North East thread 6: Everyone's welcome!

[Someaddedsugar]

Just starting a new thread for anyone who wants to join!

I’m waiting for my text alert for flu and covid jab. My DP’s are going today.

Yes, he's learned to let the x21 go as that gets full of students at this end so he might get stuck but he still has up to 3 other buses to choose from (depending on cancellations!) if he has a wait, he often pops into b&m or a charity shop.

I quite like that B&M not too big. They hardly have any Halloween items and have gone straight for Christmas.
I’m reading all of the Christmas threads trying to get in the mood, but I’m just not feeling it. How I wish my children were back being small. 😔.

DS has dropped Halloween for Christmas in the last few days and we've been watching Christmas films and reading Christmas books. I love Christmas and have started my shopping but this just feels a bit too early even for me 😂.

Everyone keeps saying to enjoy these years while he believes so trying to make the most of it! I imagine it's so different when your children are older @AlviarinAesSedai. My parents said it's very different now we've moved out and it's just the two of them.

Definitely enjoy, sorry if twee! But time goes so fast and before you know it’s bank transfer on Christmas Day a minute past midnight, 😆 .
I would quite like to visit Gibside light show and Ushaw college. Love a light show ( not keen on the horror stuff (Beamish Hall).

Sorry @AlviarinAesSedai - the bank transfer made me laugh!

Friends have also been saying that the present size shrinks dramatically by the time they get to teen years so making the most of being able to get things from Vinted/Facebook this year (a paw patrol tower that I suspect will be played with once a month at most 🙄😂).

The light show at Gibside was amazing the year before last. We didn't get tickets last year but would love to go this year. We went to Beamish Hall's Christmas light show last year and not to sound snotty it wasn't the same scale as Gibside or Ushaw but was still a really fun night as they had a disco and a few interactive things to do.

Have you been to the cathedral's light event? I wish we'd got tickets now I've seen what it looks like!

The cathedral looks amazing. I am regretting not going for it and getting tickets, everything just seems so expensive when multiplied by 5!

We did the gibside trail must be Christmas before last, when theatres etc were closed. Did it for dd's birthday as we normally go to the theatre for her. It was very good but very expensive.

I always look at ushaw too as they look great but again it is the cost and I'm always afraid things won't be as good as they look and I'll have spent a million pounds on a5 min walk past some light bulbs.

Definitely enjoy Christmas with small excited people. My big one just wants lego sets that are £400 so they know they won't get or money. His stocking is bloody difficult too as he doesn't even do aftershave or anything. Thankfully I still have the 10 year old.

Saltwell park light show was good. But think that was Christmas.I wish I had seen adverts for the Cathedral.
Is there something At Sunderland?
They children want to do the Terror in the Trees.

Keep the Paw Patrol and sell next year, 😆 Someaddedsugar.
Mine only want chocolate/sweets in their socking 😔
I am enjoying buying on Vinted and selling.
I must book Beamish at night. I saw that Broom House farm is doing 🔥 bonfire and fireworks.
Must admit normally just like to watch from upstairs at home.

It was the cost that put me off the cathedral too @OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea. Even for the three of us it would have worked out quite expensive.

I'm sure the Beamish Hall one was a really good price in comparison to the other light shows.

Is Terror in the Trees the one near Gibside AlviarinAesSedai?

We've booked the broom house farm fireworks as DS isn't a fan of the bigger displays and how loud they get (and I like the thought of their food 😂).

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea I've never fully understood how Lego can charge such high prices. We were in the Lego shop last week and there was a set for nearly £400 and while I do appreciate the amount of work that goes into making the bricks and planning how the set will work together, it just seems so expensive!

Plotters Forest at Raby Castle are doing an evening light trail in the run up to Xmas. We've booked and it's a lot cheaper than Gibside etc although no idea what it will be like.

Anyone going to this outdoor Alice in Wonderland escape room type event next week?

I have bought tickets for DD's birthday.

Our kids loved the Paw Patrol tower and pups/cars for about 5 years! They played with it most days indoors and in the garden. Every time I thought they were getting bored with it and thought we might finally get the space back, no - there they were playing with it again!

Thanks for all of the tips of things to do!

We are going to Kielder Winter Wonderland this year. Has anyone been before?

We did Beamish one evening last year (we love Beamish!) but the Santa experience was a bit disappointing, possibly due to Covid rules still sort of being in place.

@ZumaBeach we have (full disclosure but I indirectly work with Kielder as it's owned by Northumbrian Water but this was paid for by us and wasn't a work thing). We went in 2019 and DS loved it. DP and I really enjoyed it too. I would recommend taking snacks if you do go as it can be expensive for food once you're there.

That's great - will definitely load up on the snacks in that case!

@twistyizzy will you let me know what the Raby Castle trail is like please? We were looking at that one but couldn't find a date that worked so went for their fireside story with Father Christmas instead (not the same at all but I got a bit panicky 😂).

@xsquared I'm not going but I think I've seen it advertised on Instagram - it looks great fun!

Will do 😊

We did Kielder a few years ago as an alternative to Centre Parcs. It was really good but freezing lol as it is a outdoors. Would say it is for younger kids, our DD was 6 when we went and she loved it.

Anyone know of a decent dentist around Hartlepool that's taking NHS patients on? Chipped my fricking tooth and my dentist has deregistered me! It's quite sore.

Hope you're ok @QuestionableMouse!

Oh no! Sorry I don't know of any dentists in Hartlepool but I hope you find one and it's not too uncomfortable for you in the meantime.

@QuestionableMouse - just a thought if you are on Facebook - there is the Facebook group Mums in Durham which covers County Durham so maybe someone on there might have a recommendation?

Also if you call 111 I think they can direct you to a local dentist / emergency dentist.

Fingers crossed for you!

Will check that out, thank you!

111 are unable to help unfortunately because there's just no appointments. Well they offered me one at 1pm but it was for 1:30, and the drive takes at least 45mins! Just physically impossible to get there! 😔

Not too painful atm - I've stuck a temp filling on it but I don't think I did the best job 😬