Can it makes its bloody mind up........please!!!

The 'it', is the weather. This morning I was scraping the ice off my car at 6am.........not impressed - it is mid April for gods sake.


Last week we were on our summer hols (don't go there - hubby doesn't get to book hols, bus drivers get told when their hols are), and it was bloody freezing and we had snow. This week I spent Thursday weeding the garden - in between the hail showers!!! And then this morning, scraping the ice!


The week before we went on our 'summer hols' the weather was brilliant - up on the 20's and sunny.


What is going on????? I just wish the weather would make it mind up...................and that is before we even get onto the fact the we have a hose pipe ban because we are in a drought. That'll be the summer washed out then!

Good News (well it's a little thing)

Well, a little bit of good news, in the general gloom and doom of things. Remember back in my review of the year, I mentioned that we were 'under review' at work. Well, just before I headed north, I finally had the confirmation that I got what I wanted.......yeap, I am staying in Oxford, doing the job I have been doing to the last 2 1/2 years. In the team I work in, we all got our first choice, which means that apart from one person, who chose a station closer to his home, we are all staying in Oxford, and our boss is staying our boss too.............so smiles all round!

Summer Hols - Up North

So, on Monday we went North................really North!!! Uncharted territory for us, Northumbria, or Northumberland...........not sure which is correct, as both appear to be in use. We went past the Angel of the North as we circumnavigated Newcastle to get to the cottage we had booked for four nights, just north of Alnwick off the A1. The cottage was lovely, done out to a very high standard, very comfortable and well equipped.

Kitchen leading to bathroom and bedroom

Bedroom

So we made it 'up North' in good time, arriving just before 3pm, having left home just before 9am. The weather the week before had been wonderful...........sunny and temperatures around the 20 degree mark. But for course, as we were going on our summer hols, it was destined to change. We had plans of things we wanted to see........Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle, Lindesfarne (Holy Isle) and Hadrian's Wall to name but a few, some of which are not really conducive to bad weather, but hey, we were sure that it would be fine! So..weather forecast on Monday night, forecast snow for Tuesday.............yes SNOW!

So, Tuesday saw us at Bamburgh Castle in 70 mile an hour winds, sleet and snow.....lovely! One poor woman got blown over, and we had to hold onto each other to make it to the car and back!

Luckily, Wednesday and Thursday saw much better weather, though Wednesday was cold and on Thursday the wind still had bit of a nip in it.

Wednesday we did Alnwick Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle as well as picking up a few kippers in Craster.

Thursday was the day for Lindesfarne.

The causeway nice and dry!

Lindesfarne Castle

Remains of the Priory (post Henry VIII)

And the causeway ....... a bit damp!

So, despite the weathers beat efforts, we loved Northumbria (or Northumberland) and have decided that we definitely be going back............though we may wait until a little later in the year, so as to avoid the snow!