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.

Hope your DS is much better now @PickAChew!

DP went out in Durham on Friday afternoon for his work Christmas do and said it was really quiet everywhere. There was only his group of 5 in the restaurant.

Hope everyone’s ok despite the rumours in the news.

I’m trying not to watch the news, I’m so scared I’m won’t get Christmas with DP’s .
Everyone bar youngest is now booster’d.
Going to try a walk-in next week as a date will be up.
Feel very flat about Christmas, but I am struggling at moment.
Hope everyone stays covid free and has a lovely Christmas whatever the rules. Santa 🎅 🧑‍🎄

@AlviarinAesSedai hope you're ok and I really hope you do get Christmas with your DPs. Are you visiting them for Christmas Day or are they coming to you? I'm also hopeful that we can visit DPs on Christmas Day. Last year it was just the three of us and while it was lovely in a different way I did miss being with family.

I saw the whole of my mum's side of the family today and when I left I felt extremely emotional as it's the first time we've all been in a room for two years (with a new family member too!).

How old is your youngest @AlviarinAesSedai - DSIL managed to get a last minute appt at the Sacriston pharmacy this morning - they might still have last minute ones?

I’m feeling a bit flat today as DD has tested positive so that’s us pretty much stuck at home till the 29th (assuming the rest of us don’t get it). She was at a school residential near the lakes last week and at least 6 of her class have tested positive over the weekend. I’m still glad she went as she had an amazing time but I know DM and DMIL are gutted not to be seeing us for Christmas.

We live near my DP’s so visit in morning then they go to my DSis for lunch and we then go to DSis for a sort of Christmas buffet, very casual. It will kill my DM is she has to spend day alone with DF. My have a happy
marriage but not spending every minute
together. 😂.
Youngest is 17, did see a Facebook post from Sacriston pharmacy but she doesn’t want to go, in case they won’t give her the booster.

I’m so sorry TattiePants that is awful news. Hopefully you have Christmas food etc. And she isn’t ill with it. And you stay covid negative 🤞🏻.

Yesterday DD's partner tested +ve, symptoms are mild. So he is isolating over Christmas, and DD will only go out for necessities (she is double jabbed so technically doesn't have to isolate).

Ds2 has been full on Ds2, today - with the odd cough in our faces thrown in🤢

agreed with my parents not to even try to meet, this Christmas. save disappointment, all round. mum still waiting for her heart procedure (possibly 5 months into the originally 9 month wait and she has a phone consultation, this week) but she did have a steroid implant in her eye, last week, in an attempt to save it.

Hope you're ok @TattiePants. Is your DD ok?

Hope your DD and partner are ok @TheSilveryTinsellyPussycat.

@PickAChew I hope your DM's procedure goes ahead as planned (appreciate you've got a few months to wait yet) and her eye is ok. Pleased your DS is back to being himself (despite the cough).

I had to go and pick something up at the Arnison Centre today and it was bedlam and it's only Monday. Not a space in the car park so I parked at work. I can't remember seeing it that busy in ages!

@AlviarinAesSedai I think I would kill DP if we had to spend every day together in the house 😂. We've got a few days off together this week to build some of DS' presents while he's at nursery and I'll be amazed if we get through it without bickering! I love him and he's amazing but he can be so annoying 🤣.

Yes, I love my DF but he is very annoying. Thank goodness I don’t have to live with him. 😆.
My DSis was at Arnison this afternoon and said the same.
Hope your DM’s operation goes head as planned PickAChew. So sad you can’t see your DP’s second year running.
Hope everyone with covid gets it very mild and others don’t catch it.
I was planning on going to Arnison after 7 o’clock to buy last minute food treats. Need to check opening times of M&S etc.

DD’s pcr came back last night positive which we expected, everyone else’s is negative so far. She’s got absolutely no symptoms but there were 16 off in her class today, either positive or waiting for results. There were quite a few others off in her year but her class seems to have been badly hit.

I spent the day doing all the jobs I need to do this week in case we end up positive and cancelling dentists, hairdressers etc. At least I now have a full fridge and freezer if the worst happens!

I’m down south for the Christmas break. It’s all out madness here!

@AlviarinAesSedai I'm sure M&S are doing later opening this week. I'm planning on going straight after drop off tomorrow morning and hoping it's quieter at 8am.

@TattiePants hope she's ok! Pleased you have plenty of food.

@Gilead hope you have a lovely time and it isn't too mad - although everywhere feels a bit mad at the moment.

Gosh M&S at Arnison is 24 hours until Christmas Eve 😯 .

M&S wasn't bad when I arrived just before 10yesterday but was much more hectic by 10:30.

Popped into town to sprinkle some cash at the remaining shops, today. Pleasantly busy, despite the lack of students, though Silver Street is more desolate with every visit.

Fingers crossed, mum's getting fixed, next month.

24 hours a day at M&S must be new is it - I can't remember them doing that before! It was busier than normal at 8.30 today but not too busy - just a nice amount of people! Sainsburys looked as though it was getting busy too.

That's great news about your mum @PickAChew!

I'm going to have a look around Durham tomorrow morning. I need some tiny things to put in crackers so hoping I get some inspiration while I'm there. I'm hoping Flat White is quiet as I love going for breakfast there but not a fan of the queue outside that's there more often than not!

I love Flat White too, but hate queuing. Good luck, I do like the pancakes 🥞 .
Normally if queue too long I go to Leonard’s behind silver street instead.love that cafe .

I went to Arnison Centre Saisbury's about 5.30 and it was fine. And only a couple of things I wanted were out of stock.

I haven't heard from DD (except in a FB post), so I am presuming they are Ok. They were going to host Boxing Day brunch for DS, his partner, and me. Turned out DD invited me without telling Ex, and Ex without telling me We are like cordial aquaintances now, so it wouldn't have made any difference. And now Ex is doing Boxing Day lunch for DS and partner, and me .

The FB post was to alert people to a CrowdFunder for a Durham city tasting menu restaurant called Coarse. It ends soon, just thought I'd put this out there for anyone who would like contribute.

It's actually KickStarter.

I signed up to the Coarse kickstarter a couple of weeks ago - they had a pop up at Broomhouse last week - looked lush from their photos!

Went Arnison late afternoon was heaving. But M&S had turkeys etc.

I saw the Coarse food in Broomhouse's photos on social media - it looks amazing! Thanks for flagging the Kickstarter - I'll contribute now!

I need to go to the Arnison Centre tomorrow and just hoping I manage to time it right so I don't end up stuck in the crowds!

We've got Beamish Hall's light trail booked for tomorrow night which I'm really looking forward to!

Flat White was busy as per usual so ended up in Bill's which was lovely. I really enjoyed the breakfast.

@TheSilveryTinsellyPussycat pleased your DD is ok!

Now the isolation guidance has changed, Boxing Day brunch with DD and her partner may be on again.

Coarse didn't make its target. Shame I only heard about it a couple of days before KickStart finished.

That’s such a shame about Coarse. I wonder if he’ll try again with a different method of funding?

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas 🎄🍾