Crocuses at Wallington

Given the beautiful weather this morning, Mr hazelh and I decided not to return directly from Northumberland to Edinburgh. Instead, we spent the morning wandering around the estate at Wallington - once the very strict National Trust staff let us in...

I showed my National Trust for Scotland joint membership card at the gate to the car park. This was not good enough for entry. We also needed Mr hazelh's card. He has the pdf of his membership details on his iPhone. This was not good enough for entry either. He must carry his card with him at all times. Eventually we were let through, with mutterings of 'membership abuse' in our wake. We now understand the reason for asking everyone to present their actual card, but the situation could have been handled far more professionally. The fierce woman on the gate made us feel like criminals. That said, the man who welcomed us to the visitor centre couldn't have been nicer.

One of the highlights of our walk was the sight of all the crocuses coming into bloom, as blipped.

We stopped for lunch in Otterburn (home of my Border Reiver Hall ancestors), then headed home to find that some of our own crocuses have come out while we were away. It is wonderful to be back in our neat, tidy, organised house once more.

Exercise today: walking 17,046 steps.