After leaving Tricia’s house, I went to stay with Janet. Billy and Janet kindly took me on a road trip to Cragside in Northumberland. It was the home of William Armstrong and the house was the first house in England to be lit by hydroelectric power. It is a most impressive house and the architecture, furnishings, and innovative technology of the day are just wonderful to see. I enjoyed every room in the house. 😊
A photo of Billy on the entrance path leading to the impressive house.
A massive cutting-edge of the day kitchen.
An automatic dishwasher!!!
A cozy nook to rest a bit.
A peek to the outstanding gardens from a window.
I took photos of the beautiful rooms.
Paintings lined both walls of an upstairs hallway. This painting reminded me of Tricia as I imagine her as a little girl and knowing her love of cats. 😊
Billy and Janet enjoying an ornate fireplace.
A replica of Princess Alexandra’s dress. The Princess visited Cragside.
We walked the pathways surrounding the house.
Cragside is a very beautiful place to visit.
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Now, onto the Holy Island visit 😊
Bill drove Janet and I to see Holy Island in Northumberland. Twice a day the island’s access road is cut off by tides. Holy Island is a holy place steeped in a rich history and people make pilgrimages to visit this special Island. Sadly, I only took a few photos.
The priory and cemetery photos.
The castle was under renovation construction so not open to tours. A really beautiful and serene area by the sea. ❤️
We stopped at a few shops before we left Holy Island. A great day!
The next photos bring us back to Cullercoats ❤️
We walked one morning to Riley’s Fish Shack. It is a beautiful walk along the North Sea.
A feast for breakfast! So yummy! 😊
Both feet into the Sea!!
We had time to play with dolls during my stay which was so nice. After the SCW, I bought several outfits from Janet that were left on her sales table, lucky me! This outfit is so lovely on Morgen and her sandals were made by a Marti. She looks great. ❤️
Dear Gertie also has a new Janet-made outfit to wear and she stands next to her twin sister Edith. Gertie brought presents for her beloved twin. She missed her so much! ❤️
Finn also scored a new Janet-made outfit and he loved spending time with Glory. You can see my sweet Minnie in the background. We all had a wonderful time. ❤️
Janet and I went to the beach for a picnic on a nice sunny day. 😊
Janet showed me this neat cave.
Janet enjoying the tasty red rice salad that she made for our picnic on the beach. What a lovely day! I had the best time at Janet’s house. She and Billy were so very kind and the very best hosts. I felt very welcome during my stay and I am grateful for our friendship. ❤️
Janet, Tricia, and I flew from Newcumberland to Rome, Italy. This is the view of the Alps as seen during the flight. Gorgeous!
Thank you for visiting the blog. I hope you enjoyed this final post of the visit to England and the next post will be in Italy 🇮🇹. Have a wonderful week! 😊 xxx
Sasha Shangri-La 
OH MY GOODNESS!! I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these photos Ginger!! I was first drawn in with the very first photo of Billy and Janet driving that wee tiny car! And laughed at the hula dashboard dancer. I must say that the amazing photos of the home of William Armstrong were my all time favorites. (well besides the gorgeous Sasha photos) This home brought back my memories of the Breaker Mansions in Newport Rhode Island. Which in itself is a breathtaking place to visit. I miss Newport very much. I had to laugh with you on the beach barefoot, in the water when I see you and Janet dressed for chilly weather, one wonders how cold the water is. It was very nice to see Morgen, Gertie, Edith, Finn and Glory wearing such lovely outfits and dresses. What a truly fun time to step back and just enjoy the surroundings. Taking it all in, and creating your own memories to last a lifetime.
Thank you Cathy. That car was amazing. It is a “Morris” and I think the year it was made was 1954. It was a great ride, a bit slower than our current day rides, but moving slower allowed you to really take in the beauty of the countryside. I enjoyed the rides!
Yes we were dressed for cooler weather back in May and in that area along the Sea, it was chilly. It was much warmer when we arrived in Italy. I love Janet’s Sasha outfits and was happy she made enough for everyone. It is nice to recall the happy times even now so soon from being there. A great summer holiday! ❤️ xxx
Such a shame we have had a pretty poor spring and summer this year – but you did get around 🙂
The little girl with the cats was never me sadly, we didn’t get a cat until I was 5, and only ever had one at a time 😦 But oh boy, I wished I was her!
I really did go to so many lovely places and it was wonderful! At least you have more than one kitty now! Give my love to your sweet Fizzy! ❤️ xxx
Oh wow Ginger, such wonderful memories, gosh we did do a lot this year didn’t we? The best thing of all is there is more to come! I’m so glad you enjoyed Cragside, it is my favourite big house to visit in these parts. Mmm, those Rileys photos have got me thinking about my breakfast!
Thank you Janet for many happy memories. It was the best time and I hope you made it to Riley’s!! ❤️ xxx
What a lovely visit you had to Northumberland. I love Northumberland’s wild coast line and their castles, Bamburgh , Warkworth and Dunstanton to name but a few.
You can almost feel the vikings landing in that place :). Love the photos of Craigside, such a wonderful place. Holy Island a must if up there.
Looks like you were having a wonderful time and making lots of memories to store up for the future.Thanks for taking on this trip with you. 🙂 xx
Yes, you could almost feel and definitely imagine the Vikings landing there at the Holy Island. What an amazing place!! I so enjoyed each place visited. Thank you for the lovely comments Dee. ❤️ xxx
Lovely photos of a great trip….thank you for sharing them Ginger xx