Hi Helen, thank you for sharing your birthday adventures. How lovely Sarah was able to join you on your day. It was all such a treat for the senses. The woodland Christmas take over in the big house I think was right up your alley. Anything wth woodland creatures and magic is Helen’s joy. Just a truly wonderful trip in the winter without being too cold. 🤗🥰
What an enjoyable Monday morning with a new episode from you Helen . We visit Barter Books every year, and the atmosphere creates a peaceful feeling as soon as you walk in the door . Thanks for the lovely trip and it's obvious you had a lovely time together. I loved you choice of music too😊
Morning Helen this was lovely beautiful places how fantastic was that book shop❤ Thank you for taking us along and sharing your birthday cake😊 Have a lovely week x
Loved watching this video and getting a little bit more Christmas into the bargain. Glad you had a lovely birthday and look forward to seeing your next video. Thank you Helen.
Good morning Helen , you took me to all the places I love , as I live in Wallsend Tyne and wear and visited these villages and towns many times . I think that the small towns do a fantastic job of decorating the shop fronts far nicer than the big cities . cragside is never a disappointment when ever you go there and yet again it looked beautifully done .thankyou for taking us on a lovely trip with you .😊
What a wonderful pre Christmas/Birthday trip, it just shows you often don't need to travel far to find some real gems. The decorations in Morpeth and the more naturalistic ones in Cragside were a delight. I would absolutely love 😍 a visit to Barter's Books. It looked so inviting from the outside and I could have spent ages looking at the books, murals and decorations, with plenty of refreshment opportunities thrown in whats not to love. xx
What a wonderful birthday trip, Helen. Your Sarah has your mischievous smile. I love the picture she took of you and Phil. The bookstore is amazing (and I’m looking forward to the readings you will share). Charlotte stone’s new color work sock book has a sock pattern w a camper van on the cuff. It’s tempting. Have a lovely day!
Helen, thankyou for this video. I will need to watch it again as I’m heading up to Northumberland for my holiday in September. So much information and delightful places to visit. Xxx
Thank you again for taking us along on your journey. What was especially wonderful was the fact you were celebrating your birthday. I felt like I was celebrating as well, as my birthday is the same day. I'll tell you, your day was much more exciting than mine. Oh another thing in common, my daughters name is Sara! Bless you for enriching my life.
Thank you Carol - and wonderful to know that we are birthday buddies and share a daughter with the same name! I'm glad you enjoyed celebrating with me on this lovely trip. x
Enjoyed seeing Cragside in the winter again. We camped nearby many years ago and woke up to snow on our tent, an unforgettable occasion. We struggled to get out of the valley we were in and eventually had to be pushed in our mini by an enthusiastic crew of bin men from a dustbin lorry! On my list of places to revisit. Thank you for sharing your adventures. Jane
Here I was feeling blue because the weekend was ending and another work week will begin tomorrow when Helen uploads a new camper van video! Yay! Loved it!
Hi Helen thank you for taking us with you what beautiful scenery and lovey xmas shop windows hope you had a wonderful birthday with your daughter and husband love the old railway station very interesting Thank-you for the history lessons ❤
My Great Great Grandad also had a blacksmiths at a pub I Andover. Unfortunately, the pub had a thatched rood. One day a spark from his fire set the pub roof alight! My Great Great Grandma, managed to escape with the family's cat. I have a picture of the 2 of them and the cat. There us also a picture of a group if horses outside the pub, with a load of logs behind them. We aren't sure if those caring for them were stopping for refreshment or to visit the smithy. As I already mentioned, we are going to visit Alnwich in the spring, so now we'll be looking out for Barter Books and Morpeth.
So delighted to see your newest post. If I had to choose a place to spend eternity in, it would be that bookshop. Or maybe Cragside House, or maybe….sIgh, too many choices. Maybe I could be a wandering visitor, spending time with the ghosts of the past. I hope there might be lovely food to be had as well and traveling music - even bagpipes 🎶. Thank you, you made my day. 🚗
I am chuckling at the thought of being a wandering ghost, visiting all of those places - I think there would definitely be some very interesting ghosts of the past! Thank you Trudy xx
Christmastime was the perfect time for your travels. Train station, books, cheese, and Christmas decorations! Excellent! Glad you enjoyed your campervan trip.
Thank you for sharing your birthday with us! You had a very special way to celebrate. Your daughter is lovely and got a very sweet photo of you and Phil. Very impressive bookshop!
Just as I was thinking is the train still running round and there it popped up. Thank you for taking me back. I also remember visiting the gardens that was created and televised by Charlie Dimmack. Oh memories thank you. ❤
I'm glad you enjoyed a reminder of your visit to the bookshop. We love the garden, too, though couldn't fit it into this trip! Thank you for coming along! x
Helen this was a fantastic trip, thank you so much. The music was wonderful. You outdid yourself. Was so nice your daughter could join you for your birthday
Another lovely video Helen. The railway station is a great building to house books, I could spend hours in there. Love it. You find so many interesting places to visit. We are lucky to experience them thanks to you. Big hugs to you for 2025. 😊
Thank you Mary. The time certainly did seem to pass by very quickly when we were in the bookshop. I'm glad you enjoy coming along with us to all the interesting places that we find. Big hugs from me! x
Looks like a perfect birthday to me!! 🥳🎁🎂🥳 So nice Sarah could join you. So special!! Nice picture of you and Phil and the one of you in the garden was good. Take care!
Hi Helen, I got a lump in my throat watching this. I had visited my daughter and son in law in Northumberland for the first time this past July and they took me to many of the places that you show on this video. It was lovely to see it all again. Loved seeing Cragside in its holiday splendor. While driving all over Northumberland, we saw many road signs indicating the way to Morpeth but never went there, so it was a thrill to see it. Thanks from Pennsylvania!
What a lovely video - thank you for taking us along on your travels 🥰 Beautiful holiday decorations and great shops! Lots of love from the Pacific Northwest 🧡
Can't tell you what this meant to me. You visited my favorite places in England. I live in New Hampshire USA but I have family in Consett and they used to take me around to all the magical wonderful places in Durham and Northumberland. I wish I lived there. Thank you so much.
By the way thank you for showing the statue of Emily. I often wondered about her history. She was a brave woman and I didn’t know she came from Morpeth. The craft centre looks very inviting too.
Thank you Mary - I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the statue of Emily - she was quite a formidable lady and I am very glad she's been recognised with this lovely statue in Morpeth. There were some very tempting things in the craft centre! x
Hello there Helen..what a wonderful adventure you had..love all the interesting local history..that bookshop was an absolute gem ..could almost smell all the gorgeous old books !! What was the tune you played as you came into Morpeth ?.loved it !!.. ☘️♥️
Wonderful trip Helen, “Barter Books” remains on my bucket list but you made us feel as if we were there with you. The NT's choice of decs for Cragside was ….. interesting…. I did love that woodland hallway though, beautifully filmed.
Thank you Joy - I do hope you get to Barter Books one day! I agree with you about the NT decorations at Cragside... definitely a little quirky this year... 😂x
You really seemed to pack a lot into just a couple days. What a fun and relaxing holiday. does Sarah live in Northumberland? It is really special to have our adult children sharing a special event or outing. I enjoyed seeing all the festive decorations in each of the places you visited. And all the fun things in the shops. Do you and Phil split up when you go into a bookshop, he goes one way, you go another? When my hubby and I were on vacation (i think we were in maine) we stopped at a fabric shop that happened to have a used bookstore next door. I was done fabric shopping long before he had picked out any books. It is the only place he will spend hours shopping. But we both made purchases that day to bring home as souvenirs. Good times. Thanks for sharing another camper van adventure🤗
Thanks, Karen, it was only when I was putting this video together that I realised how much we had packed into this short trip! Sarah lives very close to Northumberland - we really enjoyed her coming to join us. In bookshops, Phil and I usually find ourselves going around separately and we rarely come out empty-handed! xx
I am watching these videos with renewed interest as I can't wait until it's my turn. You certainly pack a lot into your trips away. Do you level your van at your overnight stays? X
Hi Anita - I can't wait for you to have your turn! It wasn't until I started making the video that I realised quite how much we'd managed to fit in to the short trip! We do pay attention to how level we are (sometimes even use a little spirit level!) to make sure that we won't be sleeping with our heads lower than our feet... but we don't actually use any chocks to do the levelling. xx
Delightful! Thank you, Helen. This was one treat after another, truly! I'll be watching this one over again.🥰😘
Thanks Helen! xx
That was lovely Helen, one joyous thing after another.thank you for taking us along x
Hi Helen, thank you for sharing your birthday adventures. How lovely Sarah was able to join you on your day. It was all such a treat for the senses. The woodland Christmas take over in the big house I think was right up your alley. Anything wth woodland creatures and magic is Helen’s joy. Just a truly wonderful trip in the winter without being too cold. 🤗🥰
What a lovely way to celebrate your birthday, thank you Helen for sharing. ❤️🌺
What an enjoyable Monday morning with a new episode from you Helen . We visit Barter Books every year, and the atmosphere creates a peaceful feeling as soon as you walk in the door . Thanks for the lovely trip and it's obvious you had a lovely time together. I loved you choice of music too😊
Morning Helen this was lovely beautiful places how fantastic was that book shop❤ Thank you for taking us along and sharing your birthday cake😊 Have a lovely week x
Thank you Michelle for coming along on this birthday trip! The bookshop really is quite amazing. x
Loved watching this video and getting a little bit more Christmas into the bargain. Glad you had a lovely birthday and look forward to seeing your next video. Thank you Helen.
Thank you Rachel - it was a lovely way to celebrate my birthday and I, too, like a bit of Christmas during January! x
Wonderfully interesting trip out with you Helen. Thank you for taking us along.
Loved it Hele, thank you!
Such a lovely camper van trip. Loved barter book shop, I must visit one day. Music to accompany was perfect. Thanks Helen 🏴
Good morning Helen , you took me to all the places I love , as I live in Wallsend Tyne and wear and visited these villages and towns many times . I think that the small towns do a fantastic job of decorating the shop fronts far nicer than the big cities . cragside is never a disappointment when ever you go there and yet again it looked beautifully done .thankyou for taking us on a lovely trip with you .😊
What a wonderful pre Christmas/Birthday trip, it just shows you often don't need to travel far to find some real gems. The decorations in Morpeth and the more naturalistic ones in Cragside were a delight. I would absolutely love 😍 a visit to Barter's Books. It looked so inviting from the outside and I could have spent ages looking at the books, murals and decorations, with plenty of refreshment opportunities thrown in whats not to love. xx
What a wonderful birthday trip, Helen. Your Sarah has your mischievous smile. I love the picture she took of you and Phil. The bookstore is amazing (and I’m looking forward to the readings you will share). Charlotte stone’s new color work sock book has a sock pattern w a camper van on the cuff. It’s tempting. Have a lovely day!
Helen, thankyou for this video. I will need to watch it again as I’m heading up to Northumberland for my holiday in September. So much information and delightful places to visit. Xxx
Hi Helen, lovely to be on the road again and join in with your birthday celebrations. x
What a lovely birthday trip , the decorations ar Cragside were beautiful and you would have had to drag me out of that gorgeous book shop ! 😊❤
Thank you again for taking us along on your journey. What was especially wonderful was the fact you were celebrating your birthday. I felt like I was celebrating as well, as my birthday is the same day. I'll tell you, your day was much more exciting than mine. Oh another thing in common, my daughters name is Sara! Bless you for enriching my life.
Thank you Carol - and wonderful to know that we are birthday buddies and share a daughter with the same name! I'm glad you enjoyed celebrating with me on this lovely trip. x
Enjoyed seeing Cragside in the winter again. We camped nearby many years ago and woke up to snow on our tent, an unforgettable occasion. We struggled to get out of the valley we were in and eventually had to be pushed in our mini by an enthusiastic crew of bin men from a dustbin lorry! On my list of places to revisit. Thank you for sharing your adventures. Jane
What a wonderful birthday trip Helen, it looks like you had a really special time. Thanks for sharing x
Fabulous ❤
Here I was feeling blue because the weekend was ending and another work week will begin tomorrow when Helen uploads a new camper van video! Yay! Loved it!
Thank you Shelly - I'm glad to have lifted your spirits! x
Hi Helen thank you for taking us with you what beautiful scenery and lovey xmas shop windows hope you had a wonderful birthday with your daughter and husband love the old railway station very interesting Thank-you for the history lessons ❤
My Great Great Grandad also had a blacksmiths at a pub I Andover. Unfortunately, the pub had a thatched rood. One day a spark from his fire set the pub roof alight! My Great Great Grandma, managed to escape with the family's cat. I have a picture of the 2 of them and the cat. There us also a picture of a group if horses outside the pub, with a load of logs behind them. We aren't sure if those caring for them were stopping for refreshment or to visit the smithy.
As I already mentioned, we are going to visit Alnwich in the spring, so now we'll be looking out for Barter Books and Morpeth.
Lovely to watch your trip and learn about the places you visit. I recommend the yarn shop in Felton, Fine Fettle Fibres if you go that way again.
Wonderful Helen, Thankyou. We have visited these places and Lindisfarne. Great memories. ! Xx 🥰🇬🇧
Thank you Jan - glad to take you back to some familiar places! I do love Lindisfarne, too! xx
So delighted to see your newest post. If I had to choose a place to spend eternity in, it would be that bookshop. Or maybe Cragside House, or maybe….sIgh, too many choices. Maybe I could be a wandering visitor, spending time with the ghosts of the past. I hope there might be lovely food to be had as well and traveling music - even bagpipes 🎶. Thank you, you made my day. 🚗
I am chuckling at the thought of being a wandering ghost, visiting all of those places - I think there would definitely be some very interesting ghosts of the past! Thank you Trudy xx
Christmastime was the perfect time for your travels. Train station, books, cheese, and Christmas decorations! Excellent! Glad you enjoyed your campervan trip.
Thanks Carole - Christmas definitely added an extra level of enjoyment to this trip! x
Thank you for sharing your birthday with us! You had a very special way to celebrate. Your daughter is lovely and got a very sweet photo of you and Phil. Very impressive bookshop!
Thank you Shari - you are very welcome indeed. I was thinking about how much you would love that bookshop! xx
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Thank you Francis! x
Just as I was thinking is the train still running round and there it popped up. Thank you for taking me back. I also remember visiting the gardens that was created and televised by Charlie Dimmack. Oh memories thank you. ❤
I'm glad you enjoyed a reminder of your visit to the bookshop. We love the garden, too, though couldn't fit it into this trip! Thank you for coming along! x
Helen this was a fantastic trip, thank you so much. The music was wonderful. You outdid yourself. Was so nice your daughter could join you for your birthday
Thank you - I'm so glad you enjoyed coming along with us! x
What a fantastic birthdaytrip❤ thank you for sharing
Thank you Ingrid! x
Another lovely video Helen. The railway station is a great building to house books, I could spend hours in there. Love it. You find so many interesting places to visit. We are lucky to experience them thanks to you. Big hugs to you for 2025. 😊
Thank you Mary. The time certainly did seem to pass by very quickly when we were in the bookshop. I'm glad you enjoy coming along with us to all the interesting places that we find. Big hugs from me! x
This was lovely. It is wonderful to see the spots. As a Canadian with Welsh roots I adore anything Uk.
Thank you, Karla - I am very happy to show you the places that I love in the UK. x
Looks like a perfect birthday to me!! 🥳🎁🎂🥳 So nice Sarah could join you. So special!! Nice picture of you and Phil and the one of you in the garden was good. Take care!
Thank you, Evelyn - it was a great way to celebrate my birthday and I was pleased with some of the photos that we came away with! xx
Hi Helen, I got a lump in my throat watching this. I had visited my daughter and son in law in Northumberland for the first time this past July and they took me to many of the places that you show on this video. It was lovely to see it all again. Loved seeing Cragside in its holiday splendor. While driving all over Northumberland, we saw many road signs indicating the way to Morpeth but never went there, so it was a thrill to see it. Thanks from Pennsylvania!
Thank you so much - I'm very glad to have taken you back to some very happy memories from your visit last July! x
What a lovely video - thank you for taking us along on your travels 🥰 Beautiful holiday decorations and great shops! Lots of love from the Pacific Northwest 🧡
Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed coming along! x
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Thank you! x
Can't tell you what this meant to me. You visited my favorite places in England. I live in New Hampshire USA but I have family in Consett and they used to take me around to all the magical wonderful places in Durham and Northumberland. I wish I lived there. Thank you so much.
I'm so glad to have taken you to places that mean so much to you - thank you! x
Yay, I'm so looking forward to the East Anglia one ❤ ( I hope you liked it here it's very flat) 😂 xx
By the way thank you for showing the statue of Emily. I often wondered about her history. She was a brave woman and I didn’t know she came from Morpeth. The craft centre looks very inviting too.
Thank you Mary - I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the statue of Emily - she was quite a formidable lady and I am very glad she's been recognised with this lovely statue in Morpeth. There were some very tempting things in the craft centre! x
Barter books I loved it, we used to holiday on holy island and sea houses many years ago.xxx🐝🐝🐝
It's such a wonderful bookshop! Such great places for spending holidays! Thanks Linda xxx
Great podcast!!! Happy late birthday!!!!
Thank you Nancy!!! x
Hello there Helen..what a wonderful adventure you had..love all the interesting local history..that bookshop was an absolute gem ..could almost smell all the gorgeous old books !! What was the tune you played as you came into Morpeth ?.loved it !!.. ☘️♥️
Wonderful trip Helen, “Barter Books” remains on my bucket list but you made us feel as if we were there with you. The NT's choice of decs for Cragside was ….. interesting…. I did love that woodland hallway though, beautifully filmed.
Thank you Joy - I do hope you get to Barter Books one day! I agree with you about the NT decorations at Cragside... definitely a little quirky this year... 😂x
You really seemed to pack a lot into just a couple days. What a fun and relaxing holiday. does Sarah live in Northumberland? It is really special to have our adult children sharing a special event or outing.
I enjoyed seeing all the festive decorations in each of the places you visited. And all the fun things in the shops. Do you and Phil split up when you go into a bookshop, he goes one way, you go another? When my hubby and I were on vacation (i think we were in maine) we stopped at a fabric shop that happened to have a used bookstore next door. I was done fabric shopping long before he had picked out any books. It is the only place he will spend hours shopping. But we both made purchases that day to bring home as souvenirs. Good times. Thanks for sharing another camper van adventure🤗
Thanks, Karen, it was only when I was putting this video together that I realised how much we had packed into this short trip! Sarah lives very close to Northumberland - we really enjoyed her coming to join us. In bookshops, Phil and I usually find ourselves going around separately and we rarely come out empty-handed! xx
I am watching these videos with renewed interest as I can't wait until it's my turn. You certainly pack a lot into your trips away. Do you level your van at your overnight stays? X
Hi Anita - I can't wait for you to have your turn! It wasn't until I started making the video that I realised quite how much we'd managed to fit in to the short trip! We do pay attention to how level we are (sometimes even use a little spirit level!) to make sure that we won't be sleeping with our heads lower than our feet... but we don't actually use any chocks to do the levelling. xx