The UK tour 2021 day one

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After all the tooling and froing (France, we can, we can't, maybe we can, nope, we can't) we settled on the relative ease of a round the UK tour. Setting off (late, of course) we headed north on the M1, something we've not really done for quite some time! Seth has decided he likes motorway services (I mean who doesn't really) so at every single sign he saw he developed a sudden desperation to go to the toilet. Me and ash played a game of toilet roulette, trying to second guess which were real and which were Moto inspired. This time, we got it right! The one we did stop at saw me pulling out my phone and the entire contents of my pocket in front of many amused folk on their way to the toilet and a very red faced me glad of still wearing masks.....

Only 45 minutes late we arrived at our friends house for pizza lunch (learning an amazing new way to cook pizza, in a frying pan and the grill,who knew!) And a trip to the really very very nice Seaton beach. I had bought Seth a kite, he's wanted one for aaaaggggeeees so I found a pocket one for a few quid, knowing that every single kite flying experience on my life had been a disappointing run along the beach or field throwing a plastic thing in the air only for it to fall on my head and the strings to be forever tangled as it was thrown in the bin in anger. Fully expecting this to be the same, we all tried to moderate Seth's expectations. But..... Either this kite is a gift from God or Ash, who has never flown one before, is a previously unknown kite flying champion, it was truly amazing! (To the point where he has just asked if he can fly out of the hotel window.......)

After ice cream (which helped to mend Seth's wounds after he walked chest first into a bollard, so hard or prompted random strangers to do a sharp intake of breath and check he was ok) and a lovely walk back, it was time to head to hotel number one, through the Tyne tunnel (we do love a good tunnel) and we were there. Having stayed here ten years ago I was a little scared the picture of a horse's head placed carefully on the pillow that I was greeted with them would still be here to send me over the edge but thankfully they've realised that's probably not such a nice way to greet folk.

A bed picnic, washing pots in the shower, Olympics and postman pat and it's time for bed. Tynemouth, the beach and another friend tomorrow ?

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