.The harbour in any town is a special place, belonging to neither the land or the sea it forms an integral part of both worlds. A visit to Newcastle harbour would be incomplete without a walk along Widows Row. The name derives from a tragic fishing disaster and contrasts sharply with the beauty of the place. The twelve cottages built to house families left destitute in 1843 overlook the harbour, enjoying excellent views across Dundrum bay and in turn enhance the view from the harbour. They look particularly good at the moment with their window boxes and steep banks sloping down to the roadside full of summer flowers. Gardeners are a familiar sight, climbing short ladders, risking life and limb to plant and tend the difficult patch bordering the busy coast road. One lady sowing seeds in early spring was informed by the traffic police that her ladder and wheelbarrow might be causing an obstruction, when asked to explain what exactly she was doing, she simply advised the officer to come back in the summer and see for yourself. A drive, walk or sail along the coast road at any time of the year is a pleasant experience. Why people are in such a hurry to get to Analong, Kilkeel and beyond remains a mystery. The many walkers returning to Newcastle via the Bloody Bridge are in constant danger from speeding cars and motorbikes before finally reaching the safety of the footpath beyond Maggie's leap. Extending the path the last half mile out to Bloody Bridge or introducing traffic claming measures might help to alleviate this problem, but it would be hard to think of a better traffic calming device than slowing down because people are out tending their roadside flowers.