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.

I hadn't realised there was a new one out @MrsEWeatherwax. I'll have to mention it to DP as he usually likes to go and see them at the cinema.

Thanks for the info re the moon - we'll go during the day but I can imagine it's amazing to see in the evening!

@lifelongfrugaleer did you find any? I'll check in ours tomorrow - really like the pumpkins so hopefully can get us some! If I can get any do you want one too @MrsEWeatherwax?

Just spotted you didn't - finger's crossed for Durham then!

Good luck for Durham @Someaddedsugar. If it’s the glass pumpkins, people are selling them on eBay for £20 plus postage (b@sbards).
Thank you for the offer but I wouldn’t want to put you out.
Looking forward to Bond, feels like it’s taken forever, it’s been put back that many times.
Pleased it’s just coming to cinema because we rented Wonder women and it wasn’t the same.

Did anyone see the massive fire at the new Milburngate development, 8 fire engines. My DD had to walk to hospital stop to catch bus home. Pleased nobody hurt. My DD took a few photos.
Wonder if you could see the smoke for miles.
I’m going to wait until Friday now to go Durham.

@Someaddedsugar

Just spotted you didn't - finger's crossed for Durham then!

I didn't see any in there, on Monday.

We couldn't see the smoke but it was blowing the other way and as your dd would have appreciated, we're a long way uphill from the city centre. The air was pretty hazy, though.

Ds2's taxi got held up in the tailbacks on the A167. I was checking the traffic cameras and it looked pretty snarled up.

My DD discovered she’s not as fit as she thought . She was shattered, bless her.
Just took her an hour to get to Durham this morning, she said traffic dreadful.
Might of been an idea for Sixth form to do lessons from home today or let them go in late.
Someaddedsugar hope you don’t have to take your son to nursery today.

Was listening to local radio this morning and they said Newcastle’s vaccine rates are not good. What is going on?
Durham and Darlington are quite good and you would think same type of people and communities. No idea why people don’t want to get vaccinated. Obviously free will and all that, but why?

The traffic was queued right past our house, this morning, @mseweatherwax! Ds2's driver considered using the cocken road to get onto the A1 and go round that way (school is south of the city) but I told him not to bother because half of the county will have had that idea.

The question is, if too much damage has been done to that 200m long wall, how long will fram peth be closed for, until it's made safe. The construction has been metal frame, infilled with breezeblock, then external cladding, as far as I've been able to make out.

Crikey, what numpties would choose to live in a city carved up by a winding river? 😁

@MrsEWeatherwax I believe Newcastle's rate is still pretty good compared to other big cities. Ethnic makeup is slightly different to other areas and some minority groups are more hesitant than others which will tip the numbers a bit . Different health authorities have tackled it slightly differently so some of the difference lies with that. I wonder where mine lies statisticswise as I had my first jab at my hospital visit to the Freeman but my second at home in Darlington.

Durham is just a series of bottle necks. DH tries to use A1 but there are always crashes. Which ever way he tries to come home he hits traffic.
The New Elvet bridge is supposed to open soon isn’t it.
They should never have removed the underpass and the retaining wall from car park of old national saving/ passport office. And the trees shouldn’t have been removed either.

There was me thinking the New College students would be okay.

Oh, I thought it was really bad the way they were talking on radio.
I know Washington area has been more difficult and they haven’t had as many pop up vaccine centres. Which is ridiculous as the Nightingale at Nissan should have been a pop in centre.
They need to do more reassuring maybe. Get the message out there.
Just impressed with Co Durham because we aren’t normally that good. Re vaccine.

I think, even with the dedicated buses, the Sunderland nightingale is a right faff on to get to for people without cars. That might be a factor.

Even though the wind was blowing the other way, my window ledges are black, this morning. Not seen anything like it since Iived in dropping distance of Monkton coke works, before that shut.

Apparently the buses to the nightingale are empty! It really is in a weird place.
The buses around Washington are a nightmare unless you want to go to The galleries or Concord.
I wonder how much damage has been caused with fire. Because it looks like the Premier Inn was just inside to do.
Must admit I think it’s ugly and I think Riverwalk is ugly too. I hate the weird shape and wooden cladding and different bricks 🧱. I need to stop moaning

When the north east was all coal fires my Mam use to clean the downstairs window sills every couple of days. And I always remember her having to wipe the clothes line because it was filthy.
Thankfully times have changed.

It's the bloody spiders and their sticky webs that are more of a pain with my washing line. I've given up dropping it and covering it up because it makes no difference and I inevitably hurt myself moving it.

I know it's a bit early but what's good to do for Halloween and Christmas with under 10s? Last year we did Adventure Valley Christmas special and it was lovely. I heard great things about Beamish at Christmas but never managed to get tickets. Lightwater valley is apparently good for Halloween, so might try that this year. Any recommendations?

If you can go that far stockeld park is fab for Christmas, they also do
Halloween but never been there.
Very mumsnet but national trust is decent. Thing gibside lights were good last year

Gibside has an amazing light display at Christmas - we went last year and it was definitely worth it.

Ushaw College in Durham also do a light event.

If you were willing to travel Kielder has a Winter Wonderland that's really good but kids have to be the age where they believe.

No pumpkins today either at HB. I spotted on the Christmas thread that Washington might be our nearest that does have them.

Has it been said what actually caused the fire in Durham yesterday? I read about it being a fire but then I've heard others say they definitely heard an explosion which is odd. The council were very slow putting the road closure signs up this morning which caused chaos for everyone trying to get into Durham. It took me 55 minutes to do what's normally a 10 minute drive!

We went to look at a house at Fram at the weekend on Holmlands Crescent @PickAChew - I'm very envious of the location in relation to the Greggs . Sadly it wasn't the house for us (offer price not location/style as it was a beautiful house). Possibly a good thing for my waistline and bank balance!!

Definitely just fire, the fire chief said the cavity installation caught fire, by a welder.
I thought of you this morning after my DD was struck on the bus for an hour Someaddedsugar.
Enchanted parks at Saltwell park is back this year we went when DD’s were younger. It was really good.
They might be too old for Tanfield railway. We enjoyed that too.
Beamish is good just during day, I’ve never bothered to go to extra nights ( too mean to pay extra)

Can I be cheeky and ask which thread mentions the pumpkins?@Someaddedsugar.

HB is where M&S simply food isn’t it. At Washington I mean.

We ruled out Holmlands crescent because of the house to price ratio. That little island is so expensive! The guy who carries the repent all ye sins placards lives there 🤫 his garden decor is... Interesting.

My boys are past all these festive events, now. They never were particularly fussed, anyhow. We just hand Ds1 some money and chocolate and say no more. He hates presents. Ds2 believes but would scare all the little kids and get bored and want to leave after 3 minutes.