"Something insufferably patronizing.....

...about the idea that a city like this needed to be made more like Bilbao/ Barcelona/ London (or in an earleir era, Brasilia)" Owen Hatherley, exploring Newcastle's latest regeneration in A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain. It was the 1960s 'Brasilia of the north' regeneration which created so many classic skate spots, not least the plaza and ledges around the Bank of England and Swan House. But the 'Leap of Faith' along the front of the Bank and the step sets on the plaza behind are now fenced off as developers attack the Bank of England. More little playgrounds lost.

"Storming heaven with a millennarian arrogance....

....It's absurd that something so remarkable should be destroyed" (Owen Hatherley, writing about the 'Get Carter' car park in Gateshead in A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain. Now the Bank of England at the bottom of Pilgrim Streeet has great chunks taken out of it. The Bank is a stunning design, Battlestar Galactica re-shaped in the same stone as St Paul's Cathedral. And part of this loss will be the 'Leap of Faith' drop, a rite of passge amongst local skaters (and some in-lines too) and the very spot that kicked off this defence of street sports in the city ia few years back. In case this gets too miserable the Urban Games Launch was a fine mix of dance, bicycle powered smoothies, parkour and emergency pizzas.

Urban Games Launch, 19th April, 6pm, Boiler Shop

The Urban Games crew are launching their 2012 programme with a bash at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle (tucked away behind Central Station off Forth Street).

All welcome: hear what they've got planned leading up to big street shows in Newcastle during the Olympics, plus performances of parkour, street dance and urban music.

"At Solicitors a man started on us.....

....having a go, 'do you think this is some sort of playground?' He looked like he would hit us" (Carl). "Yes, i do" (Phil). North East Parkour out experimenting with the city on a Saturday, "the government tell us off for doing this because they're not earning anything from it... but when they're out drinking they're earning a percentage" (Jamie). Looks like a new city centre plan is needed

"Parkour.. you don't need anything....

...if you're doing flipping, if you're doing the jumps, if you're doing the movement it makes you feel better. I do free running to relax and chill out. I've got lots of stuff to sort out but when i'm free running i don't thin kabout my work and stuff, i just think about this" (Aaron). You don't even need a building, but you probably need a city. Just not the city everyone else sees. "The physio told me to stop... i can't stop, it's a life... it's what I do"

Get your photos & videos in PlayToon show

We are beginning to print and organise photographs, video, rants and other strange items for the PlayToon event and exhibition. Many thanks for all the material we have been sent so far: superb spots, good times and gnarly injuries. All skaters, BMXers, free runners, in line and micro scooter folk.... if you would like your images in the show please get in touch. Images can be emailed direct to michael.jeffries@northumbria.ac.uk (can handle up to 18MB mail). Or send us to your Youtube, Vimeo, Flickr or Facebook page link. This is a non-commerical, non-corporate event, open to everyone to show off and promote NE street sports c/o Native, Digital Deekies, 4Sight, Urban Games........ All work will be credited and remains wholly yours. Cheers, Mike

"Not withstanding the damage...."

..... that followed, the 1963 Development Plan at least recognized that Grainger's town plan deserved protection as a coherent area" McCombe, Newcastle and Gateshead (Pevsners Architectural Guides). That will be the development plan of T. Dan Smith and Wilfred Burns, and the crusade to rebuild Tyneside as the 'Brasilia of the North'. Many of the iconic Brasilia buildings have been demolished in the last 10 years: the old City Library, Westgate House, Bridge Tower, the Get Carter car park. The Bank of England at bottom of Pilgrim Street is only just clinging on having failed to be listed, the "leap of faith" along its ledges still skated. Check out skaters, BMXers and free runners videos. It is the Brasilia architecture which dominates, plus the edgelands of car parks, backsides of shops, odd stairways and forgotten corners. You can't shred Dobson and Grainger. The photo is of Gateshead's shopping precinct (demolished, 2011) from Grace McCombie's guide: every line, surface, ledge, step, roof made to jump and ollie.

"When i went to school..."

...none of my friends skated and all i used to talk about was skating and then that got one of my friends into skating and we used to skate together, pretty much just me being into skating, like, my best friends from school, it got them into skating which was the best situation ever" Max. Which may not be obvious to passing members of the public: friends and fun lie at the heart of these scenes, which can't be bad. Just watch how much time skaters, BMxers and free runners spend not skating, BMXing or free running. Just hanging out. Which is important, because if you doing nothing make sure you do it superbly well.