Back from holiday with mum. Memo to self to take Dad as well next time. Arrived at Conifer Cottage, Kimmerston on Friday to find that the key was missing. Walked round to Kimmerston Cottage (Dickie and Jane's) to pick up their key so that we could go to the shop. Mum says "There's a shop in Milfield" (2 miles away), so jump into car, go to Milfield to find shop closed. I says "Well, there's a super market at Berwick" (14 miles) So turn car round and drive to Berwick. Can't find Supermarket. Tell mum that there's definately a Morrisons in Alnwick. (Long way away down A1) DRive down A1 in direction of Alnwick. See Petrol station and wonder if they have any provision. No, sold out. Carry on driving, pass another petrol station now 28 miles to Alnwick, getting bored, bibbed by Lorry driver for only doing 50. Finally reach Alnwick. Can't find Morrisons "It's at the bus station because the coach stops there on it's way to Berwick." I say. Drive down road for long way, pass bus station (no Morrison's sign) Turn round, see Morrisons sign at bus station and turn into car park. Get provisions in and head back to Kimmerston. Arrive back at cottage at 10PM. Have 2 slices of toast for tea and go to bed. Up at 7AM on Saturday as have to be at Dickie and Jane's for 9:30. Have breakfast and get ready. Mum decides that she is tagging along for the day's trail hunting, but will need to stop at the shop in Milfield for ciggarettes. 9:15 get to Milfield and wait for Mum to get her cigs. Mum comes back from shop with carrier bag containing newspaper, cigs and Beef sandwich. Reach Dickie and Jane's for 9:25. Talking to Pat, who is in the cottage next door to us and find out that if we had gone to Wooler (8 miles away) there is a CO-OP that is open until 10PM. Meet the horse I will be riding trail hunting, Blackmane. She is a lovely mare, bay with a white face and 4 white socks. (white markings upto the knee on the forelegs and the hocks on the back legs). Go to the cottage and pay £140 for the day's hire of Blackmane. Am told by Dickie that we will be leaving shortly. Go back to car and wait. 9:45 Horsebox leaves Kimmerston and is not waiting for anyone to turn round to follow it. Have to drive quickly to keep up with it. Mum asks where we're going, good question. Looked up the meets on the CVNN website and found that Saturday was SRE. No idea where that is, could be Yetholm or anywhere. Horsebox passes sign saying Scotland Welcomes you. Followed by Me and Mum, BMW 4x4 with 3 people hiring horses from Dickie and Jane, and jeep with trailer. Pass Yetholm. Suddenly realise that the meet is the same place as last year and start praying that I'm still in one piece at end of day. Arrive at SRE, freezing cold, wind blowing, and steep hills all around. Mum thinks this would make a nice place for a picnic as she smokes firt cig since we left Kimmerston. This is because no one is allowed to smoke in my car. Dickie and Jane arrive few minutes later with another horse. Dickie decides that I should get on Blackmane now. Once I am on Blackmane and in front of horsebox, she decides that she wants to get started without anyone else, even the hounds. Struggle to keep her calm, by walking her back and forth. Mum gets out of car again and meets Blackmane. Finally we are ready to go, Dickie decides that Lizzie, one of the girls from Kimmerston is going to look after me. We set off up the road, me on Blackmane and Lizzie on Patrick a bay gelding who happens to be a bit exciteable, and wants to trot more than walk. It happens that Blackmane also wants to do more trotting than walking. Finally turn off the road and have a bit of a canter uphill. Reach the top and stand around for a bit waiting for the hounds to find something. Hounds find scent and set off down hill, through a forest. Everyone starts to follow, find that way is blocked by fallen trees that either have to be jumped going downhill or stepped over. Blackmane tries to step over them, catches a leg, stumbles and I have my first attempt at suicide. Blackmane is caught, brought back up, the otherside of fallen trees (no one noticed THAT route) and then come the problem of getting back on her. Dickie comes along and says we have to go another way, Jane tells him to get off his horse and give me a hand to get back on Blackmane. Finally get back on, and we all set off following Dickie on this new route. Back uphill and down an even steeper hill. There is a small ditch the horses have to cross at the bottom of the hill to go up the next hill. We all cross safely, some more reluctantly than others, after assurances that it is not at all boggy. And set off uphill. Not entirely sure at this point why we are headed in the opposite direction to everyone else, but follow anyway. Reach top of hill and start coming down hill. Holding on to Blackmane's neck strap for dear life when she decides that this is a good place for a canter. Next attempt at suicide. Land on bum, and slip onto side. Get up with slightly sore neck and extremely sore bum. Tell Dickie this as getting back on Blackmane. Dickie says he will see about me going back. Off we go again, now heading in the general direction of everyone else, when we come across a stream with a little wooden bridge. Blackmane doesn't think much of this obstacle, and neither do some of the other horses. A few get across and wait for everyone else. Dickie's horse decides that it is happy where it is and refuses to cross the bridge or walk across the stream. The area happens to be a bit boggy and one pony's back legs sink into the ground upto it's bum as does another horse. I decide that the other side is probably the best place to be and start walking Blackmane down to the egde of the stream. Blackmane is a bit reluctant at first, but after a bit of coaxing, a few gentle nudges from my legs and being told that she will have to cross somewhere, she sort of jumps across the stream. Finally everyone gets across, some by getting off their horses and leading them across the bridge. We head uphill again, and then down, Blackmane decides that she wants to canter again. Lose right stirrup and shout at Blackmane that she is a stubborn git who gets her own way too much, while pulling on reins. Voice seems to work more than pull on reins and she slows enough for me to get stirrup back. Head uphill again, and up, and up. Finally reach some sort of path at top of hill. 2 riders from hunt coming towards us. Lizzie asks how I am. Tell her, that I'm a bit tired, sore and would be best heading back. Lizzie tells Dickie, and we follow the 2 riders back towards Sourhope Road End. Start heading downhill, joined by girl on pony who dropped back legs in bog. She says that she isn't carrying on, it's far too boggy. Have to agree with her. Reach SRE, untack Blackmane and Patrick, put them in the horsebox with a hay net each, put tack in my car and set off back to Kimmerston. Mum decides that she will sit in the back so that Lizzie can direct me. End up not needing directions. Arrive back at Kimmerston and unload tack from car. Girl who was looking after me last year tells me that I am improving, three falls the year before last, none last year and 2 this year. Go back to cottage, and get changed. Mum decides we should go to Seahouses for the afternoon, so get back in car and drive to Seahouses. Have lunch there, get some corned beef in for tea and return to cottage. Have tea, long soak in bath to help aching muscles (no chance) and go to bed. Up at 7AM this morning, getting ready when mum shouts me to have a look at something outside the cottage door. Walk to door to find one of Dickie's horses walking upto the door. It's surprising what you can find in you backyard, as Pat tells us. Pat catches the horse and leads it back to Dickie's. Have breakfast, load car up and drive to Dickie and Jane's to return keys for cottage. Told by Dickie that I should come trail hunting in September or October as it is more flat country ridden over then. Head for A1 and home. Make stop at Little Chef outside Newcastle, which Mum doesn't think much of because the coffee is too strong and it takes ages for them to make 2 pieces of toast. Set off again and make next stop at Scotch Corner services. (Little Chef motorway menu) By the time we leave it is raining. It is raining for the next 120 miles (home) Finally reach home. Who said holidays were fun?
