Howay the lasses - it's thread (but hopefully not tier) 3!

[PennyDreadfuI]

Haway if you're in Sunderland, of course

And this is a difficult time of year for dh. His dad took bad over Christmas 5 years ago and 3 years ago, we had just moved into this house and DMIL died a few days later so we spent boxing day shopping for food for her wake. I can forgive him minimising my disappointment but he has no bloody idea how to commiserate at the best of times. Aaargh!

[quote PickAChew]@Someaddedsugar my parents' neighbour will probably have a house full, regardless, as they have all along, but it wouldn't feel right and Ds1 wouldn't be comfortable with rule breaking. Tearing down the A1 on Christmas Eve would probably be a wee bit obvious, anyhow.[/quote]
Such a shame you can't go. It feels so cruel that they've left it this late to backtrack when people have been looking forward to a few days of 'normality'.

It's the same in our street as your parents. Every weekend the couple opposite have all of their extended family round. I'm anticipating the same on Christmas Day too.

@PickAChew

And this is a difficult time of year for dh. His dad took bad over Christmas 5 years ago and 3 years ago, we had just moved into this house and DMIL died a few days later so we spent boxing day shopping for food for her wake. I can forgive him minimising my disappointment but he has no bloody idea how to commiserate at the best of times. Aaargh!

So sorry to read this - that must have been very hard for you all.

I’m so sorry PickAChew.

This is the first year he's been fairly upbeat. MIL was a sociable lady and this year would have been hell for her. She had a hole in her heart and we always avoided meeting up with her when we had a simple cold because she found them so hard to fight off and struggle to get enough oxygen without clear lungs. Until FIL took ill she spent most days around Peterlee town centre, bumping into people for a natter. She never got her fitness back after having to care for him, though.

On a lighter note, have you seen the opening times for M&S, at Arnison centre. I will be visiting about 10pm. The Arnison was heaving today.

Yes, I saw they were open until midnight. I have a food order to pick up on Tuesday afternoon. Might have to walk it around to the mercia car park for dh to pick me up.

For anyone visiting the Arnison Centre the businesses behind the Nike shop tend to be shut for the two weeks over Christmas and so their car parks are generally empty. Not the best if you have a full shop but if you've just gone for a few bits and can't get parked it can be handy. There are also a few bays outside Lidl next to Northumbrian Water (to the right of the Lidl exit) that can be handy for a quick shop.

The leisure centre has overflow parking signs up, too.

Well, I have been laboriously tracking and clicking on No.21 buses, and have found the Christmas Angel a few times. Yesterday and today I tracked one from Newcastle heading south, it turned round at Birtley yesterday and seemed to vanished at Birtley today. I also twice found a later one, but each time it had got to near the Arnison heading north, so I had only just missed it.

I'm not giving up though...

It's on today and might be on a board that turns into the x21. I'll have to check again.

Currently heading into Birtley, Newcastle bound.

Well, our tree went up, this morning, and is still bare. If no bugger shows any inclination to enthusiastically help me to decorate it, then I shall save myself the trouble of taking everything off it again, in 2 weeks, and shove it back in its box.

Was all hopeful tracking one earlier. It got as far as Chester le St, then seemed to vanish. Why can't it display the timetable of an individual bus...

In other news, I have not even got round to putting the cards up yet. I must get out the lovely knitted Nativity set that a neighbour knitted fo us nearky 30 years ago.

This should make tracking down the Christmas Angel much easier - interactive fleet list, though it's a fair scroll down to 6315
www.gonortheast.co.uk/fleet-list

I'll have a look. Just followed a S bound Christmas Angel to Ch le St, where it vanished.

The tree is finally not bare. It's looking distinctly lopsided, mind. 18 years old (though a few not in use with bouncy children) and about ready to retire.

I'm still around.

We planned just a quiet Christmas day at home anyway but a bit sad that Christmas eve & Boxing day plans are out of the window.
Fully expecting lockdown after Christmas. Expected him to announce 1 at the same time, especially considering the rest of the UK & a lot of Europe are already in one or going in to one shortly.

I'm fully expecting a lockdown announcement on Boxing Day. DS' nursery have closed to keep Christmas safe for the children, families and the team that work there and I absolutely can't blame them (even if it has thrown my days of relaxing out of the window ).

I hope everyone from earlier in the thread is ok! Especially @PennyDreadfuI

We've just had the call to say we need to self isolate for ten days as of last Friday. Really want to cry but trying my hardest to be positive for DS.

I've got a sore throat this morning so given the self isolation news I've booked a test just in case. Really hoping it comes back negative (and quickly!).

Guys, are we going into tier 4? I just received a phonecall from South Tyneside Council saying I've been added to the shielding list. I've never been on the list before??

Awful timing @Someaddedsugar - crossing everything for you. Do let me know if you need anything dropping off. I'll be in Markses tomorrow afternoon.

I did my walk to the Range and bailed at the esso garage. Traffic on our side of town was busy but OK but the tailbacks through Giles Gate were immense. I walked back to the bus station and got dh to pick me up from the layby off the roundabout. (I demolished a gym, while I waited, naturally)

Thanks @PickAChew - very kind of you .

Handily DP did our full Christmas shop on Saturday when he was in Sainsbury's as they had almost everything we needed with decent enough dates!

I just hope that doesn't mean he'll have passed anything on although he's showing no symptoms and neither is DS so fingers crossed the worst of this will be we're stuck inside over Christmas!

Pleased you got your visit to The Range too!