The Couple

It was a promising morning so we got up early and had a walk along the beach before breakfast. The water was decidedly icy. This sculpture, by Sean Henry, stands a couple of hundred yards offshore with the couple looking out to sea. It was installed as part of the renovation of the beach area after most of the sand had been eroded by storms. New sand was imported from Skegness.

The rest of the day was spent at Alnwick, wandering around the castle in extras, the country pile of Earls ( and more recently Dukes ) of Northumberland since 1309. As you can imagine, it's been a popular film location having been the setting for Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey Christmas specials.

We also visited The Alnwick Gardens, brainchild of the current Duke & Duchess, which features a spectacular stepped water fountain, and a variety of different styles of garden, including a cherry orchard with lots of swings scattered amongst the trees.

We were back in time for a soak inthe hot tub.