June 6
Leeds to Cockburnspath
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A cloudy morning again. A late start, some inspection of the garden and then Jan, her Mother and I set off en convoy for Harlow Carr, on the outskirts of Harrogate. This is one the of the RHS gardens and is also host to a Betty's café. The combination of the two meant that at 10.30 on what was now a warm and sunny morning, it was very busy. Even the overflow car park was overflowing.
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We sat on the deck and had excellent coffee and cakes whilst looking out on the gardens below.
I set off to the North at about 11 on pretty lanes, then moved onto bigger roads and, finally, onto the motorways. The weather was glorious but I wasn't making as rapid progress as I expected so I didn't have time to stop.
By 1.30 I had reached Alnwick, best known for its castle. The first pub that I visited had run out of real ale. The next three were all closed. There were cafes in the main square but, it being hot, I wanted a beer.
Right: Alnwick Castle |
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At this stage, I threw my toys out of the pram, bought a corned beef slice in a nice butcher's shop and walked back to the car. I ate my lunch in it and then left town as fast as I could. Alnwick had better get its act together if it wants to host me again!
It took me almost another hour to reach John & Pauline's, just over the border. We immediately piled into their car and drove a few miles back down the road to St Abbs, a beautiful fishing village, where Pauline had to visit someone.
It was reminiscent of many villages in Cornwall, and is famed for the clarity of its water, making it a popular diving centre.We had coffee and buns - a Mars Bar crisp in my case - and sat outside in the sunshine. The harbour walls are impressive but I was happy not to have to walk along them. The drops on either side were precipitous. |
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We came home along a back route, stopping to investigate some wind turbines. There is a battle commencing as someone has applied to erect some very tall ones on the outskirts of Pauline's village.
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She has no problem with seeing them on the local hills but doesn't want them adjacent to the houses, and a big campaign is being mooted.
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Back at the house, I explored my palatial accommodation - being prepared as part of a bed & breakfast enterprise - and awaited dinner.
Afterwards, I was taken for a walk along the top of the cliff, from where I was able to take lots of photos of the nuclear power station silhouetted against the setting sun.
Right: We set out after dinner ... |
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