Trains, planes (err boats then) , buses and automobiles

 

Started the day with a short drive to Low Hauxley and Druridge beach to walk the mutts.  Another gorgeous morning (haven't a clue why the weather has been sunny all week, forecast before we came away was heavy rain and general crud all week as usual)

At one point it looked like we were going to be invaded by a fleet of Spaniards....

Homers legs appear to be ok this morning...




Did a google for Low Hauxley to add a link but found this one about a woman and a poisonous Weever fish, which was much more interesting than the pretty scenic write ups....Will avoid any fish who start setting up a loom and getting the wool out...

Drove a bit further as I saw a sign for a farmshop - stopped and stocked up on some yummy chocolate brownie cake (low cal and the same nutritional calorific content as a ryvita obviously)

Back to the cottage, dragged Steve out of bed, and piled in the car and a drive back up Etal.  The dogs got another treat in a different form of transport.  Arrived at Heatherslaw Mill a bit early (well 2:30pm) so although we were pushing it visiting the mill, we opted to go in the cafe instead and eat the scones and cake made from the lovely flour, rather than watch the process itself.  We were served by a nice lady with one arm, so it took twice as long for us to get all our snacks (she reminded me of the Irish washer up in Robins Nest)

Sauntered over to the station and waited for Thomas the Tank Engine.....

All piled on and Homer has his happy head on again when he realises there is no walking involved.  Barley debates whether to shake and tremble the entire journey, but decides against it once she realises we have bought cake with us

The entire round trip for the train is 6.4km and at a speed of walking backwards we arrived at Etal in about 30 mins.  As this was the last train we didn't get chance to explore yet another ruin (its all bloody fortresses and castles up here, these Scots dont like the English much)

Back to the station.  It was very nice of the train driver to come over and give them both a pat on the head. Can't help thinking looking at this pic though that we look like some weird deprived family who were unable to have kids and took our dogs out to Butlins yearly

The next place on the agenda isn't widely advertised as a tourist attraction so we had to find a small semi detached house in the middle of nowhere.  We were looking for the 'Concrete Menagerie' - a garden full of concrete animals. They were constructed by a father for his son, who on finding out he was born disabled and would be unable to see many things, brought as much of the world as he could to him.  It was all a bit strange really, but this sort of thing amuses me...

He reminded me of Steve when he's wearing his glasses

 

 

Nice teeth...

 

OK, so they aren't the most life like of statues....

 

 

(can imagine the poor child trying to escape from them in his wheelchair)

 

Floddon Field is just down the road, but as it involved walking some distance to see anything but a grass field, we didn't bother

 

Drove back yet again through Alnwick and came in from the castle end...

 

My search this time was for the lion bridge to find the lion with the straight tail...

 

Found him!!!

 

 

 

Finished the day with yet another walk along the dunes and beach.....

 



 

Day..err...dunno...lost count

 

Set off and had a quick nose at Warkworth castle on the way to Alnwick – took a few pics but hoping to return to do the audio tour later in the week.  The dogs are allowed in, but not sure the stone will stand up to Homer peeing at it every opportunity he gets

Next stop today was back to Alnwick to Barter Books.  This time it was open, so we managed to have a good nosey about.  Amongst the high brow scholars of the shop I think we fitted in nicely.

Loved the train that runs along the top of the book shelves, and there are quotes everywhere, the whole building is very charming – complete with buffet car tea room and cosy coffee corners. Even let dogs in (no I didn’t bring mine in, anywhere that leaves biscuits on display within reach of Homers nose is a no go area)

 

 

 

Although there was a moment in the children’s section when Steve decided to sit on the ladybird, much to the disgust of the sales assistant who happened to walk by at the same time

Suitable chastised he settled down and did some more serious reading

 

Bit of information, Barter books is to blame for the revival of all the ‘Carry on and keep calm’ branding.  Evidently some old posters were found in one of the boxes of books here and it catapulted into ridiculous heights of mass produced ‘keep calm and do bloody everything’

We then visited the antique shop next door, putting on our serious collectors heads we mooched in here for about 20 mins.  As we left the elderly sales assistant said to us ‘Next time you visit we’ll see if we can find some bowlers in your size?’  Not having a clue what she was talking about, other than Steve had shown some interest when we first walked in, Steve enlightened me with this photograph he had taken, where he obviously had an audience….

Time to visit the Treehouse restaurant next.  As we were booked in we managed to evade car parking charges, although I’m not sure the attendant was convinced we had booked.  We were a bit early so had a play and a mooch round the restaurant.  There were quite a few elderly people who were a bit unsure about the rope bridges, I’m sure Steve did nothing to alleviate their fears…

Outside the restaurant there is also a private hut that can be booked for meals, plus the ‘Potting Shed’, a bar

 

Went in and got seated in enormous heavy wood seats.  Had a meal of goat and asparagus salad, fish and chips, and finished with double chocolate and baileys torte with caramel cream. Was yummmmmmmm and so crap on my diet L

Loved it here, so we booked for dinner on our last night to save clearing up the kitchen etc (that’s my excuse anyway) Also I want to see it lit up at night

 

 

 

Back to the dogs and Steve and Homer practised their skating on ice routine...

Perfect co-ordination...

 

Working nicely together now

 

 Then Homer went off freestyling... 

Went for a walk round Alnwick afterwards, not much but a few shops but got some entertainment watching the fire brigade putting out a Citroen

 

Went home and watched a DVD, the woman in black.  Not the greatest of Daniel Radcliffe fans tbh, the film was ok but nothing special.  Perhaps I should watch equus where he has his knob hanging out; he might appeal more to me then….

Also now have the ritual of blocking Homer out of the cupboard after he discovered there is a football sitting in there, which he keeps swiping every time he gets the opportunity (unless it's a cunning plan and he is really after the gin)

 

Carried Homer up the stairs and another day gone…..

Day 3 - A boat trip

Day 3

Yayyyy! Got the fat little bggr up the stairs (well we carried him), so spent the night in a proper bed.  He got his own back and woke me up at 8am demanding breakfast and walks.  Must say I was quite thankful, gorgeous morning with the sun out and total silence apart from the gulls on the beach.

 

We walked his lead for a while then back to the house to decide how to spend the day

As OH didn’t emerge until 11am had written the day off but we decided to visit Seahouses.  Within 5 minutes of arriving we had somehow booked and were waiting on the slipway for a trip on the catamaran round the Farne Islands.  The women in the sales huts for the boats were a ‘funny’ bunch. All vying for attention and slating the women at the end booth. We booked with the women at the end booth

Was praying that we didn’t have to negotiate an open plan staircase onto the boat, or I would be carrying a fat Labrador over it. I purchased a bag of fresh doughnuts in case I had to resort to bribery

The Serenity II wasn't so serene once Homer boarded

Was also worried that we were going to have the company of these 2, as they waited patiently for the boat to come in – thankfully there were only 8 of us in total, plus 3 dogs

 

Surprisingly Homer was fine, but at the exact moment of boarding a Harrier jet went over, Barley turned to jelly (hates loud noises) and spent the rest of the boat trip shaking under the chair

Steve had embraced the whole Captain of the Ship experience and was suitably dressed in a fetching souwester (actually its some vile yellow jacket he bought form T K Maxx).  I asked him to do a Titanic pose and he failed miserably (he's not a big cinema goer)

We were treated to a trip round a lot of little islands, overflowing with lighthouses, terns and birdy things (sorry not a twitcher)

Pic of the puffin burrows in the banks (puffins had all bggrd off though)

Everywhere around us were little seals heads watching.  Would get the camera and they would duck under quick, their faces remind me of Homer

 

More lighthouses and the story of Grace Darling, the local heroine, who evidently used to live round here when she rescued a party off a shipwreck

 

The resident dog on the boat was amusing as well, he would sort of tap dance round the boat, stop, do a little shuffle to get his balance, then run over to the other side

We got back late (thank you Mr Car park attendant for not charging and clamping me for the 30 mins over).

 

A quick visit to the gift shop as it was recommended as being 'so bad it is good'.  It's not, honestly, it really is awful.

Drove back via Alnwick and stopped off to look in Barters Book (very famous evidently).  However, due to winter opening hours kicking in, the most we saw was through squinting through a gap in the curtain…

And I had high hopes that perhaps they would barter Steve for a first edition of anything….

Drove home and slobbed for the rest of the night

Day 4

Today is treehouse day. Lunch is booked for 2pm. Hopefully the OH will be able to drag himself out of bed by then....