We took a flask of coffee with us, and a pack of pains au chocolat and intended to stop about halfway to have breakfast. Sophie read her book in the back and Keith and I chatted as we ate up the miles. It was about 190 miles to Bishop Auckland and I commented to Keith that that was nothing compared to our European road trips!
We stopped to use the facilities at Woodall Services on the M1 and drank our coffee with the pastries. It was bitterly cold outside and the mist and drizzle made for difficult driving. Luckily, the road had been quiet up until now.
We continued on our way, taking the M18 (Googly had recommended this route) and then the A1(M). We were held up by roadworks for a while and the two lanes of the A1 were reduced to one. However, once past this, and onto the three lanes, we made good progress and after one more stop, made it to the care home by 10.45am.
There was a little confusion when we arrived as Keith called his brother Val, not Valentine, and the lovely member of staff who welcomed us didn't know who he was talking about! It was only when Keith said Valentine that the penny dropped! Val was in bed when we arrived and talking to his son, Jeffery. Jeffery left and the three of us sat down and chatted to Val who, although pale and thin, seemed to be in good spirits.
The lovely staff gave us tea and biscuits and we stayed for almost two hours. At times, the conversation was a little emotional, but with Val at almost 95 years of age, we didn't expect anything different. There is a big age gap between Keith and his three siblings and it was great for Val to reminisce with us and talk about old times. Before we left, he asked when we'd be up to see him again, bless him. We have no idea what will happen to him over the next few weeks and don't know whether he'll be able to go home, or will be moved into a different care home. Although all the staff we met were lovely, there was a startling difference between this home and the one my parents are in. Val has the savings to go to somewhere that's more comfortable and luxurious, so we'll have to wait and see.
Sophie had wanted to see the home of Newcastle United, so we set the satnav for a car park near the ground and set off back onto the A1(M). Sophie's satnav on her phone took us off the A1(M) because of traffic and we nearly had an accident at a roundabout, when a car cut me up badly. Luckily, I'd had a feeling they wanted to be in my lane so I braked but it was annoying nonetheless!
The weather was still misty, grey and cold and we made good time to Newcastle, managing to find plenty of parking spaces in the car park right next to Newcastle's ground. We walked around the arena and found the statutes of Alan Shearer and Bobby Robson.
Newcastle were playing away at Manchester City today (the less said about that, the better!) so the stadium was quiet. Keith wanted to show Sophie one of his favourite pubs, The Crown Posada, so we headed into the city centre which was bustling with shoppers, groups of women wearing very little, and tourists.
Sophie was disappointed that she hadn't heard more Geordie accents and had been expecting to see groups of people wearing Newcastle shirts gathering to watch the match. We found The Crown Posada pub near the Quayside and went into the narrow, crowded tavern for a drink.
The pub is really just a narrow corridor with a snug at one end, so if you stand at the bar, you're constantly in the way of people trying to get past. We ordered a strong IPA for Keith while Sophie and I settled for a half pint of Guinness each. Keith had found a tiny table and we sat down with a couple of packets of crisps as we were hungry by now!
The pub reminded me a little of Inn 1888 in Marylebone, but it was much busier, with not a Geordie accent to be heard anywhere, which Sophie was not happy about!
She was then jostled by a group who arrived and plonked themselves down next to her, all with very English cut-glass accents! Oh dear!
We had one drink and left, deciding to get a taxi back to the stadium as the route back was very steep indeed and the paths slippery with rain. The taxi driver prattled on constantly to Keith and ignored both Sophie and me, and I think my daughter was glad to get back to the car and the thought of the drive back south!
Before we went, though, Sophie and Keith posed for photos near the memorial garden:
The route out of Newcastle was simple and straightforward and once over the Tyne we were back on the A1(M) and passing The Angel of the North. We decided to book a table at our local pub as Trish stated we'd be home at 7pm. The thought of stopping at a pub a couple of hours from home and then driving on did not fill me with joy!
The journey home was not pleasant and amazingly we saw the car that had cut me up this morning on the road! I recognised it because of the stickers on the rear of the car and saw that it was a woman driving! We then had another scare when a car pulled onto the motorway and pulled straight into the middle lane, making me swerve into the outside lane! I don't think he even realised I was there!
From the M18, the traffic grew heavier, it rained constantly and the mist made things worse. I had to use all my concentration and amazingly, was cut up again, this time by a van! Have drivers stopped using their mirrors these days?! I was hugely relieved when we turned off the busy M1 onto the A14 and home was in sight.
The roadworks on the journey had held us up, delaying our arrival time by twenty minutes but we were still in good time for our table. I indulged in a whisky and ginger and we had a good look at the menu. I chose a Scotch Egg served with silverskin onions, Sophie opted for Arancini balls, while Keith picked out the chicken wings. For mains, we enjoyed gammon (Keith), a steak burger (Sophie) and a Supreme of chicken with crushed new potatoes and wilted greens (me). The pub was pleasantly busy, warm and welcoming and just what we needed after such a long day on the road!
We were too full for puds and Sophie was itching to get home to see the cats. The house was freezing and the little monkeys were nowhere to be seen, but condescended to see us about twenty minutes after we arrived back. They then had a mad half-hour chasing balls in the living room and racing up and down the stairs!
It goes without saying that we weren't late to bed tonight. I was exhausted!
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