Family Traveler

NORTHUMBERLAND##### Muchofmychildhoodwasspentlivingonthenorth-eastcoastofEngland.ThatstretchofcoastfromthemouthoftheRiverTyneupnorthintoNorthumberland.ItookitforgrantedthatfiveminutesfrommyhousewasanepicstretchoffineyellowsandandavastseathatsometimescrashedferociouswhitewavesoverthepieratTynemouth,oroccasionallywasdeemedwarmenoughtoswiminbymymumaswedecampedonWhitleyBaybeachfordaysinthesummerholidays,stripywindbreak,bucketsandspadesandsandyeggandcresssandwichesintow.Mostsummers,we’dhaveafamilydayouttotheFarneIslands.We’djumpinthecaranddriveanhourupthecoasttoalittleharbourtowncalledSeahouses,fulloffish’n’chipshopsandarcades,andafleetofsightseeingboatstotheFarnes,whichseemedincrediblyexotic,visiblefromtheshoreonaclearday.Thesetripsweremyfirstseavoyages,nottomentionmyfirstencounterwithseriouswildlife.Thetoy-likepuffinsandsleekgreysealsstandoutinmymemory.Ofcourse,Itookthelongevityofthisforgranted.Inthe 1970 sand80s,therewaslittletalkofclimatechange,overfishing,plasticpollutionorendangeredspecies.WithoildrillingintheNorthSea,therewasalwaysthethreatofaspillfollowingtheSSTorreyCanyondisasteroffthewesterncoastofCornwallin 1967 ,butingeneral,theNorthSeafeltlikeanindomitableforceofnature.Surelyitwasinchargeofitsowndestiny?Ineverdoubteditcouldlookafteritself.Andthankfully,returningtotheFarneIslands 40 yearslater,withmyownchildren,Scarlett, 12 ,andFin,nine,thegenerationbroughtupundertheshadowofglobalwarming,theyremainanirvanafor 23speciesofseabirdsandacolonyofgreyseals,with1, 000 pupsborneveryautumn.Itwassome 91 yearsagothattheNationalTrustboughttheislandsfor£8 00 fromindustrialistWilliamArmstrong.Andwhatabargain!Becauseofthispurchase,millionshavesharedinthisgoldstandardofconservation,afavouriteofnaturalistsSirDavidAttenboroughandSteveBackshall.Ifyou’veeveryearnedtoexploretheGalapagos,IwouldadviseyoutoheadtotheFarneIslandsfirst.