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

[Someaddedsugar]

Just setting this up so it's here

Durham Centre is so tricky. I want to be able to use it more, I love that we have Collected Books, Meeple World, the Discovering Durham shop etc. The Warhammer shop is so friendly too and I do love the number of independent cafés. I want to be able to go in to Durham when I need something and then be able to browse the books, have a coffee and so on. But realistically most people go shopping for a thing they need and then browse the lovely non essentials as a bonus. If what I need is a new dress or some shoes that are not Clarks then I'm not going to go to Durham and not am I going to go in just to go to 2 shops.

But I do want to try. Ds works at Meeple now too so extra reason to support them. I will send up there at some point before Christmas for some shopping.

I've seen the pictures, @Florelei . Horrendous 🙁

There's only 3 things that get me into Durham, now. The banks, the horrendous post office and the opticians.

We go to Simon Berry up Gilesgate for the optician. We have a post office in the village and my bank stopped opening on Saturdays so......

It is crap really. If I could do some basic clothes shopping etc then I would go in more and i would likely spend more on indie businesses as I would get tempted by a book, a bar of chocolate etc. You need a decent mix of indie stuff and high street chain I think. When the dc were younger I could genuinely do a lot of their clothes shopping in Durham City centre. Wouldn't be able to do that now.

Lol at the horrendous Post Office, too true.
I was shocked when I read on Barclays door, that they are closing December.
I had to tell my DM, so she is now closing her savings account.

HSBC has been all machines for goodness knows how long. No good when DH wanted to deposit the contents of the change jar that he'd had for years! I helped Ds1 to open his account with coop, shortly before they went and shut a load of branches but, thankfully, not ours. Yet.

NatWest have a coin counter, such fun.
My DM is opening a Newcastle building society, because they have branches at Chester and Durham.
Reason being because Barclays sent her a letter to tell her because she had ignored previous letters, (she never received) she had to go into branch to prove who she was. Also said because she hadn’t touched her account. Duh it’s her rainy day account.

They are dreadful aren’t they.
river Wear looks fit to burst its banks soon too

Hope everyone is ok. We spent the morning moving horses from rain sodden fields and prepping stables for them to be in.

I've got garage, optician, GP, two very good charity shops, and, of course, Greggs within walking distance. You can even buy beds and carpets. Fram is too well provided for in some ways, though lacking in others. I'm very busy atm and would love to go into Durham more. Last time was to dentist - and not very satisfactory

I had been planning to go up the Dale today, but thought to check the roads. So I went on the Northern Echo FB site, and the first thing I saw was the flooding at Malton Picnic Area I abandoned my plans, as the A690 was flooded where I thought it would be, and driving over the tops did not appeal because in this kind of rain it's like driving through a constant stream, as the run-off comes straight off the fields on its way to flood the river valley I learned all this the hard way, as I was caught in the Great Cell Thingy of 2012.

We haven't been further than the Arnison centre, which was already mad at 10am. Even Ds2 hasn't been nattering for a walk. Though only thing stopping him fro harassing Ds1 is my threat to turn the radio off if he doesn't behave, mind. It's going to be a long week.

Thanks @Florelei - I risked it after picking up from Witton and had a slight panic at the flood just below the turn off to Burnhope after the Langley Park roundabout but other than that it seemed clear.

Hopefully everyone's managing to get cleared up and it isn't too bad 🤞🏻.

I noticed the housing development near the fire station looks like it'll start too. I wonder what will happen with secondary schools in Durham, as without the one that used to be in Sacriston where will the surrounding villages go to school if that new estate is big?

They are also going to extend park and ride too.
In the Durham plan they mention primary school, but no mention of secondary.
All the schools Hermitage/Fram /park view and Durham Johnston are full. Nobody where I am are sending to Durham Fed(Ushaw moor)
In Stanley they wanting to close Tanfield, or they were. So even they would only have Stanley one.
I thought the census every 10 years was to help plan these things.

God I hate the clock change, it’s not stopped raining and it’s so bloody dark.

I'm sure I read there'd be a primary school, doctors and community centre but as you say @AlviarinAesSedai no mention of a secondary.

St Bede's is also full too I think so that's not an option either. I don't know if anyone going to the school at Ushaw Moor but maybe that will be the only option?

When I drove back through Durham tonight the river was flowing across the road outside the Radisson - I can't remember it being that full for a long time!

Do your horses live indoors over winter @lifelongfrugaleer?

I hope things calm down overnight, I've an early train tomorrow!

The lack of secondary is worrying with the new development, I've been concerned about that from when it was first planned. We are so restricted for secondary where we are, essentially you get them in to the Catholic feeder primary to go to Leonard's or else you'll be allocated Ushaw Moor. You used to be able to get in to places like Fram but it is rare now. Building more and more houses between us and Durham I wonder how long being at a Catholic feeder will realistically work for. And then what happens? One way of evening or the mix of kids who go to Ushaw Moor I guess but what about choice?

You can't really go the other way from us and go to St Bedes etc as they don't take from our direction and in any case there isn't any transport that way.

Durham has some great secondary schools but three main ones are clustered together and then there is very little choice for those further out.

The development off the A181 near dragonville is getting underway, too, and that's another massive one. Not sure how much space there is in Belmont and there's nothing else over that way. In the villages along thst way, kids either go to Belmont or Wellfield with the odd one to Shotton Hall or whatever it is this week but they're going to lose the chance of Belmont with the new estate.

Ooh, a chart https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/8288

I like the chart @PickAChew!

I'd forgotten about that development. There'll be families that way on having similar worries to Witton etc I'd imagine re schools. I'm sure I'd read Fram was expanding but I can see it being by enough to support a whole mini village if the Sniperley estate is as big as the press had mentioned.

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea I agree there should be choices available. I'm still in touch with some of the parents at DS' old school and they're already similarly worried about not being given a choice.

Town planners had often done a degree in Geography in the olden days. These days, I suspect, numbers rule, and short-termism.

E.g. Let's close the A&E at Bishop. Let's ask the locals what they think.
Oh, the locals have said No? Well, we'll just have to ask them again.
They've still said No? Well, they've got one last chance to make the right choice.
Eventually:
Well, we know best. It's Dryburn or Darlo for everyone in Weardale from now on.
(Oh, by the way, let's change that to The University Hospital of North Durham.)

(Similar sort of thing for Shotley Bridge, IIRC)

Surprise, surprise! Not enough parking at TUHOND/Dryburn. Not for visitors, not for staff.

Nobody gets paid for thinking things through properly these days, it seems.

(Not strictly town planning, or is it?, but same factors at play.)

Newcastle uni ran a town and country planning degree back in the 80s. (no Idea if they still do). They were very much geographers with added theodolite!

University hospital Durham also has less beds than Dryburn. Add in an aging population and more people moving to area. Not that I don’t want people moving here(best county ever).
Im selfishly pleased mine have left school. But in the last 10 years they have closed Fyndoune and Pelton Roseberry.
Massive house building now happening around Pelton Roseberry old school area.
Hermitage full and most other parents not keen on North Durham Academy (Stanley).
No future planning at all, but lots of pretty booklets and pie in the sky talk.

Forgot to say can’t see how Park View especially can extend, middle of houses. Hermitage has already expanded, not sure if it has land to expand more.