I did a lot of walking today, around Sunderland Museum, shops, and finishing up with Hylton Castle, also in Sunderland.

This train almost silently whizzed by as I took a photo of the lovely old bridge, while roaming around country lanes.

Darlington High Street, where I scoured the charity shops. Lovely to see the town centre so active and with so many shops open.

Beverley engrossed with her work at Key Lettings. Her and Peter have been wonderful with their help, at finding me a rented flat, research on finding a house, and never ending mugs of tea, chats, and moral support. They are both now great friends, and I love them.

Watching tv in my rented flat, with pizza and a big mug of tea.

There’s still plenty of snow and ice on the fells and along country lanes.

On my travels today I came across this phenomenon, which I’d never seen before. Frost crystals formed on top of snow. I also had the intense pleasure of driving very slowly down another country lane, while a barn owl glided in front of me, level with my windscreen, for about 20 seconds, before dropping down over a hedgerow.