A trip up north - Newcastle and beyond

William Morris window (St Mary's, Morpeth)

I had a wonderful weekend away, staying with friends just the other side of Newcastle. They have a cottage which overlooks a farm and their garden is a maze of different sections. The cottage would once have had only one room downstairs with a range and there were originally two bedrooms. At some time someone repositioned the stairs and merged the two bedrooms into one gallery style bedroom and added an extension, so there is now a bathroom kitchen and porch/conservatory. The cottage is rented from the farm who also have other cottages let as holiday homes. A break away was just what I needed.

I set off by train on Friday afternoon (had my sport session first) and my friend met me at the station. I slept on the sofa bed in the downstairs lounge. On Saturday, my friend had offered to help out at her church (St Mary's, Morpeth) as part of the Open Heritage Weekend, so we had a leisurely breakfast and then set off to Morpeth where she was to help out for an hour. The day was rainy, at times it poured, and there was no heating in the church (can't afford it except on Sundays). While my friend was 'working', I took photos and had a cup of tea (there was cake too!). They'd organised a 'mouse trail' for the kids which my friend and I also did! There were prayer stations at different points in the church where there were things of notice, a William Morris window (what luck) and a small display about Emily Wilding Davison, the Sufferagette who was killed under the feet of the King's horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. While Emily was born in London, her father came from Alnwick and his second wife was from Morpeth. She returned there after her husband died. The family grave is in St Mary's Church graveyard. We went along to see it before we went off to lunch. Later after looking at a shop I particularly like there (part of the Tourist Information Officer) we went back to the cottage and my friend got the wood burner going and made scones which we had with homemade jam!

By late afternoon the skies turned blue and when my friend's partner came home from work we headed off to Seaton Sluice. The name sounds awful, but by God the beach is beautiful. The waves were stunning and surfers were out to catch a wave. My friends' dog loves this place and proceeded to find sticks and seaweed to take into the cold north sea. We went for a quick drink in a pub on the hill and watched the sunset.

On Sunday we headed off to Ashington and the Woodhorn Museum. I particularly wanted to see this place because there was an exhibition of the Pitmen Painters art works (known as The Ashington Group). The Woodhorn Museum part of the Ashington disused colliery and we had a surprise. The Weeping Window, part of the poppy display at The Tower of London, was here. It looked beautiful. We saw the pit cage and where it would have gone down. We also walked round the exhibition about the coal mine. The Pitmen Painters' works were wonderful and this is now their permanent home - all the painting are here. They have such atmosphere - amazing to think these men had never painted before the classes were started.

From here we headed to Cresswell Beach - another stunner - and lunch, where we sat outside to eat cake (we'd actually had a cooked breakfast and no one could manage a meal!). Then on to another beach before going back to the cottage for mugs of tea in the rose garden. On Monday I was dropped at Newcastle station for my journey home. It was a brilliant weekend. I took masses of photos. Here a just a few. Northumberland is the most stunning place. I love it more each time I go. The people are friendly and I could listen to their accents forever.