Thurs: It was pouring with rain, so we ditched the idea of a long walk and had a day of domesticity instead. We're talking about a space 30 feet by 8. Household chores are a breeze on a Bella Rosa, as everything you need is within one short stretch away. Bob was wedged in our tiny galley cooking three dinners Remoska Style, and I went off to mess around with the washing machine at the marina. The marina also has a proper bath, and so I had my first Bath since being in Dartmouth, which was sheer luxury. The accent here sounds very Geordie to us. It's hard to believe that forty miles North of here, everyone speaks with a Scottish accent. It makes you wonder how people who live directly on the border speak. Maybe they chop and change depending what mood they're in.
I never really knew what constituted a Geordie, except that it was someone who came from near Newcastle and spoke like Cheryl Cole. So as not to be too misguided, I looked it up. There are various theories about the origin of the term. The first one is that it referred to the supporters of King George the second during the Jacobite revolution of 1745, and that it included those from Newcastle and the surrounding counties. I don't think it was meant as a term of endearment. Another theory is that when George Stephenson invented the miner's lamp in 1815, the miners from Newcastle who used them were subsequently called Geordies. Today, parochialists say that it's only those born on the Northern banks of the Tyne and within a mile of the city centre that are true Geordies. Anyway, as far as we're concerned, it's all taramasalorh*a to us, and long live Ant and Dec, Lindisfarne, Gazza, curry, half the cast of Auf Wiedersehen Pet, wearing Newcastle United shorts in arctic conditions and Newcastle Brown. I think I've already mentioned Cheryl Cole.
After eating one of Bob's 3 dinners, we were feeling the need to stretch our legs. It was a bit foggy outside, but the rain had reduced to a drizzle. We walked along the river bank to Warkworth Castle in the ancient town of Warkworth. Warkworth was definitely worth the walk. It's a small town that bursts with character, with its thriving and authentic olde worlde pubs and its well appointed bed and breakfasts. We went in one of the pubs to dry off and had a couple of games of pool before heading back home.


Warkworth - worth the walk.




Friday: The plan was to get up early and have a look at the conditions before committing ourselves to leaving Amble. There was no sign of life from Dawn Treader, who had also arrived in Amble the previous evening. We've noticed that they have a tendency to appear on deck about two minutes before leaving, still clutching a mug of tea, looking like they're not ready to go anywhere, then, before you have time to say 'what time are you leaving', they've cast off and are a mere spec on the horizon. How laid back can you get?
Our verdict this morning was that It wasn't too windy, and as the fog had lifted, Newcastle was our next stop! The route out through the Amble estuary was flat and calm, but the sea between the two pier heads at the entrance to the harbour transformed into quite a substantial swell. It was just after high tide, so we weren't going to hit the bottom in the troughs of each wave, but an hour later it would have been too dangerous to attempt to leave.
It was only twenty miles to The Tyne, so it was an easy day for us. We had a very acceptable few hours sailing, and on arrival, were followed into the harbour by a huge cargo ship. Once inside we were told off very politely by the port authorities for not asking permission to enter. We must have missed the small print in the almanac. We could see their point. It could be very risky for an idiot yacht to get in the way of something so huge, that has so little manoeverability. We've left a post it note up to remind us to ask for permission to leave.
The Tyne is such an easy port to enter. The main channel is wide and accessible at all states of the tide, and so is the marina. The marina has a lock at its entrance, but access is available 24 hours a day. Sometimes it's good to arrive in a place that is so straightforward, and that doesn't involve much forward planning or uncertainty. We'll be here for a couple of days now, and given that we are only about two to three weeks away from the finish, we're going to start easing ourselves back into normal life. We're starting tomorrow with a visit to the cinema and a mooch round the city centre. There's got to be a Marks and Spencer here somewhere.
Our next port of call is Whitby, and like so many places on the East coast, it has limited access and is to be avoided in the wrong winds. Long live North Shields, Newcastle upon Tyne, polite officials on channel 16, posh marinas, Gazza, Newcastle Brown...................


The offending cargo ship and a tiny yacht that followed us into the Tyne. ....
Does size really matter?





The Lock entrance to Royal Quays Marina. We're tied up alone on the right...