Way-Hay, Bonny Lad...

It's the end of June and we're heading northwards to Bamburgh for a week, followed afterwards with a week in the Scottish Borders. It's a fair trek from home to almost the most northerly point in England, so we decided to break the journey at a rather nice Caravan Park just off the A1 at Newark-on-Trent. With a little forethought, we would have made it a two night stop and spent a day sightseeing in the area. The last time we were in Newark was with our boat when we risked a trip on the River Trent.

The reason for the trip was to join in with the National Rally of the Triumph 2000 Register and regular readers will recall that until a few years ago, we owned a classic Triumph 2000 and I was for a number of years the club's magazine editor. Although we no longer have the car, we've been to a few Nationals as it makes an opportunity to meet up with old friends.

We've used the same site before; we stayed in a static caravan the previous time which was just about adequate with most of the accommodation on the site being privately owned holiday caravans with a few for hire. This time, we had our own caravan and were in the touring section. I suppose being used to Caravan Club sites and top quality commercial sites has rather biased our expectations and arriving in rain of monsoon proportions probably did not give us the best arrival. The site attracts families with young children who enjoy racing around the site on bicycles and scooters, or playing ball games on the large field in the centre of the site. It's nice to hear kids playing and enjoying themselves, but perhaps not at 7:30 in the morning and 11pm at night! and another problem was the lack of space between pitches. As it happened, it was too wet to erect the awning, but if we had, it would have extended over the parking space of the adjacent unit - and with two lines of caravans arranged around the central field, there was no privacy from people walking past. So that's one site we won't be returning to!

Anyway - it's a classic car club event, so let's have a few pictures of the cars:

These first few are the original big Triumph saloons, generally called Triumph 2000.  This one isn't quite what it appears, having a 2.5 litre engine amongst many other performance enhancements

Another enhanced 2000, again with a 2.5 litre engine and an automatic transmission originally from a Jaguar. Restored to better than new condition

The first volume produced, sensibly priced car to be fitted as standard with fuel injection, the Triumph 2.5PI. With something like 4 times the horsepower of the average car when introduced, it was widely used by various Police forces. 

This one is, I think, an unmodified 2000

Inevitably, the car was extensively revised during its production run to create the "Mark 2" saloon. The older cars thereafter became known as "Mark 1s". Other than the 1980s era pop out sunroof, this car is in original condition with low mileage

Things got more complicated later in the production run with the Mark 2 models being "facelifted" The easiest identifier is the revised grille that now has a family resemblance to the Stag.

Here's a rarity - a facelifted Mark 2 PI. In the way of the British motor industry of the time, the PI system was woefully under-engineered and quickly gained a poor reputation, not helped by a lack of investment in the garage trade in the specialised equipment and training necessary to maintain it. By the time that the cars were facelifted, the PI was about to be withdrawn from the market. The cars now achieve what was intended as most are cherished and set up properly.

One careful owner and just 340,000 miles from new...

With the PI cars withdrawn, Triumph created the 2500S, a car that had all the options fitted as standard and which by the standards of the time, was very well equipped. The full length sun roof was an option and the period vinyl roof creates a very attractive car. The Minilite wheels are not standard - originally the car was fitted with alloy wheels as seen on the red car behind. Another Triumph first, the smaller Triumph Dolomite Sprint was claimed by Triumph's marketing department as the world's first production car to be fitted with lightweight alloy wheels

There are usually a few "guest" cars that attend - here's two examples of different products from the Triumph range this year:

Take a Triumph Spitfire, add a bigger, six-cylinder engine and a fastback body and you get a GT6. The early ones were a little rushed into production so lacked ventilation and gained a reputation for poor handling. Both issues were resolved with this Mark 2 version

Using the same formula, fit a bigger engine to a Herald and you get a Vitesse. We managed to fit 7 of us in and on one of these once and still drive it. Driver, front seat passenger, three in the back and two sat on the boot with legs astride those in the car. We didn't get very far...

And a final car, but this one was found at Bamburgh Castle in a museum dedicated to Lord Armstrong - he of Cragside House fame and a hugely successful Victorian industrialist. It's an Armstrong-Siddeley of some kind dating from around 1936. 

A House and a Castle to Visit

Dodging around the weather and having previously visited Beamish and Cragside, we found a rather distant National Trust property at Wallington to visit. The closest town of any size is Morpeth and the route took us across some stunning moorland scenery.

The entrance to the house is through the rather exotic arched clock tower shown below, part of which has been converted to a tearoom - which we of course, sampled.

The first view of the hose is a bit of a disappointment as it is plain and businesslike. but rounding a corner brings you to the main entrance - the first view was clearly the "tradesman's entrance"

Inside, you are greeted with the usual stately home selection of grand rooms and wildly over the top decoration.

An unusual feature is this Italian-esque piazza inside the house that was completed when the house was rebuilt. The artwork is most impressive

And amongst the collections of "stuff" on display, we found these model soldiers. The lower diorama represents the Battle of Waterloo, built from hundreds of hand painted lead soldiers.

The house is set in a large park that includes a formal walled garden and greenhouses. These contained a large collection of fuscias - one of my favourite flowers. Along with roses, they are about the only plants that I can grow successfully!

The castle of course was Bamburgh castle, overlooking what has recently been voted the best beach in the UK. Visually, that may be true, but I suspect not from a swimming viewpoint as the few people we saw braving the waves were all wearing wet suits.

You can also see over the Farne Islands and the various lighthouses protecting shipping from the dangerous shores. One of the keepers, a certain Mr Darling had a daughter, Grace, whose story of bravery is well known.

Set on top of a large rock outcrop, the castle is an inspiring sight. This is just the Keep. Much of the current state of the building is down to Lord Armstrong who ensured the survival of the castle. Below is a view of the Great Hall of the castle.

And finally, you can't visit this part of the world without a visit to Lindisfarne. [Curiously, as I am writing this, I am listening to "Run For Home" by Lindisfarne on the radio].

We thought about visiting the castle, but couldn't face the steep climb - so a cup of tea won! We did visit the Priory where I was able to get this image of a statue with the "rainbow arch" as background:

NEXT STOP: The Scottish Borders