Had quite a busy few days last week.

Travelled with another couple of friends up to the north east:- Newcastle, or Morpeth, to be fully correct.

We congregated with some similar aged pals our children made for us going back to fabulous caravanning holidays in France 20 or more years ago. We had a few beers, couple of nice meals & a lot of reminiscing & laughing!

We went on a trip around that coast, Alnwick, Bamburgh & area. Those beaches are fabulous! "Blowy", but brilliant.

The journey up & down took 3 hours or so & was another cracking "catch up" opportunity.

Then we had a couple of days in London. Had a bit of a nosey round, couple of meals. I'm not sure I like London over much. It seems fast, unwelcoming, expensive & to be frank, kind of uncaring?

But now we've a bit more time to ourselves, we've tried to get round a bit more of Britain.

A couple of years ago that included one of my student days haunts:- Morecambe. We stopped a couple of nights at the brilliant & refurbished & rejuvenated Art Deco Midland Hotel right on the Prom.

We had a brill time & fitted in a nostalgic visit to my former student hovel from 1971/2. It was pretty grim, we parked outside & I took a phone photo for old times sake.

The 30 something current owner didn't appreciate my paparazzi activity & came out quite aggressively to remonstrate. "I'm really sorry, I used to live here 42 years ago", I explained.

She warmed to me a little. I explained it had been spilt into 3 holiday flatlets back then, rented to 10-12 students from October till June. Did the cellar still flood, I enquired.

No she said there's a pump installed these days. Did I want to come in, would we like a cuppa, it was now a quite well appointed family home. I didn't. I wanted to hold my memories as to what it used to be, not corrupt them with how it was now.

We've also has a few nights in Criccieth, North Wales with another pair of pals. This time it was to mark my main friend & my 50th friendship anniversary. We visited his wife's childhood haunt, Pwllhelli & went up, by rail, to the top of Snowdon. By Jove, did it rain!

Months later our idyllic hotel, right on the front, was regularly featured on TV news during the recent rough weather!

We also had a night recently in Cartmel, somewhere I'd never visited before.

So. Do you like getting away? Where's your favourite British destination? Do you like London visits? Do you have favourite friends as travel companions? A favourite region? Thing to do? Camp site, bed & breakfast, hotel?

Is there somewhere you'd like to visit, but haven't yet?