January 6th 2010

First for the sake of my blood pressure I must have a rant....

I (unfortunately) watched the ITV News at 10 item on anti social behaviour last night. Including the disgraceful  response of Meredydd Hughes, Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police force. Today I note from the South Yorkshire Police Website, he has issued a letter which claims to vindicate his response. As far as I can see it is the usual weasel words we have come to expect from these politically correct greasy pole climbers. There is only really one question which needs to be answered, from the CCTV footage it was plain that some if not all of the offending family breached the terms of their ASBO several times. Have they been arrested and charged Yes or No?. If (as I suspect) the answer is No, then in my humble opinion Meredydd Hughes leaves something to be desired both as a Police Officer and a Human Being and his only honourable course of action now is to resign at once.

Now on a lighter note:

The snow continues, another 2cm overnight and this is the scene this morning in our street. 

The plan is another walk with brother-in-law Phil . Kathleen suggests we are both mad to want to go walking in this weather, Evelyn I understand is resigned to Phil's madness, and makes no objections.

Peter is "on duty" giving Val a lift to work (well someone has to work). So without Peter to spur us on we were not up for another 17 mile outing, and plan to make do with a stroll in the snow.

Suitably dressed in our warmest clothing we set off at about 10:00 and walk through Colliery Wood ( a former coal mine and coal storage site, now reclaimed and landscaped with many trees planted). As you can see from the photograph, to call it a wood is perhaps a little optimistic, but it will be, one day when the trees grow!

 We walk through Boldon Colliery toward what was once West Boldon Village, and cross the A184 to walk up the hill (known as Bunny Hill, I think but I am not too sure about that).

We are now crossing one of my Thursday cycling routes, which would take us toward Fulwell Mill, but today we are heading for the River Wear and Sunderland.

We walk alongside Boldon Golf course, (today covered in snow and absent of golfers) and through the urban sprawl of recent housing developments, past Hylton Castle. We then join another footpath, undiscovered by either of us until today, which runs parallel to the River Wear as far as the Jennings Ford/Mazda dealership.

A short stretch through the Business Park, where the wage slaves continue to toil away, brings us to the banks of the River Wear.

Here we find ourselves a spot in the sun and stop for refreshments.

As we sit drinking our coffee, We practice our (far from expert) bird indentification skills to spot Red Shanks and Cormarants feeding on the river. We also take this opportunity to study Phil's book of 100 walks with a view to planning future excursion(s). This leads to conversation about possible future exploits, not all of which have been approved by, or even submitted to, "senior management". These schemes include of course the obligatory trips to the Lake District, plus walking the Scottish Highlands (equipped only with a few tins of beans, a trowel and a bivouac bag), the coast to coast walk, and perhaps most fanciful of all, walking John o Groats to Lands End. I think we being overcome by some form of snow madness. 

Suitably refreshed we walk on, along the banks of the River Wear. It is hard to imagine that in my youth this was a thriving industrial river with Shipyards, Coal Mines, and Factories. Now it is almost silent and you can walk where once ships were launched. OK, the brief moment of nostalgia is over.

At this point the Newcastle United supporters among you may wish to avert your eyes, as we pass the Stadium of Light, home of Sunderland AFC.

We continue to spot various types of birds, a pheasant, and a bull finch to name but two. To be honest I will have to consult my Observers Book of Birds when I get home to ensure all of this name dropping of bird species is correct. I have had the said Observers Book of Birds from Junior School by the way, but I have still not aquired much knowledge about them. I think we have to assume that if I have not managed this in 55 years, it is unlikely to happen now.

We continue under Monkwearmouth Bridge and on past the Sunderland University Buildings and the Glass Centre. As you can see from the footprints in the snow, we are not the only people to walk this way since the snow came, but I do admit is does not exactly look like a crowd has passed this way.

Now we come to what I think is one of the most amazing things about this walk. I think even the most partisan Sunderland lovers among you will accept that Sunderland is not exactly the most desirable town (sorry city), in the UK. Amazingly, it now boasts a marina, which as you can see from the photograph is surrounded with attractive housing and is well stocked with pleasure craft. 

After a brief "comfort break" (we are not carrying our trowels today, so must make us of a public convenience), we reach the sea front at Roker. A bitterly cold wind is shrieking in from the sea and waves big enough for decent surfing are rolling in towards the beach. As Phil points out, it could be Bondi Beach, if only it was 20C warmer! Phil is able to give free reign to his suppressed artistic tendancies with very impressive photographs of snow clouds heading towards us and the waves crashing over the pier. 

It is now 14:15 and in Peters absence we use his distance measuring calculation (ie hours * 3 = miles walked) to decide we have covered about 12 miles. having eaten only a banana and two Twix chocolate fingers since breakfast time, I am rather hungry. We head inland towards Seaburn Metro station and catch the Metro to Brockley Whins.

Phil has been told not to go home before dark, so he comes to our house for a bowl of Kathleen's Vegetable Soup and a cup of tea, to kill time until it is safe to return home.

After Phil's departure, Kathleen unveils another of her culinary delights for our evening meal, Turkey Bake. She says I must tell you how lucky I am.