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

NORTHUMBERLAND Cont........

Hi lovely readers
Despite the fear of boring you all rigid here is part 2 of our recent trip to Northumberland.  I have kept it mostly to photographs as I think they tell their own story.

Stunning Bambugh Castle, can't have too many photos of this.....

Imposing Anwick Castle, formal gardens and water features......

and no visit to Anwick would be complete without a visit to Barter Books...and yes I did get a copy of the original poster!....

another day and a ramble from Craster up to Dunstanburgh Castle, wild and fresh with stunning views....

Well I do hope you hung on in there, I have only one more post to do showing the amazing Cragside House, home of Lord Armstrong the victorian inventor and the first place in the world to use hydro-electric power and for me the ' piece de resistance' of the whole trip, my first sight of my beloved puffins.

Have a great week, mine is very strange as after more than 12 years my DD her partner and my grandson have just moved into their new home and DH and I are on our own for, would you believe it, the first time in 44 years!!!  DH is getting very concerned as my 'plans' for the reinvention of our house appear to be growing every day, so that will be something to share in the months, (or should that be years) to come.

TTFN

Jenny xx

OH TO BE IN ENGLAND NOW THAT APRILS HERE......(Robert Browning)

And this April those words could not have been better.....

Hi there, I do hope the sun has been shining for you as it certainly seems to have been for me for this past few weeks....

2 weeks ago found me here.....

Beautiful Northumberland. Wide open spaces, enormous skies, wonderful walks and all the birds you could wish to see!

We arrived on the Saturday to find our base for the week was pure luxury, a log cabin on the most amazing holiday site that seems more like someones private garden than a site at all....

We quickly unpacked and went off to explore our surroundings.....we were not disappointed.

That night we ate like kings and on the Sunday set off for Berwick on Tweed, town of ramparts, bridges and the odd jumble sale, ( I even found some super fabric for making slippers).

We returned to our 'home' to find it bathed in sunshine and so hot we managed to sit out on the veranda (which circled the whole cabin) reading and enjoying a fine bottle of wine! (Asda's best 3 for a tenner....we know how to live!)

The following day we drove over the causeway to Lindisfarne and enjoyed a very bracing walk around  Holy Island. Although we did walk to the castle we didn't actually get to see inside on this occasion as it was a Monday and all National Trust properties are closed on Mondays...but it didn't spoil it...and there's always another day..... we did get to go inside the 19th century lime kilns though, amazing things dug right underneath the castle....!

Lindisfarne Castle formerly a Tudor fort converted to a private residence in 1903 by Edwin Lutyens. Part of its appeal is the enclosed gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll.....a pleasure still to be sampled at a later date....

The 19th Century Lime Kilns beneath the castle

We returned to our 'home' tired but happy planning our next days excursion to Anwick, but more of that later....... .

 Hope you have enjoyed this first episode and if you're not too bored by holiday photos I hope to do a couple more posts as we seem to have seen and done so much in such a short time I want to share the beauty and history we discovered. Many of you will no doubt have seen this gem of a county, so I hope I can bring back some lovely memories to you too!

Have a wonderful Royal weekend and I hope you will all join me in a toast to the happy couple.  No matter your feelings about the whole 'event', these are two young people who will forever be under scrutiny starting out on what is not always an easy journey in life, and I for one do not envy them one bit but wish them the greatest of luck and happiness........

TTFN

Jenny xx

HOME AGAIN

Hi lovely bloggers

This is a very short post today as I have only just arrived back from a little break in glorious Northumberland.  I have oodles of pictures to share (hope you won't mind), but haven't got round to sorting them yet.

We walked miles, the weather was dry though sometimes a little chilly and our pad was out of this world!
However before I can get down to that I have to make some little shoes to post off tomorrow because.......

Fan fare here..ta da da daaaaa..... I have at long last sold a pair not only on Folksy, but also on Etsy....!!!

Mary Jane Union Jack slippers/houseshoes

Personalised cowboy slippers

Needless to say these are priority, so will be back later in the week to catch up with all your news and tell you more of our trip...

TTFN

Jenny xx