Adventures from The Far Away North

They're actually right on your doorstep.

Photo by Matt Chambers on Unsplash

Hello Friends,

Here is a question: Does anyone else from the north of England (and by this I mean above Newcastle, which may surprise many people to learn we are actually here), find Northumberland is completely forgotten about?

I’m not trying to sound dramatic or over exaggerated, I mean we are ACTUALLY forgotten about.

This morning, my husband and I watched the news together. This isn’t as idyllic as it may sound: he is up early to head out to work and I am up early with the toddler. We watch the news together but would much rather be in bed. We cradle our hot mugs of coffee, trying to draw some life from them, while the toddler demands more “appy” juice and watches some crazy YouTube video.

Anyway, on comes the main headline. “Chaos as snow and ice sweep the country.” Well that headline would have grabbed us a few days ago had it not been for the fact, we have actually been living with snow and ice for the last few days now and it never appeared on any news outlets I can find. Moving on, the news reporter is standing at a train station in Surrey and reports it is minus 3. Mad. It has been around minus 5 here since Monday. No one cares.

It was, however, the weather report that really opened my eyes to the fact Northumberland has, it would appear, disappeared off the map completely. We just weren’t there. The main places it picked up were Newcastle and Berwick - Upon - Tweed. Over sixty miles of land not accounted for.

The Far Away North

I have started writing a series of children’s books, which over the coming months I will share more about. They are based on “hidden Northumberland”.

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I love this county. I have lived in Yorkshire and Oxfordshire and I love both of those counties also, but there is something magical about the wilderness of Northumbria. It needs a little bit more attention don’t you think? Not enough to trample our sacred land and coastline, just some sort of recognition that we are indeed, very much, here.

(Storm Arwen is another shining example of how we are a neglected part of the world. My poor father in law went nearly two weeks without power in his remote home, following those storms. No mention of his dire situation or our lost woodland on the news… )

OR, perhaps Northumbrians enjoy the quiet. Perhaps they don’t wish to have attention drawn to them at all. We can keep our dark skies and choppy waters a secret a little longer. You see, when people think of the “far away North”, they think of adventure, thrill seekers and magic. And we have all of that. Right here on our doorstep. A county held by its border with Scotland. The last county in England. The exact location for a northern adventure, we are lucky enough to have.

This weeks message is short, as I have a huge workload it appears and not enough hours in my working week. So as I round this off, I want to share with you a quote I found on a travel bloggers website.

“ It feels good to be lost in the right direction.”

Anonymous

I find that very fitting for those living in Northumberland and for those who come and visit us on holiday. No matter which way you travel along the roads, be it up in the hills, along the coast or through the bustling market towns, you are in the right place for an adventure. You may be getting lost but all roads lead somewhere right? Even those windy, narrow ones that take you right up into the Cheviot Hills may bring you to a surprise hidden cafe or alpaca walking experience (true story!).

You are in The Far Away North - and isn’t that wonderful?

Photo by Paul Levesley on Unsplash