Still not booked a Easter break? Come to Northumberland. England's most beautiful County has much to offer

The perfect Northumberland day would feature:
A good walk - you could go to Hadrian's Wall http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/
ending at a good pub like the Twice Brewed Inn, or do a stretch of the Pennine Way, or take in the gentle wildness of the St Oswalds Way.
http://www.stoswaldsway.com/st-oswalds-way-short-walks/countryside-short-walks/short_walks_heavenfileld_pilgrimage.htm

Where to stay:
If you have to have the creature comforts then Matfen Hall is a top destination but
Hexham's Beaumont Hotel http://www.bw-beaumonthotel.co.uk/
is family run and was good enough for Pippa Middleton when she came to stay a year back!
We also have all manner of brilliant pubs and Bed and Breakfasts but if you want a good alternative then the Battlesteads Hotel in Wark http://www.battlesteads.com/ consistently wins prizes; the best Bed and Breakfast in the country was recently adjudged by Les Routiers guide to be The Black Cock Inn: http://www.blackcockinn.co.uk/
Where to eat:
If you want great pub food then I am a big fan of the Barrasford Arms,http://www.barrasfordarms.co.uk/
and the pub also has great beer and a bar where you will discuss everything from sheep prices to current affairs and who won the big race of the day. Great people and a top dining pub.
The Feathers in Hedley, and La Bouchon in Hexham are both prize winning and the destinations for fine dining along with the Rat which has won recent awards.
You will need a tea shop on your travels:
My friends say I am on a mission to try every tea shop in Tynedale but the county is justifiably famous: on your Pennine Way travels do not forget to stop at the Greenhead Tea Room: http://www.heartofhadrianswall.com/tea-rooms/60-greenhead-tea-rooms
Alison makes great cakes and scones.
Corbridge has more tea shops that any other but my favourite is Tea and Tipple, where you can while away an afternoon - they do great Northumberland Scones, including the normal cheese scone but also Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onion Scones: http://teaandtipple.blogspot.co.uk/
Their web site has a special "Sconage" section...
Beer: this is obviously essential. We have lots of brilliant brewers, but I have worked a lot with the Hadrian Border Brewery, who produce the deliciously summer ale which is Tyneside Blonde. But my favourite would be a pint of Golden Plover, made locally by the Allendale Brewery, and found in most of the pubs: http://www.allendaleale.com/index.htm

What to see; the wildlife the visit alone: http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/understanding/wildlifehabitats/heathermoorland/curlews
But if you want 5 places to visit these would all make anyone's top spots:

- The Beach at Bamburgh - a great walk and a top castle
- Roman Vindolanda http://www.vindolanda.com/ = our best Roman and historical site
- Kielder Water and Forest Park: http://www.visitkielder.com/
They win awards all the time!!
http://www.visitkielder.com/news/2013/05/kielder-water-forest-park-officially-the-best-tourism-experience-in-engl-
- Alnwick Castle and its magnificent Gardens http://www.alnwickcastle.com/
But if you go to one for engineering / spring flowers then I would probably pick Cragside: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside/
-It is a stunning house with amazing engineering everywhere and beautiful gardens filled with 40 miles of walks, rare flowers and so much more. It is a special place.

What to Buy:
Whether you want to browse the independent shops of Hexham or Corbridge or purchase pottery in Bardon Mill or visit some of the amazing markets there is so much to do.

Farmers Markets on this weekend - shop local and support our local producers

Today is Hexham Farmers Market: http://www.hexhamfarmersmarket.co.uk/
Tomorrow is the Greenhead Farmers Market and Christmas Fair: from 10-2
Both are amazing markets and deserve all our support

School Funding the Taoist Way - the longest journey starts with the smallest step

Campaigns take a long time as an MP. You start with a simple idea, but the process of initiating change in a parliamentary democracy does take time. Nothing illustrates this argument as well as Fairer Funding for our schools - knows as the F40 campaign. It is patently wrong that the formula per pupil means that Newcastle schools receive over £800 per pupil more than Northumberland pupils. This, coupled to 3 tier, transport and various complex issues of rural deprivation mean it is extremely difficult to sustain our schools in Northumberland, particularly when compared to other schools budgets. I have visited over 30 of our schools in my patch and am shortly off to revisit Beaufront First School and go for the first time to Greenhead. I am always impressed by the wisdom, hard work and make do attitude of our headteachers and teaching staff.
 
This week we debated fairer funding in parliament. Many of the F40 campaigners spoke. The debate was led by Robin Walker MP for Worcester, who along with Richard Graham, the MP for Gloucester. have been doing the heavy lifting in the campaign. Two years ago in April 2012 we called for this change and debated the steps needed to be taken: Robin Walker MP in his opening speech on Tuesday set the scene, and explained why we are all Taoists now....

"Many hon. Friends in the Chamber today were with me in the debate initiated by my hon. Friend Richard Graham in April 2012, when we welcomed the Government’s commitment to a fairer formula but bemoaned the lack of a down payment to begin its delivery. It was my hon. Friend Guy Opperman who invoked the Chinese proverb of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, who said that "the longest journey begins with a single step." That single step has now been taken. Many parts of the country can rejoice at that. Of the £350 million targeted at helping the lowest-funded authorities, some £172 million—slightly less than half—is coming to F40 authorities. Cambridgeshire, South Gloucestershire, Northumberland and Shropshire all see gains of more than 6% as a result of the projected allocations and, of 34 current members of F40, 23 are seeing some uplift."

For the full debate and my short speech see here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-04-29a.173.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g183.1

Dozens of West Northumberland schoolchildren, parents and teachers come to visit the House of Commons

Yesterday I welcomed around 30 children and almost as many parents and teachers to Westminster. Almost everyone came from West Northumberland villages, with the connection being that everyone was linked or went to the First Schools at Greenhead, Herdley Bank or Henshaw. The House of Commons was sitting so we were not able to take them into the Commons chamber, but we were able to show the parents and teachers around the House of Lords, the beautiful Crypt chapel, Westminster Hall, Central Lobby and around the endless corridors and rooms that make up this amazing Victorian building.
Sadly for our guests Pete, who works for me, and myself were the tour guides - and we are not a patch on the professional guides albeit we probably give a more colourful version!

The children held a mock election and elected Sophie as their Prime Minister. Unsurprisingly, there was great competition to be Minister for Sport [presently a post occupied in real life by Carlisle born Helen Grant].
We then all squeezed in to Committee Room 6, where I attempted to answer the questions of both the adults and the children.
The issues raised included criticisms of the state of the roads, potholes, failure to grit, and a lack of bus services, particularly to villages like Halton Lea Gate. The children asked a number of questions from how to ensure that youngsters have a chance to farm in the future, to a strong request for improvements to Haltwhistle Swimming Pool. I will try and answer these questions more fully if any are sent in.

As always I would urge everyone concerned or wanting answers to send me the questions formally by letter to
- 1 Meal Market , Hexham , Northumberland , NE46 1NF
Or Email: guy.opperman.mp@parliament.uk

Because of the difficulty in trying to look after so many I did not get a chance to talk to as many parents or the teachers as I would have liked to have done but a number of things struck me:
- the children were beautifully behaved, notwithstanding their age and tiredness. A real credit to parents and teachers. Not every pupil visit by children a lot older has gone so well...
- although I had helped several of the people who came in the past I am still amazed at how little constituents use their MP. As I said yesterday - if you have a problem or complaint please use me - I work for you all and will simply try and do my best to solve your problem or at the very least ensure you get a fair hearing.
- the tales of the trial of Charles 1st and the description of the suffragettes breaking in to the House of Commons for the national census always moves people.
- finally it is clear that the proposed move to Primary status was popular among many.