Pebbles Goes Nuts In May

Today has been the first warm day of spring. The cool North east wind has been replaced by a warm Mediterranean breeze and all of a sudden things seem brighter and everywhere there is the cheery glint of yellow as the daffodils wake to take a brief glimpse of the World. The dramatic and hazardous approaches to Runswick Bay (above) would be small beer to todays High-tech craft, but the smugglers who frequented these shores up until the mid 19th Century would have certainly earned a flagon or two of foaming ale after negotiating such venturesome passage in the dead of night in a howling gale. But tonight in the Royal Hotel bar, set in a majestic setting overlooking the bay, the only booty of interest to 'Pebbles' - the Landlady's ambrosial Border Terrier, was the timeless allure of salted peanuts. A battle of wills was fought right until the very end, and we resisted upsetting his delicate constitution with cholesterol-serried legume.....that is, until he gave us 'The look'. Did he get his peanut? Could YOU resist?