North East thread 5: The one where we move to Chat!

[Someaddedsugar]

Here's thread 5 everyone! I'll post a link over on thread 4 too.

Thanks
Always looking for places to go so might try it

Just seen plans for new site next to Arnison centre that PickAChew was taking about.
Aldi, Iceland, Home Bargains and a drive through Starbucks.
I’m thrilled, but slightly worried about traffic.
Going to be finished by next year!

I love that Aldi always move near to a Lidl 😂.

That's going to become very busy isn't it!

Still going to visit Field and Fodder but sounds a bit like the Discovering Durham shop in Prince Bishops centre.
There isn’t going to be any reason to visit Durham city soon.
Lumiere is open for booking tomorrow for County Durham residents. Not even sure if I can’t be bothered to book.

When you go back to office
Someaddedsugar how much shopping could you do.
Even seeing plans I can’t picture the entrance.
Was telling DH, so on Saturday we he had to go and see. Still shocked how large an area it is.

I can see me walking to the arnison centre via front street, rather than pit lane, more often, with that lot there. It'll be handy, though.

I know @MrsEWeatherwax! Although I don't actually know when I'm going back yet. Definitely starting to miss it now though. I know this sounds very lazy but I totally took for granted how convenient it was to be able to run across to the Arnison Centre or Lidl to get whatever I needed on my lunch break, whereas now if I run out of bread or whatever it just doesn't feel as easy! I've also noticed I walk a lot less during the day as I'm not walking around the office.

We'll be booking Lumiere tickets as we've said we'll take DS straight from nursery. I'm just hoping it's dark enough at 4.30 to have the full impact.

F&F is definitely like the Discover Durham shop - quite a few of the same stockists too! But it's good to see small local businesses being stocked in lots of places. Hopefully they'll all do well from it.

@PickAChew I'm very jealous of you having a Home Bargains so close! I'd be in there all of the time 😂. Possibly a good thing I don't have one so close and might not be going back to work just yet!

Did everyone get booked for Lumiere? I was not happy that booking was down at first.
The swans were on the Wear at Durham again, they are so graceful 🦢.
Are both walks about the same length PickAChew?
I do a lot more walking when in office, the trips to the tea point and toilet and walking to car all add up.
The weather is awful today.

They take me the same amount of time, currently, @mseweatherwax. I can see that changing, though. It's already a pain squeezing down what's left of the footpath - there isn't one on the other side.

Going the other way involves crossing a sometimes impossibly busy road, though.

I was thinking of you when we drove back along that road, it is a long way, but I am lazy. In fact both ways are long. PickAChew Framwellgate the paths look better. And Framwellgate’s high street is quite nice.
But Arnison centre gain is Durham’s loss.

It's the same length (if steeper!) walk into town for me - one of the reasons we moved here was having so much accessible on foot - but it rarely tempts me, now. Even the farmer's market has nothing particularly interesting, these days.

We haven't bothered with lumiere tickets. Ds1 isn't sufficiently fussed. Ds2 doesn't get enough out of it to plan a specific trip and he can't cope with busy places at all, any more.

It's all half an hour for my short, stiff legs and a few pokemon pauses and 20 minutes for dh's long legs.

@MrsEWeatherwax I couldn't get on and now it's saying unavailable until 21 October? Did you get yours in the end?

Yes we got our tickets, couldn’t get on site until nearly 11 o’clock. I was walking around Durham in the rain trying to book. Then my DD sent me a Twitter update to say site having technical difficulties. Have been sitting in Starbucks at 10 am 😂.
On the Facebook page it says more tickets available Thursday for general release. Good luck 🤞. Lots of complaints on the Facebook page.
Was thinking about possibly going to cathedral 3 ish and staying there on the opening day . Because the inside of cathedral is not open on evening.

Not bothering with luminaire. I’m not a crowd person and the dc won’t be fussed

I got tickets for the Thursday evening earlier today... just back from a night at the Gala with DD - Caroline Criado Perez (of Invisible Women) was speaking - great night... audience was 99% women - DD suggested that 6th form boys should have been 'strongly encouraged to attend"...

I’ll try again on Thursday @MrsEWeatherwax

I love the Gala @myrtleWilson. How’s your DD doing?

Was the Gala part of the book festival? myrtleWilson.
I love the Gala too, the pantomime is always good. Cinema tickets dirt cheap too.
My DP’s got their booster jab today, so I’m thrilled. So flu jab and booster done. So can’t complain about my GP surgery. Plus DD got a face to face appointment for a skin issue. I’ve had my flu jab too, was ran with military precision.
Good luck tomorrow for tickets Someaddedsugar.

Just seen on Facebook (Parish) that The National Trust have bought Crook Hall hopefully is true. I will rejoin National Trust and probably go for tea and cake at least monthly.

yes, I think the event was part of the book festival! Hope that is true about NT buying Crook Hall - my DD had her year 11 prom there a few years ago - such a lovely setting.
someadded DD is still on a bit of a rollercoaster at the moment but she is trying so hard to recover - horrible illness it really is.

Crook hall must be lovely as Prom venue. My DD’s was cancelled forever 😭 I had already bought the dress, another reason to hate covid.
I wonder if the show is still available to watch because I know some were online for about £5 a show. I’m going to check.
My DD had a friend with a ED at secondary school, she was a great emotional support to her.
Hopefully your DD is getting excellent support and she has you as parent.

Ah I think it’s nice NT have bought crook hall. Better than it standing empty or going to ruin. That’s an out of Durham perspective obvs if you need me to be outraged happy to oblige

I’m thrilled The National Trust have bought Crook Hall.
Nearly everyone on the Facebook post seem happy. People are just hoping it open for general public not just wedding’s. Hopefully they can do both.

Drove across the reopened bridge (was out - I didn't make a special journey!!) - it did feel a bit odd to be honest, like a road I wasn't sure where it was going! It is interesting how I'd obviously blanked it from my mind!