A Busy Seventeen Days Since our Return from Holidays

Well here I am on Wednesday 31st October, sitting at the computer keyboard and idly tapping away in my usual two fingered manner. Maybe I should rephrase that before someone takes offence - let's try -  typing away using one finger of my right hand and one finger of my left hand. Yes, that sounds less aggressive!

It hardly seems two weeks and three days since we returned home from our holidays, but my, how has the weather changed. We were blessed with some lovely sunny weather whilst we were away on holiday, but the minute we returned home it was damp, grey and miserable. Then when we put the clocks back on Saturday evening the weather took another turn for the worse, and we got rapidly dropping temperatures as well as darkness at 5.00 pm.

As I mentioned previously I purchased a large number of CD's, DVD's and books whilst we were on holiday, and these should tide me through the cold dark nights!

It's pretty quiet in the house at the moment. Dot has gone off with Hannah to York for the day. Ruby has been at the Vets since 9.10 and has been spayed, so there will be no Ruby pups. The girl in the vets phoned me at 11.00 to say that she had just gone under the anaesthetic, and again at 1.25 to say that the operation had gone well, and Ruby was groggy, but coming round, but that she had been sick, so instead of collecting her at the pre arranged time of 3.00 pm, could I now call for her at 4.00 pm. She has also had her booster injections which were due.

So what have I been up to since we returned home. well, as usual life has been a bit hectic.

At the moment the church are looking to purchase another organ - the present one, installed in 1960 (second hand) and only maintained when there was an emergency is showing signs of coming to the end of its useful life, and a report on it by Harrison & Harrison, the well known Durham organ builders suggested that to get it back into A1 condition would cost in the region of £250,000 (yes, you are reading that correctly  - two hundred and fifty thousand pounds - is it less painful to say a quarter of a million pounds?)

Obviously the church doesn't have that kind of money floating around anywhere, so it has to be a replacement digitally encoded electronic organ. I have already been in touch with three well known electronic organ builders and had quotes for replacement of between £25,000 and £100,000. Considerably less than the quarter of a million! I have met with all three Managing Directors in church, so that they could give me a fairly accurate costing, and am now in the process of visiting their workshops to play examples of the instruments, and also visiting churches where their instruments have been installed.

The week we got back from our holidays I had a couple of bookings to talk on My Kind of Music, a celebration meal for a colleague at Skipton TIC who was 80, a choir practice for the Confirmation service at church on the following Thursday, a service to play at the local crematorium for one of the local funeral directors and a wedding to play for on the following day.

Last week was no different. I was appointed to feed next doors cat (whilst they were away on holiday in Paris Disney World), I had to have an X ray on my left knee , which has been playing up for some time now, (on Monday morning), a Confirmation Service to play for on Thursday evening, and a wedding to play for at Hazelmere Castle near Tadcaster on Friday.

I have managed to read the odd book or two, which I purchased whilst on holiday..........

 The above book (Molaise of Arran) had caught my eye some years previously, but had gone out of print. Whilst we were on Arran this year it had been reprinted. As we stay in a studio cottage which looks out onto Holy Isle, (with a similar view to the photo on the front of this cover) I purchased this book.

Bamburgh is an ancient settlement, with the fishing village of Seahouses just two or three miles down the coast. It is from Seahouses that you can sail to the Farne Islands, famed for their multiplicity of bird life as well as Atlantic grey seals.

This booklet on Bamburgh was produced after numerous archaeological digs in and around the castle, and gives an excellent insight into the development of Bamburgh from earliest times.

I used to play the organ for David Adam when he was Vicar of Holy Island (Lindisfarne) [Not to be confused with Holy Isle off the coast of Arran]. I lost touch with him when he retired, but imagine my surprise when four years ago I discovered he was living next door but one to the property we rent at Waren Mill near Bamburgh. David has written numerous books on Celtic Spirituality and Celtic Prayers, and I usually purchase one of his books when we are on holiday in Northumberland. This is his latest book - partly autobiographical and partly pleading for people to see the goodness God all around them.


At present I am reading.........

This is a very interesting book which deals with all manner of mysterious objects and beliefs relating to the Isle of Arran.

I have also been busy cataloguing all the CD's and DVD's and Books I have purchased!

On a rather different note, [pardon the non intended pun] I am in the process of closing down Eldwick & Gilstead Male Voice Choir. I am their Musical Director, and was their accompanist before that. Like many of the local male voice choirs, we have been struggling with a dwindling membership over the last year or so. When we were due to re convene after the Summer Holidays (in September) it was decided that we would approach one of the other local male voice choirs who are having the same problems, with a view to combining. Sadly this has not been possible, so over the next week or two we have to hold an extraordinary general meeting to decide what to do in relation to the disposal of our assets. These include a piano, a library of 500+ copies of male voice songs, a music stand, three music cupboards, various minute books, photographs and records of choir concerts and some monetary assets.

Our Northumberland Holiday

We moved on from Arran on Saturday 6th October, and had to be on the harbour at Brodick for 07.50 to check in for the 08.20 departure to Ardrossan.  

The MV Caledonian Isles at Brodick

We landed at Ardrossan at 09.15 and after refuelling at Morrison's at Kilwinning we then set off across country, heading eastwards through Border Country to Peebles, which is approximately half way along our journey. We usually arrive here about dinner time, and call for a meal at the Ramblers Restaurant, which is situated in a long established family department store.

Afterwards Dot will head for the shops she likes and I will head for the Charity Shops! We usually meet up about a couple of hours later and then continue our journey eastwards.

 The Bridge Inn and church steps (Peebles)

 Peebles High Street

 Peebles High Street (opposite direction to the previous photo)

Leaving Peebles we travel through some beautiful countryside and pick up the Tweed Valley Tourist Route. The valley is extremely fertile and there are many Garden Centres in it. Some of the well known Seed and Bulb Catalogue firms are to be found here.

We usually arrive at Waren Mill (Cove Cottage) at about 4.30 - 5.00 pm

 Cove Cottage

The Kitchen and Lounge are upstairs and occupy the whole length of the building.

 Cove Cottage - Kitchen

    Cove Cottage - Lounge

After unpacking and settling in we usually drive the three miles down to Bamburgh, and are greeted with this amazing view as we crest the hill and head into Bamburgh.......

Bamburgh Castle





We then head for a meal at either the Castle Inn or The Victoria Hotel. Both are situated on Front Street which runs parallel to the Grove - a triangular village green with trees and the village well at the southern end of it.

 The Victoria Hotel

 The Castle Inn

The village well (or pant)

On Sunday we drove down the coast to Seahouses - the point of departure for boat trips to the Farne Islands. Seahouses has a busy harbour, with boats always coming and going. Then a little further south to the picturesque village of Low Newton by the Sea. In the square at Newton is the Ship Inn, and we always make a point of calling here for a meal at sometime during our stay in Northumberland. All the properties in the square are owned by the National Trust. The square itself is open on one side, and this side gives access to the beach.

Low Newton by the Sea - The Village Square

 The Ship Inn 

The Ship Inn has its own micro brewery and produces three different ales. They are all mouthwatering. It also produces its own beer mats, so beer mat collectors rate their beer mats as "highly collectable!"

Ship Inn Beer Mat

 Low Newton by the Sea - The Beach



Being a Sunday there is not much open, so we drove up to Beal, which is on the approach road to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and called into the "Barn at Beal" for a late Sunday Lunch. The "Barn at Beal" is an example of a farm diversifying. The barn has been converted into a superb restaurant, and we have called here for meals many times.

The Barn at Beal

                                                                      The Barn at Beal

After enjoying a very tasty and filling Sunday Lunch we went back to the car and I remember saying to Dot as I got in it "Goodness me its hot in here!"  On turning on the ignition this is what met my eyes.......

Yes! you are reading that correctly - 23.5 degrees and on Sunday 7 th October 2012!

Monday we spent on Holy Island, Tuesday we visited Low Newton by the Sea, and then drove on to Alnwick, and having visited Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle many times, we gave them a miss this year, but I called in at "Barter Books" which advertises itself as "probably the biggest second hand book shop in the British Isles." It is housed in what used to be Alnwick Station. A large scale model railway runs around the tops of some of the bookcases

On Wednesday we visited Belford, which is a small village which has an inn called The Bluebell, which used to be a staging post where the horses were changed many years ago. Then we drove on to Wooler, which is the gateway to the Cheviots - the range of mountains which you see on the skyline as you look inland from Lindisfarne. We finished up at Kelso, which has some lovely ruins of one of the Border Abbeys. From the Millennium Viewpoint you can get a good idea of the layout of Kelso.

 The large square tower is part of the ruins of Kelso Abbey

 The bridge over the River Tweed and the spire of the North Kirk (to the left)

Millennium Park alongside the River Tweed

On Thursday we travelled to Melrose, which has a lovely ruined abbey where the heart of Robert the Bruce is reputed to have been buried. There are also the Priorwood Gardens which are run by the National Trust for Scotland. They specialise in dried flower arrangements made from the flower and herbs they grow. They also have an orchard of "Apples Through the Ages" which grows many ancient varieties of apples.

 Melrose Abbey

Melrose Main Street

The Eildon Hills

Nearby are the Eildon Hills, where Sir Walter Scott's horse which was pulling his funeral cart is reputed to have stopped, because every time Sir Walter rode this way he stopped his horse to admire the view.

One of our favourite eating places in Melrose is Russell's which is at the top of the High Street. They serve traditional Scottish food beautifully prepared and cooked. The minute you have drained your coffee cup, Colin, the owner will appear and refill it, as many times as you want!

 Russell's Restaurant

Russell's Restaurant

On Friday we went into Berwick upon Tweed and did a bit of last minute shopping.

 Berwick - looking up towards Marygate

Berwick Town Hall at the bottom of Marygate

We returned to The Barn at Beal for Lunch and had a last look at Holy Island and the views across the sands.



 Fenkle Street Holy Island from the Village Green

 House on Village Green

                

 St Aidan Statue

 Dot walking across the Causeway

 Holy Island Priory (West End) and Castle in the distance

 Holy Island Castle on Beblowe Crag

 St Aidan Statue in the Church and Priory grounds

 The Pilgrims Way (looking towards the mainland)

The Pilgrims Way

The Pilgrims Way

A Week on the Isle of Arran

As usual we spent the first week of our holidays on the Isle of Arran, which is off the West Coast of Scotland. To reach it you have to catch a Caledonian MacBrayne roll on roll off car ferry from Ardrossan. The journey from Ardrossan to Brodick takes about fifty five minutes, and if you have used the ferry regularly you will be aware that you can travel a bit cheaper if you don't decide to go on one of the peak sailings. None peak sailings are usually the first and last sailings of the day. So we catch the 18.00 sailing from Ardrossan, arriving in Brodick at 18.55.

After driving the 3 miles from Brodick to Lamlash, where we stay at Prospect Hill Studios, we unpack and then head for a meal at the Pier Head Tavern in Lamlash. This is one of those places which service good homely meals, well cooked and plenty of it. If you visit during the season it is always a good idea to book if you plan eating there on a Saturday evening, but as we were a fortnight later than usual, we simply walked in and ordered a meal.

 

        The Pierhead Tavern                              Dining Room

After rising quite late (for us) 10.00 - 10.30, we drove into Brodick and had a lunch at Bilslands, which is the main independent "superstore/Cafe" on the island. It is situated on the front and sitting in the cafe you get superb views of Brodick Bay, the CalMac Ferry, Brodick Castle and Goatfell, the highest mountain on Arran.

Bilslands Store, which sells all manner of goods - outdoor clothing, souvenirs, books, cards, sweets, children's toys etc.

 View of Brodick Bay from Bilslands Car Park

 Brodick Castle on the far side of Brodick Bay

 Goatfell, Arran's highest mountain

Scotsmen, complete with kilts, playing crazy golf on Bilslands crazy golf course


Sunday evening found us dining at Eilean Mor, a bar bistro, which opened in April 2009. We had visited it previously, but had nearly always dined at the Brodick Bar and Brasserie, however as the Brodick Bar and Brasserie doesn't open on Sundays we patronised the Eilean Mor.

The Eilean Mor Bar & Bistro

On Monday our first "port of call" was the ARCAS (ARran CAncer Support) shop, where we deposited about half a car's worth of goods!

We then took a circular tour of the island, which is approximately 58 miles all round. Starting from Brodick, where we had left the goods for the charity shop we headed northwards to Corrie, a picturesque little village. The photo of Corrie below is the one I have as my screen saver.

We then moved northwards to Sannox (another little village on the East coast of Arran, and then up to the northern end of the island to Lochranza, which has a superb castle ruin, is famed for the deer and has a small ferry which takes you across to the Mull of Kintyre. (We have travelled on this ferry many times when we have gone from the Isle of Arran to the Isle of Mull).

 The Ferry approaching Lochranza

Lochranza Castle

Heading southwards down the western side of Arran the next place we come to is the tiny hamlet of Catacol. This is famed for its row of cottages, which was built by the Duke of Hamilton during the clearances. Each of the cottages has different upstairs windows so that when a lighted candle was put in them the fisherman could tell which person was trying to send them a message! The row of cottages is known as the Twelve Apostles!

Heading southwards the next place of any size is Blackwaterfoot. There is a large hotel here, and a few shops and some bed and breakfast establishments. Blackwaterfoot has a picturesque harbour.

At the south of the island we find the village of Kildonan, with views of the lighthouse and Ailsa Craig (the pudding shaped island nicknamed Paddy's milestone, as it is halfway between Arran and Ireland!)

 Pladda (with lighthouse) 

 Pladda

 Ailsa Craig (Paddy's Milestone) in the distance

Pladda with Ailsa Craig in the background

Dot with Ruby on the beach at Kildonan

The next village you come to heading northwards on the east side of Arran is Whiting Bay. Known as the Yorkshire of Arran because so many people from Yorkshire have settled here!

 Whiting Bay

Whiting Bay with Holy Isle to the left of the shot

Completing our circumnavigation of Arran we arrive back at Lamlash



Map of Arran showing the locations of the villages mentioned above