11th May 2008 The Dreaded Sea Fret strikes!

We woke to the sound of fog horns out at sea, and the mist which was thin at first soon became quite thick, wet and cold: there was nothing for it to fill up the car, so some shopping and head inland, which we did.
As we topped the hill next to Ros Castle we could see that the mist was clearing in the valley below, and before long we were in warm sunshine. We were heading for Cragside (near Rothbury) the huge eastate and house that belonged to Lord Armstrong ( the industrial magnate) and was the first in the world to be lit by Electricity (actually hydro electricity from a lake he had constructed in the hills above the house.
It's a National Trust Property (we are members)
We have visited before, but I still love the trees and flowers they have there and they have a very good cafe in the welcome centre (One time Garage and stables.
There's a very ornate lamp above the archway..

With the weather being so warm there were people using the benches and lawn above the front lake for a picnic or just a rest
and we had lunch there, intending to visit the house, unfortunately Pat came over faint and too hot, so we had to cut short our visit and just enjoy the superb drive around the estate and lakes: fortunately she soon recovered enough to enjoy an ice cream
I did a panorama of the lake,

And also one of the "Blackburn Falls" (A small cataract)We drove back to find the fog was still thick and cold...typical!