Up North at the Lindisfarne Gospels

I went up to Newcastle on Friday to visit Nancy and Julian. Julian works with Nancy in Durham and has a flat in Newcastle. He put us up for two nights and we spent most of Saturday in Durham looking at the town, the Cathedral and, of course, the Gospels. It was well worth the trip. They were magnificent. It boggles the mind how one man could produce this tome. St. Cuthbert is the holy man associated with the book and the Cathedral. He was not the scribe but he settled at Lindisfarne as did the gospels. When he died, the monks buried him but ten years later the Vikings were imminent so the monks dug up Cuthbert grabbed the Gospels and went travelling with both for seven years. Eventually, it was safe to go to Durham and they all settled there. 

Two pictures in Newcastle

Nancy and Julian having dinner (me too but I was the photographer)

When we got on the train in Newcastle, it was full of young men and women dressed to the nines. I asked one of the blokes if they were going to a wedding. "Course not", he said, "we're going to the York races." I think it's their version of Ascot.

York Cathedral

Saint Cuthbert

 A modern Pieta carved in wood

Lunchtime

Brighton again

The boys are on school holidays at the moment so I went down mid week. Alison works three days, Sian, two. I bused down to Gatwick on Wednesday afternoon. Alison picked me up. What a treat. But the best bit is when I first see the boys. They are all over me like a rash.

Thursday morning Alison made pancakes. Harry wanted green ones. I obliged with the food colouring. She makes the best pancakes. We stuffed ourselves and then headed to Groombridge Park near Tunbridge Wells. It was an excellent place to spend a day with children. We were all tired driving home. Harry announced he would be going straight to bed.

            “What about your tea?” says Alison.

            “You can bring it to me in bed, on a tray,” suggests Harry.

Do you think this happened? The boys had their fish fingers at the kitchen table. Harry and I had our usual 3 or 5 pages from the Children’s Encyclopaedia and he was out like a light in five minutes. One episode of Poirot and we were gone as well.

I’ve been sleeping on the pullout sofa in the sitting room so I woke up with Tom sitting on my head. It was Sian on duty today. The dear girl drove me back to Gatwick with the boys navigating. I had a marvelous two days. 

The boys helping with the pancakes

I said they were green

Harry in the enchanted forest

Harry and Arden (his friend)

On the boat ride - Ali & Tom

Covering Grandma with cut grass

Playing chess

Tom in laundry basket