The Northumberland Coast is a stunning place to visit

As the weather gets better it's time to get outside again. Although a bit of wind and rain doesn't stop people in the North East from leaving the house, it feels so much better with a bit of sunshine on your face. This weekend saw some great Spring weather so we decided to venture out of the house and take a look up the Northumberland coast on Sunday for a look. We aren't North East England natives but we have visited quite a large part of this part of the world since moving here a few years ago. Quite frankly the coast in Durham is disappointing so we take a look at further North and South for our seaside fix. Northumberland is a bit of a risk at this time of year but was one we were willing to take. The wind off the North Sea can be extremely cold at any time but it wasn't really present this weekend, so we were able to make the most of the sunshine on offer.

And we were rewarded. We went through the Tyne Tunnel and spent time at Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Blyth. The latter two haven't got the best of reputations but I found all three to be most pleasant. There was a park in Blyth where was sat outside and had a Sunday lunch. The atmosphere, the weather and the food were all great. I highly recommend a visit. If you want to get to this part of the world then it can feel like somewhere that is nowhere. But that really is the attraction. The scenery is stunning and the coast is plentiful.

One thing that does strike you about North East England if you visit here from outer space is the clothing. I've already mentioned the fact that they rarely wear a coat even in the deepest midwinter. Well for the rest of the year, the slightest hint of sunshine prompts the people up here to get into their summer gear. We saw men swimming in the sea, kids walking round in trunks and women uncovering huge swathes of flesh in response to a little sunshine and temperatures of around 12 degrees. Don't get me wrong, the weather was lovely, especially in the sun, but bikini weather it certainly was not.

So don't be surprised if you arrive here to see little in the way of clothing between now and autumn. There's even less worn to go out at night sometimes. It's a place that embraces the slightest change in temperature. The North East is somewhere that tries to make the most of whatever life throws its way, and I for one applaud that attitude.

Improvements are under way in Bishop Auckland, especially at Auckland Castle

If you have been to Bishop Auckland recently then you will have seen a lot of disruption. The Market Place has seen a lot of work and quite frankly, that is nothing compared to the plans that they have for the area. Bishop Auckland is changing face. and it might be a good time for investors to take a look. But to see where this fits in the present day, it is worth a look at the history behind the city. Don't worry, I'll keep it brief.

With it's strategic position near to the River Wear and River Gaunless, Bishop Auckland has long been a market town. Standing for centuries, it gained greater significance with the building of Auckland Castle. This was thought to have been first built in 1183 and was the seat of the Bishops of Durham until recently.

The area is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Auckland Castle is no longer the home of the Bishop of Durham (he has moved closer to home) and as such is becoming a tourist destination. This is obviously good for the North East. With the work going on at Durham Cathedral, this makes the area a more attractive place to visit. Having recently visited both Lincoln and Chester and seen the tourist draw from their cathedrals, I think that Durham City and the surrounding area has been missing a trick for some time now.

Bishop Auckland was a place I visited to browse a few shops when I was in the North East in my younger days. It was always an 'OK' place to visit but never any better than that. The last few years in particular have seen it go downhill rapidly. The out of town shopping area at St. Helen Auckland has drawn away most of the bigger chains from the High Street and it is now  place you go to if you want to count empty shops. I'm not saying that it fares any worse than any other town but it does look dreadful.

With the renovation taking place now, the future for Bishop Auckland can only look brighter. Auckland Castle in at the centre of all this renovation and improvement. It will be much more vibrant and I for one hope that it brings some big retailers and restaurants chains back to the town centre to do business. You can take a look at the different plans that are happening now here -

A walled garden and restaurant

A welcome building

A new art gallery

For the investor this looks like it might provide a great opportunity. With the top end of Newgate Street and the Market Place being filled with more visitors, the demand for units will almost certainly increase as will the demand for accommodation. The savvy investor might want to look at Bishop Auckland as the place to invest their money. Prices could rise, rents could be easy to come by.

Whatever the future holds for Bishop Auckland, I hope it is better than the present. There are few reasons to visit the main street and then little to keep you there if you do decide to take a trip. With some outstanding development on the way I hope that the money spent returns the town to its more vibrant past.