However the small matter of a General Election gave us the opportunity to take our cameras out and enjoy the delights of Jesmond Dene.
Jesmond Dene, a public park in the east end of Newcastle occupying the narrow steep-sided valley of the Ouseburn.
William George Armstrong and his wife, of Jesmond Dene House, first laid out the park during the 1860s. The design is intended to reflect a rural setting, with woodland, crags, waterfalls and pools. It is now owned by Newcastle City Council.
It is also a beautiful little green haven offering numerous photographic opportunities, so much so that the little group who gathered there only left when the light faded completely.