Last week we had a fantastic holiday in Northumberland with our friends Mark and Lucy and our goddaughter Tabitha. We stayed in Seahouses ... in a house very close to the sea! Seahouses is a pleasant fishing cum holiday village, perfectly placed on the coast near Bamburgh, the Farne Islands and miles of beautiful sandy beaches. After weeks of rain and cold we were taken by surprise by the almost wall to wall sunshine which showed the coastline at its best and resulted in several stunning sunsets.
The weather also meant we were able to enjoy a few visits to the beach, re-familiarising Ben with the sea and sand he had discovered for the first time as a little baby last summer in Cyprus. This time the bucket and spade came out and Ben set about the serious task of digging, ably assisted by "Uncle Mark", whilst Daddy rested his leg.
Daddy's leg wasn't too bad in fact, although he did make the mistake of leaving his crutches behind in Kenilworth, which necessitated a (successful) trip to the local hospital to try to borrow some more. But with or without crutches he was able to join in with the fun and do most things apart from coastal walks - a good reason to return in future years. Here he is walking along the Seahouses harbour wall with Ben.
Meanwhile four rather frazzled parents enjoyed the chance to relax together each evening with good food, wine, many laughs, and a few games. The resident pool table was the icing on the cake.
As well as spending some time on the beach near Bamburgh Castle, we also toured around a little bit and visited Holy Island, Berwick upon Tweed and Alnwick Garden, as well as a boat trip to the Farne Islands to see the seals and puffins.
Ben loved Bamburgh Castle, waving "bye bye" every time we went past and rather endearingly learning to say "Bamba Castle".
