Page 16 of The Seaside Supper Club

Next, they took a quick look through a door that led off from the living space to find a bedroom area with an old pine double bedstead and a manky mattress that you really wouldn’t want to go bouncing on. A further door, again heading from the living area, revealed a once-white porcelain toilet with a dried up green-and-brown-stained bowl – hopefully, just years of stagnant water and nothing more sinister.

‘Bloody hell,’ muttered Cath.

‘Jeez,’ puffed out Will. ‘I really need to pee, but there’s no way I’m chancing it in here.’

They fled back to the ‘airier’ space of the living room, where that sofa, as Cath peered closer, had several ruffed-up holes in, and fluffy bits of stuffing coming out. Evidence of gnawing …

‘Ekk, don’t even think about sitting down …’ Cath warned, as Will moved nearer to it. ‘I think that’s a hotel.’

He quirked an eyebrow, quizzically.

‘A mouse hotel,’ she continued.

And with that, there was a scurrying from beneath the sofa, and right on cue, one of the smooth brown-grey furry critters scampered off, its tail a thin flash behind it.

‘There’s a moose in the hoose.’ Will put on a strong Scottish accent.

‘You’ll need to call in pest control before you even start thinking of doing any work here,’ said Cath.

‘Yeah, and then a joiner. There’s so much rotten wood, it’s dangerous. And I’ll need to check the roof for leaks.’

‘The bucket in the kitchen’s a bit of a clue, and I bet there’s more than that one. And that sofa will need to go, and the mattress … the bedstead and sideboard, too. Could be full of woodworm or anything.’

‘That’ll be some job ferrying it all out across the track.’ Will’s brow furrowed further.

‘Bloody hell, yeah. They’d certainly not allow a bonfire in the dunes. Looks like our work’s going to be cut out.’

‘It is indeed. I’m beginning to understand why my parents wanted to pass it on to me so swiftly.’

‘Yep, there’ll be lots of work,’ agreed Cath. ‘But hey, I bet that’s never held you back. And of course, I’m more than happy to lend a hand. I got stuck in with my little garden hut project, and think of the massive difference we made at the village hall.’ Along with the supper club gang, they’d tackled the community hall renovations with aplomb.

‘True.’ A glimmer of a smile flickered on his lips.

Will took a few interior photos for his parents, without zooming in too closely on anything. Cath took a couple of images too, hoping one day to be comparing a very different ‘after’ image against these ‘before’ ones.

‘Time for a pint, and a glass of wine?’

‘Absolutely.’

They re-scanned the shabby, partly rotted interior. Will took a slow breath, the air so very musty. They certainly weren’t going to be hanging around here for long. It wasn’t a space for relaxing, well, not for a good while yet, and there wasn’t a lot they could tackle today, anyhow. It needed clearing out and thoroughly cleaning the next visit, mused Cath.

They turned at the same time and oh, spotted the view out of the open front door.

‘Wow,’ said Will.

‘Oh my,’ Cath gasped.

When they’d arrived, they’d been so focused on finding the hut and getting inside, neither of them had looked out to the sea. The short grass of the dunes before them formed a small garden patch, from which a track led down to the wheat-coloured sands and the sea, now all milky-green and pewter-grey tones with gently rolling crests of white surf. The sky was awash with bulbous cloudy greys, aquamarine and shades of gold. And there, right opposite their front deck, on the far side of the sweeping bay, stood the dramatic stony ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. The view from here was incredible. Cath took a couple of snaps on her phone, wanting to capture this moment.

‘Wow,’ Will repeated. ‘There’s hope for the old place yet.’ He stood simply gazing, a spark of optimism filling his eyes.

‘Hah, no need to worry about the manky inside,’ added Cath. ‘We just need to put a blanket down here on the front deck.’

‘Absolutely. That’ll be next time.’ The corners of Will’s lips shifted into a cheeky grin. What was he imagining might happen here?

‘A blanket and a picnic,’ Cath clarified, smiling, feeling a frisson of fresh excitement at the prospect of the project, and the hope of some magical times to come. ‘I brought some coffee. We could sit for a few minutes.’ The rain had held off for now, and they were sheltered and mostly out of the breeze here.

‘Go on then. We’ll go and have that pint after.’