A SAD GOODBYE........

No lovely readers I am not closing my doors, though goodness knows how I manage to keep rabbiting on...but I do.

No, this was our sad goodbye to Northumberland. I have been to many places over the years but this holiday will be remembered as one of the most active, informative and wonderful breaks of them all. Don't get me wrong I love our beautiful Islands and there must be many places I haven't visited that are equally as dramatic and varied, I speak only of my experience.....so far!

Well since my writing can't compare to the rugged beauty of the place this post will again be picture heavy.
Our last two days were spent at Cragside and on a trip to the Farne Isles.....

 

Set in the most dramatic parkland.........

 among towering trees...

stunning Cragside House, the home of Lord Armstrong and his family the Victorian inventor who was the first person in the world to use hydro-electric power to light his house and run things like automatic roasting spits and even lifts! His inventions were many, too many to list here, but I think his biography would be well worth a read. The house was occupied by the same family until it was rescued from decay by the National Trust, at a time when they only occupied the top floor flat. Although the rest of the house was in a dire state, all of the original furnishings and fittings were still there. It means that restored this is now a true example of Victorian taste and indeed ingenuity.

The engine that powered all his amazing devices... including these spits.....

and some of the amazing rooms....of which there are many...well worth a visit....

....and so to our final day, which after a very breezy but sunny week, delighted us by turning the turbulent sea into a mill pond for our trip to the Farne Islands......

...birds...lots of birds.....

...seals.....

The original home of Grace Darling...how bleak is that!.....

....and my beloved puffins......sigh!!....I don't know what it is about them, their cartoon look, their cuteness, but I could watch them all day....
However everything must come to an end as did our holiday and this far too lengthy post, so if you are still with me.....well done for persevering......

Next time I have an abundance of CB and CS finds as well as some little gems picked up at collectibles fairs...so go and get that well deserved drink now.....

TTFN

Jenny xx