It's just after 10pm on a dark, gloomy Tuesday evening and I've walked 12 miles today, a round trip to the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel without stopping.  It's the furthest I've ever walked in one go and everything from the waist down hurts, many bits above the waist hurt too but I'm feeling like I just scaled Everest.  If someone had said to me, "do you fancy a 12-mile walk today?" I would have said "erm, no, why?" but I'd said to my friend Steph "oh let's walk to the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel, it's only about four miles away, I didn't think that sounded like much...

So, dear reader, just to write this in case you're some years into the future, currently, we're allowed to leave our home for 1 type of exercise a day and we can go with a friend as long as it's only 1 person from another household maximum.  I could count on 1 hand the number of people I've seen since Christmas and walking has become something of a must for my sanity.  If I can get someone to accompany me on walks then even better as it definitely would have hurt more if I'd tried to do it alone.

On the way from Heaton going towards the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel we took the Shields Road route which took around 1 hour 30, the way back via Hadrian's Cycleway was definitely a longer route but that's the one I'd go with on a better weather type of day as it's probably lovely in summer.  Not so much today in the driving rain.

I like to choose big challenges for myself and I'm always curious about our local history so I'd wanted to go to the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel since it reopened in 2019, for anyone who doesn't know, it still has 2 of it's 4 original wooden escalators which were at one time the longest wooden escalators in the world.  I didn't realise that the wooden escalators don't actually work so you have to either walk down them slowly (with a slight feeling of vertigo as it's so steep) or you can take a lift, we took the lifts on the way up and went down the escalators.  

I am really glad I didn't do it on my own as I'd always thought it would feel quite creepy in the narrow tunnel under the tyne and it really does, it feels weirdly sinister.   I can only imagine the history of all of the shipyard workers walking out of the tunnel after travelling from Jarrow and going down to Swans shipyard where Segedunum is now.  I think it's a place to go with a friend and not on your own though it's perfectly safe.  I don't know what it is, but there's definitely an unusual feeling down there.

Over the last week I've taken to walking every day, most days it's just 5 or 6 miles which never feels too bad but I think I felt every step of the last couple of miles today.  I don't mind the aches though, I could never have thought that I was capable of walking so far without stopping.  Had it been a sunny day and not illegal to have a picnic that would have been a great idea but the most we did was take water and chocolate along for emergency sugar need and really, it was so cold and wet today, I don't think I would have gotten through it without that little square of chocolate that I carried in my pocket.

To tell you how wet it was, I popped my coat in the hall cupboard when I got home and ten minutes later wondered why there was a puddle on the floor outside of the cupboard, for a moment I thought I had a leak from the hall radiator but no, that's just how wet my coat was.

I will always remember this big long walk I did quite unexpectedly on a rainy winter Tuesday and if anyone ever asks me "Do you fancy a 12-mile walk today?" and I shall reply "yes, yes I do" but only if it's not throwing it down in the middle of January and you're actually allowed to sit down for rests on the way.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

A dog friendly day out to Howarth, West Yorkshire

Sometimes you just need a day out with your dog to make the world a better place and Howarth in West Yorkshire is one of the most dog friendly villages I've ever visited with Holly Bobbins.

Haworth has long been connected to the Bronte sisters, they wrote many of their books at what is now the Bronte parsonage museum and pretty much every area of Bronte country is smattered with the heritage of this famous family, you can even travel the 43 miles of the Bronte Way should you feel like putting your walking boots on, perhaps that's why it's such a dog friendly place, you often find that places which welcome walkers have also cottoned on to the fact that many walkers have dogs with them and we live in a country where the weather isn't always kind.  When you want to enjoy a place with your dog you don't always want to sit outdoors.

I think it might be one of the most dog friendly places I've ever visited with Holly Bobbins, there were less shops, tea rooms and pubs which didn't welcome dogs than those with signs saying that our four pawed friends were most welcome.  

There's nothing that I enjoy more than an afternoon ambling around pretty little gift shops so if I can do it with my furry best friend then I'm declaring it to be the best village I've ever been to.

It's not just the dog friendly aspect that makes Haworth so very special though, it's in the pennines and quite high up, actually, the village is on a steep hill but it's all pedestrianised so you and your dog are safe at all times, it's also completely cobbled and very much like the set of a movie.  Parts of it reminded me of Beamish like the shop above which is set out like an apothecary and sells all kinds of magical wonders including loose bath salts in many varieties, Holly and I loved our wander inside, it was part Beamish, part Harry Potter, I like a place which feels full of magic.

After a dilly and a dally around the enchanted store we wandered the village and even though it was freezing cold with snow still lying in many areas we had a lovely time exploring this picturesque village which looks like it's a movie set from the 1940's.  If it does look familiar it could be that you've seen it when it was used as a set in many movies but most famously, The Railway Children was shot there.

I'm determined to make it back to Howarth in the summer months when no doubt it's a completely different village bustling with tourists and with steam trains regularly running all year around you can bet it's a hugely busy tourist destination.  Haworth for me, has everything, it's dog friendly, it's gloriously pretty and it's full to the brim with history so if you've never visited, get in the car and get there before the peak season.

A half term trip to the South Lakes Safari Zoo

Continuing on from our restful stay at St Mary's Inn we had hatched a cunning plan with my lovely friend Harriet to have a half term day trip to the South Lakes Safari Zoo, just 1 day of nothing but fun, animals and friendship, Looby, Harriet and I set off at 7.30am with excitement in our hearts and a tune or two on our lips with lots of singing along to "old people music" as Looby likes to call it.

The weather I think you would say was dreich, lots of rain and mist and fog but it didn't for a moment dampen our excitement, Harriet knew Looby and I would love the South Lakes Safari Zoo, the animals are so free, it's not unusual for a cheeky lemur to jump on your hand or for an Ostrich to suddenly stop you in your tracks because it's inquisitive and wants to know exactly who you are.  Every enclosure brings you closer to the animals than in any other zoo I've been to and the fact that a lot of the animals just have the run of the park is amazing!

One of my favourite findings was that the South Lakes Safari park is free for children and that's all children, not just the under 5's, the only extra cost was if you wanted to feed some of the animals, which of course we did, have you ever fed a giraffe?  I can say I have and I adore Giraffes, I think I adore them even more now.

The food selection was pretty good although there wasn't a great deal in healthy choices but you do usually find that's the case with most zoos, theme parks and the like, Dorito seemed to like the chips though!

Looby absolutely loved the whole experience but I would have to add that Harriet and I were probably the biggest children there, I nearly cried after my giraffe experience as it was so magical and I didn't even mind when I got jumped upon by an aforementioned cheeky lemur who put his muddy footprints all over the sleeve of my new Joules jacket!

When we left the park we did a quick detour past lake Windemere just after sunset, I quickly shouted to pull over the car as I'd seen the extraordinary colours of the sky and in a perfect moment I managed to catch the last red hued light of the day as it set over the autumnal landscape.

It seems like weeks ago now and I've been booked solidly ever since even if the weather has lead to one or 2 more rescheduled sessions than I'd like.  I'm pleased to say now though that weekend photo shoots are booked right up until Christmas with the exception of 2 half days, PM on the 13th and 19th of December so if you would like to book a photo shoot at weekends before the end of the year those are your two easy choices, just send me an email or a Facebook message and we'll get that set up.

Bank Holidays, They're Not The Same As They Used To Be

As i'm sitting here typing on my sofa the sun is just starting to dip, it's the start of the golden hour and the end of the most beautiful weather day of the year so far.  It's been a bit of a scorcher in parts today, by the sea it was still uber chilly but in my garden when we came home from the beach it was nearly 30c, it does catch the sun with absolutely no wind though usually because of the walls.

Today was such a difficult day, bank holidays for me have always been about family time, every single one for the last 15 years has pretty much been a whole family adventure of some kind or other so I hope you'll forgive me for feeling, well just sad really, if some days are harder than others this one is definitely one of them.  7 months on almost exactly to the day since life changed forever and I wouldn't say that it hurts any less now than it did back then.

I don't want to dwell but I have always been honest thus far and what's the point of lying to yourself (and 20,000 readers a month) someone is going to find out...

I do hope that today marks the start of sunshine all of the time until at least October, in fact if I'm honest I'll be happy if it lasts until our Berwick holidays are over, 8 sleeps to go, I have a treasure trail, Looby has packed her suitcase and I'm considering selling a body part to pay for all of the expected activities that Haven has to offer, I remember the last time dear reader and it was not a cheap experience.  At least this time I have Holly who's my get out of jail free or rather "I can't come and play family bingo because someone has to look after Holly at all times and she's not allowed in any of the buildings" (haven't quite worked out if Haven really is dog friendly or more along the lines of dog tolerant, they're quite different animals).

Speaking of animals, Holly is now a stinky beagle after rolling in manure today at the beach, I thought I could smell the whiff of freshly fertilised fields carried on the winds all day until I worked out that the smell was actually coming from Hollys neck, she wasn't amused by the bath at all and she's probably grumpy because she can smell herself and yes, she's going to need another bath tomorrow.

What Looby and I did do today to make the best of the situation we've found ourselves in was go to the beach (again, again, again.....) we walked from Tynemouth to Whitley Bay via beaches and promenades and the sun shone on our faces and warmed our skin and I was glad I'd remembered to put  my factor 50 on my face this morning, sun can be ageing when you're my age so it's full on sun block at every opportunity.

We decided not to wait in the huge queue for ice-cream or to partake of the (probably overpriced and underwhelming) fun fare which has been set up at Whitley Bay for the bank holiday weekend.  Oh no, we're going back again tomorrow without Holly, yes the beach again, ice-cream and the fun fare (probably still overpriced) but that's what Looby wants to do so yes that's what we're doing.  I feel I really should move to Tynemouth, I seem to spend more time there than I do at home.

Whatever you get up to tomorrow dear reader please go and embrace your families and do something with them, enjoy every second, savour every moment because you just never know what might lie around the corner of life.

It's those little things...

I don't know about you but for me those special days we celebrate are more about the little things than the big things, it's about the doing and being rather than the stuff.

Now don't get me wrong, for Mothers Day Looby bought me some cute loafers for summer walking and Abigail got me some flowers, a travel journal and 2 Kilner jar mugs that I've been coveting for quite some time.  But our day out to Seahouses yesterday totally surpassed anything that could have been bought or given because I got time with my girls and that for me is the most precious thing of all.

You may know that I recently took my fabulous associate Stacey on to shoot sessions on Sundays and bank holidays so I could take a step back and spend more precious time with my children, more time for playing, exploring, adventuring, more family time.  Of course I'm still editing all of the images myself but the difference there is that I can do that at 11pm at night in my pyjamas if I want to, I think I simply ran out of time during days where I could photograph people without my children never seeing me.

Back to yesterday though and we had the most delightful day out with lunch at the wonderful dog friendly Bamburgh Castle Inn, they do a huge Sunday carvery and I love a carvery as it's something I can enjoy without even a hint of white flour or sugar and no I didn't have the Yorkshire pudding or the gravy!  I can't recommend the Bamburgh Castle Inn highly enough, the dog friendly space is just as you go in right up to the end of the bar and also in a little room behind it, Holly and Petunia loved it although I think that may have been to do with the meaty morsels slipped under the table.  I'd been there before I had Holly and always loved it and can't wait to go back now, especially in summer when you can sit outdoors and look right over to the Farne Islands.

Here's some little moments from our lovely day together -

Looby loves the wild ponies who live between Seahouses and Bamburgh and we always go and visit them when we're up there.  I'd quite like to live in Seahouses if I'm honest but I don't think the kids would be too happy about the daily commute, it's a 6 hour round trip on the bus!!

No trip up to that part of the Northumbrian coastal route would be complete without a visit to Bamburgh, the way the castle majestically sits above this tiny village famed for Grace Darling is quite an awe inspiring sight to see, even on the not so bright and sunshiny days.

Every Mothers day I've had is special since I've had children, even my son who couldn't buy a card or present has been informed he can wash the dishes instead...I fear it'll actually be me who washes them, oh and down with Mr Hallmark, none of my kids got me cards this year, "It's not about the things, mum and its definitely not about spending £3.70 on a card"  You know what, I think they might just have a point and it's probably thanks to me!