Day 47, Level 1: Warkworth - drama in the river, beauty in the pub, deliciousness from the butcher - plus oysters and the beach

It rained overnight - which wasn't in the forecast. It rained this morning too. Black clouds were a little ominous although the rest of the day was without rain. 

Did a bit of work, fiddled around a bit, sorted a few things and then headed to Warkworth. I'd bought a wireless mouse for my laptop a few months ago but it keeps conking out so I was returning it. However, I got to the store and realised I'd left the dongle in my laptop. So no-go for return today. I'll have to return - with dongle! I do have a wired mouse as back-up meanwhile, ,but it's really annoying with the cable getting in the way. I always seem to have computer glitches come at once - did mouse, power supply conking out with my desktop - let's hope there's not a third thing!

I'd parked my car in a small carpark and when I went back to my car I noticed some police/danger tape around the playground on the riverbank. Then I saw some fresh flowers on a bench and notes lamenting what was obviously a death. I wondered if a kid had died on the playground. People were milling around, looking at the playground, the river, the whole scene. Something had obviously happened here. Recently. I googled - and sure enough there had been drama right here. Yesterday evening around 5pm - about the time I was driving past Warkworth on my way to Omaha - someone had careered down the road, over the roundabout, through the carpark and smashed through the playground fence, become airborne, hit a bench at the other end of the playground before crashing into the river on its side! People rushed into the river to try to help but the driver died. How the hell no one else was hurt I've no idea. A mother had been in the playground with her kids but luckily she saw the car coming and got them to the side in a split second. Another family was about to set up picnic where the car flew past - another minute and it would have been disaster. 

It was quite shocking - something so bizarre in this small town. It was a bit like Midsomer Murders - the villagers were coming out to see the scene of the incident, talk and wonder. Everyone was chatting, word was it was a medical event - stroke or heart attack. Some had been on the scene within minutes and told their stories. Then a guy came along and said it was a stolen car. Perhaps the guy was off his face, a kamikaze. Who knows, but I guess it will come out in time. I still can't get over how no one else was hurt in the whole saga - it as a gorgeous evening, and this happened right by the river. He literally flew through a playground. 

See the bollard on its side? That had been where I was standing taking the photo - ripped out and strewn down there!

Next I went over to have a look at the Warkworth Hotel - established in 1862 it has recently been fully refurbished. We used to go to this pub back in the 70s and 80s - it had a garden bar but the inside was pretty dated even back then. The outside looks fantastic again and when I stepped inside I just went WOW. They've done an amazing job - it has a plush deco feel, like a glamorous hotel of the olden days with a modern twist. Chatted to the young girl, Jess, for a while (she lives in Omaha) and watched it fill up (it was 4pm). She said they're so busy that you have to book - and tonight (Monday) it was full. They've been re-open just one months. Great that it's so busy. I look forward to coming in for a drink and a meal at some point soon. 

Gorgeous entry tiles

Next I went to Stubbs the butcher - old fashioned but modern. I got a pork fillet and some Jenny's Kitchen award-winning Tamarind Chutney. I'd never heard of Jenny's Kitchen but was already concocting my tamarind pork dinner!

En route back to Omaha I called into the Green Shed to pick up some oysters. I'm doing a wee promo for them in the Omaha newsletter so chatted to Tom the owner for ages about all things oyster - they're more salty in summer and spring, more creamy in autumn and the smaller cocktail ones are the sweetest. I bought a dozen cocktail oysters and went on my merry way. 

Tom and his oysters

Back in Omaha, I did some more work and then had half a dozen oysters. They were so good - and definitely creamy - that I had to have the other half dozen too! Yum.

Then I went for a quick walk to the beach around 7.30pm - it was calm and lovely. No one on the beach at all. Beautiful cloud formations. It was idyllic. 

Back home and I cooked up my tamarind pork - sliced, hot sizzled with Jenny's tamarind chutney, some sherry and some celery stock, reduced down to glossy sticky tasty perfection! Served with leftover veges and Yorkshire puds from last night. OMG Jenny's tamarind chutney is the best! I want to eat that pork all over again. I still have half the pork fillet left - guess what I'm going to cook for dinner tomorrow!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Murder ...

While I ate I watched a doco about Dennis Nilsen (aka Des) - mass murderer in London in the late 70s/early 80s. He killed vulnerable young gay guys after inviting them back to his flat. He drank with them, then strangled them, and chopped them up and stored their body parts. Simmered one of their heads in a pot on his stove. Kept bags of limbs in his cupboard. Disgusting. 

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1983 - when I was living in London. I have to admit to only vaguely remembering about it - I was too busy having a good time to get bogged down with the details of such hideous murders. Gosh, hearing all the gruesome detail tonight was harrowing. What a heinous man. He died in 2018 aged 72. 

What possesses a human being to do this? Unfathomable, but he was obviously completely deranged. 

What possesses someone to hoon through a township and smash into a children's playground, careering towards a river? 

Who knows what makes some people tick.