Hi Everyone,

Well we finally got back from our " Grand tour of Spain" and after a couple of days to recover we set off in our little campervan "Connie" to try out for the first time sleeping overnight in her. We booked a campsite on a farm just outside the seaside town of Seahouses in Northumberland, we spent the full day to get there as we kept stopping off at local tourist places e.g. Whitley Bay, St Marys Lighthouse, Blyth, Amble, Alnmouth, Alnwick where we visited the largest second hand bookshop in the UK inside the old railway station. Finally having a walk along the beach facing Dunstanburgh Castle before heading to the campsite, which was very nicely situated and had electric hook up, very clean toilets and showers and a large barn with sinks for washing dishes complete with washing machines. After tea which Jun and I cooked together in Connie we drove in to Seahouses to check the times of boat trips out to the Farne Islands.

The following morning we were up early and after breakfast went in to Seahouses and parked Connie for the day on the pier and took a boat trip out to the Farne Islands. it was amazing, a really great day we first sailed around all of the Islands getting up close to the seals lots of photo opportunities then sailed up to Longstone Lighthouse which is where Grace Darling when she was just 22 years of age and her father in a rowing boat set off from in a gale to rescue nine people from the ship Forfarshire which had ran aground on Harcar rock in September 1838. We  then landed on Staple Island and everyone on board ensured they had hats or other kinds of protective cover as you are bombarded by Terns as you walk through their nesting areas with lots of chicks and some nests still with eggs in them. we got some good photos of each other being attacked and I also got one of a very serious photographer stood with a huge camera on a tripod looking through the lens with a Tern stood on his head. There were huge colonies of Puffins as well which was great as they are one of Junes favourite birds, eventually we had to head back to the boat for the trip back to Seahouses. We then set off for the drive back home by a different route basically just exploring and even get lost once or twice.

Then it was time for June to return to China with me staying on in the UK for various health appointments and also with Dad not being very well.

I continued to do some work for the Teesdale Landscape Partnership with my friend Dave which was looking at Tithe fields from the 17th/18th century around the Barningham area from old maps  and photographing them as they are now especially looking for any that still had cowsheds etc still in them. Dave,June and I have also took on an allotment in Gainford which needs an enormous amount of work but are very excited to be making a start this year. We have also during this time ( Dave and I) been to see an amazing interactive play in the Gala theatre Durham titled "1916 The Somme" this really was a very moving story based on a group of friends who joined up together from local mining villages and what happened to them. We also spent a day at the Yorkshire Air Museum before Jun went back and that was a very interesting and rewarding visit as well as getting some great photographs, our final visit to date was to the Tees cottage Victorian water pumping station in Darlington a fully restored working station the size of it and the machinery as well as the Victorian architecture was incredible.

Sadly during this time my Father passed away aged 95 my two sisters and I arranged the funeral and had at my dads request the Glen Miller song "In the mood" played as well as "I did it my way" from his favourite singer Frank Sinatra. It was a very moving service as the local Royal Artillery Association also attended with their Standard Bearers and lowered the flags as the Last Post was played over Dads coffin with his beret,medals and bugle on top. We all went back to the Nursing Home after the service and they had decorated a lounge out with photographs of dad as well as Army and Railway memorabilia.

The next day I drove back to Hartlepool to collect Dads ashes from the Funeral home as the three of us were going to scatter them at the cemetery near to where we scattered Mams ashes then up to Greatham village signal box where Dad had spent many years working there to scatter the rest. When I arrived at the Funeral home I had to wait as Dads ashes had not arrived and while sitting there another man came in to collect his Dads ashes and he was very apologetic for not coming sooner ( as in a couple of days ago) and was telling the lady in there the reasons i.e. his car had broken down, other things to take care of etc. etc. and the lady said as she was handing him his Dads ashes in the Urn " Don't worry it's fine, he has been no bother" at which we all burst out laughing. Eventually I got Dads Urn and my sisters and I after scattering some of his ashes at the cemetery went up to the signal box I was a bit concerned as to how we would do it as they are very strict about being on Railway property, so I decided the best thing was to just go up to the signalman and ask him I explained to him that our Father had worked in this signal box and many others but this was his favourite. he asked me his name and when I told him he said I knew your father very well I was his book boy when I started on the railway so he was very happy to let me do it as we were to scatter his ashes at a place he loved.