Simon's Daily Musings: September 2007

Fish And Chips In The Castle Grounds

We hot footed it back for the England match as I had bought a supporter's shirt from a sports shop in Richmond yesterday. So a quick change and then out again to "The Falconer's Rest"; a rugby pub at the top of town. Unfortunately the rugbo clashed with the footy so Beccy and I sat alone in front of a 10 foot cinema screen in the back of this pub.
Dinner was taken out from the local fish and chippery. Since the castle is occupied by foreign students the grounds aren't locked so we snook in through the gate and found a bench to munch them on. Well we are on our hols!


The castle, as seen from the bench.	Beccy as seen from the bench.	The castle again.

A Tour Of Cragside

The evening slipped away and awoke we did the next morning to our alarm; required to get us up in time for Breakyfast 0800 to 0900. A slim window on a Saturday morning on your holidays. Needless to say I bounded down the stairs after the wafting drafts of a Full English.
It had been pre-decided that we were to go to Cragside today and we didn't dither. Arriving for 1030 with a full flask and a batch of cheese sandwiches. However without a camera, so I'm afraid you shall have to make do with the photos from my telephone.
Cragside is a lovely spot about 15 minutes' drive from Alnwick itself. It was the home of William Armstrong (of Armstrong & Whitworth) and the first home to have lighting powered by elastic-trickery. So it was an interesting day including physics demonstrations and an absolutely amazing marble fireplace.
As ever there were fabulous formal gardens and extensive grounds encompassing three tarns and the largest rock garden in Europe? High above the house in its extensive grounds we explored a Labyrinth in which I legged it from Beccy leaving her grumpy and stranded. tee hee!!!!.


Beccy looks on from the woody path.	From the valley there is an excellent view of the House and rock garden in front.	The long iron bridge would have been a welcome help but unfortunately it is closed.

Beccy beckons beyond the brown bridge (try saying that fast).	There were some excellent flowers in the formal gardens.	The mock belfry peeps through the ornamental bushes and trees.

The combination of planting impressed me. It struck me that a lot of thought and almost design was needed to come up with this kind of arrangement.	Some plants I had never seen, I don't know what this is but it's pretty!	The display of Dahlias was extensive and impressive.

The promenade had so many different types.	Here's a favourite amongst the many.	Beccy walks in the formal gardens.

There are many interesting inventions of Armstrong's scattered around the grounds.	The view back down the valley over the rockery.	The chimneys of the house peep out from the trees.

Entrance to the labyrinth.	Beccy peers throught the wooden sculpture.	Finally we reach the centre.

From the centre hut the tree grows...	...and it's quite handy to hide behind.

Journey To Alnwick

So Beccy and I headed off for an adventure in the North East of England. "Why?" you ask. Other than the fact that it doesn't pull on the purse strings too much, you can speak the language (roughly), and neither of us could be bothered with the hassle of doing the hokey kokey and travelling abroad, no reason (you put your right leg in and all that).
So off we jollied. Initially I had to stem my enthusiasm for driving when I suggested that we avoid the motorway and do our own B-Road Britain like Robbie Coltrane. When I eventually crashed google calculating directions I admitted that it wasn't one of my better ideas.
It wasn't all lost and we took a detour from the motorway for lunch in Richmond, a pleasant town, perched on a hill, and swarming with the Army. It is here that our tour begins (see pictures below).
We arrived at our accomodation, the Aln House, at about four o'clock, checked in and wandered into town in search of fayre. Which we found in short supply I'm afraid to say. We took a drink in the washy blue evening under the trees in the beer garden, and found a most expensive looking restaurant called "The Art House". We ate heartily, and well and as my Dad would say "eating nicely 8/10".