Northeast by Van 2023: Belford

Slept really well, with no passing traffic overnight. This is not surprising as the road we are on ends at a car park 100m up the road, with only local residents allowed beyond this - and there aren't many of them.

Stepping out of the van in the morning I saw two deer slowly crossing the road about 30m away. They sensed my presence and moved out of sight, one on each side of the road. I thought that they would want to rejoin each other, and waited ages for a photo, but they did not reappear

Breakfast was left over antipasti from Vera's meal on Sunday evening, plus bread from Newbiggin, plus tea. By this time there was a regular procession of passing people, mainly dog walkers, but all friendly and cheerful. For a road that went nowhere there was also a lot of motor traffic, some slow and calm, others clearly in a rush

This morning was also a lesson in having to be organised, know where things are, and having everything pre-positioned ahead of time. Three of the cupboards are inaccessible with the bed out, and for such a small space it's amazing how easy it is to lose things!

The plan for this morning was to go to Seahouses and out to the Farne Islands. We bought our tickets for the boat and had a wander around the village. These crocheted hanging baskets are a fantastic idea, we did find one of the women that made them, but you cannot buy them for use at home

Today was a lot cooler than of late, though sunny, and we put on all of our layers for the boat trip. Compared to when we were last here the islands were almost empty of bird life, all of the breeding birds having headed back out to sea. Just a few Shags on the rocks and squadrons of Gannets flying by with huge wingspans

The were plenty of grey seals some bobbing, asleep, in the water others asleep on the rocks. Not a bad life.

A small lunch and coffee in a local bakery while we did most of the crossword, and then off to Bamburg. The car park there did offer overnight camping spots for £12, but they wanted you up and away by 8am so not entirely relaxing. We went for a walk along the beach to Stag Rock

We are using a website, park4night, as a guide for places to stay. This led us to the nearby town of Belford, where a farm shop allowed free overnight stops. Obviously you are expected to use their shop or cafe in exchange, but this seems a fair arrangement. We arrived just after closing, but I managed to find someone inside who seemed very happy to see me and who confirmed this arrangement.

Then into Belford for something to eat. There were three pubs and a fish and chip shop, so plenty of choice.

Taking local advice went to the Black Swan, who purveyed some excellent ales, were having a music evening, but the chef was away at a funeral. So after one drink

we went to the Blue Bell. No food there because the chef was fully occupied catering for residents. No food in The Salmon, and the chippy doesn't open on Tuesday.