Avoiding the crowds...

MrM had arranged for a client to pick up a mandolin early this afternoon. He was slightly late in arriving and stayed much longer than anticipated, so it was mid-afternoon before we left for a walk on the beach.

Once again we parked at Newton Steads and walked as far as the Long Nanny before returning to the van along the Coastal Path, a lovely walk we've done several times before. But today we needed to avoid the area that's roped off at this time every year to protect the nesting ground of several  breeding birds, including Arctic terns, little terns and ringed plovers. Luckily it was low tide so we just waded across the Long Nanny to gain access to the bridge on the Coastal Path.

We had intended to have a meal at The Oak in Alnwick but when we got there the car park was full to overflowing, so we decided against it. Too late to contemplate cooking, so it was fish & chips from the van. Very good they were too.