Porters Coffee shop, Tynemouth Station

It's always an adventure going to Tynemouth, especially when the trip involves ferries, the fish quay, riverside walk and then the book fair.  This being Birthday 3, I was accompanied by my brother who, I have to say did very well with books and also kindly bought me a little piece of pottery that took my fancy.  I too bought a book, and at 50p I don't think I was robbed.  Then it was time for tea.  Normally we'd have headed for The Land of Green Ginger, but we'd spotted Porters on the way in and thought we would give it a go.

There were tables outside on the station concourse, but we opted for an indoor table in what had been the waiting room we imagined.  How many journeys had begun and ended here?  So atmospheric, railway stations, what other dramas had been seen here (think Exeter St Davids and Sir Redvers Buller's mother - try googling that one!).  Today the wooden floored space is filled with dark wood tables and chairs, the old fireplace still there but probably not used.  On high shelves sit remnants of bygone days - I spotted a poss stick, manual typewriter, and bakelite telephone - and on the ceiling are mounted beautiful lights shaped like flowers and (more bizarrely) disco lights.  Does Porters show another side of its character after dark??
Now, to the food.  My coffee cake was as good as my own, and the chocolate crispy cake was reported good as well.  Tea was served in neat white pots, with neat white cups.  We were asked if we wanted milk, but instead of a neat white milk jug, we got a slurp of milk in each cup!  Never seen it done that way before.

We visited late on in the afternoon and the staff were obviously keen to keep up with the table clearing and the washing up.  I overheard one customer telling them it was rude to clear while people were still sitting.  Well, yeah, but given that they were very busy and no one wants to work longer than need be on a Sunday, and it's tea and cakes not a table at the Ivy, I think we can let them off.  I think I was more concerned that there appeared to be only one table for two - so visit in a pack or be prepared to share.