Whitley Bay

A meet organised by Vicky for the Harrogate Nights Out Meetup group. The Old Hartley site overlooks the sea and a lighthouse. Once installed we headed off to the Delaval Arms at the entrance of the site, where I drank beer and pinched people's chips.

Saturday 12th April

Walked along the coast up to the picturesque Seaton Sluice, with a couple of galleries showing local artists but I resisted temptation. 

We then got a bus to Tynemouth and I split off for a lunch in the sun at a pavement cafe, and a poke around in  the Raspberry Bazaar which had some great textiles, but again I resisted! Not enough time to visit the markets which had been recommended to me by some people at the cafe. Went over to the abbey and saw the battlements plus gun emplacements from the war. After a lot of fannying around trying to find a bus back, I gave up and grabbed an Uber back to the pub by the site.

Sunday 13th April

Headed off to the lighthouse in the morning and watched the seals. The others were going on to Whitely Bay but it was time for me to come home. 

Would come here again, it was only 90 mins up the road.

All Change!

Goodbye my lovely rust-bucket - I've decided I can't stand the strain and cost of the MOT failures. Much as I love the interior, I'm just afraid the thing will only be fit for scrapping soon.

So after a bit of searching I found a 2016 WildAx Pulsar being sold by Vantage in Leeds. They will take mine in part exchange too! Hurrah! Both vans need some work doing so it will be a few weeks until I can collect. It is more expensive than I wanted to pay, but at the last minute came down by 3K so I decided to go for it.

So meet the 3 Cheers Mark IV, but I think she'll be known as Cherry Baby!

King Creosote in Dumfries

I saw this gig advertised and decided to go and see King Creosote in Scotland. (Turns out two weeks later I could have seen him in Hebden Bridge but hey-ho.)

Lovely blue skies but strong cold winds kept me in the van on the campsite. This was NOT the 'country park' I expected, it was a trailer park with some touring spots. But clean and well fitted out, plus bus stop on the doorstep. 

Thursday 3rd April

I took a bus up to Sanquar, to see the Crawick Multiverse. It was a pretty village with an interesting museum, the oldest working Post Office, and an important non-conformist site - the Sanquar Declaration marks the start of the Glorious Revolution.

It was a 30 minute walk up to the Multiverse. A land-art installation, and a bit odd really. A bit woo-woo. On talking to a lady in a Sanquar shop later, it seems to be a bit of a vanity project for the Laird, and not really integrated in to the community. It was also flipping expensive.

Friday 4th April

Lazy morning, shower and clean up. I got the bus in to Dumfries in the afternoon and visited an old cottage and the town museum, both set alongside the river. Sadly I was too late for the camera obscura at the top of the museum, which had closed at 4pm. Also the cafe was shut.

Walked and bussed up to Easterbrook Hall - what a place! Very posh. It is part of the University campus, a beautiful rosy-red brick complex set around manicured lawns. Sadly the Bistro was closed, the Marriot restaurant was full, so again, nowhere to eat. Made do with crisps and beer - it's a hard life.

It was a lovely gig except the support was a bit bemusing. Also for some reason lots of empty seats even though I had found it hard to book. Chatting to people next to me it seems the booking sites won't let a solo pick any seat they want - it preserves seats in pairs. So I ended up four rows further back than I needed to be.

Saturday 5th April

A completely blank, empty day, lounging about in the sun and recovering from the mammoth amounts of walking I had done.