Village Trip to Beamish - Sunday 14th August 2011
     

A coach with about 40 villagers set off from the Falcon at about 8am on Sunday morning. The weather looked promising and everyone was in high spirits. On the way, Carol Wilkie had organised one of her famous quizzes. This was won, quite comfortably by Mike and Julianne Ashton, there was a tie-break for second which was won by Paul Boyle who geekishly estimated the closest number of shows of Top of the Pops that had been televised over the years (2025 apparently). The prizes where excellent as we fondly remember from Friday nights in the Falcon!
   
When we got there, the weather was not very welcoming, rather heavy drizzle to be accurate. Never mind Withernwick people are an intrepid bunch and so off we set by tram, no one actually admitted to remembering them when actually in proper use. Most ended up in the town centre and were disappointed to find the the pub (The Sun Inn) did not open until midday, although I think most did end up there at some point during the visit. The buildings are very evocative of many of the villagers' childhoods and so much time was spent here while the rain stopped, indeed it soon turned into a beautiful warm and sunny day.
  
So most then managed to venture off to the more distant parts of the site. Most popular seemed to be the drift mine where the vertically challenged (tall) were certainly challenged. Food was a bit of a problem, the fish and chips looked really good but there was a one hour queue to get them, not sure many tried.
 
By late afternoon the weather was quite hot and humid and so I think most were grateful to get back on the coach, although everyone did say they'd had a great time. We finally got back to Withernwick at 8.30pm, so it had been a long but very successful day. It is to be hoped that we have many more such trips.
 

  
7.50am - An anticipated wait
 

   
8am - The coach arrives on time
   

  
Arrived at Beamish - a nearly orderly queue
 

  
Shall we walk or catch the tram?
 

     
It started to rain - better catch the tram
   

    
A rainy day in Beamish
   

 
Do you still get dividend stamps?
 

  
"I remember those"
  

  
A bit of window shopping
 

   
The pub is a good place to shelter from the rain

   

   
The weather is good enough now for a pose
    

  
We're on a ride to nowhere (well about 400 yards)

  

     
A curiosity (exactly where Paul Boyle was born)
   

  
Some free range chickens
 

    
Paul Boyle and a pig (the pig is on the right)
    

  
Back to school
 

   
     Return to Gallery