Day 1
The adventure starts
18.09.2006
18 °C
Day 1 saw the van heading north through the rolling green hills of the Brecon Beacons from the side of Pen-y-Fan where we live. We took the motorway out to Malvern, past the VanFest site. We were accompanied by a multitude of VW busses and the like. Our destination was due to be Morley... though for a short time we thought it was going to be a night on the motorway as the traffic was at a standstill. In the heat a campervan had exploded and an intense blaze stopped the traffic. We drove slowly past the scene about an hour later... still smouldering but very deffinately not going anywhere.
Hot and dusty we made it to Morley and overnighted with my folks.
DaY 2 and it was time to hit the road once more. This time taking the A1 north from Leeds we passed quickly throught hte urban sprawl and were in open countryside within minutes. Hard to think that Leeds is such a developed city yet so close the landscape changes to rural. We kept heading north through the vale of York, onwards past Newcastle finally slowing to visit Alnwick, one of those rare northern towns with a range of shops selling everything still. A quick stock up there and onwards to our final resting place for the night, the Northumbrian coast. We rolled onto a grassy site next to the main road, and the sea. The grassy sanddunes kept the worst of the sea breeze away. Beadnell Bay is a quiet village with a lovelly small harbour, the only west facing harbour on the east coast... though I can think of at least 2 other locations to make simialr claims. The old lime kilns are undergoing some preservation work but other than that the village appears to be a mix of old folks homes, sheltered housing, holiday lets and some modern housing. Some interesting art deco properties and some appalling interwar housing too. The bland modern stuff at least is hidden from view. We settled down to a BBQ supper, with some tasty local sausages and burgers, and a slab each of chicken. All washed down with Cherry Beer... yum.
We settled down to sleep with the sound of waves crashing in our ears and the sea gulls squarking.
Androo
Posted by andyroo1 08:16 Archived in United Kingdom
