Netherton, Northumberland 08/08
Hmmmm. Frustrating trip this month.
Very busy work-wise, but managed to sneak one night away. Decided to stay local as had to be back to work the next day.
Plan was to park up at one of the POIs in Ingram Valley - I used to camp there as a kid. Turns out the Northumberland National Park are having none of it anymore. I saw more 'No overnight parking / camping' signs than trees.
So back tracked to Thrunton Woods POI - but the Forestry Commission must have got a 'No camping' signage discount with the National Park.
Quick check of my WildCamp app and headed west.
Twisting and turning around Northumberland lanes, my companion parrot got car sick and projectile vomited all over me and the van.
Pretty fed up at this point. After driving around a bit in the rain, ended up at Netherton in the layby there. But nearby road resurfacing meant heavy machinery trundling past every 15mins.
In a total grump, I moved the van through a gate to the other side of the trees onto some hardstanding on the edge of a field.
Basically, I was trespassing. Not thrilled about that, but there was no way I was going to head home wasting hours of fruitless driving around, and lose my 08/08!
By the time got parked up it was pissing it down and I got soaked putting up the awning. Managed to make a cup of tea, sat and sulked a bit, then went to bed early - damp and smelling faintly of parrot sick.
At 7am two giant Northumbrian Water lorries rolled up to work on the fish-ladder there. Which explains the open gate and over-engineered hardstanding.
Great lads - had a nice chat. But I headed home. The long way. Overnight the road had been closed by the resurfacing crew.
More twisting & turning, more vomit...
Loading and unloading of the van, and playing a new game of 'find the parrot sick'*, took more time than the camp itself.
Time & distance travelled meant I could (and should!) have gone to central Scotland instead of the 15miles as the parrot flies.
But the least the parrot is tucking into his breakfast, happy again.
xA
*fun for all the family.
