Our day began with a trip to Corbridge- a lovely town very close to Hexham. If you want independent arty, interesting shops, then go to Corbridge. It's fab for Christmas presents and is where one of my favourite winter hats comes from!
We travelled to the Corbridge music shop where after playing with lots of instruments, I somehow managed to naughtily spend £70 on what CBC described as 'a very expensive book and a load of tat they were chucking out'! Since then, he has borrowed the 'expensive book (expensive because photocopying for your all your choir is allowed) for it has useful songs in it for him. Also the tat included a lovely new Penny whistle!
After this, after experiencing the disappointment of cool shop Re (seriously go and have a look. If you like innovative recycling, quirky, vintage inspired and wonderfully unusual gifts, go and have a look!) and the Corbridge antiques centre (where I bought my lovely Parisian 70's drindl skirt) being closed, we went for brunch at the delightful coffee house (eggy bread and beans!!!). It's a lovely simple place and I liked this epithet on the wall:
That suits me! I agree!
We then set off along the exciting rollercoaster ride that is the A46 from Corbridge up to Wrothbury. Seee, in Northumberland even the roads are fun! Not a road for the faint at heart or nervous driver!!!!! Would have been great fun except I had done something horrendous to my neck. Unless I have my own pillow from home, I always get neck problems.
Anyone else have this trouble?
We didn't unfortunately experience these as neither of us had considered what on earth we were doing that day and the fact that sensible trekking footwear might be advisable (we are lastminute.com) so we mooched around town a bit enjoying the buildings. But if you ever go, one thing I remember is that the parking was cheap!
Onwards and onwards, we joined the roads again, bemoaning the closure of a lovely 'manor house' (I forget the name- CBC, can you help?). CBC despaired of me taking 'pointless shots out of the window! I was TRYING to capture the sense of the fleeting, and the lovely purple heather! Not something I see regularly, being an urban southerner!) 
Our next port of call was either to be Alnwick castle (visited the gardens last year) or the Barter bookshops- an amazing 2nd hand bookshop set in the old Alnwick railway station!!! Hmmmmm, I wonder which I chose!
Needing petrol, dropping me off to browse the bookshop, the decision was made.
The place is amazing, if not for the amazing selection of newish to downright old 1st editions,500,000 +, of 2nd hand books (and you can barter with your own books!) set in a variety of different rooms, bookcases.... 
for the toy train which runs around the ceiling...
...for the amusing decor and decorations...
The sheer joy of being in an ancient railway station imagining passengers in times gone by...
for the toy train which runs around the ceiling......for the amusing decor and decorations...
The sheer joy of being in an ancient railway station imagining passengers in times gone by...
...for the joy of eating in the cafe (cake, although don't have the lemon drizzle- it was yucky!) one of whose rooms was the old first class ladies' waiting room...
....the amazing old waiting rooms in which you can take a prospective book into and read at your leisure (and an array of lovely old chairs dotted around). Hmmmm, who's that in the mirror on the right????
...looking up and seeing 'good, solid, British craftsmanship!' Atavism at its best!
....heartening fireplaces...
...picking one's imaginary train time...
...and if NONE of that wets your whistle (you are a HARD audience to please in which case), surely you love the 'Keep calm and carry on' mottos? For here is the original poster from which all the recent crazes for it have arisen- it was found in a box of books that was brought in....
CBC and I bought several books- I bought 3 Lorna Hill ballet books- did anyone ever read them: A dream of Sadler's wells or Veronica at the wells? No, well I only read those 2, but found 3 more from the later series. YAY!
Ooops, someone being silly....
Trekking through perilous, sharp grass (don't do this in leggings- it's pure evil!!!!), the tide was right out. This, as you could guess from the name of the village, is the mouth of the river Aln, where it meets the sea. I was all for trying to paddle across the river when viewing it from a height) at which point CBC reminded me, 'Uhrgh, Kezzie, the mouth is the widest part of the river'.
...picking one's imaginary train time...
...and if NONE of that wets your whistle (you are a HARD audience to please in which case), surely you love the 'Keep calm and carry on' mottos? For here is the original poster from which all the recent crazes for it have arisen- it was found in a box of books that was brought in....
CBC and I bought several books- I bought 3 Lorna Hill ballet books- did anyone ever read them: A dream of Sadler's wells or Veronica at the wells? No, well I only read those 2, but found 3 more from the later series. YAY! We also searched for an original edition of Angela Brazil's book, The jolliest term on record but had no success. The other ones by her were frightfully expensive!!!
Once I managed to prise CBC away from the books (he's worse than me at browsing!), we realised it was a little too late for Alnwick castle and we wanted to enjoy the outdoors
for free rather than £14 each, so we drove (on Mary's recommendation earlier) to the pretty village of Alnmouth.
for free rather than £14 each, so we drove (on Mary's recommendation earlier) to the pretty village of Alnmouth.
Arriving late, when all the shops were shut (GOOD- no temptation to sway me!), we wandered along the main street to the front, again with delightful buildings to admire- you can rent these for a week or so I think!
Ooops, someone being silly....
Trekking through perilous, sharp grass (don't do this in leggings- it's pure evil!!!!), the tide was right out. This, as you could guess from the name of the village, is the mouth of the river Aln, where it meets the sea. I was all for trying to paddle across the river when viewing it from a height) at which point CBC reminded me, 'Uhrgh, Kezzie, the mouth is the widest part of the river'. Oops..
The breeze was delicious and who am I to resist the urge to act 12 years old!
I loved the peninsula with its gentle lapping waters. I was dying to paddle but for it being cold and us lacking any sort of towel. Back me up, there is nothing worse than putting wet, sandcovered feet back into shoes when not properly dry. Sand shall claim dominion over your shoes forever more if you are not careful!!!
We drove back the sensible route on the A1 or M1 (I forgot which), which is a pity as I love the winding sea-path through the picturesque villages of Bamburgh, Seahouses, seeing Lindisfarne and the Farne islands on the horizon, but for getting home...
The breeze was delicious and who am I to resist the urge to act 12 years old!
I loved the peninsula with its gentle lapping waters. I was dying to paddle but for it being cold and us lacking any sort of towel. Back me up, there is nothing worse than putting wet, sandcovered feet back into shoes when not properly dry. Sand shall claim dominion over your shoes forever more if you are not careful!!!
We drove back the sensible route on the A1 or M1 (I forgot which), which is a pity as I love the winding sea-path through the picturesque villages of Bamburgh, Seahouses, seeing Lindisfarne and the Farne islands on the horizon, but for getting home...We arrived after all this to visit WOMOTM in Hexham General (still waiting patiently 5 days on- already through Master and commander, well into Hornblower...) which was lovely to regale him with our adventures, alongside Aunty K and Uncle A.
Afterwards, our stomachs leapt in anticipation of Italian restaurant...
PHEW! We did a lot! Anyone else get days like this when SUDDENLY, you are productive, after days of procrastination and waking late???
