Start Planning your Summer with Our Guide to Great Northumberland

*This is a paid collaboration with Great Northumberland

Have you heard of Great Northumberland? Northumberland County Council has put together a summer of fun with over 40 events across 56 days celebrating the arts, heritage and culture that Northumberland has to offer. If you're interested in hearing more, I highly recommend signing up to the FREE member's club here for exclusive access to competitions and events across the summer.

There are over 40 events to choose from (see the full list here) and many of the events are free of charge (see here for a full list of free events). Today I'm sharing my top 10 Great Northumberland event picks. If you fancy any of the events mentioned, make sure you pop them in your diary now.

Kynren 2018 with Kids - Video & Spoiler-free Review

*We were provided with complimentary tickets to attend a press preview

You'll remember that we attended Kynren last year and absolutely loved it (click here to read our review and top tips for visiting with kids). In fact we loved it so much that we bought tickets for this year's show as soon as they went on sale. We're also taking Steve's parents along as a special birthday present. We bought our tickets for Septemeber when the shows finish a little earlier (it is a late night for kids) so when the opportunity to attend a press preview came along, I decided to decline as I didn't want to ruin our experience in September. Luckily for us, the Hoopers attended on our behalf. Here are their thoughts on 2018's show......

Sunday Lunch at The Coach House Otterburn (with kids)

*This is a collaboration with The Coach House Otterburn

We celebrated Father's Day a week early this year as Steve is sadly working on the official day (plus I'm heading off to Genoa with the kids for the weekend so we won't actually be in the country). We spent Saturday strawberry picking at Brocksbushes (watch our video here), eating ice cream at Wheelbirks and watching the football. Steve is the chef in our house and does 95% of the cooking so we thought it would be nice to head out somewhere a little special for Sunday lunch in Northumberland after a leisurely lie in. 

Why you should visit Alnwick Garden when the kids are at school

I love visiting Alnwick Garden. It doesn't matter when you visit, there's always something new to see, do and admire. The garden's hard-working team of gardeners seem to work non-stop and the garden is ever-changing with the seasons but always pristine and beautiful.

In the past, I've nearly always visited Alnwick Garden during the school summer holidays with Harry, Heidi and Jack and usually some of our extended friends or family too. It's such a fantastic place to visit with kids on a sunny day and the Grand Cascade makes a wonderful backdrop for your picnic. Little ones love playing with the water features in the serpent garden and the garden of fairy tales trail is always lots of fun. 

10 of the best Northumberland beaches to visit with kids

We're so lucky living in Northumberland. One of the reasons I love it so much is our miles and miles of unspoilt coastline. We really are spoilt for choice and sometimes it can be tricky trying to decide which beach to visit for the day. 

I've put together a guide featuring 10 of our favourites (it isn't a comprehensive guide - just some of the places we personally love). Let me know if you'd like to visit any of the beaches listed or if you have a favourite.

What happens at Durham Passport Office during an urgent lost passport appointment

So I lost my passport. The last time I physically used it was during our trip to Florida last year. I keep all of our passports together in a safe place and when I went to that place to check some details recently, mine wasn't there. I do remember that I needed just my own passport for something a couple of months ago and it was in my handbag for ages. Then I took it out and put it on my coffee table and then I vaguely remember moving it somewhere before our cleaner arrived. I have no idea where this place was though! I've searched high and low to no avail. I think it's probably in a bag somewhere (despite me checking every bag I own) OR it has ended up mixed up with some papers in our bin. I won't be making that mistake again and as soon as I've used my passport in future, I'll make sure to pop it straight back where it lives. I'd advise anyone to do the same!

Visiting Bamburgh Castle with Kids - Cost, Parking & Picnic Spots

Bamburgh Castle is a real stunner. As you approach the coastline, it's imposing and grand and you can't help but be impressed. The castle originates from 420 and was inhabited by Anglo Saxons from 590. The pesky Vikings invaded and destroyed the castle in 993 after which the Normans re-built a new castle which forms the basis of the castle we see today. These days, the castle is owned by the Armstrong family and is open to the public. You may recognise the castle from the films Ivanhoe, Macbeth, Elizabeth and Transformers: The Last Knight.

I'm ashamed to say it had been a number of years since our last visit (close to five I think) and over Bank Holiday weekend, a re-visit was definitely on the cards. The castle was holding a special Viking Invasion event which I won't go into too much as this was a one-off but if you're interested, you can check out my short video from the event below (and catch a glimpse of the epic drive up to the castle).