Bonny lasses assemble for the North East support thread 2!

[PennyDreadfuI]

Shiny new thread for all your north east needs.

Hello 👋

Sorry I'm late.....just found the new thread.

Eeeeeh it's Baltic today! But at least it's not raining.

Me and DH are going to our private bar this evening as we do every Friday and Saturday evening. By 'private bar' I mean our kitchen window sill. At the start of lockdown in March we turned part of the kitchen into a bar area with fairy lights around the window and candles and a dedicated playlist. Our kitchen window sill is nice and deep and we have a fabulous view - we can see the airport runway and the borders in one direction and in the other, the racecourse and the windfarms at Blyth (can't quite see the sea itself but when the roofers were in on the scaffolding, they could). It was lovely in the summer with the window wide open, hopefully in the autumn/winter it'll be cosy. Especially when we get a Christmas tree in there!

Hope everyone's well today. The latest figures make for some pretty grim reading don't they.

But it's the weekend! Almost! Does anyone else feel like there have been more Fridays in each week than usual since All This began? They seem to come around stupidly quickly.

Tomorrow me and DH will have a potter around Gosforth and buy some beer from Gosforth Traders (that shop pretty much kept us sane over the last lockdown). Usually we'd go for an early evening drink or two at Barca or The Brandling or nip into town to Intermezzo or DatBar (while mourning the loss of Bierrex, the greatest bar in the world until it closed). I think we'll steer clear of pubs tomorrow though. We've only been for drinks a handful of times since March and my god I miss the 'us' time. We live with DD 23 so privacy is at a premium!

@MissEWeatherwax

Went to Newcastle today, pretty quiet. I don’t think even John Lewis/Waitrose/ Fenwicks will tempt me back. The bus took 1.25 minutes because it now goings around the world. I’ll save my money. But at least it’s stopped raining. At the moment I’m enjoying Chester-Le-Street rather than Durham(never thought I would say that).

I love a trip to Chester Le Street! Haven't been since January though, god knows when I'll get there again. I usually get the bus to Durham and stop at CLS on the way back. Boyes is fantastic. I always find stuff I never knew I needed

Well I had a lovely encounter in tesco express this morning. Dodgy lookind drunk man stumbling around with teenage son in school uniform and no masks. They ended up infront of me in the queue and this was the Convo with the womab at the till:
Man: had to pick the bairn up from school
Woman (looking worried) : why, is he ill?
Man: nah but my wife is ill. Just got her text she's got covid so had to pick him up

Poor woman behind till and the old lady behind me looked panicked. How awful. Obviously his 4 pack of cans was more important.
No wonder its rife in South tyneside.

@Jrobhatch29 ffs. What is actually wrong with people?!

[quote PennyDreadfuI]@Jrobhatch29 ffs. What is actually wrong with people?![/quote]
I know! The woman behind the till couldn't stop apologising to the people in the queue as well as if it was her fault bless her

Jesus. What a wanker.
That's part of why I left my job at Sainsbury's in June. To he honest, we always had a decent sort of customer. However some of the blind ignorance / arrogance / selfishness / denial meant that sooner or later I was going to scream at someone to get the fuck out of my face.

Anyone fancy clubbing together for Crook Hall? Only 1.8 million
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85107937.html

I'm cursing Covid even more now.
I look forward to the Smyths catalogue every year as it means I can look for ideas for the kids. (yes, I'm weird!)
We always pick one up for them - long story but my eldest who has ASD loves looking at one & takes it to bed with him to read every single night.

SO. Usually we'd get the bus, go to Smyths. Pick them up a toy each & a catalogue (always been allowed to pick up 2 - this year might have been tricky though as no doubt 3yo would have wanted one aswell!) have a wander and normally grab some lunch. Eldest saw mine had arrived today & of course he's just realised that it's another thing he's ''lost'' this year. Told him hopefully we'll be able to get one at some point soon but to be honest, I'm not really sure it'll be lifted this side of Christmas.

Well of course none of that is essential is it. Damn covid.

Whereabouts are you @Shitfuckoh? I'd be happy to give you my catalogue if you're anywhere near Bishop Auckland/Aycliffe/Darlington

Aww thanks @swg1 I'm SE Durham. I'm hoping we'll be able to do our 'trip' soon but I've requested one online - no idea if it's 1 per household or not but no harm in trying! Just a reminder of how different this season may be compared to normal

[quote PickAChew]Anyone fancy clubbing together for Crook Hall? Only 1.8 million
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85107937.html[/quote]
Soz, beat you to it and bought it with the loose change from down the back of the sofa. It'll make a nice bolthole for me and Mr Dreadful. Looks a bit poky though, we'll probably have to extend.

@Shitfuckoh if it's one per household let me know and I'll order one and send it on.

I'd love to chip in for Crook Hall too but the red from 1 of the rooms has blinded me!

Look at all the grounds that come with it though & the coach house - I wonder if I could turn the office in to a play area for the kids and keep the apartment above so I can have a kip whilst they play!

@Shitfuckoh Ask around your neighbours/school friends maybe. I'd have no problem getting one delivered to me for a friend.

Or try messaging Smyths through social media. I feel like if you ask they might well be prepared to help.

@Shitfuckoh

I'm cursing Covid even more now. I look forward to the Smyths catalogue every year as it means I can look for ideas for the kids. (yes, I'm weird!) We always pick one up for them - long story but my eldest who has ASD loves looking at one & takes it to bed with him to read every single night.

SO. Usually we'd get the bus, go to Smyths. Pick them up a toy each & a catalogue (always been allowed to pick up 2 - this year might have been tricky though as no doubt 3yo would have wanted one aswell!) have a wander and normally grab some lunch. Eldest saw mine had arrived today & of course he's just realised that it's another thing he's ''lost'' this year. Told him hopefully we'll be able to get one at some point soon but to be honest, I'm not really sure it'll be lifted this side of Christmas.

Well of course none of that is essential is it. Damn covid.

Ah thats such a shame Ours came in the post and the kids have already chopped it to bits and stuck it on paper ha! How old is he? Could you make a deal of santa having delivered one for him or something to make it a bit more special if it means alot to him?

I only ordered one smyths book but they sent me two

@PennyDreadfuI

Thank you

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we may come out of 'restrictions' soon but I get the feeling if we do, it'll be to be straight into National ones looking a lot like we have here now.

Their dad has decided (after speaking to his Mam) that actually, he will see them. Only he's ''not well'' so not yet. Great, just after I'd explained to them that they weren't seeing him for a while!
I shouldn't complain that he wants to see them and I'm not, I'm complaining at the fact that he's a fair weather father only when it suits him.

Newcastle here, running a coffee shop and pleased to report business doesn't seem to be affected so far...everyone complying with masks, staying at their table and generally being sensible! Luckily cake is an essential in these trying times🙂

Thanks everyone.
I've requested one & hopefully it'll arrive. If not I'm sure I'll be able to get someone to grab one for me whilst they're near there.
It's more the thought of it being one more thing if that makes sense?

@Jrobhatch29
He's 9 but with him having ASD and being delayed he's not a ''typical'' 9 year old. He still believes. It's more the routine of him getting one & then having his own that's important. He's bus & train obsessed although this year he's wanting a PS4 (thank goodness it's not a 5!) with some bus and train games Mine would have already started cutting it but it's out of reach at the moment, I plan on looking through it later.

Shitfuckoh i have one i can post to you! My daughter normally does the same with grandaughter to get ideas. Last weekend they decided to make there own trip at home. They bought her a scrap book and grandaughter had fun cutting the toys she liked out and pritsicking them in to her own toy shop scrap book followed by a home delivery of macdonalds as a treat. Several hours of fun where had. I'd started a new family tradition of taking granddaughter to Fenwicks window then to fenwicks Christmas decoration dept and choosing a new bauble. Ive just realised that will not be happening this year.

Another smyths catalogue here if you get stuck although it has been circled in pen (quite considerably ) by the youngest, don't know if that would bother him? My eldest has ASD so I understand

@Shitfuckoh

I'd love to chip in for Crook Hall too but the red from 1 of the rooms has blinded me!

Look at all the grounds that come with it though & the coach house - I wonder if I could turn the office in to a play area for the kids and keep the apartment above so I can have a kip whilst they play!

The nearby water treatment works is the deal breaker for me. Doesn't half hum on a warm day.

You're all a lovely bunch, thank you!

@lanbro
Cake? Cake? Cake?!

@PickAChew
Oh goodness. Not sure I'd spend 1.8 million if it came with that smell!

And DS2 has been missing his occasional tour of Smyths so he can press all the buttons and scare a few toddlers. He's had to make do with locating all the sores on the country on a map and telling us, at length, where they are. His thing is maps and A roads and he spent much of lockdown travelling to grandma's via Google Street View (and rapidly draining the battery in his tablet, in the process)