Been "Up North"

Okay Jane, you can be stopping with the nagging now.
We got back yesterday evening from a bittersweet trip up to Northumberland. Ken's funeral was on Thursday so we drove up to Darlington for that, such an unbearably sad reason for a family to get together, we always say we'll make more effort to see each other, but it never seems to happen until it's too late for some...

Having travelled so far up the A1 we carried on up to my nome village of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland for a few days with my folks. Hubby and I continue the game my family played every time we went back there - trying to be first to yell "I can see it!" at the first glimpse of the bay - you'd think this was one game i could win, but blow me if he didn't get in first this time.

Can't say the weather was perfect - it blew a gale the whole time and on Friday it rained pretty much all day, sending us scuttling from one garden centre to another - both had teeny weeny craft areas, and despite all my efforts, all I could find to buy were two punches - sorry Girls, I know that's a very poor tally and I promise I'll try harder next time.

On Saturday we went a little further up the coast to Craster (famous for kippers, I think, but I don't like fish so I'll take their word for it). We wanted to visit Dunstanburgh Castle as we've not been in ages. You have to leave your car either in Craster, or in Embleton on the other side and walk the 1 1/2 miles along to the castle. It was a lovely, warmish, slightly breezy wander along by the sea on the way - but walking into the wind on the way back it felt three times further!
I'll get some photos up later as Dunstanburgh is one of the most picturesque castles I know and well worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

My all time favourite castle at Warkworth and even if we don't actually go in to the grounds, I have to at least go to Warkworth to see it - a visit "home" wouldn't be complete without checking that it's still there, even just sitting in the car park is enough. We used to go there for picnics when I was very little and it's one of my favourite places in the world. These are two of Hubby's Warkworth Castle photos from other visits.