A Summer Day Trip With My Mummy

This summer has been like most other summers – stuck in the house with nothing really exciting happening and no actual holiday away. When you’re saving for a wedding, sacrifices must be made, but I do miss a cheeky wee trip to the sun! Realising my frustration, my Mum came to the rescue with the suggestion that we head off to Northumberland for the day while Logan was at nursery and Paul was at work.

My Mum has been to Northumberland on a few holidays now, but with the north of England only a couple of hours away from us, it’s also perfect for a day trip. The route south of Edinburgh, along the east coast, is also beautiful, with loads of opportunity to see the coastal scenery on the way down. We all had an excited ‘I can see the sea!’ moment when it first came in to view!

 

Sadly, this was the best of the weather and it had started to drizzle upon our arrival into Alnwick. The town itself dates back to around 600 AD and also has a beautiful medieval castle in its centre. I love a good bit of history and would have enjoyed a wander round the castle, but day trips can only cram in so much, so we settled for a wander round the old town instead. It was relatively busy due to the town market being on (I even found some old Beanie Babies on a stall), and we also stumbled across the Alnwick International Music Festival, which was fantastic.

 

My Mum loves a good bit of shopping, and was eager to show me all the quirky little shops that Alnwick has to offer. I wish I’d had more spare money, I think I could have gone mental buying all the little trinkets I found. I have plenty of ideas for Christmas pressies, and I’m already planning my next trip down again, when it’s nearer to the holiday season. I also picked up some weird and wonderful Bizarre chocolate bars, which are produced locally in Northumberland.

 

After a good mooch around, my Mum wanted to take us along to the quaint little seaside town of Seahouses. We were starving by this point, so we headed off to the nearest Fish n’ Chip shop we could find – what else are you going to eat at the seaside?!

 

Pinnacles Fish and Chip restaurant was fantastic! Although not much to look at initially, the food was far better than any chippy local to my area. We were lucky when we arrived, as the place was completely empty, despite the hoard of tourists bustling along the streets outside. Our food was promptly delivered to our table, served on lovely fish shaped plates. The batter was wonderfully crispy and the chips were perfect – my Mum assures me that this is the best place for fish and chips in Seahouses!

 

After our fantastic lunch/dinner, we went for a quick walk along the sea front. The weather was quite blustery by this point and the sea was easily breaking over the sea wall. A lovely passer-by took our picture and we escaped pretty quickly after that, especially when Megan couldn’t stop laughing at a less observant couple who were soaked by an unexpected wave – I can’t take my child anywhere!

Before leaving, we were tempted by one other seaside delicacy – a 99 with a Cadbury’s flake! Coxon’s ice-cream and coffee bar were on hand to satisfy our cravings with a selection of variants on this classic summer treat. Mine came with a ‘flavour burst’ of black cherry, while Megan opted for her favourite – bubblegum. My Mum preferred the traditional plain 99, but with sturdier cone than the usual wafer variety.

 

After a fantastic trip, we fancied one last stop before heading home – the holy island of Lindisfarne. Unfortunately, we should have checked the causeway open times before attempting a visit – when we arrived at the coast, the sea had swallowed the road!

 

We got out anyway and had a wee wander - Megan pointed out that she’d never seen seaweed growing by the side of a road before! Perhaps with better planning, our next trip might allow us access to the island, hopefully when the weather is better too!

 

All in all, we had a fantastic time, and I’m really grateful to my Mum for taking us out for the day. After thinking myself reasonably well travelled throughout the UK, I’d still only ever passed through Northumberland. It’s definitely worth a longer visit and I’d love to take a wee mini break there in the near future – hint hint Mum! ;)
 

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