The weather wasn't too good and the forcast for the Newcastle area wasn't promising so after the Flower Show we went to Durham. Still dull but at least it was dry. We had a nice walk along the side of the river then crossed to visit the Cathedral.

The tall ships leaving the Tyne at South Shields.
Managed to get a number of different viewpoints, but the grey day turned to heavy rain and the ships could not be seen out at sea properly

After trying unsuccessfully to see the boats at the quayside we headed to South Shields to see if we could find some vantage points to see the ships leaving next day. We worth the visit and enjoyed a freshment in the hotel next to the pier

Crews parading acoss the swing bridge. Some were in full uniform and others were dressed to impress. All seemed out to enjoy themselves and created a great show

Alnwick Gardens next to Alnwick Castle where some of the Harry Potter movies were shot. Bit of a disappointment

Visited Blyth because we understood a number of Tall Ships would be on view before leaving Blyth at 2.30. Arrived at 2.30 to find only one of the class A ships were left and it was ready to leave. Locals were told that the ships would be leaving at 3.30 , so they would be even more disappointed. The Seathieves Pirates were great entertainment and really looked the part. They provided great photo opportunities. If you get a chance to see them GO

A busy day started with a visit to the Holy Island since we had missed the time for a safe crossing the day before. A fairly quick trip around the main section provided some wonderful views of the castle. The difficulty is trying to get a different one from all the others that have been taken

Photos taken on walks in and around Bamburgh