A week in Whitley Bay

Most people who know me know that I spend a lot of my time in an ice rink with my two hockey playing boys. Last summer we took our camper van up to Whitley Bay so they could take part in a hockey camp with Best of British Ice Hockey Camps. It seemed a way to go from Essex, but we were keen to visit the North East coast so we thought we'd make a holiday of it. Why we thought a camper van and two boys' smelly hockey kit would make a good combination is quite beyond me!

It was actually really good fun. The North East coast is stunningly beautiful, from a photographer's point of view the light there is strangely like nothing we get down here in the South. Another bonus was the beaches, that could easily compare to any on the South coast, were virtually deserted. The fish and chips were a lot better than they are in Essex too!

Whitley Bay ice rink is like it's stuck in a time warp. Old photos and trophy cabinets around the walls and an odd mist hanging over the ice in the morning. Although a bit dilapidated, it has charm and reminded me of the old rink at Nottingham that I used to go to as a kid. Hockey camp finished each day at 3ish so we had plenty of time for the boys to explore and play on the beach afterwards. They were happy and completely exhausted by the end of each day. The boys loved hockey camp, learnt a lot from the superb coaches and met new friends. The only downside to the week was my oldest son perfecting his Geordie accent for the entire 5 hour journey home!