North East thread 7: the bus chat continues...

[Someaddedsugar]

Just setting this up so it's here

@RagzRebooted the council can definitely tell you and the schools team should be able to let you know over the phone.

Thanks, I will give them a call. I think there's 2 secondary schools? Maybe more, I'm not sure.

Any opinions on Bishop Auckland? We've not visited yet, but it's on the list for next month. DH likes the idea of being further out towards the Pennines, but it does look quite far from everywhere on the map and trains appear to be infrequent and only go to Darlington, would have to change for Durham/Newcastle. Buses look like they take quite a while. Housing seems plentiful and cheap though and the town seems to be getting investment and improvements.

Originally we had Chester Le St as a top of our list but schools are same issue as Durham and surrounding villages and housing is thin on the ground in our price range and very few rentals.

DH is driving to Middlesbrough tonight for a week's training for his new job tomorrow. I've just checked the weather as we're forecast snow overnight here but it appears snow free and several degrees warmer all week up there than it is down here in the SE.
He'll be driving around the NE all week, so hopefully this will help him learn the roads and where all the towns are in relation to each other up there. First time we visited he kept thinking Durham was north of Newcastle.

Bishop does have some nice spots. It also has some of the most deprived places in the country. But there is a lot of investment including cultural investment and some great projects that have happened in Bishop. To be fair that sort of description can go for a lot of the North East and places like Stanley and Consett that you've mentioned as places to consider also have nice areas and areas of very high deprivation. This can bring brilliant opportunities for young people alongside the difficulties so I don't necessarily see areas of high deprivation to be something to avoid completely.

Transport does get more complicated from some of those areas as buses can take longer and are not always reliable. I would suggest, especially with teens that you think about what hobbies they have and where they might need to access and how to get there! Being out in a village I do end up doing a lot of taxi service but the dc can get to Durham on the bus fairly easily so oldest has a part time job in Durham and can get there without spending half his wage on transport and they can get in to cinema etc for social lives as well as being independent for getting to school including staying at after school clubs etc if they want to which I think is important.

I might be wrong but I'm sure Carmel is the best secondary (and one of the top ones in the NE) and then Hummersknott. I'm not sure about the others but there are another two or three I think.

Ok, main bus depots south of the Tyne - DS2 has taken to reciting these 😂

Go North East - Consett, Washington, Sunderland, Gateshead (near the Metrocentre).

Arriva - Durham (Belmont) , Darlington (Faverdale), Stockton, Redcar,

Stagecoach - South Shields, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Stockton

Just for commutes I would suggest looking at Bowburn but it's a terrible spot for access to any schools at all.

Belmont in Durham isn't the most wonderful school but nor is it as dreadful as the Fed so it's worth checking to see if they have places. Thst would open up your options a bit.

Shotton Hall academy near Peterlee is also worth a look. Peterlee itself is grim but there are nice pockets, like everywhere in the county.

@PickAChew thank you! I've screenshot that list of depots for DS1.
So, The Fed school really is bad then?! I'll call/email and ask about Belmont places. We ideally wanted somewhere with a 6th form, so DD doesn't have to move again, neither have that but it's not looking like we will have much choice.
Peterlee looked quite far from anywhere on the map and I must admit I'd read enough bad things about it to be completely put off, though maybe we should visit anyway.

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea I'm not a snob or even slightly posh and don't really mind if somewhere is a bit run down or deprived, but I've teens to think about and don't want them getting hassle so if somewhere is rough but reasonably safe for the teens to go into town then that's fine. Or anywhere they can easily get a bus to somewhere a bit nicer! I'm a taxi service a lot right now and DS2 can't find a weekend job as the buses are rubbish here, none at all on Sunday and we only got a Saturday one last year.
I emailed the secondary in Bishop last year and they had one space in DD's year, but it does change weekly.

@Someaddedsugar I assumed if Carmel's that good, it will be full. That's the problem with moving in-year, unless there's a place we can't know we'll get her in. I think if all the schools in an area are full they just make a space, but also they can send you up to 45 mins away to a school that does have spaces, which wouldn't be great for making friends.

Carmel is full and unless you are catholic or have ehcp very difficult to get into.
hummersknott is good but I know lots of people who are unhappy there.
wyvern is actually ok as a school from people on the inside but historically has a bad reputation. Covkerton and west park will give you decent houses in a nice areas though branksome estate can be rough.

going north to Harrogate hill area and across the north part of town is decent. I’ve heard mixed about longfieid and education village. So defo have a look.
avoid skern park, East borne, and the other estates that has just fallen out my head (it’s off Geneva road) and st aidens

it’s 30 minutes in a train to ncl and the Hoffal bus takes about an hour I think. The only thing Is the weekend trains stop quite early

that’s Darlington in a few sentences

Oh 6th form QE is better than Darlington college
and Carmel 6th take external applications from any faith as well

Is Hurworth secondary still in existence? That used to be good when I was younger (granted that's 20-odd years ago!)

Yes absolutely. It’s good too. You need to be looking at Middleton St George or hurworth & Croft for that school

For Sixth form, Durham sixth form is excellent. If for bikes etc would a three bed with large shed do? Because loads of people/houses have large shed. Especially as working class area.
Don’t rule out Stanley some very nice areas (in with the bad)
Loads of new builds going around Pelton area. What about Witton Gilbert/Langley Park. Countryside on doorstep and not too far from things and cheaper than Lancaster.

Good luck @RagzRebooted .
Only thing the Fed might not be great but if your DD is bright she will do well. Then she can go Durham Sixth form or St Bedes. New college Durham is rated excellent I think.
House prices definitely aren’t as cheap as they were.
But there is definitely a motorcycle community here. They often meet in Tesco car park in CLS.
And people are friendly if you are friendly!

Need 3 beds as 3 DCs and promised them a room each! But yes, a large shed/workshop would probably be okay if it's secure enough.
I'll look at Stanley. We very briefly visited Consett but haven't been to Stanley. I hear there's a swingers Hotel!
We will visit the Fed while we're up and see what DD thinks. She would prefer a smaller school, so it may not be the worst option and worth at least looking in case she does end up there.
DD is very bright, she will do fine academically at school but she's very shy and a bit different so just don't want her being bullied, though that's just as likely in any school. I'll probably look at getting her into Guides again as she does that here and the type of girls that go tend to be quite chill and sweet.
I'm friendly to the point of frequently embarrassing my teenagers by talking to random people in shops, so I'm sure I'll fit in!

Yes, I’ve heard about the Swingers hotel, no idea where it! Stanley town centre is dire. But has Asda/Aldi/Home Bargains etc. But Metro centre is really not far.
I know lots of people from Stanley and you just need a bit of local knowledge.
But if you want a laugh and think never moving there join Stanley Chatterbox on Facebook.

Anyone been to new bus station yet? I’m going next week, pleased it finally finished.
Would have liked free toilets but you can’t have everything.
The weather is cold and bright, I can’t wait for spring.

I'm not enjoying the cold weather but it's nice to see the sun!

New bus station already has a broken window/door.

It doesn't leak, at least. Shame as it could do with some buckets as there are no bins.

I used to travel up and down on the East Coast line pretty regularly. It was really annoying when the bins disappeared from Kings Cross Station, but the activities of the IRA at the time meant they had to go.

Bins in public spaces seem to have remained pretty scarce ever since.

I was doing similar journeys regularly around that time, too. I remember a lot of bins being replaced with ones that would explode upwards, rather than outwards 😫

I think I this case, it's just some misguided attempt to persuade people to take their rubbish home.

I think I this case, it's just some misguided attempt to persuade people to take their rubbish home.

Or someone saving the cost of some bins. How much has the bus station cost, and by how much has it gone over budget, I wonder.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and lighter mornings and etc.
Saw the sad news that Robinsons veg shop has closed very sad.

Very sad about Robinsons. It is so rare to have a greengrocer that really does local, seasonal produce and that has lots of traditional varieties. Where am I going to get Russet apples from in the autumn now?

ditto Russets... I am going to have to plant a tree now. I look forward to them so much. Russet apple with a hunk of Linconshire Poacher. Yum!