Tell us in the comment section.
Dear Newcastle,
I did wonder if we would be able to top that sunny Sunday. Whether the resurgence of our relationship would be hampered by the lack of distraction from the sun in the sky. I woke early this morning to stupidly brave your morning commute. I thought, if we were really going to give “us” another crack, we needed to do this in real time. So the hunt for good coffee and solitude began at 8:30am. Very early for a writer’s Monday, but for us, it seemed like an acceptable compromise. I’m a self confessed coffee addict. You know this. Actually it’s probably how our relationship really began to blossom in those early days. Cozy afternoons spent tucked away on Darby Street putting pen to paper, so grateful to be wrapped up in your culturally wonderful and bustling blanket. The first taste of freedom I had ever experienced after leaving school was venturing to one of your many hole in the wall hideouts, fretting about my Myspace top 8 and Msn tag line – which of course were song lyrics I sat for hours devouring.
This morning I thought I would play it safe and headed to Welsh Blacks on Bull Street. This little corner of your heart, I will admit, will probably never fade from my mind regardless of how we choose to continue. It’s an untainted corner of bliss and solitude and yes, you’re right… It is the best coffee in town. Recently I’ve begun to take solitude here frequently. Finding a slice of silence in amongst the hubbub of Monday morning. This morning I abandoned our routine, because I read somewhere that complacency in relationships is as a result of reliance upon the mundane. We used to be spontaneous. We used to explore, travel, appreciate one another for more than just our edges. So today… I did just that. I packed up a cup of your best trainspottingly addictive ‘cuppa joe’ – black with a dash to go thanks and drove to one of your many high points. It was metaphoric really, searching for a point to view you objectively on this rather dreary morning. I ended up at King Edward Park. A place that is usually reserved for catching glimpses of local hero Miss Kim, whilst I share your space with other revellers by candlelight. It was nice to see this part of you. The green. The open. The fresh air. You. In all of your morning glory. I grabbed my warm cup, my headphones, Neil Diamond’s greatest hits, and simply wandered. I was starting to think that maybe the constraints I had placed upon our time together were really our initial undoing. Here I was… Slowly kicking around some stray pebbles with “Forever in Blue Jeans” flowing through my mind. I found solace. Our solace. Because yes at times we might both be busy. You with your incessant need for crowded car parks and tween haunts packed with long lines and parking inspectors, and me with moving to the suburbs, favouring after hours like some mistress of the night.
I was starting to once again notice new things about you. New patches of green and just how many morning people there are in this world who enjoy your company. Active-wear aside, could time and solace be the two things that really work towards bringing us back together? Because maybe we really are just a ‘song sung blue’, with our spring slowly yet surely growing strong…
ABOUT LAURA
I’m Laura, and writing about our wonderful city is something I am oh so passionate about. You can find me tucked away in the corner of your local open mic night, taking in the sights with a local artist flowing through my headphones, or hanging out in the front row of your first gig where you’re debating whether the staff count as crowd members. Built on coffee, live music and punk nostalgia, I write about talented people doing talented things.
Twitter: @laurakebby
Instagram @laurakebby
