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.

Broadband rollout to the villages goes on - slowly but surely we are getting there

Work on the ground in Matfen has started and will hopefully be finished by mid October, barring any problems encountered during build. Planning and survey work has all be completed. Coverage is confined to the village and some of the immediate local area. Mat fen is the largest village that has not yet had its broadband upgraded. 

Of the other areas included in phase 2 we expect the following to be live by the end of 2016: 

- Slaley Hall and Slaley Park

- Blagdon 

- Longbyre, near Greenhead 

- West End Town on the end of Bardon Mill

- Dilston

- Gunnerton 

- Melkridge

- Oakwood 

- Sandhoe

- Tranwell and Tranwell Woods

- Medburn

- Horsley
There are some truly outlying houses and settlements that will not be included in Phase 2 +our campaign to get them better broadband goes on, not least as the County Council are now looking at phase 3.
As always if there are any areas of difficulty, if BT are not getting back to you or if there are innovative solutions like that which has been successfully trialled in Whittonstall then let me know. We are always happy to help.

Working behind the bar on September 1st at the Black Bull in Matfen for charity

Make sure you come to the Black Bull in Matfen when are group of minor celebs - myself included as Z list - are working behind the bar pulling pints and pouring drinks, and asking you to make a small charitable donation with your drinks change. The beer is very good and the food excellent. It should be a fun night.

Broadband Update - Phase 1 Roll Out continues as Northumberland gains greater broadband coverage & enhanced per house subsidy

Over the last 4 and a half years we have sunk millions of pounds of government cash into the roll out of broadband. Slowly but surely England's most rural county is getting better and more broadband coverage. This last few months the Northumberland County Council tell me they have done the following:

"Further cabinets have gone live in Corbridge, Wylam and Hexham meaning that all cabinets are now live and accepting orders for fibre in these three communities.

A further cabinet is live in Ponteland. This builds on the following areas that have been live for at least a month":

• Greenhead
• Gilsland
• Allendale
• Bardon Mill
• Great Whittington
• Haydon Bridge
• Haltwhistle
• Most of Ponteland
• Most of Prudhoe
• Riding mill
• Slaley
• Stamfordham
• Albemarle
• Stocksfield
• Wark
• Heddon on the Wall
  I have held specific meetings on the problems in Matfen, which I am ensuring is in Phase 2 of the roll out. For phase 2 we have managed to lift the permitted government subsidy per property from £1700 per property to £2500. As I have said to many constituents who have contacted me - I am aware that there are other hamlets, and outlying areas, that we are getting BT and the NCC to address.
  NCC expect the following communities to be connected by the end of 2015:
  -          Horsley
  -          Blanchland
  -          Whitley Chapel
  -          Allenheads
  -          Bellingham
  -          Greenhaugh
  -          Kielder
  -          West Woodburn
  -          Otterburn
  -          Rochester
  -          Byrness
  -          Elsdon
  -          Belsay
  -          Kirkharle
  -          Capheaton
  -          Kirkwhelpington
  -          Scots Gap
  -          Whalton
  -          Bingfield
  -          Hallington
  I was able to speak in last months broadband debate and my speech is here:
  http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-02-03c.194.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g222.0

Westminster this coming week

Prudhoe High School is being rebuilt in March, but there remains an issue with the scope of the on going sports provision. I am working with the Prudhoe Community High School, and the various funding bodies, to get a speedy resolution on this and hope to have a round table in Westminster this coming week to help resolve this. There is also education questions on Monday at 2.30, followed by a confirming debate on the Women Bishops legislation. Wednesday we have further counter terrorism legislation being debated in the Commons, and I will be helping guide this through the Commons.

I have meetings or appointments this week in London with constituents, the Clinical Commissioning Group, Smart Energy, and with the association of Air Ambulances, amongst others, along with plenty of Home Office work and Women2Win. I am also trying to get a resolution to the Matfen broadband problem, which several locals, including the local councillor, Veronica Jones, have contacted to me about.  It is great news that Stamfordham, Great Whittington, and other local areas north of the Military Road, now have proper broadband but Matfen is lagging behind and we are trying to sort it. I am sat at my desk in the Commons prepping for the week ahead, which is chock a block with meetings in particular. Not looking forward to the cycle back to west London on the coldest night of the year!