It was a fantastic summer’s day outing for ACORN Residents on Saturday 26th July with a coach of excited residents leaving from the British Legion club heading for the Northumbrian coastline.
First stop was Alnwick with its historic Bullring market square and a chance to sample a cup of tea or a stronger beverage. The Swan Hotel was high on my list of places to see with its interior decorated with panels from the decommissioned RMS Olympic incorporated into the fabric of the building.
History buffs will recall that Olympic was a sister ship of the Titanic under the White Star Lines flag. Wikopedia relates “Olympic’s most notable achievement was the ramming and sinking of the German submarine U-103 on May 12, 1918 which was the only merchant ship to sink an enemy warship during the war.
Korvettenkapitän Claus Rücker, commander of the 9-month old U-103, had unsuccessfully fired two torpedo’s at Olympic just missing so Olympic turned around and rammed the u-boat sinking her and killing the crew. It is believed that Olympic could have easily outrun the u-boat on a zigzag course and not have risked the lives of the thousands on board.
With our affable driver Baz we continued along the rural Northumberland coastal route through twisting lanes and lovely villages on our journey to Bamburgh. The route took us close to the coastline and afforded many beautiful views of the beaches culminating in the majestic beauty of Bamburgh Castle glistening in the summer sunshine.
The golden beaches which are overlooked by the castle were hectic places of fun enjoyed by families flying kites, kicking footballs and playing in the water. Another triumph for the ever popular residents group, .look out for further excursions throughout the year.
