I went for a short and slippery hike in the mud today in Croxdale, to view this wonderful bridge up close. There’s a few of these bridges in County Durham, so I’ll be posting more in the future. A railway goes over this one.

30 Jan 2025

Dinner tonight was a chunky chicken soup made in the slow cooker. 

29 Jan 2025

Celebrating Peter’s 77th birthday. He, and the rest of us, were impressed with the food and presentation.

Peter and Beverley both had to go on separate appointments, and left me in charge of the office. Love these two, they trust me implicitly, and I’d never betray that trust.

Offer accepted, I’ve bought a house! A beautiful brick and white trim house over 100 years old, with lots of trees front and back. Tricksie Treat and I will be moved in before spring!

This is Tricksie Treat’s favourite place to be, in her soft bed up against the radiator. 

Wandering around the shops in Yarm, I neatly fell back when I saw this one. I haven’t seen a Bang and Olufsen shop since the 80’s. I peered through the window, spying some interesting headphones, but no customers inside. I’d imagine they’re still as expensive as they used to be.

One of two paintings that I bought from a local artist, in his eighties, that were hanging in the chippy down the road. This one’s called Night Shift.

I’m usually annoyed when seasonal items appear in the shops too early, but I have to confess I had a huge grin on my face when I turned the corner in the supermarket and saw these. I haven’t had an Easter egg in years; this year I will have one! Or more!

Blast Beach got its name from the blast furnaces that created pig iron here 150 years ago, using the local coal. The slag waste was dumped on the beach. I walked an interesting 2 miles down on the beach and then up on the cliff tops where protected wild flowers grow.

 

These coal mining villages love their trains. This was on the fence railing of a house.

Peter and I went to view this cottage today. He thinks it may need rewiring, so is sending a man out for me to evaluate it, before I submit an offer. I really liked the house.

A bench in Ferryhill, showing a train, although Ferryhill’s station is now shut down. The bird food underneath is distributed by an old lady, whose son drives her around the town in his car, while she throws it out the window. 

Costa coffee shops in England are amazing, but they’ve now started allowing dogs into their cafes. Here’s one I met today, who proceeded to sniff the water bottles. A classic example of how common sense has now become extinct.

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.

I went to view this little cottage on the left today and am going back again tomorrow. It’s in need of work, and I’m thinking prospective developers will bid higher, but I’ll have a go and see what happens.

The Beacon of Europe in Ferryhill, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the entry of the UK into the EEC in 1993. The  'Time of the Miner' medallion features at the top, set in the old town hall clock face.

Sitting in the cab of the famous Flying Scotsman train at the Shildon Locomotion Museum, just 20 minutes from my flat.

I had lunch today with a social group I joined. We had a lot of laughs, and some of us are doing a walk next week.

Tricksie Treat has begun looking out of the window to the street below, but she can only handle a couple of minutes before she panics and runs into the bedroom. But she’s getting braver!

Snowfall before dawn on Darlington Rd, Ferryhill. We ended up with about 4-5” but the street snow was melting leaving a lot of water. Tomorrow will be very icy.

A village shop I came across while exploring. Its likely looked the same as this for decades. They’ve thoughtfully placed a snow shovel and sleds out for the impending snow tomorrow.

Scraps and a cheese pattie in the local chippy as I wait for my fish to fry. And that box of forks looks exactly the same as it would have over 40 years ago. So glad some things don’t change. 

Coal miner cottages backing onto the alley, or cut as it’s called here, with Orion looking down from the night sky.

Greg and I had lunch in a small Yorkshire town pub, and then drove around the beautiful countryside. Even in the middle of winter, after heavy rain, it’s gorgeous here, and only 45 minutes from Ferryhill.