South Shields 27July09

Continued from last post... From Boulmer, I set off on a narrow paved road which soon turned into two narrow rocky ruts mostly used by farm machinery. Nevertheless, I pressed on and soon arrived at a sandy beach where I had to get off and walk. There was a gate which I passed through, more sand and then a short narrow wooden bridge to cross. Once on the other side I was on a narrow uphill foot path for about 200 yds which then became two narrow rocky ruts again. All in all it was a stretch of about 1 km. There were quite a few people on the "beach" who had come by car. I was never so happy to reach the narrow paved road which eventually led me through Longhoughton and on to Howick. I had to negotiate a couple more gates, pass through a couple farm yards, complete with sheep dogs sunning themselves by the barns, before arriving at the Howick Hall Gardens. I cycled across a parking lot of sharp stones and stopped at the kiosk to enquire about my niece who lives at The West Lodge on the Howick Estate. The gentleman looking after the kiosk tried to call the nursery, where my niece helps out, but could not get an answer. I asked him if he knew where the West Lodge was. He said yes he knew where it was. When I asked if he would kindly point me in the right direction he hesitated. I then realized he expected me to pay the £5.00 entrance fee to the gardens before he would tell me how to get to the West Lodge. I was quite stunned and left in a huff. A few minutes later a guy wearing a Howick Gardens shirt showed up and asked if he could help me. I explained that I had cycled from Canada and was visiting my niece, Lindsey, who lived at The West Lodge with her partner Steve Tennant. He knew both Steve and Lindsey and agreed to show me the way. No charge!!! The Lodge was located about 1 km away on the other side of the gardens along a rutted rocky road. I arrived at 2 PM. After putting away my bags and bike we drove over to the nursery where Lindsey had to help out for awhile. I went for a walk into Craster about 2 kms away. There is a castle there and from a distance it looked very much like the castle on Holy Island which I had visited on a previous visit to England. I decided to go for a beer instead. On the way I passed a building with smoke coming out of it. The sign read "We smoke kippers". Sure smelled like it to.... After a nice pint of lager I walked back to the nursery where Lindsey was just about finished for the day. We drove back to her quaint little cottage where I was introduced to Steve who showed me the generators that were used to provide electricity for the cottage which dated back to 18?? There was a cast iron oven with a log fire burning in the fire place. When I asked Steve if the fire was to keep the damp off he explained to me it was used for heating and for providing hot water.
The following day I cycled back to South Shields stopping off in Alnwick to check out Barter Book Shop which, according to the Cycle Britain guide, is the largest 2nd hand book store in England. It was huge. I did manage to find a rare book that my son Keith asked me to look for. It will remain a surprise until I get home??? The day started off a bit drizzly but by the time I had reached Alnwick the skies had cleared up and the remainder of the ride home along the main roads was a very pleasant one. I arrived in North Shields at 1:20, waited for the ferry for 5 minutes, and sailed for South Shields at 1:30, arriving back home at 2:00. Total distance was 93.52 mi. (150 kms) Time 8:23:35
Saturday, before cycling to Sunderland for the annual airshow on the beach with my brother-in-law and nephew, I checked over my bike. There was a squeaking noise coming from the rear derailleur and the chain was skipping when in the lower gears (larger rear cogs). I also decided to clean up the front and rear rims. As I was wipping down the front rim I notice the tube was sticking out about 1/4 inch from a cut in the side wall of the tire. I can only think that this must have happened when I was cycling over the sharp rocks in the parking lot at Howick Gardens or along the rocky rutted paths along the Coast or through the gardens. Fortunately, I had brought some tire patches and was able to make the necessary repair before setting off for the ride to Sunderland.
Well that's about all the cycling I plan to do for now. I will be leaving South Shields on August 2nd driving down to London (Gatwick) with my brother-in-law, Malcolm. My return flight to Ottawa leaves at 15:40 on August 3rd and arrives in Ottawa same day at 18:25. My daughter, Lise, has agreed to meet me on arrival so, Barrie, thanks for the offer to pick me up but that won't be necessary.
Cheers, Roly