Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

The continuation thread for those with DC at Durham, or applying to Durham, or alumni, or staff!

January 2022 finds our DC packing their big coats, checking the forecast for snow and wondering when Michaelmas actally is...?

Assemble!
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Good point, good luck with your packing, they have so much stuff now...

While my husband had a five hour drive taking my son's stuff up to him, I guess at least he had the extra space in the car. I still feel a bit odd saying goodbye to my son at our local tube station but at least it kept it short on time and tears!

@Fruitygal Vennels is also nice - go across Old Elvet, turn right when you get to Waterstones and it's up a little alley on your left.

I’m quite envious of everyone dropping off this weekend! I’m not going with DH and DS next Sat so I’ve just consoled myself with an Air BnB browse for a long weekend later in the term. The cottage we stayed in last year isn’t available any more but there’s no shortage of lovely little villages up to 10 miles away from Durham, so we’ll enjoy exploring a bit more.

A quick recommendation for Viaduct / city-dwelling students: Robinson's Greengrocer is brilliant and better value than the supermarkets for fruit and veg; they also do deliveries for those further afield. They offer student discount :)

Also the deli on Claypath for sandwiches, pizza etc (and they have live band nights when they serve alcohol).

Leonards' cafe is also a brilliant find (just behind the Market Hall, accessible via the footpaths running down past Superdry or just to the side of St Nick's church then bear left

Nudo is amazing for fresh sushi (opposite Starbucks, near the Fighting Cocks)

Good independent alternatives to the main franchises...

Can also recommend Vennels and Leonard's . We went to Treats yesterday.. (silver street) lots to choose from and also v nice
Good luck to all those moving in today

Hope everyone's move in went smoothly and for those just discovering Durham for the first time, it is so pretty isn't it?

We will be back up next weekend dropping Ds in for year 2. We are all very sad about it, even Ds in a way which is lovely but he does love his course and his mates so I am sure he will get back into it all again.

Our move in was a bit too quiet but meant we happily took an hour instead of the proscribed 30 mins. Our slot was 1.30pm and last one of the day was 2.30pm. Frep said loads not yet turned up. We did 3 trips to the block and saw not another soul in there. DS is in a flat of 6 and only 2 cupboards in the kitchen had been taken so I guess some late arrivals due. Took DS for a late lunch and Tesco top up (carnage in there) and got him back with plenty of time to spare for the official welcome talk at 5pm. The jcr have something planned for freshers tonight so he will meet people!

Plain grey curtains meh but brand new mattress topper provided.

@theboxofwhat How lovely that he is happy in both places.

@EwwSprouts he has a lot less responsibility here, he is either cooked for or has help cooking meals plus singing in the kitchen whilst we do it. At Durham he has to meal plan, shop for food (tesco delivery once a fortnight) and traipse his laundry over to the laundry room whereas here it is just in the utility. Plus all his uni work. Home feels like respite where he sees his mates and chills.

I hope your Ds has a great time tonight. Ds chatted to loads of different people despite being introvert, went to his first ever nightclub - Klute obviously and had a fun and interesting freshers' week. Was glad when lectures started as he felt more comfortable with all that.

Don't forget to remind him that the day of matriculation they wake them early banging pots and pans and shouting so make sure he isn't too hung over or tired

We all appreciate a little less responsibility sometimes!
Thanks he has met some of his flat mates now and says they seem nice. One is a lad on exchange from Hong Kong, which seems a good omen as the only person I'm still in touch with from univ thirty odd years ago also came from Hong Kong.
I did not know about pots and pans. That actually sounds quite fun.

@KingscoteStaff @SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thanks for both your tips !

We went to Chapters and found a seat on floor 2 ! Nice brunch and catch up. Next time we are up we’ll start going through the rest of the eateries and other tips.

Been to Thai across the bridge - Nadon Thai Twice now - once after drop off on Saturday night with DH.

Went to tesco for proper shop today and still crazy @EwwSprouts i feel you pain - then back to flat for final sort out with all storage solutions now insitu.

Flatmates friendly and all sat and chatted after social last night …. Messaged DD to say going into town for lunch so DD met them in town as we went to leave and they had a little look around shops and walked back.

All of us sad to say goodbye super close but place is super friendly so that puts my mind at rest.

@Longtimenewsee fab recommendations too thanks

…. we got home by 8.30pm tonight knackered but thanks to any of your children who were the Freps - such friendly and upbeat kids really helped the drop off nerves for DD

Forgot to shout out for the freps if anyone is a parent of one. The lad we spoke with had been there since 7am.

@Fruitygal Agree the friendliness takes the edge off the tinge of sadness as we let them forge their way. I confess to a sniffle as we drove out of the city.

@EwwSprouts cried twice - once when DD went to get the key and was watching the Freps being so kind and upbeat from the car waiting for a car park space - caught me unawares.

I lost DH in the services - he wandered off to get a costa and couldn’t find him and when he came back got teary. Very very unlike me … put extreme brave face on for DD so has to pop up somewhere. We get on super well so difficult for DH and I.

Aw thanks for sharing. Know what you mean. DS and I have done a lot together as DH works long days.

DS's flat has two girls, two male Chinese students and one male from Hong Kong. The flat below two girls, two male Chinese students, one from Pakistan (favourite sports pigeon shooting and hunting) and a lad from Liverpool. Block frep seems to think the flat above is currently empty!

@EwwSprouts what a mix we’ve got one Canadian links and another with European family but not such a lovely diverse mix - would love to learn great Asian cooking skills so your DSs flat that would be my idea of heaven.

Well dd is living her best life so far. Seems to have made loads of new friends, and still knocking around with her mates from 6th form so a good.mix of the familiar and the new. Went to the nightclub on Sunday then a bit dischuffed to be woken up so early for matriculation. Said there were a lot of bleary faces this morning but they all cheered up after lunch. Had a lovely facetime chat last night and she looks so happy.

Am missing her a bit now. December seems so far away. In theory we could go up in November when I have a reading week but am also very busy with uni so not sure if I will have time. Plus I don't want to cramp her style or unsettle her.

@Fruitygal DS can manage a stir fry so plenty of scope for improving his Asian cooking skills. He says all the flat mates seem nice. He's also swapped numbers with a bio student in JoBo and they're going to walk down the hill together for the first lecture.

@HighlandCowbag What a fab update. I think the stretch to Christmas is a long one f they haven't had a long period away before. DS is coming home for 1 night in two weeks time. It's at his instigation. He's coming back to play in a sports event so we will probably see him just for breakfast and then pop him back to the train station.

DS seems very happy, managing very well and to also be living his best life in Durham. He is SC in John Snow and managing not to starve (and not spend an absolute fortune). He seems to be with a really lovely mixed group in his townhouse and they all seem to be getting on very well, looking out for one another and all going to Freshers events together then roaming round Durham afterwards. Happy days.

I'm sure my son is enjoying Freshers but it's been radio silence. Other than a text yesterday saying he'd decided to call me. And didn't.

Hopefully that's a good sign but it would be nice to have the odd sentence in a text saying what he's been up to.

Glad your kids have settled in well at their colleges.

@red4321 That's hard when they're so dear to us. There is quite a lot organised for them to attend. More structure than I anticipated as well as the fun parts. I think they've had the clubs fair as well as the sports fair so why not ask him if he joined anything? They're caught up in a whirl and we are not top of the list!

@red4321 yes definitely agree with@EwwSprouts they have had a lot on. It just so happened DH texted our DS when he was in his room getting ready to go out so he quickly FT’d us but wasn’t on too long as he didn’t want the others to set off without him. Today and tonight is an extremely busy time for them but maybe send a short text Friday and hopefully he will phone you back. But I’d work on the assumption that no news is good news (and he loves you and trusts you will be ok until he has a minute to catch up).

He did call today, but thanks for your suggestions which are very wise...

I think it's partly that he's been gone for nearly 6 weeks now so it feels like a while since I've seen him properly. Sounds like freshers' week has been a lot of fun and he's looking forward to his first formal tomorrow.

Sitting here shivering in the south and wondered if they'll know what's hit them come the depths of the Durham winter!

@red4321 Pleased you had a positive update. I've just remembered your DS was at hockey preseason. DS is going to the trials tomorrow I think but he expects to be well down the teams. We drove past the pitch while there was a match on Sunday. From the road DS recognised a lad he has played indoor hockey with!

DS will probably still be wearing just a tshirt as the temperatures drop. Despite my best efforts he still packed more shorts than jeans.

EwwSprouts they might be in the same team which would be fun. My son was rabbiting on about the tactic of going to the earlier trial session as fewer Freshers would be up that early so it would be easier to be seen.

With my lazy mindset, I'd say that's just too much scrutiny when you're trying to hide at the back of the slow jog round the pitch to warm up. Numbers = safety...

@red4321 It would be fun. DS is just going to the trial that fits in between Matriculation and something else. He prefers a slow jog and chat style warm up.