It was half-term last week, so we took half a day off from work and decided to fly our new kite in Tynemouth. It's just a cheap kite which looks like a flying shark, and loads of people stopped to chat about it. It was an beautiful day in Tynemouth really sunny with good wind too.
Ready for launch
Best £4.99 ever spent
Frank's on the controls
The Kite was from Aldi and cost a measly £4.99 and is a really good flyer, takes a while to get your head around why it somersaults and how to stop/correct it (just pull the string in the opposite direction)
Tip: sun protection cream is advised here as you don't notice the heat with the wind!
Cullercoats: A former artists community
Walking down the fenceless sea defence is somewhat airy and a tad scary!
We played for ages with the kite before nearly crashing it into two dog-walkers we then decided to it might be a good idea to walk towards an adventure playground and accidentally found Cullercoats which has a really nice flat beach for playing games on with a really calm bay which is excellent for paddling, skimming etc.
The boys climbing over loads of rock pools
Proper good fun
Skimming
There are loads of open caves and interesting rock faces to explore
We went round the back of Cullercoats harbour and found loads of rock pools and caves which the boys loved, playing skimmers into the sea, and climbing on the rocks
Cullercoats Church
To save a bit of money we parked up outside Cullercoats church as it's free on the main road, which meant we could go either way to Tynemouth or Cullercoats, we decided to do both!
Trainee Kayakers
We sat and watched people learning to kayak on the lifeboat launch ramp as the sun set over the North Sea, then climbed the hill back to the chippy for some essential energy then saw an awesome american car and decided we're all saving up to get one of these supercool beasts before driving back to Gateshead as the boys fell asleep in the car.
Dream Machine
Tips:
Take a towel or something to lie on
Have something to eat before you set off as this stops the kids asking for things all the time!
We found Robson's Mill Junior Play Area by chance in Windmills Hills a while back and it's EPIC! It was a sunny day and we could see a long wavy line shining in the distance as we walked through Windmill Hills Park in Gateshead. Upon further inspection it turned out to be a really cool stainless steel slide, that just happened to be be really good fun. We spent around 30 minutes just having a laugh on the slide and to get back to the top you need to climb up ropes and slopes which just multiplies the fun!
The slide is situated behind the Windmill Hills Estate in Gateshead and is a true inner city park, within a lovely park walk. It's a great addition to break down a long walk to town if you're coming over from Bensham with the kids.
Oh! and did we mention the view is REALLY good on a clear day!
8am on a literally freezing Saturday morning... 'Who wants to do Parkrun?' The voice in my head does not want to do Parkrun, but my son alfie does so, it's up, kettle and shorts on, quick coffee, fill our water bottle and were off about 300m over the road into the beautiful Saltwell Park.
If you've never done Parkrun it's nothing short of ace! a friendly run around a park of your choice with lovely friendly, people, some are very good runners, some are there for the exercise, me i'm there through pressure from my child (I do love running, but not as much as a continental quilt). Anyway once we're in the park you immediately notice two things !: how stunning this park is and 2: how big the hills are round this part of town (I'm used to Middlesbrough's Albert Park Parkrun, which is superflat)
Don't get me wrong this parkrun is a hard for me as I'm rusty as when it comes to running... but Alfie motivates me round the course often pulling me along, then usually legs it towards the end, but it's a lovely hour to spend together with your kids, getting fit, and having a laugh and setting a good example, and the feeling at the end after the final push feels incredible as the blood fly around your body, setting you up in the best way possible for a great Saturday, best of all it's free (if you do go, consider volunteering every now and again, as they alway need volunteers!)
Note: The photos are a mix of this and last weeks run.
