I think of my dad when I see Lowry painitngs...He used to tell me what it was like growing up on Tyneside in the 1920s and 30s. Completely different to today of course, almost a different world. Very few cars, smelly, noisy, lots of people on the streets, obvious poverty, kids with no shoes in winter, the river full of boats from all over the world, the crowded alleys, pubs and shops close by the river...