Northumbrian Drive

Today, G suddenly asked me if I was doing anything important, if not he would like to take me to Plashets, which he discovered a short time ago.

Yes I said, I don't do things to please him nearly often enough, and anyway I was happy to go. Last time I went there was a Maundy Thursday. The Bridge Club was at Carrycoats, across wild country from Cambo where the Maundy night Service was. I went to the service and then, in the dark, had to get to Carrycoats. The shortest distance was to go to Kirkwhelpington and then across country to Carrycoats. The road is single track all the way and twisty, with two or three farms nearby. If I remember rightly it was snowing slightly. Anyway, I got to the Bridge alright, but saw nothing on the way.

Today, it was fine and sunny and the views were clear. It was typical open Northumbrian countryside, with great wide skies. We stopped and walked where there was a trig point not far from the road. The view was enormous. To the North we could see Cheviot ( slightly clouded) and Simonside. To the East we could probably see to the sea, but not the sea itself. To the South, the Durham County hills passing round Lake District hills to the Pennines in the West. How many Counties, I wonder. Certainly Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham, Cumberland, Westmoreland (the two now Cumbria) and maybe a Scottish one but probably not!

After 26 years here, I have fallen in love with Northumberland. When I came here aged about 51, I was not really happy with the place. It was like being in a living museum. After 4 years, there was a County Council election. I had been on North Yorkshire CC before coming here so the idea was not strange. There was a seat vacant whose border was only a mile away from here, so I decided to put myself forward as the Conservative Candidate. It was a case of if you can't beat 'em join 'em. I was duly elected, got on the Planning Committee and proceeded to get to know the true Northumberland. In those days the Labour contingent were mainly old miners (not all, some of the Professional unemployed councillors were already there.) Being on the Planning Committee and willing to travel, I got round the County. So, after a while, I really began to feel a Northumbrian.

The division I represented was one of the largest (though far from the very largest!). It consisted of a large village called Heddon on the Wall, which provided at least half the population, and a somewhat smaller village - Stamfordham, and Matfen, (then quite small abut since somewhat grown), and a small one, Ingoe and a hamlet, Ryal. I've no idea what the acreage was, but there were al awful lot of farms to be visited when canvasing. I loved it and the Council for a while, but during the second 4 years, the whole atmosphere in the Council chamber changed entirely, to my mind for the worse, so I retired. I had done 12 years over-all as a County Councilor and 8 as a District Councilor on Richmondshire DC. I might do a blog on that sometime, but not now. I seem to have got a long way from driving over the wilds below the Wanny's!