Tuesday August 28th 2012 - The Angel of the North

Well it seemed that Sod's Law ruled again that day and on the morning we had to pack up and go home I woke to bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds and brilliant sunshine. Now why couldn't it have been like that the day before and Saturday? After a dog walk round the pond I made a brew and some toast and took some over to Janet, then after a leisurely breakfast I started on the process of packing up. I was putting something in the van a while later when I noticed Janet walking across the site -  thinking she was taking some rubbish to the bin I didn't give it much thought and carried on with what I was doing.

I was just about to start taking the pegs out of the awning when she came across and asked me where her stuff was. What stuff?....The stuff she'd just piled at the front of the van ready for packing, it had taken her five journeys to carry it all across. Well I hadn't seen it and there was definitely nothing in front of the van so where the heck was it? We were both totally confused, and Janet was just beginning to think that someone had somehow managed to swipe the lot when I went for a scout round and found it - she'd piled it up at the front of someone else's caravan two pitches further along!! That must have been where she was going when I'd seen her walking across the site earlier on - obviously another woolly-headed moment, but this time she couldn't blame the wine as she hadn't had any. I'd seen the occupants of the caravan going over to the shower block a while back, heaven only knows what they thought when they got back and found all that stuff piled up at the front!

Once we'd finished giggling at her 'senior moment' I managed to pack all her things in the van and between us we pulled all the pegs and the poles out of the awning, then while she took all three dogs for a final walk up the lane I folded it up, got it back in its bag and stowed it in the van. When Janet came back it only took a couple of minutes to load the dogs in the back, check round the pitch for stray tent pegs then return our toilet keys to the house and we were ready for off. While idly looking at the map book the previous day I'd sussed out that if I followed the lane to the west instead of back to the main road it would take me directly to the A1 within about two miles and I wouldn't have to go all the way back through Ashington and Morpeth - it proved to be a good way to go, and not long after leaving the camp site we were motoring south on our long drive down the A1. We had left the site a bit earlier than I'd anticipated so as I had a bit of time on my side when we passed by the outskirts of Gateshead I decided to pull off the road and have a look at the Angel of the North.

For anyone who doesn't know, the Angel of the North is a huge steel sculpture created by Anthony Gormley in 1997 and sited on a grassy knoll overlooking the A1; at 65ft high and with a wingspan of 175ft it's believed to be the world's largest angel sculpture. Leaving the A1 at the appropriate slip road took me to a wide dual carriageway and not far along was the statue, standing tall within a very pleasant grassy area and with a conveniently-placed car park just off the road. I didn't intend to be very long so we left the dogs in the van while we went to take some photos, and though the sun in the wrong direction made it impossible for me to get some shots directly from the back of it I got several good ones from the front and side.

Back on the road again I drove as far as Durham Services then pulled in for a refreshment stop and to let the dogs out for a short walk and a drink, then once we were all refreshed - the dogs with water and us with coffee and carrot cake - we set off once more. We made good time and with no delays anywhere we got back home well ahead of the early evening rush hour, and the good weather had stayed with us all the way. With the blue sky and sunshine I didn't really feel like doing any work, but later on, as I loaded dishwashers, polished desks and vacuumed floors, I consoled myself with the thought that in only four days time I would be off once more, this time to Norfolk and alone. It had been good having Janet's companionship over the weekend but I was looking forward to being back on my own again with just my two little furry friends for company.  

Monday August 27th 2012 - More rain, friends, and a strange place to eat

After the glorious weather of the previous day I woke that morning to fine but heavy rain - the stuff that wets you within seconds of going out. I didn't really fancy taking the dogs out in that and I knew they wouldn't be too keen on going anyway so I put them on their line outside the awning for just long enough for them to quickly do what they wanted to do then I brought them in again, where they promptly went straight back in their bed. With weather like that there was obviously no rush for me to go anywhere so I made some breakfast and followed their example, retreating back to bed with my book - I hadn't seen or heard anything of Janet so I assumed she was doing the same.

My plans for the day - had the weather been good - had been to drive back up the coast and continue exploring from where we left off the previous day, finishing at Seahouses where we were going to visit my friends Colin and Joan who were arriving later that day at a camp site up there, but there was no point exploring in weather like that so there was nothing for it but to while away the hours in the awning. It was 4pm by the time we were ready for going out and it was still raining steadily, if anything harder than before. Colin had told me that they wouldn't be arriving at their chosen site until about 1pm so I'd given them plenty of time to set up camp and get organised - it would be about 5pm when we got there so they should be ready to receive visitors by that time.

We were two thirds of the way into the journey when I realised that I hadn't got my directions to the camp site. It was in a bit of an isolated spot on the outskirts of Seahouses and a few days previously I'd looked it up on Google Earth and written down the route - which would have been fine if I hadn't left the piece of paper on top of my pc at home! Oh well, I would just have to trust the satnav part of my brain to instinctively know which way to go - and just as on previous occasions it didn't let me down. My memory and good sense of direction led me through the country lanes beyond Seahouses and straight to the camp site entrance without the need to even consult the map book. Colin was standing in the tent doorway when we pulled up on his pitch and after welcoming Janet he put the kettle on for a brew, Joan made a coffee and we spent a very pleasant couple of hours chatting before it was time for us to leave.

As we drove away from the site we both decided that we were ready for something to eat so rather than wait until we got back to our own camp site, and as it was our final night, we would dine out. Driving through Seahouses itself the first place we came to was the Harbour Inn, a large white-walled pub with a board outside which said meals were served all day, so I pulled into the adjacent car park and we went to see what we could find in the way of food. We went in through the first door we came to, which led us straight into what looked to be the restaurant part of the pub - and what a strange place it was. With laminate flooring, plain painted walls and half a dozen tables covered with white tablecloths it looked like it had once been a games room that had been turned into a dining room as an afterthought; there were no furnishings other than the tables and chairs, no pictures on the walls, no cutlery or condiments on the tables, there was no bar and no atmosphere, and in spite of one table being occupied by a family of four the whole room seemed to have a very empty and depressing feel to it. It wasn't the sort of place where either of us would have felt comfortable having a meal so by mutual agreement we went back to the van and decided to look for a nicer place somewhere else. We had got all the way back to Warkworth before we found somewhere - the Masons Arms - but it was worth the wait. This place had a very friendly atmosphere to it and both our meals were nicely cooked and very enjoyable so we were glad that we hadn't stayed at the place back in Seahouses.

With our meal over and drinks finished we set out to cover the last few miles back to the camp site, stopping on the way at a petrol station just outside Amble so I could fill up with diesel - the tank was getting low and I didn't want to wait till we were on the way home and risk not finding a petrol station before I needed one. Back at the site Janet took Aphra across to her own tent and once the awning was connected to the van I fed Sophie and Sugar and took them for their bedtime walk down the lane - fortunately the rain had finally stopped earlier on so at least I didn't get wet. It wasn't even 10 o'clock then but the following day I had to pack up and leave, I had a long drive back home and I had to go to work when I got there, so I had no intention of being in bed late that night. It would be okay if Janet fell alseep on the journey back but it wouldn't do for me to do the same!

Sunday August 26th 2012 - Amble, Alnmouth, and a 'lost' tent

Well it seemed like the previous night's mental finger-crossing had worked for once, as I woke that morning to glorious sunshine. I lay for a few minutes listening to the birdsong coming from the nearby trees and the intermittent crowing of the resident cockerel but it was far too nice to linger in bed - an early walk round the nearby pond would make a lovely start to the day and as soon as the dogs saw me putting my trainers on they were eager to be going out. I did wonder if Janet would like to join me but there was no sign of life from her tent so not wanting to disturb her I just went off on my own with Sophie and Sugar. I don't know if there's any form of life in that pond - I suppose something must live in there somewhere - but there was no sign of any fish and nothing to break the glass-like stillness of the water, so every tree and every cloud in the sky was reflected perfectly on the surface.

After a couple of very pleasant circuits of the pond's perimeter I made my way back to the awning for breakfast and to decide where to go to make the most of the sunshine. Janet had previously said that she was quite happy to go wherever I chose, so as her lamp had given up the ghost the previous evening I thought we could first look for a new one at Amble market then drive on to Alnmouth and also explore another couple of places along the coast. Janet was in agreement with this suggestion so with all three dogs in the back of the van we set off for Amble market and various points beyond. Now although the little town is only five miles away from the camp site there was a distinct change in the sky when we got there, with a lot of grey cloud around, though out to sea it was still blue so I kept my fingers crossed for that blue to increase. Arriving at the free car park I found it to be chock-a-block with cars and with not a cat in hell's chance of finding a space, but as I drove round on my way back out a car pulled out of a space in front of me so I nipped in there quick - or as quick as manoeuvering my 15ft van/bus/tank/juggernaut into a space just big enough for a Ford Ka would allow - then we set off to see what interesting things we could find at the market.

Reaching the harbourside I realised from various signs and posters why the car park was so busy - it was Harbour Day in support of the RNLI, and residents and tourists alike had all turned out to see the various attractions. A good look round the market stalls first yielded a new lamp for Janet then a wander along the harbourside itself gave me a long line of colourful fishing boats to photograph. From there we walked right round to the far side of the little beach and out onto one of the long jetties, where we stood and watched a demonstration where an RNLI crew member was winched slowly from a Sea King helicopter down into an inshore rescue boat which was lurching about in the rather choppy sea, then we wandered our way back to the car park.

Reaching the van I immediately realised that we weren't going anywhere for a while - some idiot had parked a 4 x 4 broadside on right in front of me, completely blocking me in, and as the row of cars behind was so close it would be dificult for me to do a reverse manoeuvre without risking hitting something it meant we were well and truly stuck. I was just beginning to wonder how long we would be sitting there when a car behind and just to the right pulled out of its space, so before anyone else could pull in there I reversed the van towards it and with a bit of to-ing and fro-ing (and several evil thoughts directed at the 4 x 4 owner) I finally managed to get safely out of the car park.

Back on the road again I headed through Amble, past Warkworth castle and up the A1068 to Alnmouth, following the relevant signs through the village to a large and very cheap car park right next to the beach. With the dogs on their leads we walked to the end of the car park and up the road to the riverside where I wandered along and took several photos while Janet sat on a bench and waited for me. There was still plenty of grey cloud around but the sun was shining and the blue sky was slowly increasing over the sea so hopefully it would turn out to be just as nice as it had been back at the camp site.

By the time we got back to the car park we were both ready for a coffee so we left the dogs temporarily back in the van and went across the road to see what was on offer at The Dandelion Cafe - and that was where I had what must have been the strangest cup of coffee ever. The young man who took our order asked if we wanted regular or large coffees, and knowing that in many places 'large' can often mean 'enormous' we opted for regular ones, but what we got could only be described as small. Expecting normal sized mugs, or maybe those glass things with handles on, we were very surprised to find that our coffees were served in what could only be described as bowls, and very small bowls at that. They were lime green and white, made out of tough dishwasher-and-microwave-proof plastic, and had no handles - how the heck were we supposed to drink out of those?? They looked like extremely small versions of the finger bowls you get in Chinese restaurants and neither of us was very impressed; had we known that 'regular' actually meant 'very small' we would have ordered large ones instead. The words 'Trades Descriptions Act' sprang to mind, but at least the slices of cake we had were a decent size.

While we had been in the cafe the weather had improved rapidly; the blue sky had chased the grey clouds away and we emerged into brilliant sunshine. Janet needed to post a letter so retrieving the dogs from the van we made our way into the village in search of a post box, and having found one we had a general wander round while I searched out things to photograph. One of the local pubs, which had Mediterranean-style white walls and blue paintwork, looked particularly attractive with its hanging baskets and tubs outside, but to get a really good photo of it proved very difficult as there was a long line of cars parked outside it. In a small courtyard off the main street I found the backs of the coloured cottages which overlooked the river, but access to the front was through a private alleyway so it looked like I wouldn't be able to get any photos. I reckoned without the kind elderly gentleman watering the flowers in the back garden of the end cottage though - he overheard my conversation with Janet and said that "just this once" he would open the communal gate for us to go through so I could get the photos I wanted. I certainly didn't expect that, it was a really nice gesture and enabled me to get several shots of the quaint and quirky cottages and gardens before we made our way back to the van.

Back at the van we gave the dogs a drink then set off for our next port of call, the little fishing village of Craster several miles up the coast. Driving down the lane to the village itself I saw a line of cars parked on the grass verge; a sign just ahead said there was no vehicle access to the village for members of the public so it looked like we would have to park up and walk there. Fortunately it wasn't far and when we got there I understood the reason for the sign - a row of cottages stood either side of the small harbour with a very narrow dead-end lane running in front of each of them, and with residents' cars parked outside most of the cottages there was no room for any other vehicles. While Janet sat on a bench in the sunshine I wandered around the harbour taking my photos then I rejoined her and we walked back up the lane to the van.

Our third stop was at Low Newton-by-the-Sea; I'd been there during my previous Northumberland weekend but on a very grey damp day and it didn't look like there was anything there other than a beach, however since then I'd learned from someone else who had been there that there was more to it than I first thought and it was worth going on a nice day. Just like Craster there was no vehicle access to the village for the public but there was a large car park at the top of the lane so I pulled in there and we set off to see if the place really was worth the journey - and I have to say that it certainly was.

From the top of the lane I could see the bay with its beach curving round and with Dunstanburgh Castle on the headland in the distance; it was a good view and certainly worth a photo, but it was when we got to the bottom of the hill that we had a nice surprise. Set back off the end of the lane were three rows of quaint white-painted cottages forming three sides of a square round a very pleasant green, and with The Ship Inn in the far corner. Several tables with bench seats were set outside the pub, and on the grass many people were picnicing, sunbathing or otherwise relaxing. I shot a couple of photos then leaving Janet parked on one of the benches I wandered a short distance along the beach before returning to the pub, whereby Janet went in to get some cold drinks and we spent a very pleasant half hour sitting in the sun before making our way back up the hill to the car park.

By the time we got back to the van it was going on for 5.30pm and though there was still plenty of sunshine left I knew it wouldn't be long before it was past its best, and as we were both getting ready for something to eat we decided that rather than go further up the coast we would make our way back to the camp site. It was a very pleasant drive back and we were only a couple of miles away from base when on the spur of the moment I turned off the main road and headed down to Kip's beach. I'd told Janet all about Kip a few weeks previously, and as she's as soppy about animals as I am I thought she might like to see the beach where he used to run and play, plus it would give our own three dogs the opportunity for a good walk off the lead and a run round before going back to camp.

It was just after 7pm when we finally got back to the site; Janet took Aphra and went back to her own tent to sort out some food for the two of them and after connecting the awning to the van I did the same for myself and my two. It was just after 9pm when Janet came over to join me and we spent a couple of hours discussing various topics and generally putting the world to rights over a glass or two of wine. Janet is a well-educated person, and though I always enjoy my own company when I'm camping it makes a refeshing change to chat to someone of the same age and mindset as myself. The evening seemed to fly by and eventually it was time for me to take Sophie and Sugar for their bedtime walk - after the day's sun it was a very mild night, and standing outside the awning with a very clear sky and no light pollution on the site we could see every star in the sky. I've never really been interested in astronomy, I can recognise The Plough and that's my limit, but Janet is really clued up on it and named practically every star and constellation we could see before we said our goodnights and she set off back to her own tent.

I was just about to put the dogs on their leads when I heard Janet's voice outside the awning saying she couldn't find her tent - she'd wandered off in totally the wrong direction, completely lost her bearings and walked into a tree! Now had I done the same thing myself I could have blamed the wine as I don't normally drink and I'd had two large glasses, but though I was perfectly okay Janet, who drinks the stuff regularly and only ten minutes before had named all the stars in the sky, seemed to have suddenly gone all woolly-headed. We blamed the large dose of fresh country and sea air we'd had that day, and after we'd stopped giggling I escorted her back to her tent and made sure she went in it. I thought that was the safer option - left to her own devices she could have ended up anywhere!

Back at the awning I finally managed to put Sophie and Sugar on their leads and take them for a short walk down to the end of the lane and back, then after settling them in their beds and making myself a quick brew - the wine had left me with rather a dry throat - I took myself off to my own bed and spent a while reading my book. Every so often though a mental image of Janet walking into a tree would pop into my mind and it was all I could do to stop breaking out into fits of giggles - needless to say, when I did finally settle down to sleep it was with a big smile on my face.

Saturday August 25th 2012 - A rainy day and a walk on Kip's beach

Well so much for me hoping I would be able to get out and about with the camera - I woke that morning to a miserable grey sky and fine but heavy rain which hardly stopped of all day. The morning dog walk was a very brief one and there was no sign of Janet and Aphra - with the kettle on for breakfast I went across to see if she wanted a brew and found her curled up in bed reading a book, and other than taking Aphra for a quick walk she had no intention of coming out while it was raining. I didn't blame her for that, it really was a miserable day, so I retreated back to the awning and spent the morning reading and watching tv. By 2pm though I was thoroughly fed up being cooped up inside so I decided to drive down to Asda in Ashington, get some supplies and have a look round the shops while I was there - Janet was quite happy to stay in her tent with Aphra so with my two in the back of the van I set off down the lane to see what Ashington had to offer.

As I got to the roundabout on the main road I decided to go straight on instead of right and see what was down there. A country lane and a couple of right hand bends took me past several fields to the local beach and from there the road followed the shoreline for several miles, first through the tiny village of Cresswell and then through the larger Lynemouth. The first part of the drive would have been quite pleasant in nice weather but the huge and sprawling power station at Lynemouth made that particular area look really ugly and desolate so I was glad when I got away from there and reached the outskirts of Ashington. Although I hadn't been into town before I had a rough idea of where Asda was and my good sense of direction led me straight to it with no trouble; by that time the rain had slackened to a reasonably bearable drizzle and as I could have two hours free parking I decided to look round town first before going into the store. Although Ashington isn't a big place there was more to it than I expected; much of the main street was pedestrianised and would have been quite a nice place in better weather. When I'd wandered up and down both sides of each street and seen everything there was to see I returned to Asda, left the dogs back in the van and went to do some shopping, picking up various food items for myself and Janet and a couple of new cd's to play in the van.

As I was driving back to the camp site the weather gods decided to turn off the perpetual tap and brighten the sky a bit, so as the dogs really needed a decent walk I went past the lane leading to the site and drove a couple of miles further on, turning down a lane which skirted the edge of Druridge Bay country park and took me down towards the beach - and though I didn't realise it at first, when I did reach the shore I found I was right by Kip's favourite part of the beach and where his ashes had been scattered almost a couple of months before. There was a small car park not too far along, which was free, so I left the van there and took Sophie and Sugar down onto the beach, walking for quite a distance towards Low Hauxley before turning round and heading back again. With the dogs happy for having had a good run and play I put them back in the van and returned to the camp site, though when I went across to Janet's tent I found there was no-one at home. I was just thinking that she'd taken advantage of the break in the rain to take Aphra for a walk when I heard her shouting me - she had met Sharon, the owner of the caravan on the corner, and was in there sharing a bottle of wine and having a chat. I was invited to join them and spent a very pleasant hour or so before going back to my awning for a brew and something to eat.

With nothing on tv worth watching I wandered over to Janet's tent later on and we spent a very pleasant evening chatting and putting the world to rights, then as the daylight began to fade I took Sophie and Sugar for their final walk of the day. With the two of them settled back in their bed for the night I made myself another brew, then with my latest book to read I took myself off to my own bed, mentally crossing my fingers that after all the rain that day the following one would turn out to be really nice.

Friday August 24th 2012 - Back to Northumberland

A very damp morning at 6am saw me leaving home for a return visit to Honeysuckle Cottage, but with one big difference - this time I wasn't alone, I was taking a camping companion. I've known Janet for ten years and she was just getting her life back after several years of illness - a few weeks previously I'd suggested she might like to come camping with me some time and she had taken me up on it, so with a new tent and a few accessories she and her young dog Aphra were joining me on my second trip to Honeysuckle Cottage. She didn't have the confidence to drive a long distance though so we were all going in my van and I was doing the driving - not that I minded as I enjoy driving anyway. I had packed most of her stuff in the van during the week - which had meant unpacking and reorganising my own stuff twice - so all I had to do when I arrived at her house that morning was throw in her bits and pieces, put Aphra in the back with Sophie and Sugar and we were off.

By the time we had got across the M62 to the A1 the damp had turned into proper rain and the further up the A1 we got the worse it became. About halfway into the journey we pulled into a service area for a much-needed coffee and as we both like carrot cake Janet got us a piece each - it was a bit of an odd thing to have for breakfast but nevertheless it was very welcome. Back on the road again it was raining harder than ever - the visibility was so bad at one point that I could see very little in front of me for several miles and my windscreen wipers were working overtime. That didn't bode well for the weekend and I certainly didn't relish the prospect of setting up camp in that sort of weather, but eventually the heavy rain slackened to a fine drizzle and by the time we reached the camp site it had stopped completely and the sky was brightening up. After booking in with the owner's daughter and getting our keys for the toilet block I parked the van on my pitch - I was in the same place as before but a few yards further up - then helped Janet to take her tent and some of her stuff to her pitch, which was about twenty yards away in the paddock just the other side of the fence.

Now although Janet had been camping before it was several years ago prior to becoming ill, and as she hadn't had chance to test-pitch her new tent since its purchase I thought I'd better give her a hand to put it up before I sorted out my own awning. Luckily the poles and the sleeves were colour co-ordinated so it was easy enough to erect, though at one stage I did wonder why one pole wouldn't go all the way through its sleeve, until I realised that Janet was kneeling on that part of the tent! Finally though it was up and pegged down, and next came the airbed but that's when we hit a slight snag - the valve on it was the wrong type for the nozzle on my power pack compressor and we couldn't inflate it. Now although I've got fairly strong lungs there was no way I was even attempting to blow up the wretched thing manually, so unless we could find an alternative it looked like Janet would be sleeping on the floor. However, salvation came in the form of Les, the site owner, who found us a pump with a nozzle which would fit, so leaving Janet to sort out the bed for herself I went back to my own pitch to put up the awning. I was part way through doing it when Janet came over to help and between the two of us it wasn't long before it was up, attached to the van and pegged down, then it was time to take the dogs for a short walk down the lane before I set up all my stuff inside and made up my bed, which I hadn't been able to do earlier in the week.

All the time we'd been setting up camp the weather had been improving to the point where it actually started sunshining, and as I needed to get some dog poo bags from somewhere I decided to show Janet the delights of Amble, so with the three dogs in the back of the van I disconnected the awning and off we went. It didn't take long to get there and as by then it was quite late in the afternoon there was plenty of space in the free car park so I had no trouble finding somewhere to leave the van. We went up the main street first and I managed to get what I wanted from a hardware/pet shop just before it closed for the day, then we wandered down round the harbour and the little beach before returning to the van. By that time our carrot cake breakfast was a long-distant memory and we were both ready for a meal so on our way back to Honeysuckle Cottage I pulled in at the Widdrington Inn, the pub/restaurant nearest to the site. It wasn't really warm enough to sit outside with the dogs though so leaving them in the van we went inside and found a table, then after a brief study of the menu Janet went to the bar to place our order - scampi for herself and home made steak pie for me. I must admit though that neither of us were impressed with our meals when we got them; I got a very small piece of pie which contained dry and overcooked meat and with a crust which was so hard it needed a chainsaw to cut it; Janet's scampi was also overcooked and hard. The vegetables were bland and watery and the 'chips' were thin and anaemic-looking with lots of little hard ones - obviously frozen oven chips of the type dished up in schools, and not a favourite of either of us. I suppose really we should have complained and asked for either a fresh meal or a refund but having been awake since 3am by that time I was feeling too tired to be bothered. The place had actually been recommended in a camp site review on UKCS, but I have to say that on the basis of that meal I certainly wouldn't dine there again.

When we got back to the camp site I released the dogs from the back of the van and Janet took Aphra back to her own tent, then after reconnecting the awning I settled in for the rest of the evening. I did go over to Janet's tent later on with a mug of coffee for her, then I gave Sophie and Sugar their suppers and took them for a short walk along the lane before settling them in their bed for the night. It had been a long day and I was more than ready for an early bed - fingers crossed that the following day would be nice and I would be able to get out and about with my camera.