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.