North East thread 4: Fingers crossed we catch the Angel bus!

[Someaddedsugar]

Just thought I'd start a new thread for the north east lot as number 3 is getting pretty full!

@PennyDreadfuI hope you're ok and hope you don't mind me picking the thread up!

Thanks @NUFC69, my DD who has had vaccine hopes I’m ill!! Good job I love her.
Co Durham’s figures are coming down too, the hospital and ICU are low too. The over 80’s have really stepped to up 100% up take of vaccine, brilliant.
Rest of age groups excellent as well. We might be a poor deprived area but we have definitely taken the vaccine.
Love the new graphics for vaccine figures and cases. Seen Newcastle’s and Durham’s, god I’m easily pleased

Someaddedsugar I know you have DS, if you ever go to Waldridge fell the Daisy Hill reserve bit, the Highland cattle are right next to road. The cattle are so cute( obviously no feeding/ touching). Maybe take a detour going to Chester park or coming home to Durham. Just a little suggestion.

@MrsEWeatherwax I also can't wait to have a meal made for me - although in my case not sure whether I'm more looking forward to a restaurant or a meal made by my mum - as I'm sure all mum's do, mine makes the best roast dinner!

I'll have to take DS this weekend to see the cattle - he'll love that! Hopefully they'll be there on Saturday morning. Thank you for thinking of me

Amazing news about the vaccine take up! And I'm so pleased we're nearing the end of the top 9 groups. I know it's a disappointment for those in the age groups below but hopefully any cases now will become more mild and with a lot of us still working from home and the regular school testing it'll hopefully prevent too much of a spread. I just hope cases don't rise as soon as the shops etc open!

@NUFC69 I have the tuna bake ingredients on my list for the supermarket this morning!

I'm looking forward to a meal someone else has made, too. (sent dh links to the lovely done at home menus listed here, to no avail. Last time I mentioned longing for a meal someone else had made, his response was that he's not a very good cook😔)

My parents have reached an age where I do a lot of the cooking when I visit, so little relief there.

I’m enjoying the new graphics on the Durham insight page that Durham council share to their Facebook page. I think our vaccine rates would be off the chart if we had people to administer the vaccine and unlimited vaccine.
Hospital and ICU still really low. So I think vaccine is definitely having an affect.
In fact where you live PickAChew they aren’t giving numbers as too low!
Beamish museum are hoping to open from 12 April, hope they still do afternoon tea as I have a birthday to order for.

Yes, it's a contrast to a few months ago when we were up there with the worst.

Even the Peterlee area is calming down, now though my BIL was one of those numbers, when they were really high.

Just bumping thread. Chester park has some new wood carvings, definitely the Gruffalo is there. Looks great for small and big children alike.
The ponies are back on Waldridge fell. So that’s Highland cattle and ponies to see.
What lovely spring day today, gives me hope. What a saddo I am.

I am just getting to know Waldridge Fell, finding it hard to build up a mental map, and the "official" map is too small and crowded to help much.

I never knew cattle and ponies were grazed there

How can you be a saddo if a lovely spring day gives you hope?

Definitely not a saddo @MrsEWeatherwax!

I'm the same @TheSilveryPussycat - I find the map very confusing!

We went to the fell at around 11.30 today and couldn't get a parking space! Must have timed it badly so went to Chester Park instead and saw the Paddington carving - I'll have to take DS back to see the Gruffalo as it's one of our favourite stories to read together.

I'm so pleased the weather's been lovely for us all this weekend - it definitely feels spring-like doesn't it!

Yes, Waldridge fell car parks are always and I mean always busy, every single day. If it helps anyone the ponies and highland cattle are on Chester moor side. There is sort of parking where the Daisy hill nature reserve sign is. Sometimes the ponies/ cattle are at the gate. But you can see them in distance. But you park any car park and just walk down. Or I think there is path from just up from Chester Moor, coming off the A167. The whole place was heaving yesterday. There were cars just parked on the side of roads.
I’ll looking forward to meeting my friend this week, so excited to see the carvings. Hopefully I can find them as only seen via Facebook, the friends of park page is really nice.

The cattle and the ponies are to help with natural grazing.
Broom house farm will soon have lambs and calves( excited)

@MrsEWeatherwax Paddington is near the bowling green if that helps! There's also a lovely spade with a robin sat on the handle.

I can't wait for lamb season - it's so cute when they're all in the fields! We like going to wheelbirks too to see the cows there and now that they have 2 donkeys DS keeps asking if we can go back. I've said we can as soon as they open the orchard again for visitors!

I use to love visiting farms when mine were little. Donkeys are cute. A couple of years ago I knew where a donkey foal was, it was super cute. I knew the owner. But donkeys are very noisy.

Hopefully my friend will know were that is. Someaddedsugar thank you

@MrsEWeatherwax it's just off the A68 on the way to Corbridge. It's a lovely place to stop for a sandwich and an ice cream when they're fully open. I know your DDs are grown up but there's a lovely play area for little ones too!

shall have to take Ds2 down the Frankland way, over the Easter holidays - you get to it from Crook Hall, past the sewage works 🤢 and the path takes you up to the low Newton nature reserve. Lots of sheep on the farm, there, last year.

I've never been there @PickAChew - DS would love to see all the sheep!

It's not a great circular walk for little legs but we've walked up there from Crook Hall and turned back again, in the past, when we didn't live local and had parked up in town.

And you can probably park near the nature reserve and walk down from there. We tend to cross the railway footbridge and head out to CNterbury Road so we can loop back home.

This is agony! I can't help my brain trying to figure out where you all live from your posts. If you wouldn't mind me knowing, maybe you could PM me? Not to worry if not, of course.

I went for a lovely walk yesterday, strangely enough with my Ex. We went to Aykely Wood which was a first for me, and quite delightful

One day I’m going to do the walk past Crook hall. Is it still for sale?
Plus I need to make myself do the walk to see the straw man and woman. People keep posting photos on a Facebook page I’m on.
Saw a barn owl and little owl the other night, nearly crashed the car I was so excited
Did anyone do the light thing tonight, I didn’t, I don’t see this year as anything other than horrible. I miss going in my parents house as though it’s my own home, opening the fridge and complaining I don’t like any of food. I know it’s not a very Mumsnet thing to do/say.
My teenagers have missed so much life. And I’ve missed them being out of the house. I have a very small extended family and hardly any friends so I actually like everyone I have in my life.
So I’ve had a little cry.

Did any else see the Broom House Farm post that the walks from the farm are now not allowed because of calving and lambing. Only the normal public footpaths are open.
But hopefully they will be able to open the Adventure walk from 12 April. Will be lovely to be able to buy coffee and sit and watch the world go by.

I miss going in my parents house as though it’s my own home, opening the fridge and complaining I don’t like any of food.

Ah! You miss being a teenager

I too am looking forward to buying coffee at Broom House. And seeing lambs and calves.

Yes TheSilveryPussycat, I use to just walk , put kettle on and look in fridge, complain, then twist if no others goodies.
My DF says I can come home anytime I like. Door is always open for his adorable daughters.