April 2025

6th

The few folk we met in Sunderland appeared friendly, we left the hotel and returned to South Shields, via a short stop to photograph a lighthouse.

So many windmills along the way.

Charlie wanted to play crazy golf, we chose the pirate course, he did not get the win he thought he would though, at one point in the game he was two balls down.

Charlies feet were hurting, so I went ahead to take a picture of the kuay, but was found closed due to storm damge; the double gate bars forbading a picture.

North Shields.

Priory ruin.

South Shields seafront.

Seaguls are easy to photograph.

We decided to purchase picnic food at Morrisons supermarket; Charlie parked near to the cliffs just south of the Grotto; a dog walker appeared grotequely upset that we had parked our truck on the grass but seemed not confident enough to vocalise her protest.

Samosa, Charlie wasn't keen on these, neither was I.

Leaving South Shields and through Gateshead we crossed over the Tyne Bridge into Newcastle!

We drove through Ponteland, visted a garden centre, then returned to Acrum to collect a spade and fork as I am gardening tomorrow. Arriving at Woodburn Farmhouse we visited our flock of gimmers for a welfare check. Charlie lives in a farmhouse but the land belonging to the farmhouse is rented out to a farmer who already has thousands of acres, so he is forced to travel twenty miles each way to his four acre grasskeep to do a welfare check three times a week, crazy huh. They preach egalitarian sharing, yet this greed surrounds his farmhouse.

5th

From Ancrum we travelled down the A68, stopped at the last café before Scotland before visiting Gateshead Metro centre. The shopping centre was huge, we both felt overwhelmed with information, so excited to try and find our truck. Charlie purchased me two dresses that require a diet, alas, an incentive!

Me mother loved Tyne Bridge, and visiting, I could see why. Unfortunately, the bridge was closed to pedestrians; so we crossed over a small red foot bridge to return over a much larger bridge. Gateshead was run down, Charlie visited a greasy bakery, ordered a steak pie, the cashier grumbling over nobody ordering food.

Arriving at South Shields seafront we pulled up our truck by a park, as I opened my door a small steam engine hooted. We walked around a lake and then along Ocean road. From the seafront there is a sprawl of curry houses, then the usual franchise shops before the town's market square.

Charlie purchase antique ceramics from a stall and a charity shop; we then found South Shields museum. I enjoyed the museum, more so because it was busy; Charlie had his fortune read from an amusement machine that deposited writing on a small card; we enjoyed the tea and cake café.

Excited beyond expectations to arrive at the Grotto, Charlie parked our truck much too close to the cliff edge! After decades of desolate solitude, I'm happy to be sharing my experiences and also not to be travelling alone. Charlie is a rock about my turbulent emotions, shame, often I feel.

The old twisted wooden stairs were scary but this steel staircase is still ugh.

We walked down the stairs running along the cliff edge, the last time I descended these stairs, almost forty-seven years ago my mother was carrying me; the angle of the stairs (then wooden) and drop over the edge of the handrail was terrifying. I miss my mother, there has been no closure.

Marsden rock appeared smaller than I remembered, I heard part of this rock had broken away some years ago; the scenic coastline is visually interesting here. My mother's ashes were supposed to have been scattered here, however I was not informed of both my parents funerals.

Inside the not busy Grotto service attendance was bordering ignorant, table edges were sticky and tops were dirty, during the forty minutes we were there nobody cleaned; clientele seemed bewildered. Observing how pleasant the iconic building and location is in contrast to the mess; somebody given opportunity could make a success out of this business.

Booked into a hotel in Sunderland, most if not all guesthouses in South Shields were closed, no room at the inn. During the evening we enjoyed fish and chips in the hotel restaurant, food was OK but experienced animosity from the waitress; this unresolvable infamy does not know me.

4th

Rode to my local garden centre and purchased four lavender plants.

It's much wiser to purchase plants locally, as your garden centre will know plants that will perish and plants that'll be hardy in your environment.

2nd

Shoulder your disregards!

1st

Today we transported ewes and lambs to Longtown auction.

And transported gimmers to grass keep, near Selkirk.

Charlie disregarded his bad boy pot noodle, struggling, unbearable.

Talk about pop noodle, talk about pop noodle, pop, pop, pop noodle.