An Artsy and Puzzling Escapade

 I was so excited by today’s adventures that I suddenly realized that I have posted these in the wrong order. This post is what we did yesterday. 

The day took us from Lanchester, Durham to Alnwick. We drove north of Alnwick up to Bamburg Castle and had a glorious day. The sun shone brightly, there was no wind and it was a perfect day to go exploring. The imposing appearance of Bamburg is quite something as you drive up to the castle. We toured the 14 state rooms and visited the Aviation Museum and went for a long walk on the sandy beaches. 

It was a timely visit to Bamburg Castle as they had an art installation in the state rooms that was completely quirky and added a lot of fun to the normal castle tour. The artist created a scene with fairytale and mythical animals and then had a word puzzle to solve beside each one. See if you can solve any of them. I know a certain young lad (L) and lass (tall A) who I think would love to try their hand at these.  They were stunning and original creations that completely piqued my curiosity. On our return from Bamburg we stopped by the Brightwater Gallery in Alnwick. The gallery owner represents over 80 local artists. I could have added to our eclectic home art collection with something from any of the artists but the lack of room in our luggage wisely curtailed the possibilities. 

A very imposing castle. 

Close-up of the grand ballroom. 

Bison follow us everywhere.

Inside the hall where the balls would take place. 

The Armstrong family still own the castle. Lord Armstrong was a talented entrepreneur and scientist. 

For Eric. Maybe we need one of these in the family. 

For Ron & Grace: A Potential Doorstop for Your New Abode! 

I found this one the simplest. 

Just the Other Side of the Mountain…yeah right!!!

 Well, it was an adventure today, that’s for sure. The plan was to drive from Alnwick in Northumbria to Aboyne in Scotland. 

We stopped off in Perth to tour the Perth Museum—a brand new museum in the old Perth Town Hall. It was such a great museum (recently written up in the Winnipeg Free Press) and it was amazing to see how much information they could get into their relatively small exhibit spaces. It focuses on the history of Perth and had two special exhibits today. The first that we saw was The Destiny Stone. It’s the first time it has ever been on display north of Edinburgh. There was a significant security presence and process to viewing the stone with timed tickets and a locked entry and exit system to the viewing room.  This is the mythical stone from Scotland that is used during the coronation of kings and queens of Britain. The display particularly focused on the example of the use of the Destiny Stone during the coronation of seven-year-old Alexander who became the King of Scotland in the 1200s following his father’s death. It is a part of the British coronation ceremony that the new king or queen must be crowned with the Destiny Stone. The other popular temporary exhibit was pages from the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots before her execution. The museum has a new Stone Cafe that served wonderful fresh food enjoyed by us both. 

On leaving Perth we decided to follow a whim and see if we could locate the home of my friend Pat’s cousin. Leslie and I had stayed there when we were 19-years-old on a visit to Scotland and we will always remember the lack of central heating, the huge beautiful home and the very large bed and comforter to keep us warm. I remembered the name of the home, “Findynate” and was pleasantly surprised to see that the house  still retained the family name when driving down Tullylumb Terrace (oh you have to love the names the Brits use for their streets and roadways and towns). 

Up to this point, the GPS and David’s personal navigator (that’s me) had been functioning well. But on our way to Aboyne once we left Perth, things went a little astray, as in we took the wrong road and couldn’t get back to the proper road despite our attempts. From there things went uphill (that’s right), not downhill. We ended up driving all the way through the Cairngorm Mountains (not in the day’s plan) but more importantly we ended up on a single track road that wasn’t really paved and looked like no one had traversed it in months. The driver felt we should go down this one road which looked pretty iffy and the navigator pointed out that the signage on the road indicated a red bar at the end of the T to which the navigator pointed out she was pretty sure that was the international language for ROAD ENDS.  Quite simply, we felt alone, we felt lost, and it was not a good moment for the navigator. The cell phone wasn’t picking up cellular service and we felt the GPS wasn’t really functioning. Thankfully, in the middle of nowhere, driving down said road (where we ended up in a dead end!) we encountered a genial couple out walking their dog. They said we were the second couple they had met that day looking to get to Aboyne. They kindly advised that we just want to go on the other side of the mountain, while I looked blankly asking how we were to get there. They redirected us to go through the castle estate gates just up the road we’d driven down (who knew there was a castle there??) and that the gates would automatically open even if the barrier was down (who knew they’d do that or that we’d even be allowed onto an estate which from the backside didn’t look anything like an estate). We got out of that predicament and continued on to a more substantial looking road, meaning it was paved, when we weren’t sure which fork in the road to take. The driver chose the one that had people coming down towards us and so we continued, going higher and higher and higher. The road was called Old Military Road. At least there was traffic but we had no idea where it was leading. Thankfully the GPS did kick in and did take us the correct route, we navigated the country house proprietor’s directions to avoid the flooded bridge and to cross Potarch Bridge and got to the street where the home was to be located but we had to resort to calling them to find out where it was. Turns out it was on another part of the street— our GPS just didn’t recognize that. So we’re here. It’s lovely and scenic. The hosts are wonderful and friendly and welcoming. He said “You just needed to come the other side of the mountain.” So now I’ve done my “Go Tell It On The Mountain” escapade for this week. Hoping there aren’t more in our immediate future. (But in case you don’t hear from the navigator tomorrow, we’re heading way, way north. And please send help and a paper map!) 

We didn’t take photos as we were too busy clutching the steering wheel.
This is someone else’s photo of where we were today. That’s the road we drove, not a river. 
Photo Credit: 

Cairngorms-National-Park-Ben-Macdui.jpg

Little Towns, Tiny Terriers, and a Windy Wall Day

We had fun getting to know the little town we are staying in.  What better way than to join in the local  Church service. They played beautiful bells at 4:00 yesterday that lasted about 30 minutes. We think there was a wedding. 

The Anglican priest had a 45 minute communion service bright and early this morning so we attended along with 7 other local parishioners. The vicar chose the new communion booklet which we were a little familiar with from home so it wasn’t too difficult to follow. After the service we introduced ourselves and she advised that the church was built in the 1150s. She took us into a back room and showed us remnants of the church from the Roman times with a Roman font and a Roman altar just sitting in a closet gathering dust. 

The historic Roman font and altar in the church we went to this morning. 

The exterior of All Saints Church in Lanchester. 

The interior of the church.

A major goal on this trip was for David to see Hadrian’s Wall and today was the day. So off we went to explore Northumberland. Our early education began with an audio tour and visit to Corbridge to see a Roman fort. They have an indoor museum and then the outdoors consists of the remains of the Roman fort. It was a good backdrop to our next stop at Housestead where there is another larger site with remains of a Roman fort, right beside part of Hadrian’s Wall. When you park the car you are under the illusion that it is a fairly flat site and that you enter a museum first thing. No such luck. It was the cafe (which was closed for the day). So then we followed the signs, along with lots of other people, 750 yards, up a very steep and winding footpath that finally reaches the admission building and the site of the Roman fort remains. This walk normally might have been challenging but when you add in the 70 mile an hour winds today, (not sure how strong they were but it felt like at least 70)  it was with great effort that I made it to the top. Once there we paid our way in and saw the fort remains not unlike what we’d seen at Corbridge. However, this time, Hadrian’s Wall was located just behind the fort. It is impressive to see it winding across the countryside. In its heyday it was likely three times higher than it is now. On the walk down, if you were in the wind in the right direction, it literally blew us down and across. I swear if I had flapped wings I would have been airborne. 

Here you can see Hadrian’s Wall in the vertical strip behind the wall David is touching. 

That’s Hadrian’s Wall way in the back. This is a wall from the Roman fort ruins. 

Some of the ruins at Corbridge.

We were reminded England’s grass is such a vibrant green because of all the rain. 

More Corbridge ruins. 

Our host at the place we are staying recommended we also take in a visit to Blanchland. It’s a tiny town that according to the craft shop clerk is now completely owned by the Church of England. All of the properties are owned by the church. The town started as an abbey but in Henry the VIII’s rule he had it partially destroyed as he didn’t want anything to do with  the Catholic church. It’s name “Blanchland” came from the white robes that would be worn by the canons and monks in the abbey. It was an old little church and it proved interesting to walk around the town and imagine what it was like in days gone by. We ended our time there with a small bite to eat in The White Monk Refectory & Tea Room. This was lots of fun. We got to be observers as all the locals came in with their dogs, almost all tiny Yorkshire terriers. Lots of adult children taking their parents out for Sunday tea and lots of neighbourly chit-chat taking place. The wall beside our table was papered in actual pages taken out of books. It was a delightful spot to while away an afternoon. 

The interior of the old abbey at Blanchland. 

Barb’s interesting signposts seen today: Sharp Bends, Sudden Crest, Hidden Dips. All on one sign. 

I just loved the look of this little house in Blanchland. 

Heavy Plant Crossing

 Does the title of today’s blog make you laugh as much as it did me? Of course the intention is that heavy machinery could be crossing the road but I can just imagine a heavy plant crossing. The signs here continue to bring joy to our hearts and smiles to our faces. We saw the beloved Elderly Crossing sign again. We passed by a large building called Generous George, a family-friendly pub and restaurant (making us think of our dear friend, George) and then another sign called “Super Brad’s Pad”—a luxury holiday home providing a haven of hope for sick children and their families, currently being constructed here by a foundation. 

We just can’t seem to get our English pronunciation down correctly. Grandma Mary we need you!! We are now in Lanchester (which to my mind rhymes with Manchester). At breakfast this morning, when the hotel owner asked where we were heading today and I said Lanchester, he said, “You mean Lancaster.” I corrected him saying, “No, I mean “Lanchester.” And he, with great humour, smiled, and said, “Actually, we say it kind of funny down here so if you want anyone to know where you’re going— you’d best say Lancaster.” 

Our stay in the seaside town Scarborough wasn’t quite what we’d hoped due to the weather. Today it started out rainy and extremely cold and then the winds started. But by about 1:00 pm the sun started shining for the rest of the day but the darn wind hung around. Three jackets, a hat, gloves, a rain hood pulled tightly seems to be our standard fair. Doesn’t exactly make for attractive pictures. 👀

We drove through the other seaside town of Whitby which is charming. We continued our drive through the North York Moors National Park with its gorgeous views, windy roads, and some inclines and declines but it wasn’t as bad as roads driven in years past. When we reached the town of Staithes we stopped and visited for a few hours. It’s another scenic village on the North Sea but this place has a history that focuses on artists. They gathered here historically to share and learn their arts and the tradition continues to this day. Less busy than both Scarborough and Whitby it was nice to pass time in this quaint little village. There are several craft shops and galleries located along the steep and narrow, winding streets. Many of the little homes have unique and colourful exteriors and signs above their doorways. And a couple of the homes had spectacular front gardens. I don’t know how they get these plants and shrubs to bloom so early with all of the cold weather. 

Amazing flowers in such cool temperatures.

The Staithes harbour. Pretty small by our standards. 

Children determined to play in the sand, regardless of the weather. 

This is the surgery.

The Staithes harbour.
We saw several freighters way out in the sea that weren’t moving. A gallery owner shared that sometimes they stay out there a long time, depending on what product they are carrying, in hopes the price will rise and then they’ll bring it in to port. 

The architectural preservation and careful restorations that take place in the U.K. are admirable. We visited an old Station House today that brings David back to memories of his old roots. It’s amazing what can be done from a design perspective to convert the uses of these historic buildings. The platform that greets the current day guests has been transformed into a beautiful and modern landscaped outdoor seating area for guests to take in nature and relax. A far cry from the plain and staid wooden platform that welcomed train passengers in its hey-day. The Station House we visited has been converted into a bed and breakfast and a small self-catering cottage. The place is definitely an update from David’s days of exerting big brother privileges by pushing his little brother up the scary staircase to check things out first. There were no heavy plants crossing in this neighbourhood. My mind is conjuring heavy tropical plants leaning downwards dragging themselves across a street. Or maybe I’ve just been on the road too long. 

25 Degree Inclines

 Today you’ve had not one, but two posts as we catch up again. This brisk morning (I think it was around 4C) we ventured out of York to make our way to the seaside town of Scarborough. It also means we have picked up our car—a very cute little Mini Cooper. David has taken to driving on the other side just fine and we covered quite a bit of scenic ground today. We decided to take the south edge of the North York Moors. Beautiful green hills and farms and sheep dotting the lands. It wasn’t too treacherous for driving though Barb was a little freaked by the 25 degree incline we had to do. It was gentler than anticipated. Caravans weren’t allowed on that part of the road. The hedges are back to some degree on the B roads *our kids will remember those well from our Cornwall days. The rail lines along the way had signage that prevented long and slow vehicles from crossing the rail tracks unless they stopped their vehicle to use a special phone to gain permission to cross. 

We decided on a whim to stop at the National Centre for Birds of Prey in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. They have daily flying exhibitions but the timing didn’t work for us. They have outdoor aviaries with owls, eagles, and vultures. It was interesting but we weren’t sure how we felt about seeing these birds in this type of captivity. It was a bit unsettling though presumably they use the centre to help with breeding programs and to educate the public and do rehabilitation of these birds as well. They are situated in a forested area popular with walkers on a gorgeous estate that has such beautiful scenery. 

Continuing on our way we drove to see the cliffs of Filey Beach and then went on to our destination town of Scarborough. We’re sure that both would be lovely in brilliant warm sunshine without the wind but it was too cold to do exploring on any of the beaches today. So on our walks we stuck to the upper levels. But we do have a great sea view outside our windows today. 

Filey Beach 

Scarborough

 

Minster, Shambles and a Museum

We are staying in the city centre part of York and most of the roads are closed to vehicular traffic during the day so it was great for exploring. And for a Thursday there sure are a lot of tourists here, with lots of children around too. 

We took a tour of York Minster this morning and had a knowledgeable guide help us understand the history of the cathedral. It is a really stunning place with lots of history for David to soak up. The statuary and the carvings and monuments seemed more plentiful than other cathedrals we have visited but perhaps it is because of the age of the building. The current building was started around 1080 and the Norman’s started this version of the cathedral. There have been several fires over the years. Our guide entertained us with stories of the various societal changes over the centuries and how they have changed the design of the cathedral. It took over 250 years to actually build the current building. Throughout that time design changes took place throughout the world and these are reflected in the numerous styles of Gothic architecture evident in the building. 

Our taxi driver told us that there’s been a law for years that York must not build any buildings above the height of the Minster, so sprawl in York has gone outwards, not upwards. It is also the second most expensive place for residential housing prices in the U.K. 

The section of the cathedral that I found particularly interesting was called The Chapter House. This is essentially the boardroom where the various religious celebrants would gather to hold their meetings although it doesn’t resemble any current day boardroom I’ve ever been in. The room is configured as a circle and the leaders all sit in designated seats on the outside of the vast circle (two cushions per person). The design had to be such that if anyone whispered on one side of the circle, someone had to be able to hear it on the other side of the room. In the early years when the room was first built major decisions on music, landownership, property management, and personnel etc. were all made in this room. Perhaps my choir meetings should move to a circular style meeting room?? Meetings continue to be held in the Chapter House to this day. The Chapter e was finished in the early 1290s. 

This is York Minster’s Chapter House. It’s a circular room actually and all of the white signs allocate two seat cushions to each person entitled to be in the room for all of the meetings that take place there. 

When the bells chime at York Minster these two figurines spears click together

How is this for a choir loft? 

Apparently the roof design with the arcs meeting in a point allows significantly more building support. 

A magnificent building.

How would you like to play this organ? 

I find these intriguing. 

We strolled through the Shambles, a marketplace, well-known in York. Within this neighbourhood, we also stumbled upon a very crowded street with numerous Harry Potter type stores and then realized that it is the actual street that represented the design for Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter movie. The cobblestone streets and the curvy houses and buildings are just like they were pictured in the movie. The  medieval shopping street with its narrow street width was apparently originally designed so that sunlight didn’t enter the street and spoil the meat that was being sold by the street shopkeepers. 

Street that was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter

One of the first passenger cars in the British Rail system. 

Another photo of Diagon Alley’s inspiration. The street and buildings really curved. Doesn’t really show in these photos. 

One of the first train engines. 

Taken out of various train stations in the U.K. and recreated at the Railway Museum. 

This is the first train engine. They called it The Rocket.