The Geordie Tourist.

It’s been a while since I really had a good look at the farm so it was good to remember it and see new things. I can imagine the kids go crazy for all of the animals. I think I did once upon a time.

It’s just a nice little place, somewhere I would have liked to have lived back in the day. A cosy cottage, or a little house, with a couple of geese and chickens roaming free. Sounds like the dream, am I right?

Beamish is just always a good day out. They often have special events on too which is great. Plus it’s like a free day out once you’ve paid for a yearly pass which comes in at £18.50 per adult.

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?

Not Thursday just gone, but the Thursday before, myself and my mam took Poppy back to Beamish for another wander around. It was another one of my 4 mile walk kind of days and I thought the change of scenery would be good.

It was totally different to the last time we went. Then it was a lovely sunny day, we stopped for drinks and ice cream. This time was more business, more about just power walking around whilst still having a little nose about the place. The weather wasn’t as picturesque. This time we spent a lot of time looking around Pockerley Old Hall  and also up at Home Farm checking out the animals and the old farmhouse.

I love Pockerley Old Hall. It represents the home of a wealthy farmer in the 1800’s. I love looking in all of the rooms, checking out the old fashioned furniture, the dusty smell in the air. It’s just great seeing what it would have looked like back in the day. There’s a gorgeous garden too. They grow herbs and things and it overlooks the countryside below. It’s the kind of house I’d love to live in. (with today’s technology and advancements of course.) I pottered about looking in and out of all of the different rooms whilst my mam kept Poppy entertained outside.

Home Farm is beautiful too. The animals were all out. I watched a little lamb rubbing itself against a drain pipe, to scratch an itch I’m guessing. They were just so cute. They have cows and geese and chickens and all of the animals that you’d usually associate with a farm. Again, I left my mam and Poppy so they could go and get some chips whilst I tried to get as much walking done as possible. I didn’t go into the actual farm house as I was too preoccupied with the animals. (I’m a big kid at heart.)

We spent a little bit of time at Pockerley Waggonway too just watching the steam train come and go. It was there that we spotted a pig. (Again with the animals) We spent a good five minutes talking to it (as you do) and Poppy even tried to have a little look.

We still had to treat Poppy to her little ice cream. Obviously we just gave her a couple of licks. I mean as much as she would love a full one, I know she isn't allowed it.

Beamish always puts me in a good mood, it makes me feel like a little kid. It's just one of those places that you can go to again and again and you just never get bored. There's always a little detail that you missed or something new going on.

I'm just looking forward to my next little trip. Those season tickets come in handy that's for sure.

Have any of you been to Beamish Museum recently?

A while back I took a little walk with Poppy through the woods and to nowhere in particular. It was just somewhere different to go, some new sights to see. I remember it being a gloriously sunny day.

The other day I decided to take her on that same route with my mam in tow, but instead of following it to the ‘t’ we went over some fields instead and took a different route. I’ve never been that way before so was curious to see what we would find.

It was quite sunny, but the rain kept spitting every so often. We crossed a couple of fields and then we came to a little bridge going over a stream. It was a picture perfect moment so obviously I had my phone out to take some photos. We came across an abandoned house/barn. We couldn’t help but get right up close to it and have a little nose through the place where the window should be. I don’t know what we were expecting to find, maybe squatters, maybe woodland animals having a tea party? Well there was just loads of rubble. I would have loved to have gone inside and explored more, but quite frankly I’d be scared stiff in case there was anything weird there, or the roof collapsed or something.

We decided that it was in such a lovely location, with your own little stream. I’d love to live in a place like that. It’s secluded and you have forests and open fields around you.

We kept hearing music playing (not in a creepy way) and my mam pointed out that it sounded like the carousel at Beamish Museum. We don’t live far from it and we were in that general area so she could have been right.

We continued up a dirt path  and past a lovely little cul de sac with a few beautiful looking houses in it. There was also some old fashioned caravans too. Heading up the road some more we could actually see Beamish. The railway and the buildings, the manor house. We were totally shocked that we had managed to walk over a couple of fields, a couple of paths and stumbled onto Beamish.

It was just one of those weird walks when you feel like you are on some kind of adventure. When you aren’t just walking for the sake of it, but walking with purpose, when you see things out of the ordinary and you get excited like a little child. 

A lot of places I go are dog friendly and mostly nature type places. There's just something so nice and simple about being able to just pull up in the car somewhere, get out, and walk around. Forget yourself for an hour or so, just be free for a little while and soak in the nature. Don't get me wrong I love being in the thick of it as much as the next person, but just sometimes I like to go off and wander the beaten track undisturbed.

Have any of you been on any secluded walks lately?