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!

Yes it’s just a little bit of Roman wall leave Lanchester as though you are going to Stanhope, up the very steep hill and it is on the left. There is lay-by and it has signs.
I’m now going to google

If L is what I think it is, it is not really a mining village. Langley Park and Sacriston are much more typical.

B6296 to Satley road. It is on the top of Cadger Bank . Just googled. Looks better than it did when I was a child . Can still remember first time, asking my DF where is was . Good luck with finding is supposed to be a nice walk, but that bank looks a killer.

The remains of the old Roman camp can still be seen in L, there is an amazing view right down the Browney valley.

*Roman fort

I think this must be what @MrsEWeatherwax is referring to.

The fort at Vinovium, just outside Bishop Auckland at Binchester, is much better preserved, and well worth seeing for its bath house alone. If you want to see some of the stones from which it was constructed, go to Escomb Church, the other side of Bishop, which was partly built from them!

Thanks - I will have to check it out!

Meant to say, I think Binchester was not so much a fortified place, more a rather nice place to hang out next to the River Wear for a bit of R&R. But this is just my theory.

I’ve been to Binchester too,as a adult. Because my DF never spent any money and the wall was free.
I agree they need to make more about it. Maybe a walk between Binchester and L.

Yes @mseweatherwax Ds2 allegedly will be getting respite with NEAS. Almost definitely in time for May half term. Or so our social worker said, back in April (when she also asked me when half term was) She was also going to organise a carer's assessment. I've not heard a peep, since. I have the beginnings of a strongly worded letter in my mind because no one seems to put anything in writing in social care, it seems.

Hope things get better @PickAChew. I would send that strongly worded letter. Nobody anywhere seems to talk to each other and you and your son are struck in the middle in no mans land.
I have seen the respite care lodges at NEAS and they look fab. So good luck.

He doesn't even need overnight. He just needs to do what a teenager should be able to do and go and do something with someone who isn't me or dh. It's not like he can go hang out with his mates or anything.

He also needs some bloody consistency.

Pick that sounds tough - when my DD was in the depths of her anorexia, the intensive home treatment team turned out to be godsends - whilst I was cynical at first as much of their approach was aimed at younger children, actually going out for a Starbucks made such a difference. Is there a charity or anything similar that could provide a stopgap whilst you're waiting for the "system" to kick in?

Please tell me where these fab food markets are! Pre Covid I tried to pop down to Durham outdoor market and am a sucker for a farm shop !!

Broom house farm is fab, absolutely. But Chester le Street has a nice little foodie market this Saturday. I’m supporting so that it gets better and comes back! I will be buying bread/cheese and some fab macaroons. Does has fab gin I have heard, but I don’t like gin.
And Lanchester has a food/ craft market this Sunday, think you have book free tickets ( for numbers I think).

So he needs to go to cinema/ coffee shop, bowling and just hanging about that teenagers love so much PickAChew.
They definitely need to spent time chill’n with their peer group. As lovely as we are it’s not healthy to spent all of your time with your parents.

Nothing suitable that I'm aware of myrtle

And it's not even going to the cv inema, and definitely not drinking coffee. He's very autistic, very learning impaired and very noisy. He needs structured pre-school type activities - easy crafts (that someone will end up doing most of for him) or someone to walk with and talk at and somewhere safe that he can't walk out of the minute he is bored.

You should really push for NEAS because they definitely do that type of activity.
There big centre has all of the activities you would like.
I have to the centre on craft selling days and it looks really well run and lots of different things to do. Good luck and I’m sorry I did not realise exactly what help he needs. I thought he needed mentor support to do teenager things.

Hope everyone's ok.

@PickAChew I hope you get the support your son needs.

I'm another who spent many weekends at Hadrian's Wall and the other English Heritage sites with my dad. As much as I probably didn't appreciate it when I was a grumpy teen, I'm looking forward to taking DS when he's a bit older and has bit more of an attention span.

Does anyone have any recommendations for anywhere to take a 3 year old that's indoors or sheltered in some way that might not be full of people? It's meant to rain this weekend and I'm trying to think of something we can do that isn't the usual soft play etc, as he's been so ill recently with non-Covid coughs and viruses that it'd be nice to do something but not something that could lead to another virus!

@Someaddedsugar what about Beamish? Or Seven Stories Newcastle or even The Great North Museum (Hancock) both my children loved (Hancock) . Or cinema, Peter Rabbit is still showing.
Can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m pleased it’s raining.

@MrsEWeatherwax we've recently been to Beamish, Seven Stories and the museum but I hadn't thought of the cinema! That'll be perfect thank you .

At work we're very pleased it's raining as there's been such a huge strain on water demand in the past few weeks!

I’m shocked re water, I blame paddling pools, hot tubs and and car washing.
We have 3 water butts at the allotment and all are bone dry.
Pleased I was in right ballpark, the Loney tunes film looks good, but might be slightly too old for your DS

Has anyone had any luck getting dc vaccinated anywhere up here? I’m immunocompromised so hoping dd16 can get it soon. I keep hearing of other areas doing 16/17 year olds but nothing here

My 17yo is fully vaccinated, but he's CV, himself.

It's ironic that our water butt is dry but we have had so much rain until relatively recently that we've had to destroy our lovely heuchera because it's riddled with rust fungus.

How did he arrange his? My gp says they aren’t doing them anymore but don’t think she can book online either yet

Hello everyone we are visiting family in Blyth area and looking for any help with teen activities in Blyth/Newcastle area if anyone has any ideas?

Can your DD not go to a walk in centre vaccine and ask?
I now someone who’s 17 year old got a dose by saying they were young carer. Good luck