Visitors and Eurovision

The echoes of a hectic, few weeks lie around the house......

Dishes filled with the remains of lasagne, homecooked ham, quiche, apple tart, a Bero milk chocolate cake, banoffee will keep us going all this week....... and the ham stock will provide the base for a broth tonight to freeze.

Grey skies overshadow the piles of towels, sheets, duvet covers lying on the landing.

We have enjoyed taking a guest to



the Sage Concert Hall (on the south side of the river!)



the Baltic Art Gallery- with exhibitions and views over the Tyne.

and for a glass at the Pitcher and Piano- (not the best watering hole but has a good view through glass walls onto the river)- we saw the Millennium Bridge (nicknamed the 'Blinking Eye')swing up to allow a pleasure boat go upstream.



We exerted ourselves over 8+ miles from/to Wheelbirks ice cream tearooms via Minsteracres.



We revealed the 'Secret Kingdom' via the coast and some of the Northumbrian Castles eg Warkworth Castle;



Craster (with crab sandwiches)was drifted in oak flavoured smoke from the kipper houses; Dunstanburgh Castle glowered down from overcast skies and wrapped us in a chilly wind but we avoided rain.



The Ship Inn Seahouses still gives visitors refreshment and atmosphere while our (B&I - H1 was 'resting his eyelids' in the car) stroll on the sands below Bamburgh Castle set up a discussion on the location for films.

We walked along Hadrian's Wall from Steel Rigg above Crag Lough to Sycamore Gap but Kevin Costner eluded us.....



'Vera' used 'our' cottage at Redpath in Cambo Forest this week. Oh! that was a bitterly cold experience all those years ago!



Our 'Embassy' filled with overnight/evening visitors dressed in every hue of Blue to support the British entry; needless to say political voting meant UK did not win Eurovision (again!) but we had a wonderful, singalong time thanks to D3.

2011

The workers are back to work tomorrow; there have been lots of Bank Holidays this Christmas; as Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day were on weekend days, 3 Bank Holidays were given in lieu.
We get an additional Bank Holiday this year for our royal wedding in April.
Is Britain the only country to have public holidays called Bank Holidays?

New Year was my worst in years; in bed bored as H1 did not want to play out.

However the Viennese Gala at the Sage on New Year's Day was even better than last year; as a concert hall, the Sage's Hall 1 is unsurpassed; it is the home of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra who played so much of the Strauss and Vilja that always played in my childhood home.

'Jack and the Beanstalk' pantomime at the Tyne Theatre (on Westgate Road if you are reading this from afar!) was the best there in years; well done to Brendan Healey producer of a traditional, funpoking, audience-participating panto with Catherine McCabe as a superb Jack. Oh yes she was!

I am listening to so many lines being learned by thespians in this house ....yawn....a walk today with C. and D3 was a blessing and awakening.

The snow has gone so inspite of low temperatures, I need to be out in my garden.....