My first week at Middlesbrough PDSA is done. It’s interesting (for me) to compare this with my stint in Wolverhampton. While at work, I was busier. Consultations are intense, though I guess I’ve only worked four days and the first, spent operating, was relatively light. But the days are shorter: eight to four thirty or nine to five thirty, compared to nine am to seven in the evening. When the weekend arrived, as in Paisley, my first thought was, “where shall I go?” and not, as in Wolverhampton, “I need to rest.”

The result of that thought was that I should take Triar to the seaside. He loves a good beach. So on Saturday morning, after a delicious roll with sausages in the Norton Café, we set off towards Saltburn by the Sea.

Saltburn is a fairly typical, if very well maintained, Victorian seaside town, which grew from a tiny smuggler’s hamlet on the shoreline, to an attractive holiday resort. The hamlet, consisting of the Ship Inn and a row of fisherman’s cottages, is still there. Had I read about it before going, I would have made the effort to walk along there, however I was distracted by a fascinating piece of Victoriana in the form of a steep, funicular railway or cliff lift, that was created to take visitors from the cliff top town, down to the beach and the pier.

It didn’t open until ten thirty, so Triar and I walked down the stairs to get to the beach. It was only when we got there, that Triar reminded me that Beaches are Ball Places. Back in the North of Norway, whenever we could get to a beach, he would play long-distance fetch, using one of those arm extenders to throw the ball. It was covid time and the beach was isolated, so normally we had the whole beach to ourselves.

Now, in Saltburn, he kept zooming off, looking round, then rushing back and looking at me with hopefully cocked ears. The saddest thing was that I had his ball in the car. I’d just forgotten to take it out. And there were a lot of steps to get back there. Eventually, he made do with zooming around and around, enjoying the sand under his paws. There was certainly plenty of it!

In the opposite direction, past the pier, we found a gorgeous row of traditional beach huts. These can still be hired out for the day, complete with seats and tea and coffee making facilities, though by now, we were out-of-season and so it was empty.

We walked past the huts and a little way along the beach, then turned back to catch the Saltburn Tramway (as the funicular is called) back up to get to the car. I’d noted earlier that dogs cost 20p to take the lift, so for the princely sum of £2.20 we travelled back up the cliff face in style.

Back at the top, I noticed some very attractive, wavy benches, so I stopped for photos in both directions.

It was too early to return home, so I decided a bit more exploration was in order. I saw Saltburn Valley Garden Tearooms on the map, so I decided that was where we would go next. We drove along the front to the west, then stopped beside a gate into the woodland pathways that led down into the valley. Autumn is beginning and it was lovely, tramping through the fallen leaves. The tearoom itself is another bit of delicious Victoriana situated, as it is, beside an Italian Garden and near to Forest Halt – the end of the line for a miniature railway that runs from the beach in summer. I ate the very traditional Victoria Sponge in the photo at the top of the page and Triar was quite satisfied with the two dog biscuits he was provided, along with my coffee.

Having explored a bit of the railway line, and having watched Triar paddling happily in the stream, we headed back up, through the woods and to the car.

We got back to the caravan where we are staying fairly early and it’s fair to say, both Triar and I were exhausted. My only regret, as with Rothesay, is that we were at the seaside again, and still didn’t get fish and chips. There were cafés available, but there was so much cream with the sponge cake, that fitting in lunch would have been too much.

Caravan life is reasonably comfortable. We are here another week, before heading to Mum and Dad’s for a long weekend, after which we will be staying in a slightly more sophisticated apartment, based inside an actual building! I’ve enjoyed the tiny, cosy box bedroom and being lulled to sleep by the rain on the roof, but the chemical toilet at two am (I can use one inside the house during the day) and the relative lack of cooking facilities decided me against trying to book two weeks more here.

Anyway, I am looking forward to another operating day tomorrow. Not sure what the rest of the week will bring, but it’s been a fantastic weekend. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a good week!