Following the sun

It being our wedding anniversary, we were planning a day out and so decided to go wherever the sun was going. Turned out that was the North East so that's the direction in which we headed. And it was indeed a lovely day with plenty of sunshine and quite mild. 

First we stopped at the RSPB Saltholme Nature Reserve near Middlesbrough. There wasn't much about but I liked watching the ducks etc. in the water. Here is a Moorhen with its colourful beak. I like how the grasses and read beds are allowed to grow so tall and today their seed heads were catching the sun (see extra).

Then we headed for the sea. A lovely wander by the sea and then fish and chips. On the way home we stopped at Teeside Retail Park so I could go to Hobbycraft and we could shop at M&S. We had never been there before and were impressed with the way pedestrians are catered for, with lots of pavements and crossings - this does not happen in all retail parks!!