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Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Barter Books
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Tuesday 9th
An early start to the day, as we had to get the keys to The Pantry where we collected them from for the Tourist Board annual inspection. We got there just after 9am, but there was no sign of life in the cafe or the house next door, which is the alternate point of contact. I tried phoning, and could hear the phone ringing but there was no reply.
We went back to the flat and phoned the letting agents HQ. They couldn't understand why there was no reply at the Pantry, but the TB assessor had just arrived with them, and they would come straight away.
Sure enough, they were with us within ten minutes. As it was only going to take half an hour we elected to stay with them rather than let them drop the keys back at the earily deserted Pantry - after all, would we get them back?!
As it happened, we were able to help in the assessment because we knew where most of the kitchen utensils were, so speeding up the ticking off of the checklist.
Once they had finished the check, we got back to our plan for the day, which was a trip to Alnwick. First of all, we decided to get something to eat, as we had planned to have breakfast out, and it was now 11am and all we had had was a cup of tea. We went to a cafe that Julie had recommended to Sally, and it was a very good tip. Sally had homemade mushroom soup and a sandwich. I tried her soup and it was lovely. I had my usual burger, and it was pretty good.
We had a wonder around the town and looked around some interesting shops. Sally bought a new handbag at under half price. We then made our way to Barter Books. This claims to be "one of the largest second hand bookshops in the country", and I have no reason to doubt them. It is huge. Set in the old railway station it has room after room full of bookcases. It is fairly well set out, so you have a reasonable chance of finding what you are looking for.
The snag is that they have so many books (they claim over 300,000 and I don't doubt it) that my mind went a bit blank, and I struggled to think of anythink that I would want!! I did have a look for any of the Wallender novels by Henning Mankell, but didn't find any. I also failed to find anything about coastal navigation. I did however find an interesting sounding book about the history of espionage.
They have a couple of roaring coal fires in the building, and plenty of seating, coupled with the gentle jazz playing in the background, this gave the whole place a very inviting atmosphere, and you get the feeling that it is treated more like a library than a shop. I could have spent the whole week there quite happily!!
Their cafe is also well worth a visit. We had a drink and a cake each by one of the fires (which was a bit too hot for my liking) and it was all very pleasant.
Another quick wonder around the town in search of a loaf of bread (surprisingly difficult!) Before heading back to the flat. We took a slightly scenic route via Craster and Lower Newton on Sea, both of which we plan to visit properly while we are here.
Once back at the flat, we decided to take a walk on the beach here in Beadnell. It was virtually empty, with just a couple of dog walkers also braving the bitter cold wind which quickly numbed my fingers despite the fingerless mittens I was wearing. We wondered over to the disused lime kilns and took plenty of photos.
Back at the flat, warmed up by a mug of tea, we put the radio on to keep up with the news on Radio 4. Tonight is the second leg of the ice hockey Challenge Cup Final, with Nottingham holding a 4-2 lead over Cardiff from the first leg. I know I will be in the minority of Coventry fans in hoping that Nottingham can hold onto their lead and lift the trophy. They don't get to win many trophies these days! ;-)
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Monday, 8 March 2010
Day 3 in the Beadnell house
Just say the title to this blog in your best Geordie accent.......
A dull day - so much for the cold, frosty but clear weather forecast. After a breakfast of toast, we headed out towards Bamburgh in the vain hope that the sky might clear up. It didn't. So, we decided to move on and head inland to a couple of places we had been told about that might be worth a visit.
First up was Belford, which is a tiny town that looks as though it could be from The Last of The Summer Wine. We elected to not stop, but carried on through the narrow country lanes to Wooler. The journey there would have been spectacular if the weather had been clearer. The view as we climbed higher into the hills should have been awesome but the low cloud meant that we simply couldn't see very far.
When we arrived in Wooler, it again was a classic old town with small independant shops and a charm that makes you just want to look around. We found the free car park (always a worry - free parking can mean a disappointing place in our experience!) and headed into the town.
It appears that Mondays are an unpopular day with shopkeepers around here, and about half the town was shut. About a quarter of it was simply closed down for good, and the few remaining shops that were actually open were not exactly exciting. There was one "curio" shop which seemed to be full of old nic-nacks and ancient books, but with Barter Books in Alnwick to look forward to later in the week, i was reluctant to venture inside.
After a short stay, we moved on to Berwick Upon Tweed, which was some way, but we felt would be worth the effort. Once again, it seemed that a large part of the town was either closed for the day, or closed-down. It was also not particularly well sign posted, which meant it was "interesting" finding the car park.
We did find their branch of "Home Bargains", which is a lot bigger than Coventry's one, and it had some really great things at amazing prices. We treated ourselves to "sumfink nice" and got a few provisions. We then found a little cafe which surprisingly was empty even though it was lunch time. We liked the look of the place and had a hot chocolate each, while enjoying the jazz the owner was playing on his CD player. The chocolate was very nice - and so was the jazz.
The rest of Berwick was a bit of a let down to be honest, and apart from a quick run around Somerfield's we didn't stay for much longer.
The weather had still not brightened up, so we headed back to Bamburgh and then on through Seahouses back to Beadnell. We are hoping that the sun comes out over the next few days as Bamburgh Castle looks well worth a visit.
A very late lunch of soup & salad (not as wierd as it sounds - give it a try sometime!) was followed by a doze. I had a headache, and was pleased of the snooze, which made me feel much better.
After listening to "Just a Minute" on Radio 4 (mmmmm, Radio 4 - you know you're getting old when you love listening to that!!) we investigated some of the games on the bookcase in the corner of the living room.
Besides a good selection of books and DVDs, there are some games - mostly kids ones, but Kerplunk brought back memories of childhood for us both, and we just had to have a go. (The memories it brought back for me were of being grumbled at because it was such a noisy game!)
You know what? They have changed it since we were kids!!! It's nowhere nearly as well made as it used to be (why is that a surprise to me?), the tube is in 4 parts now, two actual tube sections and the bit with the holes in is made up of two saucer shaped sections that fit very badly together. It took about 20 minutes to get the darn thing assembled! After two games where most of the time was spent trying to get it to stay in one piece we gave up, and instead played "Shark Attack" which is a game with a sharks mouth open, and you take it in turns pushing his teeth down until you get the wrong one, and the mouth closes "biting" you. Obviously, each time it is a different tooth that sets it off, otherwise it would be a bit pointless, and we found it hysterically funny. Little things please little minds eh...............
We hope for a brighter day tomorrow, and the chance to take some photos.
A dull day - so much for the cold, frosty but clear weather forecast. After a breakfast of toast, we headed out towards Bamburgh in the vain hope that the sky might clear up. It didn't. So, we decided to move on and head inland to a couple of places we had been told about that might be worth a visit.
First up was Belford, which is a tiny town that looks as though it could be from The Last of The Summer Wine. We elected to not stop, but carried on through the narrow country lanes to Wooler. The journey there would have been spectacular if the weather had been clearer. The view as we climbed higher into the hills should have been awesome but the low cloud meant that we simply couldn't see very far.
When we arrived in Wooler, it again was a classic old town with small independant shops and a charm that makes you just want to look around. We found the free car park (always a worry - free parking can mean a disappointing place in our experience!) and headed into the town.
It appears that Mondays are an unpopular day with shopkeepers around here, and about half the town was shut. About a quarter of it was simply closed down for good, and the few remaining shops that were actually open were not exactly exciting. There was one "curio" shop which seemed to be full of old nic-nacks and ancient books, but with Barter Books in Alnwick to look forward to later in the week, i was reluctant to venture inside.
After a short stay, we moved on to Berwick Upon Tweed, which was some way, but we felt would be worth the effort. Once again, it seemed that a large part of the town was either closed for the day, or closed-down. It was also not particularly well sign posted, which meant it was "interesting" finding the car park.
We did find their branch of "Home Bargains", which is a lot bigger than Coventry's one, and it had some really great things at amazing prices. We treated ourselves to "sumfink nice" and got a few provisions. We then found a little cafe which surprisingly was empty even though it was lunch time. We liked the look of the place and had a hot chocolate each, while enjoying the jazz the owner was playing on his CD player. The chocolate was very nice - and so was the jazz.
The rest of Berwick was a bit of a let down to be honest, and apart from a quick run around Somerfield's we didn't stay for much longer.
The weather had still not brightened up, so we headed back to Bamburgh and then on through Seahouses back to Beadnell. We are hoping that the sun comes out over the next few days as Bamburgh Castle looks well worth a visit.
A very late lunch of soup & salad (not as wierd as it sounds - give it a try sometime!) was followed by a doze. I had a headache, and was pleased of the snooze, which made me feel much better.
After listening to "Just a Minute" on Radio 4 (mmmmm, Radio 4 - you know you're getting old when you love listening to that!!) we investigated some of the games on the bookcase in the corner of the living room.
Besides a good selection of books and DVDs, there are some games - mostly kids ones, but Kerplunk brought back memories of childhood for us both, and we just had to have a go. (The memories it brought back for me were of being grumbled at because it was such a noisy game!)
You know what? They have changed it since we were kids!!! It's nowhere nearly as well made as it used to be (why is that a surprise to me?), the tube is in 4 parts now, two actual tube sections and the bit with the holes in is made up of two saucer shaped sections that fit very badly together. It took about 20 minutes to get the darn thing assembled! After two games where most of the time was spent trying to get it to stay in one piece we gave up, and instead played "Shark Attack" which is a game with a sharks mouth open, and you take it in turns pushing his teeth down until you get the wrong one, and the mouth closes "biting" you. Obviously, each time it is a different tooth that sets it off, otherwise it would be a bit pointless, and we found it hysterically funny. Little things please little minds eh...............
We hope for a brighter day tomorrow, and the chance to take some photos.
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Sunday 7th
What a lovely day we've had! The weather has been superb, dry, sunny and surprisingly warm. Had a good nights sleep and a nice lie in while Sally finished off her work.
Brunch was mushrooms, bacon and eggs, and then we headed off to Alnwick to meet up with a couple Sally knew years ago when they lived in Derby.
Julie and Pete turned out to be a really lovely couple and we got on well. They took us out for a tour of some of their favourite local spots including Alnmouth where we did a very pleasant walk along the beach. Then they took us on to Amble where their yacht is moored. "Tina Louise" is a 32' sailing boat, and I am glad to report that we both got on and off it without falling in the water!
They have certainly helped us to choose a few places to visit during our stay, time and weather permitting of course.
Home made pizza for dinner and now we are watching Dancing on Ice. It is nice and warm in the flat now that we have sussed out the heating. We like it here!!!!!
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Brunch was mushrooms, bacon and eggs, and then we headed off to Alnwick to meet up with a couple Sally knew years ago when they lived in Derby.
Julie and Pete turned out to be a really lovely couple and we got on well. They took us out for a tour of some of their favourite local spots including Alnmouth where we did a very pleasant walk along the beach. Then they took us on to Amble where their yacht is moored. "Tina Louise" is a 32' sailing boat, and I am glad to report that we both got on and off it without falling in the water!
They have certainly helped us to choose a few places to visit during our stay, time and weather permitting of course.
Home made pizza for dinner and now we are watching Dancing on Ice. It is nice and warm in the flat now that we have sussed out the heating. We like it here!!!!!
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Saturday, 6 March 2010
Why eye.......
Had a lovely sleep - there's definately something to be said for separate beds!! ;-)
We were able to wish Beryl a very happy birthday before heading out into the drizzle for the LONG drive up to Beadnell. For most of the journey it was drizzling just enough to need the wipers on, but not enough to need them full time.
Radio 4 kept us company, and the afternoon play was pretty good i thought. We stopped off at "Scotch Corner" services for a bite to eat and a coffee. I have to say that it was the best coffee that i have had from a Costa for a long time.
We finally arrived at the apartment, and were pleasantly surprised - it is really nice!!! Compact without being cramped - plenty big enough for the two of us - the 2nd bedroom is a bit small but would make an ideal craftroom for Sally!! The living/dining room is a good size, and the whole place is nicely decorated and well furnished/equiped - there is even an XBox!!!
Once we had unpacked our stuff, we headed into the nearby town of Seahouses to buy provisions, and found a Co-Op which was pretty good. having had a walk around the town centre, we discovered a fish & chip shop that claims to be recommended by "The Hairy Bikers" of TV fame. we gave it a try, and it was very very good.
Back at the apartment now (OK, OK, the flat!!), and it seems a little strange to be on holiday in something so "luxurious". I mean, we have electricity, heating and everything!! The signal in the 3G dongle is poor, and the internet is working very slowly, and Sally can't get a signal on hers at all.......
Talking of which, while i'm typing this, Sally is at the dining table doing some work - she relented in the end, and decided that for the sake of her own sanity, she should just give in and bring her laptop with her to finish some spreadsheets that are suddenly vital...........bosses eh?!
i'm going to sign off for now, as the game is about to start on Fire & Ice's Match Night Live......i'm really more interested in reading my book though to be honest!!
It's fairly chilly up here by the way - dry but dull (and dark of course now) and the wind is biting. Where's my jumper and hat?
We were able to wish Beryl a very happy birthday before heading out into the drizzle for the LONG drive up to Beadnell. For most of the journey it was drizzling just enough to need the wipers on, but not enough to need them full time.
Radio 4 kept us company, and the afternoon play was pretty good i thought. We stopped off at "Scotch Corner" services for a bite to eat and a coffee. I have to say that it was the best coffee that i have had from a Costa for a long time.
We finally arrived at the apartment, and were pleasantly surprised - it is really nice!!! Compact without being cramped - plenty big enough for the two of us - the 2nd bedroom is a bit small but would make an ideal craftroom for Sally!! The living/dining room is a good size, and the whole place is nicely decorated and well furnished/equiped - there is even an XBox!!!
Once we had unpacked our stuff, we headed into the nearby town of Seahouses to buy provisions, and found a Co-Op which was pretty good. having had a walk around the town centre, we discovered a fish & chip shop that claims to be recommended by "The Hairy Bikers" of TV fame. we gave it a try, and it was very very good.
Back at the apartment now (OK, OK, the flat!!), and it seems a little strange to be on holiday in something so "luxurious". I mean, we have electricity, heating and everything!! The signal in the 3G dongle is poor, and the internet is working very slowly, and Sally can't get a signal on hers at all.......
Talking of which, while i'm typing this, Sally is at the dining table doing some work - she relented in the end, and decided that for the sake of her own sanity, she should just give in and bring her laptop with her to finish some spreadsheets that are suddenly vital...........bosses eh?!
i'm going to sign off for now, as the game is about to start on Fire & Ice's Match Night Live......i'm really more interested in reading my book though to be honest!!
It's fairly chilly up here by the way - dry but dull (and dark of course now) and the wind is biting. Where's my jumper and hat?
Friday, 5 March 2010
Friday 5th March - getting ready
Assuming we can get Sally's ear un-glued from her phone, and her fingers pried away from her keyboard, the plan is to head up to Derby late this afternoon/early evening, where we will stop overnight with Ron & Beryl (Sally's parents for those of you who didn't know)
It's Beryl's birthday tomorrow (6th March), so we will get to spend a few hours with them before heading up't'north to the apartment.
So far this morning, i have done the remnants of the ironing, and set the videos for the next weeks programs. I have also watched the Iron Maiden documentary that was shown on BBC4 last night about their world tour in their own plane piloted by their singer Bruce Dickinson. It was very interesting, and they all seem like really nice guys - down to earth, not the usual rock stars at all.
I have just checked the weather forecast on metcheck.com, and it looks fairly promising for where we are going - mostly dry, fair bit of sunshine, just VERY cold - some days they are forecasting -4 during the DAY, but with the windchill, it will feel like -9!!!!! Where's my wooly hat?
Cold we can cope with - we are taking enough clothes to layer up as necessary. It will be more of a let down if it rains a lot and is dull and cloudy. You can keep warm - keeping dry is less easy.....
Hopefully, if the forecast proves correct, i should be able to get some decent photos. I'm only taking the Panasonic digital compact and the 35mm film Leica with me - decided to leave the digital SLR behind - something had to give, and the Panasonic is a pretty good little camera, so i'm not worried about being SLRless. Hopefully, the Leica will get some use - have got plenty of film in my bag, both colour and back & white. It's about time the poor thing saw some proper use!!
I had been considering taking a ham radio transceiver up with me, but feel it is probably a waste of time. We are not going away for long, and the chances of getting much time to set it up and use it are pretty remote. Maybe when we go away in the summer for 2 weeks.......
While we are away we will miss several Blaze games, and you know what? I don't really care that much. Yes, i have somewhat fallen out of love with the game and the club this season. The lack of consitancy has been a major reason, but it also helps that i have finally come to realise that it is really is "only a game". We have missed more home games this season than in the previous 4 years put together.
It is almost a relief to have our Sunday evenings back, and i actually quite enjoy sitting in a comfortable (and clean!) seat at home with the laptop giving updates from the games thanks to the excellent "Fire & Ice" Match Night Live coverage. It's strange how not only am i more comfortable and warm "watching" the games at home, but the catering facilities are MUCH better and the toilet facilities are so much more "inviting" than those at the Skydome!!! Perhaps we should sell tickets to our own "venue" next season........
It's Beryl's birthday tomorrow (6th March), so we will get to spend a few hours with them before heading up't'north to the apartment.
So far this morning, i have done the remnants of the ironing, and set the videos for the next weeks programs. I have also watched the Iron Maiden documentary that was shown on BBC4 last night about their world tour in their own plane piloted by their singer Bruce Dickinson. It was very interesting, and they all seem like really nice guys - down to earth, not the usual rock stars at all.
I have just checked the weather forecast on metcheck.com, and it looks fairly promising for where we are going - mostly dry, fair bit of sunshine, just VERY cold - some days they are forecasting -4 during the DAY, but with the windchill, it will feel like -9!!!!! Where's my wooly hat?
Cold we can cope with - we are taking enough clothes to layer up as necessary. It will be more of a let down if it rains a lot and is dull and cloudy. You can keep warm - keeping dry is less easy.....
Hopefully, if the forecast proves correct, i should be able to get some decent photos. I'm only taking the Panasonic digital compact and the 35mm film Leica with me - decided to leave the digital SLR behind - something had to give, and the Panasonic is a pretty good little camera, so i'm not worried about being SLRless. Hopefully, the Leica will get some use - have got plenty of film in my bag, both colour and back & white. It's about time the poor thing saw some proper use!!
I had been considering taking a ham radio transceiver up with me, but feel it is probably a waste of time. We are not going away for long, and the chances of getting much time to set it up and use it are pretty remote. Maybe when we go away in the summer for 2 weeks.......
While we are away we will miss several Blaze games, and you know what? I don't really care that much. Yes, i have somewhat fallen out of love with the game and the club this season. The lack of consitancy has been a major reason, but it also helps that i have finally come to realise that it is really is "only a game". We have missed more home games this season than in the previous 4 years put together.
It is almost a relief to have our Sunday evenings back, and i actually quite enjoy sitting in a comfortable (and clean!) seat at home with the laptop giving updates from the games thanks to the excellent "Fire & Ice" Match Night Live coverage. It's strange how not only am i more comfortable and warm "watching" the games at home, but the catering facilities are MUCH better and the toilet facilities are so much more "inviting" than those at the Skydome!!! Perhaps we should sell tickets to our own "venue" next season........
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Holiday!!!!
Well, would you believe it? It's that time again - time for a HOLIDAY!!!!!!
It seemed like a long way off when i booked it, but it has crept up on us, and we go away tomorrow for our first break of the year, and boy, do we need it.
Both of us have been pretty stressed out with work, Sally especially has been struggling with the pressure of work and ill health, so we are both really looking forward to getting away, if only for a week.
Finally, we get around to going to Northumberland. Beadnell to be exact. No, i didn't know where it was either! Not too far from Alnwick, right up near the Scottish border, close'ish to Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island - somewhere that i am really looking forward to visiting.
Unfortunately, a lot of the National Trust places are not fully open yet, it being too early in the year, but we hope (weather permitting) to get around to visiting a few interesting places.
Yes, i have the cameras packed and ready. I also have a good book, my ipod, a radio, and most importantly, a warm coat!!
I will endeavor to keep you all updated with our escapades during our week away. Now, where did i put my Geordie phrasebook................
It seemed like a long way off when i booked it, but it has crept up on us, and we go away tomorrow for our first break of the year, and boy, do we need it.
Both of us have been pretty stressed out with work, Sally especially has been struggling with the pressure of work and ill health, so we are both really looking forward to getting away, if only for a week.
Finally, we get around to going to Northumberland. Beadnell to be exact. No, i didn't know where it was either! Not too far from Alnwick, right up near the Scottish border, close'ish to Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island - somewhere that i am really looking forward to visiting.
Unfortunately, a lot of the National Trust places are not fully open yet, it being too early in the year, but we hope (weather permitting) to get around to visiting a few interesting places.
Yes, i have the cameras packed and ready. I also have a good book, my ipod, a radio, and most importantly, a warm coat!!
I will endeavor to keep you all updated with our escapades during our week away. Now, where did i put my Geordie phrasebook................
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