26th Wedding Anniversary

Twenty six years ago today...

Amanda's graduation day, 1981 - long before we became 'an item'.  My future best man T, Amanda and me:

I still can't get a word in edgeways:

Oop North - Day 5 - Whitley Bay & Seaton Sluice

Up and out to P's church to see him preach and meet some of his parishioners.

Farewells to L&P, and then off on our own - first to St Mary's Lighthouse, which was now accessible on foot (though we saved this for another occasion):

and then by car up the coast to Seaton Sluice:

Views back to Whitley Bay:

and the aforementioned anemometer platform:

Rockpools:

I have an idea that this might be the Nor Da Vinci:

Your correspondent outside Castaways teashop, where we had arranged to meet S, an old schoolfriend of Amanda's:

After a late lunch we went exploring:

A lot of the local kids spend their time in wetsuits, exploring the rockpools:

While the girls chatted I occupied myself with the camera:

Saying goodbye to S:

And so back to the Premier Inn for our last night and an uneventful journey home the next day.

Oop North - Day 4 - Tynemouth

Over to see L&P, and then all out to visit Tynemouth Market:

From the market to the coast:

L&P took the opportunity to paddle:

A view across Tynemouth Sailing Club to Tynemouth Priory and Castle, and the Coastguard Station:

Various modes of transpot were on display - a jet-ski:

a kayak:

and a Segway:

Your correspondent getting a bit "artsy":

The view back to the shore from the Tynemouth Pier Lighthouse:

One of the engineers responsible for the pier was John Wolfe Barry:

who was largely responsible for the building of Tower Bridge across the Thames.

Lunch was enjoyed at Woods, after which we made our way slowly through town to collect L&P's car, and then back to theirs - where the menfolk may conceivably have enjoyed a few Zs before supper - a tasty and most welcome barbecue.

Finally back to the hotel.

Oop North - Day 3 - Alnwick & Berwick

Up and out, over to L&P's, where we switched cars and headed off to Alnwick, Berwick and all points north.

But first, since the council tip is on the route to Alnwick, we stopped to make a drop-off:

And so on to Alnwick - and specifically the castle.  We would have liked to go in, but time was limited and at nearly £14 a head we decided to delay that pleasure until another time, contenting ourselves with views from outside:

And so to Barter Books - somewhere I have wanted to visit since I first heard about it.

After an hour or more of browsing we were ready for lunch - sadly not pictured.

Then just time to pick up this item from my 'want list':

and we were away - first to see L&P's cottage to which they will retire, and then on to visit their youngest daughter and son-in-law and their family (who were also hosting L&P's eldest son and his family).  With that number of people the photographic record is somewhat edited (and anonymised!)

L with youngest grand-daughter Pip:

Amanda with Pip:

 

Pip's older brother Nemo, just in from pre-school:

Yours truly with their sister Pebble - I have this effect on most young women when I talk to them.

Going:

Going:

Gone:

And so back to L&P's for pizza and other goodies, before returning to our hotel for the night.

Oop North - Day 2 - Whitley Bay

An uneventful drive to Whitley Bay, where we had lunch with L&P before P returned to work at his desk and L took us on a short tour of the town (much of which, sadly, was not recorded).  

The remains of the disused Trinity United Reformed Church on the Esplanade after a fire there the previous month:

The view out to sea from further down the Esplanade:

St Mary's Lighthouse:

The view north along the coast towards Seaton Sluice:

The offshore anemometry platform at Blyth:

Back to L&P's to collect the car before heading to our accommodation for the next few days: the Premier Inn, Newcastle (Holystone).  

We checked in and then returned to L&Ps for a raclette.  Then out for a post-prandial perambulation along the coast to St Mary's Lighthouse, where we watched local photographers attempting to take the most impressive pictures of the setting sun reflecting off the sea:

Back to collect the car and thence to the hotel and bed.