I’ve just been to the Central Library in town to exchange some CDs. The main entrance is under refurbishment so the entrance is temporarily around the back opposite the Laing art gallery. While I was muttering curses to myself for this minor inconvenience I overheard a couple of wifies talking about Newcastle’s new city centre blue carpet.

I decided to go check it out for myself. To those of you who don’t know about the blue carpet, there’s a square just off John Dobson St in Town surrounded by the Laing, Icons nightclub, a hotel and other buildings occupying building societies and other such companies. This square it was decided a couple of years back would be greatly improved, indeed would be made remarkable by this novel, original and striking blue carpet made out of tiles. I thought at the time, hmmmm. A little while later artistic interpretations appeared in the local papers of the square in full living colour. I was much impressed, the blue looked terrific highlighted with bonny complementary modern yet classic lighting.

Ever since seeing those drawings I’ve always pricked up my ears at news of the blue carpet’s movement from drawing to completion. This movement – over two years now I think - has not been happy. The first tiles were the wrong colour. The tiles were considered by some brainy fella at Newcastle Uni to be not weatherproof enough for a north east winter. The fitting of the tiles was/is a bugger and someone made a bonfire of the tiles only recently. All in all the number of complications which have arisen in this ambitious project has resulted the completion date being missed by a mile and the cost is greater than what was paid for the Angle of the North.

Today is the first time I’ve been to see it with my own eyes. I was hoping to give an opinion on its blueness, its originality, its uniqueness. I was expecting, be it good, bad or indifferent to discuss it in polity conversation. What I did was gulp in, gob on it and walk away shaking my head.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Answers

Wrong kind of blue?

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Red ??

Cmon man, put us out our misery

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Take some grey slabs, sprinkle them with blue powder paint and brush it all off again. This leaves the faintest patina of blue but otherwise looks grey.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Softie, haven't you heard, grey is the new blue!

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

But blue is the new grey!

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

...which is really the new black and if we just use a bit of MDF and some draped fabric....trust me....

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

But the MDF would get stolen by Bob Murray to add a few more seats to the Stadium of Light. Potentially dodgy idea :)

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Well then you'll just have to up my budget! *toss hair* *flounce* *pout*

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001