Alnmouth, Cragside and Warkworth - 20th Sept ‘22

WARNING: A very long blog with an optional extra self indulgent bit at the end!

A fabulous day. Yesterday was all about seeing similar things from a different angle, whereas today was all about seeing new things. I had 3 nice but very different experiences today - each one wonderful in its in way but, due to the melancholic mood that’s still about me, I’d only rate it as a 6 out of 10 sorta day - yesterday was nearer a 4!

I decided to go south today and north tomorrow- after having a car free day yesterday. But the day didn’t start properly until noon. The normal lie in was followed by a more modest breakfast of bagels and bovril. I was washed and heading for Alnwick by 10.30. Visits to the petrol station, Argos (pick up Charlie’s birthday present) and Sainos (for a new battery and a few provisions) meant that it was gone 11.30 before I punched Alnmouth into the sat nav.

I’d seen a travel programme on it a few years ago and it looked like nice - so, why not? The name sort of gives it away but it’s down river from Alnwick where the river Aln meets the coast. I have no idea how the locals pronounce Alnmouth? If it’s anything like Alnwick, then it will be “Ann-muth”?

I drove through the wee town and obviously Kim came to mind. It’s the sort of place she / we would have stopped at and whiled away an extremely pleasant hour or so. Not something I would be doing today though - I still actively avoid this sort of thing. She loved it so much and it’s one of those things that could never be the same without her.

So, I headed for the beach car park. I don’t think I had a plan when I set out except I had to walk north as the river got in the way of walking southwards on the beach. The great thing about up here is, as long as it’s not high tide, you can walk out on the beach and then back on the coast path thereby creating a bit of a circular walk. And that’s just what I did. Once in the car park, I wasted 30 mins hanging on the phone to book an MRI. Got it booked for 3rd October - seemed a long time to wait but then reminded myself how blimin’ lucky I was to have the benefit of private healthcare!!

The dogs did their normal manic start to a beach walk. Running in and out of the water, barking at the waves (Tilly) and emptying their bowels at least a couple of times each!

There was a sprinkling of folks and dogs around - not as busy as yesterday- and it got less busy the further we walked away from Alnmouth. In fact at one stage we had a patch of beach to ourselves for 15 mins or so. 

There was a series of beaches / bays connected by rocky / seaweedy outcrops. As the tide was out you could walk through the rocks and seaweed to get to the next bit of sand.

We walked about 3 miles along the beach along Alnmouth Bay, Fluke Hole and ending up at Boulder Haven. I got off the beach at Boulmer, I noticed on my OS App that there was a pub in the village. But I suddenly changed my mind and thought I’d like to get to Cragside - a close by National Trust property before 3. So, at about 1.30 I ignored said pub and headed back on the coast path. The 3 miles was a lot quicker on the path than on the beach (even though some of the path was indeed on the beach!) so I was back in the car park by 2.30.

I arrived at Cragside at 3pm. And this is where I had my only significant conversation of the day - excluding dogs that is! The NT volunteer on the gates / welcome centre was lovely. I gave her my Caravan Club card by mistake so I think she soon realised what she was dealing with. A lot of chat about what was on offer at the property, where to go and what to do with the dogs etc. 

I have to say, the grounds were huge and very impressive. The house is very quirky and most of the rooms were open. It took a full hour to walk round. There were some nice bits (like the private Turkish Baths) but it was no Canons Ashby!

I grabbed a takeaway coffee and then drove round the Carriage Route. A lovely winding trail around the whole estate. I didn’t fancy walking the dogs as a lot of it would be on the lead, I was warned (by the nice lady volunteer) of blue algae on the lake and the surrounding forests looked quite thick - I was worried about Benny getting lost again! Kim and I would have headed straight for the tea room but that was another Kim favourite that I avoided!

Unsurprisingly after only a 2.5 hour walk, Tilly was up for more exercise. I tapped in Warkworth into the sat Nav - another place that I’d heard of and that looked nice. It’s about 3 miles south of Alnmouth so I retraced my journey from earlier in the afternoon. And we crossed some gorgeous and wild scenery! I thought Derbyshire was hard to beat but I think I’m switching my allegiances to Northumberland as my favourite county - so so beautiful, both coast and inland.

Warkworth didn’t disappoint. Another pretty little town, although by the time I got there (just gone 5) it was shutting down. At the end of the High Street was a mighty impressive ruined castle. It was shut - obviously - but I got the dogs out and we had a walk round. The sun was really out now. We had some sun earlier but not as much as yesterday - however it was now a really lovely evening so I just followed the sign down to the river and checked out a nice short (1.5 mile?) walk on my OS App.

It was gorgeous walking along the banks of the a river Coquet - virtually no one about. The dogs enjoyed being in water that they could drink!! There was a ruined Hermitage on the other side of the river bank - closed! You couldn’t see it from the trees / undergrowth. Turns out it’s closed permanently which explained the semi submerged ferry row boat! 

Back home via a lovely footpath on the outskirts of the town approaching the Castle from another angle. It has lots of interesting history (including ownership by the Percys and lots of visiting Medieval English and Scottish Kings. Interestingly the experts can’t be certain who built it - Henry II of England or Prince Henry of Scotland!?

And so home to Brunnehilda. It was gone 6.30 by now and even though Matilda was up for one more final beach walk - I wasn’t! I fed the dogs outside the van and read my book for 30 mins before heading inside and cooking the other half of the pork loins with pepper sauce. This time, thanks to my trip to Sainos, I had dressing for the salad and some microwave fries to spice things up a tad!!

The usual end to the day - 2 more Waltons episodes, blogging and an episode of Better Call Saul on Netflix. All washed down with 2 cups of tea and quite a lot of Maltesers!!

So the end of another lovely Northumberland day. In theory it couldn’t have been any nicer. In practice it was better than yesterday but my mojo still hasn’t caught up fully yet. 

I’ll leave you with this nice picture of 2 very stiff and knackered collies. If you want to read more about my self indulgent psycho analysis then read on. However if you would rather not then I totally and completely understand - why would you? This bit is really just for my benefit (in a cleansing sort of way) and for anyone else that might be going through similar sh*t and may find my honest and embarrassing thought processes helpful.

After more self reflection - an advantage (or not!) of spending a whole day with just your own thoughts - I have came to 2 rather embarrassing conclusions. Both confirming significant character flaws but, as I keep telling myself when listening to these odd people breaking down in tears about the death of a privileged 96 year old nice lady that they’d never met - we all handle grief differently - AND THATS OK!

1) I soon figured out that my most successful and positive coping mechanism was to focus on a happier future. There will be good times, exciting changes, fun and laughter around the corner and everyday is one step closer to it. Very much a Bobby (youngest son) approach to life! Problem is, this isn’t working quite so well this week and I think it’s all about my recent “good ear” deafness, cough and lots of tests to schedule. I know it’s complete and utter nonsense but when the last MRI test you can remember resulted in the person you love with all your heart and soul being told that they have terminal stage 4 cancer, it’s hard to shift your mind into thinking about a happy future! This is very selfish and I know irrational but there it is. I am aware of it so I can keep fighting it.

2) I said I was comparing this year with last years visit to Northumberland. Has my grief / mindset shifted? Well the answer is definitely… yes.

The good news is that I can now walk by 60 year old + couples and not wish them dead! There are 3 other caravans on this site all with 60 year old couples with dogs. I’m not angry and I’m not jealous. 

I think the self pity is much better too - well at least it has been. I can’t think the last time I felt the world was against me. And I’m not getting so angry with people and things that don’t matter - although the demise of BJ has probably helped that!!?

Now here’s the other difference. I still miss Kim so much and always think what she would be saying / doing but, I’ve noticed that, while I would give anything for her to be with me on these trips, I’m feeling more loneliness than I am desperately missing Kim. It’s as if I know, as much as I long to, I can’t share these things with her but I need to share with someone - anyone but 2 stupid collies!

Anyway, another day of indulgent self reflection tomorrow - unless I meet that nice fungi lady again or someone else that takes me away from my own thoughts! I suspect I’ll keep them to myself from now on though as I’m fully cleansed?!

Dunstanburgh and Craster - 19th Sept ‘22

What a weird day - Everything, and I mean everything, was shut. It felt like Christmas Day. It was fairly busy with folks out and about though. Now, I don’t mean Brighton Beach busy but for up here, it was a busy day.

The weather helped - sunny most of the time with lots of blue skies. Even when the sun went in and on top of the windy cliffs it really wasn’t that cold. I didn’t have to cover my T shirt with a sweat shirt until my evening walk at 6.30!

I can’t help but compare 2021 with 2022 Northumberland visits - both geographically and emotionally! Let’s start with the touristy bit and tell you what I got upto today …

Slept in until gone 9.30. A leisurely breakfast and out by 10.45. The Brunnehilda breakfast of choice remains bacon bagels although this morning I chucked a fried egg on top as well - racey start to the day eh? Exactly as the Queen left Westminster Hall pulled by 80 sailors, I left Brunnehilda pulled by 2 crazy collies.

I decided not to use the car today. Mainly because I have no diesel (the light came on for the last bit of the journey and it’s not easy to fill up with Brunnehilda in tow) and I read that most of the fuel stations were shut today- I didn’t want to drive into Alnwick and then not be able to get back.

All good though, there is a lovely footpath from the campsite across the fields that joins onto the Coast Path (St Oswalds Way). Then it’s a quick drop to the north end of Embleton Bay at Low Newton by the Sea. It took about 35 minutes. On the coastal path I met a chap looking for his dad - he asked if I’d seen an old man with a dog. I wanted to say, “only when I pass a mirror” but he was clearly a little stressed so I said no and offered to help him. We walked the 50 yards onto the beach, agreed to split up and then he saw him in the distance. Panic over.

It was a gorgeous walk on the beach. Quite a few dogs and folks out but all went well. The ones that were off the lead were no problem and I gave the ones on a lead a wide berth. The sun felt really hot although I noticed the weather had confused lots of people - there was as many anoraks as there were T shirts!

I walked the entire length of Embleton Bay - North to South. Getting off at the end of the golf course and climbed up back onto the coast path to the foot of Dunstanburgh Castle. What a fantastic looking place - such a shame it was shut. There were quite a few folks now who had clearly made the long walk along the coast from Craster. English Heritage would have taken quite a bit of admission money today.

I stopped for a wee rest and realised I had done a 2 out of 10 job on packing my ruck sack. No dog treats, no food for me, other than some soft Oreos and no dish for the dog’s water! My cupped hand got round the dog water issue but the lack of food was going to be a problem unless something was open at Craster.

It’s here that I had my only meaningful chat of the day. I saw a middle aged lady rummaging amongst the ferns, clearly looking for something. After watching her for a few minutes, I went over and cheekily asked what she was up to. Turns out she was looking for and recording fungi! I’m not sure if she was an academic or just a little eccentric. Turned out she had found a lot more yesterday at Holy Island! We had a long chat and I now know a lot more about rare fungi than I did yesterday! I was tempted to tell her the joke about why the mushroom went to the party but I guessed she would have heard it before so we just talked about fungi and border collies.

If I had been with Kim, we would have turned back now and retraced our steps - especially with the lack of provisions - but I pressed on the couple of miles along the coast to Craster.

I went to Craster last year and bought some smoked kippers from the Smokery. Not open, nor was the pub, nor was the cafe, nor was the shop. I managed to find an ice cream van - I thought about telling him how disrespectful he was for opening but my need for sustenance outweighed any smart arse comments. The dogs and I shared a huge tub of vanilla - the tub was deliberate so that I now had a bowl for dog water!

I found another higher up footpath out of the village and back to the Castle. Then, to continue to mix it up a bit, I walked not on the beach, but the other side of the golf course on the official coast path - ironically further from the coast than the path running parallel to it by the beach. By the time I got to Dunstan Steads my feet were hurting so I fancied getting my shoes off and walking on the sand - so thats what I did!

Jings, the North Sea is cold! I walked / paddled for about 15 mins and rather than my feet warming up it started to feel like I was getting frostbite! I put my socks back on pretty darn quickly. I retraced my steps from this morning - off the beach at Low Newton by the Sea and back over the fields to Brunnehilda. Arriving back at the campsite at about 4.15. 5 1/2 hours and about 9 miles since setting off. 

At this stage we all crashed out for an hour or so. I can’t really remember what we did but an hour passed before I cooked pork loin with pepper sauce and salad. It wasn’t great but I was bloody hungry so it was finished off. 

Another episode of The Waltons and then out for a quick walk around the farmers fields and into the village - about 45 mins. The dogs are really knackered now!

Been blogging for ages now. So long, I’m going to have to fix some supper - bagels and marmite peanut butter?

That’s a bloody long blog and I haven’t even started on the emotional stuff yet. On that score it’s not been a great day. Not sure if it’s the lack of interaction (fungi lady excepted) or the annoyance of losing some hearing in my good ear and all the fuss / tests that’s going to bring my way, but I haven’t felt anywhere near the top of my game today.

Comparing this year with last, I am noticing some key differences in how I’m feeling - good and bad! I’m still internally processing them and what it all means. When I make sense of it all, I’ll let you know!

Northumberland Again - 18th Sept ‘22

It was almost a year ago that Brunnehilda and I were in Northumberland - the end of Sept ‘21. It was my first trip on my own since the horrible baptism of fire to Woolacombe in August! I had one dog in tow last year, I have both crazy collies on this trip. It’ll be interesting to see how I get on and feel this year.

As always I was dreading the preparation, hooking up and journey. I don’t know why but it’s always the worst bit and I’m very conscious that I could easily find an excuse at this stage to abort! Thankfully I don’t as I keep my eye on the prize - the nice time I have once I’m there and settled.

After some fabulous backing skills (even if I do say do myself!), I was hooked up in record time. The mirror and brake checking are a bloody pain and a drawn out process on your Todd! I missed Charlie, my travel companion on the last trip!

On the road by 10.40. The trip computer says 250 miles and 4 hours - yeh right, that doesn’t factor in towing a big lump of German metal behind you!

After 2 1/2 hours in to an uneventful journey I stopped at Wetherby Services, which I reckoned to be about half way. I had the usual bad luck finding a caravan parking space (it’s a very busy services) so ended up with the HGVs. Had a quick chat with a lovely Yorkshire lady truck driver. I asked her for some reversing lessons and she suggested it was nothing that 10 years of practice couldn’t solve!

Got myself a Pret and ended up in the queue with John Cooper Clarke. What a thrill - I bloody love his bloody poetry and he’s always such a hoot on “Would I Lie to you”. I didn’t have the balls to speak to him so I left him and his mate to enjoy their Pret in peace.

I took the dogs for a quick leg stretch and drink before getting on the road again. Another great journey with no dramas arriving at Embleton Bay CL site at just before 5pm.

I started to back into the space - very badly- then heard Kim telling me not to be so stupid. To quote her, why have a dog and bark yourself - use the bloody motor mover. So I did, except the bloody batteries in the remote had run out! 

A neighbour (in a brand new Volvo XC60) came to my rescue when he saw me scratching around to find a spare battery. He didn’t have one but he came up with the bright idea to pinch the one from the fire alarm. Great idea, it worked and I manoeuvred  the old girl into place. Then had a nice long chat with him. Turns out he and his wife have just retired and are travelling - sounded familiar!? Comes from south Manchester. Very friendly, like most Northern Caravaners!

I set up really quickly once the battery thing was sorted. This site has water taps by the pitches so filling Brunnehilda up was very quick and easy. I was heading for the beach with the dogs by 5.45. 

I drove through the village to Dunstan Steads- the access to Embleton Bay beach and about a 5 minute drive from the site. We walked across the golf course to access the beach and there it was - just as I remembered, bloody marvellous.

The dogs had a crazy time running off the stresses of 6 hours in the boot of a Volvo! It was a smashing hour long walk along the beach and back through the dunes between the golf course and beach. Just a few folks around, certainly not enough to cramp our style in any way! The sea was amazing. The noise, the smell, the vistas … it was all just perfect. With one obvious flaw - the fact I was enjoying it with dumb and dumber and not the person that should have been there with me!

Grief is such a strange thing. Someone said, it’s doesn’t get any smaller, it’s just that other stuff gets bigger! Im not sure but I do know that everyone is different and as I walked along that beautiful beach I decided to myself that a year on hadn’t made a lot of difference to how I was feeling. Although there was one slight but maybe significant change that came to mind - I don’t feel up to sharing that at the moment! Don’t know why though?

The sun was going down very quickly so we headed back to Brunnehilda. Both my neighbours were out / at the village pub I think - I saw a new Volvo XC60 parked outside as I drove by! So we had the field to ourselves - they had a run around and had their tea while I sat outside with my book, a Belgian Beer and a couple of Twix bars!

Indian microwave ready meal for tea for me. I enjoyed it while watching an episode of The Waltons - another Brunnehilda tradition. I was just starting to feel a bit down when Bobby rang. Perfect timing and perked me up. Although Brunnehilda’s big German bed was beckoning so I went to bed to listen to Spots and do some blogging. Thom rang before I’d finished so had another nice chat before settling down.

One big difference to last year, is that I really couldn’t listen to music a year ago. I had Spots on for most of the journey up the M/A1 which was nice. I turned onto Radio 2 for the last hour or so - big mistake. Due to the “occasion” they are playing lots of sad songs. After Let it Be, Annie’s Song and then She’s Always a Woman, I was welling up a bit. The power of music - and bloody John Denver for God’s sake!?

The Queen’s funeral tomorrow - I suspect I’ll be one of a select number of folks in the Uk that won’t be watching!