The road to Earle

Domestic stuff, 14km on the exercise bike ouch!, some mandolin practice, and a short while pottering working in the 'yard. Finally decided on a 'master plan' for the 'yard that involves even fewer annuals than I've planted in previous years, if any. Two clematis, a potentilla, and some ground-cover perennials ordered, though I suspect it may be a while before they arrive.

Another very pleasant evening walk with MrM. Through Wooler and along the road towards Earle, turning off past the quarry and along the valley to the Pin Well. Then we walked up through the gorse, with its heady coconut-y scent, on the the steep path to the King's Chair (a large rock), continued  past Kettles Fort, through the woods and down to the Common. May blossom in the hedgerows has started to flower, wildflowers everywhere, and lots of birdsong. And the gorse this year is just glorious - the extra shows the view down to the main track from near the King's Chair.

The car park for Wooler Common is closed, with signs telling drivers to go home, but the Forestry Commission turning point just a little way away isn't. We were perturbed to find a camper van parked there, chairs set outside it, and people having a barbecue. We didn't want to risk a confrontation by enquiring where they had come from so, after a "shall we" "shan't we" sort of discussion, decided to report them, with the registration number of the van, on the on-line police form. It felt a bit mean, but over the last week or so, we - and others - have noticed an increasing number of people who look suspiciously like tourists browsing through the windows of the mostly-shut shops on the High Street. Apparently the same is happening in nearby Rothbury...

Lockdown, day 35