Out and about …
… in Hexham. It will be September before we start travelling again so the summer months will be based at home: playing golf, putting miles on the motorbikes and keeping up with the endless maintenance tasks that are part and parcel of owning a converted cow byre. This year we are experimenting with changing the colour of the external woodwork, something I may live to regret.
Although we live in the country, almost everything you need is within a few miles drive, in the local towns of Hexham and Corbridge. Everything else is available on the Internet. The problem is that these last few weeks, Hexham has moved several miles further away. The main access from north of the Tyne has been severed while essential repairs have been carried out to the railway bridge. It can be quite pleasant wandering the much less crowded streets but it has done local businesses no favours. In no particular order, these are some of the images captured around the town over the last week:
To round off, this is the mill at The Linnels, just outside Hexham – it is too easy to pass by familiar places and take them for granted:
northumbrian : light 
it’s a great place, I love it… and I would like to say hello to summer, of course :o)
Thanks, we are very fond of Hexham – with or without summer 😉
What a lovely region you live in, Robin!
We are very fortunate Sue – time almost stands still in this part of the world and I try not to take it for granted. All the best, R.
Don’t take it for granted, Robin!
Oh, I love the mill shot!
janet
Thanks Janet – it’s odd really, it looks more Cotswold than Northumberland. It is taken from Linnels Bridge, a very old single track crossing with high stone sides. I only noticed the renovation to the mill when I crossed on a motorbike – you see a lot more from the saddle than from a saloon car.
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/Linnels-Bridge-to-close–bc653521-fdcd-48f3-a7cb-bca30790c583-ds
Your town looks sublime. This is my romanticized, nostalgic idea of England. So good to see its character persists. It’s too bad about the effect on local businesses, but enjoy the added tranqulity. And best of luck on your deco experiment. I’m in the process of recoloring the interior walls at our place in France. 😀
It is a lovely town Julie with a very fine abbey at its heart. It is also on the very edge of things – travel north (and to a lesser extent south) and there is nothing for mile after mile, just wild, open moorland. England’s last wilderness – we are very fortunate. Good luck with the decorating 🙂
I love the Holy Island House image – what a picturesque wee property and the subtle colours are just beautiful. The mill looks like the sort of place I would love to explore. I had a flashback of the Edinburgh tram works when I saw the first picture – definitely better forgotten! I hope the disruption in your neck of the woods doesn’t last as long! 🙂
Thanks Karen – not quite such a bad experience as the Edinburgh tram works – they finished a week early and opened the bridge again yesterday. The Holy Island House is a fabulous building and one day I must capture the whole structure – the problem is that there are always cars parked outside 😦
Home sweet home 🙂 Enjoying the heatwave? You might get wet out golfing today.
Hi Jo, wonderful isn’t it, or it was yesterday. Looking gloomy this morning and the 9 holes at 17:00 is looking very dubious 😦
Cracking great thunder and lightning storm as I headed into Newcastle this morning. Exciting! 🙂
It can be quite entertaining from a safe place. The good news is that it had all passed through by this evening and I got to play the 9 holes – all is well with the world Jo 😀
Beautiful photos..
Thanks Livonne
“it is too easy to pass by familiar places and take them for granted:”…yes it is. So true – I always try not to. Love your shots here, especially the mill. My “Hardy view” of England fulfilled.
Many thanks Leya – the other trick is to look upwards. Hexham has some very fine buildings but some pretty awful shop fronts – the best of them are still visible above the first floor.