Taking a Break from London Weather in Sunny Italy
Posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010
To those of us on the other side of the pond, a trip to London at the moment sounds delightful. I’d even go so far as to say I’d be willing to insert that seemingly extra U into the word “colour” for a whole month if I could spend a week in London right now. [...]
Cottages with no “T.V”
Posted on Friday, February 12th, 2010
Looking through the ways in which people find our website i came across searches for cottages with no TV. There can’t be many quality cottages left like this as most owners consider it essential.But sometimes you get cottages in remote and isolated areas where there is no reception.
We have stayed in the College Valley and never missed the “box”.
Hadrian’s Wall and people who love it
Posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010
So many visitors to the North East head off to the coast and the sandy beaches of Bamburgh and Seahouses. Lovely as that part of the world is they do miss out on some of the more quiet and historic areas of Cumbria and Northumberland. We have already posted extensively about the College Valley which is hidden in the Cheviot Hills and we will, over the next few months be highlighting Hadrian’s Wall. You might already have noticed that we have been showcasing Danny Brannigan’s pictures on the home page movie but with the forthcoming illuminations on 13th March it is probably time that we talked about other local people who through their work reach out to people far away from here and introduce them to the “Wall”.
Joan Thirlaway lives in Gilsland and her website “after the rain” shows a large selection of Wall pictures which you can also purchase. Her blog is here
Enjoy!
Dog friendly cottages in Northumberland
Posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Just written a new page on dog friendly cottages in Northumberland.
Some good photos and comments. Hope that you like this.
Amsterdam: the next stop on your European vacation
Posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Europe might be a small continent but it surely offers a lot of things to see and do. Planning to tour Europe during a vacation is a good idea if you are not sure when you’ll manage to plan your next vacation here.
Whether it’s your first visit in Europe or your tenth you should [...]
Saving Money on London Airfare & Hotels
Posted on Friday, February 5th, 2010
When it comes to European vacation spots, London really has something for everyone. It’s an incredibly popular destination for first-time travelers from the U.S. who want an easy place to get their feet wet in the foreign travel department – it’s the same language (more or less), the food isn’t really what you’d call exotic, [...]
Going to the World Cup in 2010? Then don’t miss these tips.
Posted on Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Knowing that the World Cup is coming up in the summer of 2010 doesn’t make it seem any more real – or close at hand, for that matter – to some people. If you have tickets to any of the games, however, or are planning to head to South Africa to experience the fun first-hand, [...]
Howick Hall and snowdrops
Posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
The much loved snowdrop walks at Howick Hall Gardens near Longhoughton will begin early in February. Rated by BBC Gardener’s World magazine as one of the top five coastal gardens in the country, Howick boasts one of the best collections of woodland snowdrops in the North of England. Head gardener Robert Jamieson is anticipating a good show for visitors this month, despite the very wet winter months. He said “We have several varieties of Galanthus, the largest drifts of which are the Galanthus nivalis – the common single snowdrop, but there are also doubles and the Northumberland Yellow, Galanthus nivalis “Sandersii Group”.
Later in the month Sweet Box, Sarcococca confusa will be fragrant in the Acer glade as will Viburnum x bodnantense Pink Dawn with its small tubular pink flowers.
The snowdrops will be followed from late March by hosts of pre-war planted daffodils for which this garden is famous.
The gardens and the Earl Grey Tearoom are open from February 7 from 12 – 4pm, and will be open Saturday, Sundays and Wednesdays until April 1, after which they will be open every day from 12 – 6 pm. For more information visit: Howick Hall
Howick Spring Festival Flyer pdf
Why not book a break in The Old School in Howick Village and get a free pass to Howick Hall Gardens.
Holiday Cottages & Northumberland Blog 2010-01-19 12:07:00
Posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
We have been looking for ways to try and illustrate the beautiful photographs taken by Danny Brannigan along Hadrians Wall. One of the options is to embed the images as a slide show and this is one for his photographs of Steel rigg.
We hope that you like the pictures.
Military road, Hadrian’s Wall
Posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Built by General George Wade in 1745 at the time of Jacobite rebellion, the military road offers a more civilised route between Newcastle and Carlisle. Whilst the heavy traffic ploughs along the A69 below you can drive sedately through this beautiful countryside.
