The Geordie Tourist.

I like to think that I’m the kind of person that can go to a vintage fair and put together an outfit from the array of mismatched clothing and fabrics that they have. In reality, I’m the kind of person that wouldn’t have a clue. It still doesn’t stop me from going and looking around as if I know what I’m doing though.

I dragged my mother (Lillian) along to Judy’s AffordableVintage Fair that was being held at the Biscuit Factory to do just that. Judy’s is a place for vintage traders from all over the UK to show off their wares. Think vintage suitcases, stylish furs and enough brooches to fill every coat you own. (Not the best statement there, but I’m going with it.) Judy’s is celebrating their 10^th year of successful business, so they must be doing something right.

I’m more of a window shopper, so I prefer to just look around instead of going crazy and buying lots of things. I’m trying to be more minimal with the amount of stuff I own too. The place was packed to the rafters though and it was hard to just wander around without bumping into people. There were a hell of a lot of students there too, boys as well which I was surprised about. It seems vintage is big news these days though, so that would probably explain it.

The jewellery and the way the displays are set out are always my main focus when I go to these things. I guess it is because I just wouldn’t know where to start with the clothes. At least if I got a necklace or a ring I’d be able to work it into something I already wear. The mannequins wearing the fur hats and the retro sunglasses always make for interesting pictures too. On the subject of sunnies, I'd quite like to get a big pair of cat eye ones or the little circular ones. I'm not sure if I'm cool enough to pull them off though. 

I went to Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair back in February and I don’t know, I just seemed to prefer that more. There were people doing makeovers and a band on and just the whole atmosphere seemed better to me. This was more like a car boot sale, don’t get me wrong, there were quality goods, but just something lacking.

It was £2 each to enter the fair, which seems to be the norm.

It was worth a look and if you’re after some serious vintage clobber then Judy's is worth checking out when they come back to Newcastle.

Do any of you have any other vintage fair recommendations?

Sometimes having a pooch means having to go out in the pouring rain and act like you’re having a half decent time, whilst trying to pull a reluctant dog around, and not getting soaked through in the process. (Long winded or what) If that walk involves a trip to Beamish Museum then maybe for once the dog with cooperate and maybe it might not be so bad. Plus its autumn now, rain is pretty inevitable in the North East. It’s also a reason to get your big coat out. (Does anyone else say that?)

I love any excuse to go to Beamish. If we didn't have Poppy I think I’d get to go less and less if I’m honest. I’m also making the most of that yearly pass that I have. I dread the day when it runs out. Although forking over £18.50 to renew it won’t be that bad at all.

I went with my mam, whose sole intention I think was to go and get chips. If you've never been to Beamish before then you won’t know about Davy’s Fried Fish the authentic looking fish and chips shop that they have. Inside they have big fryers and lots of old fashioned tiles with decals on them and things. All you need to know is how amazing the chips taste. We each got chips with batter on and smothered them in salt and vinegar. They came open and wrapped in Beamish style newspaper. Such a cool touch. I didn't even care that they were getting rained on, they just tasted so damn nice.

Usually when I go to Beamish I take lots of photos and focus on a particular area of the museum. With it being so rainy we just paid more attention to walking around. We stayed close to the food source and went walking around by the school and the old fashioned houses in the 1900's Pit Village. I did notice some cool blue cobblestones and my converse may have happened to get a picture taken with them. (It's a darn habit I cant seem to break.)

Afterwards we went and got ice cream, which was more for Poppy than anything else. I mean she wasn't content with pinching chips every couple of seconds. Beamish also make smashing ice cream, rain or no rain, there's always a good time for ice cream.

There's always new things to see at Beamish, I guess that's why they give you a year pass. You need it alright. 

Later in the year they have their magical Christmas events. I went a couple of years ago and it was just something else. You got hot mulled wine on arrival, it was after hours so it was dark and the lights on the Christmas trees were twinkling. The houses had been given festive makeovers too. You also got to go into the hall and sing carols and things which was great. 

Tickets have probably sold out as it's such a popular event, but it's worth checking out.

Have any of you been to Beamish recently?

Tried their fish and chips?

There’s just something about going to a cottage that immediately makes me feel excited. I think it’s the thought of being nestled in the countryside in the middle of nowhere, a few cows grazing in the fields. It’s the excitement of the unknown. Of not caring if you have Wi-Fi signal, or being surrounded by technology. It’s seeing what the quaint little rooms and beds look like. It’s wondering how you get the stove to work. Maybe I’m getting a bit carried away, but you catch my drift. It’s all about the escapism.

So when my brother and his girlfriend Lorrii decided to spend a few days at a cottage in Northumberland, I went along with my pooch Poppy and my gal pal Nic just to have a little explore. I mean threes a crowd, but fives a whole other story. Lorrii’s dog Sim was there too. (Six is even better than five.)

I took just over an hour to get there in the car. After my Kielder drive previously I was feeling more confident. That and the fact all I had to do was follow my brother’s car, but shhh.

They were staying at Lambley Farm Holiday Cottages. Which is located in Lambley Country estate near Haltwhistle on the southern fringe of Northumberland National Park. They have self catering cottages and also fishing rights on the finest salmon river in Northumberland, which guests can use.   

As soon as we pulled into the little farm house and cottage block I immediately fell in love. It was just so quaint and charming, so rustic and homely. The name of the cottage was ‘Shalom’ and it was lovely inside. Lots of pale yellow walls and wood everywhere. Its main advantage were the views though. You could open the door straight onto a field , where just beyond, horses and alpacas were munching away on grass.

We all decided to go for a walk which consisted of trekking past sheep, down by a river up along the road and over a bridge before coming into contact with a kine of cows. (I had to Google that by the way) There were men fishing in  the water too. The sun was out and it was just a nice day for a stroll, the place was glorious too and I could have walked on for miles just taking it all in. Trying not to step in cow dung every two seconds added a little something extra to the experience.

After the eventful walk, Nic and myself went into the little games room that they have and decided to try our hand at a spot of table tennis. Just to fill you in, we aren't the worst, but there's definitely room for improvement. They have a pool table too and the most amount of computer games I've ever seen. It would definitely waste a bit of time, say if the weather is bad, or you don't fancy being outside.

I wish we could have stayed, but we had other commitments. It reminds me of the time the whole family packed up and went and stayed at the Lake District for three days of torrential rain. I'd love to go to another cottage and this has just spurred my thoughts on.

Have any of you been on a cottage stay lately? Recommend any good places?

When you've been promising your best pal for the better half of the year that you’ll take her to Kielder Water and Forest Park, well there comes a point where you just have to suck it up and do it. So armed with her, my brother and pooch and a backpack full of goodies, we headed there on a nice little drive.

I drove, which let’s face it was going to be eventful from the start. I was constantly asking for directions, the dog barking in my ear and the remarks from my brother every five minutes of so only made matters worse. We got there in the end though, pretty unscathed, and by the time we were ready to head home, I had the driving thing down.

Kielder Water is the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe and, at over 250 square miles, the largest working forest in England. There are many walks that surround the reservoir. Various trees and plants, flowers and shrubs that make you feel like you could be walking the grounds in some Canadian forest never mind a few miles up the road.

It is one of my all-time favourite places to go ever. It has this calming effect on me. I just love everything about the place. It’s also one of the reasons why I don’t like to go all of the time. I don’t want to take the shine away from it; I want it to be a special treat when I visit. That’s one of the reasons why I still haven’t ventured around everywhere. I don’t want to see all that it has to offer in one visit. I want to continue to go back again and again and always be filled with awe.

Autumn is fast approaching, but we still get those rare days of glorious sunshine. This was definitely one of those days. As soon as we got there we headed straight into the thick of it. I like how there are little pebbled bays where you can look across the water, or even dip your feet in for a paddle. I like being able to go right to the edge on the many cliffs and try and conquer my fear of heights. (It never happens.)

We settled down for a bit and devoured our picnic. (The dog included) Then set about exploring. If you stick to the path there are signposts going off in various directions. They tell you how many miles it will take to get to certain points. (If you do what we did, it’s not quite the same as that.)

For some reason we decided to do more of a rock climbing kind of activity. We basically went the same way as the paths but decided on the more dangerous grabbing at rocks and trying not to fall thing instead. It only lasted a little while and the dog was in no real danger so it was all good. I’m making it sound like we were so many feet in the air, but it wasn't like that. It was just three grownups acting like kids. 

Kielder has so much to offer. This is just a teeny tiny fraction of it. They have places to eat, events and attractions such as a castle. You know how excited I get over castles, so as you can imagine I'm dying to check it out. 

Also a little dream of mine is to get a little boat and go out on to the lake and just float around. It's great looking at the water from the land, but I reckon seeing the forest from out at sea (I'm a pirate) would be even better.

Kielder also have their Winter Wonderland celebration coming up too. I think it would be amazing for kids, even weird supposed grown ups like me too. I'm not sure if they still have tickets, but it's worth checking out.

Have any of you been to Kielder Water and Forest Park?

On our little walk along Tynemouth (me, Nic and Poppy) you can find details here. We stumbled upon the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and Priory.

I've lived here all of my life, been to Tynemouth beach more times than I can remember, but I've never once noticed the ruins or known about Tynemouth Priory and Castle. (Some kind of tourist I am eh.)

Anyways we walked passed the beautiful King Edward’s Bay (another place I’ve never actually set foot on) and decided to go and see it in all of its glory.

Tynemouth Castle and Priory was one of the largest fortified areas in England. It overlooks the River Tyne and the North Sea. It is a English Heritage Site, which basically means it’s a big deal. There are over 400 historic buildings, museums and others within their care. They try to reserve the beauty, the ruin and the former splendour of places so that they can be enjoyed by today’s public. (Maybe by two girls and a crazy dog?)

You can visit the outside of the castle/priory without paying. There were numerous little spots where you could sit on the grass, or on the low walls overlooking the bay. Being true explorers though, (I wish) we knew we couldn't leave without going further in.

It cost £4.90 each which isn't bad at all. What is bad is having to leave after a quick twenty minute look around because the parking was running out on the car. Parking at least twenty minutes’ walk away was also a rookie mistake.

The lady on the desk who sold me the tickets was lovely and we had a little conversation about the site and also some of the other places that the English Heritage looks after. She told me key points about the priory and the places not to miss. Not having much time to look around, it was more a case of quick, look over here and a click click of the camera.

I loved how there were just these huge, amazing, ruins everywhere. Granted we didn't have time to be too observant, but what I did see was half formed rooms, doorway and window shapes made with decaying brick.

There were a few old fashioned doors too. I love looking at doors (that makes me sound so sad.) I just like seeing how different they are, the knockers and the handles. (Yeah, I’m stopping before I go too far.)

The graveyard was something else entirely. I was so surreal walking among the tombstones, trying not to disturb the spirits. Trying not to get freaked out about the bones and beings buried under your feet. 

I just love going to historical places and seeing and learning about the past. I like to feel like I belonged in the moment almost. Obviously I'll have to go back to Tynemouth Castle and Priory as I don't feel like I did it justice. There were so many other things that we didn't see. It would be nice to just take it at a leisurely pace. When you buy a ticket it's valid all day too. Which is always a plus. 

Opening times at the moment are 10:00-16:00 daily.

English Heritage offer a yearly pass too, so that you can visit many of their historical places for free once you have one. It costs around £41.

I might just have to get one. Maybe I'll look at the handy brochure I was given and start circling venues of interest. Oh how very interesting indeed...

Have any of you been to Tynemouth Castle and Priory?