Embleton Bay & an Afternoon Tour - 20th Feb ‘25

I know they get a “bad wrap” but weather forecasters tend to get it right - especially over the next 2 or 3 days. So, this weeks forecast has mixed news. Ok today (grey but no rain), very windy and drizzly tomorrow and a glorious sunny day the next. The temperature had certainly perked up too - into double figures! So, the plan was hatched for the next 3 days.

A lovely lie in until gone 10! This is such a treat in Brunnehilda’s big comfy bed drinking coffee and catching up on the news. Di reads the Mail and I peruse the online i newspaper. For holiday harmony we tend not to discuss the news element too much and just stick to the trivia, gossip and the puzzles. That said, Di sometimes feels the need to read out the Mails’s reasoned and rational opinion on things. This is the one time I do value my hearing disability!!

As there was no rain forecasted, we decided to leave the car at home and walk. I was excited to take Di on my favourite walk across the fields, over the golf course, onto the Coastal Path and then onto the beautiful little village of Low Newton by the Sea. 

It was a lovely walk taking about 45 minutes. It was a bit muddy but thankfully I had my walking stick. With all her exercise classes, Di has a stronger core than me so is better on her feet. Note to self  - get yourself fitter! I had checked the wonderful Ship Inn was open and serving food - it was.

We sat outside looking over the sea and ate fresh crab sandwiches and kippers. Goodness, they were good! This pub not only prides itself on the locally caught fresh fish but also brews its own beer. With its position right on the beach, it’s hard to think of a better place to spend an hour or so!?It was quite busy with lots of young families and dog walkers. Including Ernie (and his owner) from last night! We said “hi” and suggested they were following us from pub to pub!! 

Tilly was well fed on scraps of the kipper and dog treats but was desperate to get back in the water. We walked south along Embleton Bay beach. The weather was due to get worse so we decided not to walk all the way to Dunstanburgh Castle but get off at the nature reserve (about half way) and walk up to the golf club clubhouse and then up through the village and onto the caravan site. Tilly loved her walk - chasing in and out of the water yapping at non-existent sea birds. 

The walk was about 5 miles and we were sufficiently knackered to be concerned that going back to the caravan and a cuppa might mean a lack of motivation to get out again! So, we gave Tilly a drink and went straight out in the car.

I wanted to give Di a bit of a tour around and she was up for a car trip. We headed off to Craster, then to Boulmer, then to Alnmouth and finally onto Warkworth.

We parked at the foot of the impressive Warkworth Castle and hobbled into the Sun Hotel for a very pleasant cappuccino. The barman was a bit grumpy (although Di pointed out that this was partly caused by my deafness being mistaken for stupidity!) and a fellow drinker having a very loud phone conversation about a forth coming funeral. By the look on the face of his poor long suffering partner, she was just as pissed off with him as I was!

We headed home as it was getting dark  -although at this stage we were hungry again! We decided to try a pub I’d found on one of my first visits - The Joiners Arms at High Newton by the sea (yes, just above where we had lunched!). It had a good reputation which is why we struggled to park in the village and then failed to get a table. They were fully booked (in the dog friendly area) for the next 2 evenings too.

Muttering under our breath about “bloody tourists” we headed up the coast to find a replacement eatery. After a bit of help from Google Maps and my erratic memory, we made our way to The Landing at Beadnell Bay. Luckily they allowed dogs into the “tented” part of the restaurant. Tent doesn’t really do it justice as it felt very warm and luxurious with blankets on the seats and gas heaters roaring away.

I had a splendid fish pie and Di had an incredibly tasty steak. Although our eyes watered when they said a glass of white wine was a tenner!!

Back home to Brunnehilda to finish the Cohen Brothers film and then watch Season 1 Episode 1 of The Sopranos. Di hadn’t watched it before and you really shouldn’t get to our age without watching one of the finest pieces of TV drama ever made. I was happy to watch it all again - just as she was with me and helped me complete the gap in my viewing experience by introducing me to the wonderful Peaky Blinders a couple of months ago.

There seems to be high wind warnings for tomorrow so we might have to leave our hats at home in Brunnehilda!!