Beamish

I’d heard of Beamish but never been. I assume most people have. It is famous for it’s living museum. The ticket is a year’s pass so we went twice. I did consider going a third day. In case you don’t know it comprises buildings set up like they would have been in years gone by. Mainly recent past so you wander around say, “we had one of those” . On the Saturday they also had a vintage transport rally so traction engines and cars were running along the roads and I was in my element. I love steam driven things.

This stop was a little bit back south so we could meet with friends from Cambridgeshire, and a brilliant time was had. A pale lentil stew was served after pitching their tent, a day at Beamish, a huge meal at the pub (massive quantity and not bad quality) and being thrashed at one of my own board games were all thrown in this weekend. Alas they could only stop the 2 nights.

On the other days we cycled to Durham, and got a bus to Newcastle. Durham is a nice little city for a day’s wandering, although the cycle in was not so nice. I wanted to go to Newcastle, I have been many times before but only every walked from the train station to the office. Having now seen the centre it is not a place I would bother to visit again, although the cathedral was welcoming, with no charge and nice to wander around. The tourist websites all start by saying Newcastle has great nightlife so maybe I am just too old and I was there at the wrong time of day. I did get to point out to John the BT building where I have spent too many long and boring hours.

The site is another mid range site (£25 / night), nothing wrong with it really, but not one I would come back to. Views of neighbours, nice clean toilet block, short on space and well just not a nice feel. Our friends had no room at all on their pitch although that was due to poor marking of the pitch as their neighbours had encroached on their pitch.

During this stop I was advised of the death of Sheila, an old family friend. I’ve done many things from a motorhome; I can now add to that organising a funeral. We’re going on to our next stop and then it will be home to make sure that we can give Sheila a proper send off. The funeral directors can’t meet with us until the week of 4th October.