End of the World, or, Christmas Approaches

The Mayan Calendar apparently runs out today (or at least one of them does, they were by all accounts prolific Calendar makers). This has been widely tipped to mean that the world will end today 21/12/2012. I noticed on the BBC 1 o'clock News, they were congratulating themselves on still being around on this, the day the world is to end. They also announced that the prediction was, the world would end at 11:00 on 21/12/2012.

Now, I may be being picky here, but, I doubt the Mayans were working on Greenwich Meantime, so, it seems reasonable to me, to assume the prediction means 11:00 Mexican time, which is approximately 9 hours behind GMT.

Watch this space!

Meanwhile, as Christmas approaches, I have been painting the small amount of woodwork remaining in the bathroom. What fun.

Bathroom is Complete!

Some months ago, we had a disaster in the bathroom, the cold water pipe to the bath, sprung a leak at the connection with the cold water tap.

It was not immediately clear where the leak was comming from, as it dripped through the kitchen ceiling. By the time I found it, I had taken up the laminate flooring (which necessitated removing the skirting boards), and removed the decorative bath panel.

Having made a thorough mess of the bathroom decor, it was decided we would have the bathroom "refurbished".

We had a fairly conventional bathroom, ie, bath, toilet, shower and wash basin.

It was decided we would dispense with the bath, since we both prefer to have a shower, and would put, in it's place, a larger "walk in" shower.

I took photographs, before, during and after the work.

I was not inclined to "do it myself", I jut wanted it done as quickly and painlessly as possible, but, at a reasonable price of course.

So far so good, it all sounded fairly simple.

As always, things are never as straight forward as they appear.

It quickly became apparent that, in terms of choice of actual fittings, it did not matter who we chose to do the work, but, that the key to getting a "good job" lay in the fitting, not in the selection of equipment (providing fittings of reasonable quality where chosen).

It also became apparent that the choice of tiles was crucial to the final appearance of the job.

We began the time consuming job of getting quotes to do the work.

Apart from one quote, which was way out of line (almost double the next highest quote), there was very little in the price, we eventually chose to go with a company whose work we had seen in two of our friends or relations houses, ie Snugfit, South Shields.

The bathroom fittings where quickly chosen, but, tiles, ugh, what a nightmare. Numerous visits to various tile showrooms (it really is necessary to see a "mock up" of what the tiles will look like), but eventually, a choice was made.

Come the appointed day, and our two Bathroom Fitters (Pete and Mark) turn up.

First task is to remove the "old" bathroom fitting and tiles.

Next, the pipework was rerouted (I had specifically requested that no pipework was to be visible), waste pipes laid, and tiling commenced.

The work went extremely well, supplied with continous cups of tea and chocolate biscuits, Pete and Mark worked diligently at their task. Held up only by the none arrival of various essential parts (eg shower screen, shower tray etc). Snugfit need to get their logistics sorted, in my humble opinion, but, apart from that, no problem.

Eventually, ten days after work started, it is all finished!

The traumas are forgotten when we see the excellent job.

Just when I am thinking I can relax, the awful truth dawns, it is not over yet.

There are various "accessories" to be chosen.

My first delaying tactic is to suggest, we need to use the room for a little while, to be sure of where we want towel rings, toilet roll holders, linen baskets etc etc, after all, we don't want to drill holes in our beautiful new tiles, only to find we wish to move the towel ring or whatever to a different location, do we?

This works for a few days, but, eventually, I am forced to visit Fenwicks, John Lewis and B&Q in a quest for the required "extras", more of my hard earned cash slips from my fingers!

I should point out here, I hate clutter, so far, I have successfully fought a rearguard action to prevent the acquisition of any "ornaments", to "take the bareness" off.

I like bareness, it leaves no where for dust to collect.

In fact, I think the poncy interior designer lot even have a word for the "bare look", the call in being "minimilst".

To be honest, this is not a war I expect to win (do men ever win, when confronted with the ultimate enemy ie a woman?), I just know, Kathleen will acquire and place her little features, given time, but for now, I can delight in the empty windowsill, and the "acres" of bare marble surface with not a single thing to mar it's emptyness. Heaven, for now.

Stir Crazy

We are in the process of having our bathroom "refurbished", so, one of us has to be around to make cups of tea for the workmen, provide chocolate biscuits etc etc

Added to this, the first snow of the winter is falling steadily outside, so, I am going "stir crazy", sitting around the house, this is now the 7th day!

There was a pleasant diversion, when Gary, Susana and Gabriel came to visit, whilst Gary did an inspection on a ship at Sheppard Offshore, but, today, I am reduced to watching Youtube.

Came across this hilarious Jasper Carrot video, from the days when we all thought the Russians and/or the Americans where going kill us all in a nuclear war. Now we know we have avoided that fate, only to be blown out of the sky by some Muslim Suicide Bomber as we fly off for our annual fortnight in the sun.

What is the REAL News??

Today it has been announced that Kate Middleton (Prince William's wife) is pregnant.

Not surprising really, isn't that what usually happens when you set two healthy young people, of the opposite sex,  "at it" in some remote part of Wales (or anywhere else for that matter)?

The big news is, she has been admitted to hospital with acute morning sickness, so I wonder, what bit of REALLY bad news are the Government hiding behind the wall to wall coverage of this none event?

There has been quite a lot in our local newspaper recently about parking problems, so, I could not resist a photograph of this bit of class parking. No, the car has not been abandoned there, it is parked!

Just in case any male chauvinsists think it was "parked" by a woman, no, it was parked by a man.

Free Enterprise and a dead dog

If you are of a left leaning tendancy, do not watch this,

 

I did warn you.

Have we been told, yet another pack of lies?

Sorry, but I did laugh at this

I know, before anyone tells me, not all young people are a waste of space, but.....

You have to admit, there are more than a few who are.

Perhaps it is time for a new Hobby, DIY perhaps?

or maybe DIY Car Repairs



or maybe a bit of cooking?:

Cycling along the Deerness Valley - 27/03/2012

Unbelievable weather for March, the weather forecast promises 21C!

Watching the news this morning, threats of a strike by tanker drivers. The word is do not panic, do not go out and fill up the car with petrol / diesel. So, I dutifully, take the campervan and fill it up with diesel, £100, ouch that hurts!

We decide, we may as well have a ride out in the campervan and use some of the very expensive diesel. I load the bikes on the cycle rack and off we go.

For anyone who wants to make use of this ride, or a variation on it, to find the car park we started from, proceed as follows:

• from A167 at Nevilles Cross, take the A690 toward Crook.
• at the first roundabout (Stonebridge pub on your left), turn right, onto the B6302, toward Broompark.
• After a bridge, crossing the main east coast railway line, watch out for the brown picnic area sign, and "Railway Paths" sign, turn left at these signs for the car park.

From here, you have at least three choices to walk or cycle:

• follow the Deerness Valley trail, towards Esh Winning
• follow the Brandon, Bishop Auckland railway path, towards Bishop Auckland
• follow the Lanchester Valley Railway path, towards Lanchester.

We (well Kathleen) choose the Deerness Valley trail, and go on past Esh Winning. It is uphill all the way (serves her right), and we peddle for 6.5 miles, just beyond Ivesley Cottages.

Here, we are cruelly cheated, there is a pub, we stop for refreshments, but it is closed!

We turn back and head back to the van, we will have to settle for our picnic lunch and a cup of tea.

You can see the abridged journey here.

Humour - The Y Generation

People born before 1946 are called - The Pre-War Generation.



People born between 1946 and 1964 are called - The Baby Boomers.


People born between 1965 and 1979 are called - Generation X.

And people born between 1980 and 2010 are called - Generation Y.


Why do we call the last group -Generation Y ?


Y should I get a job?

Y should I leave home and find my own place?
Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?
Y should I clean my room?
Y should I wash and iron my own clothes?
Y should I buy any food?

But perhaps a cartoonist explained it best:

Pensioners Day Out, 19/03/2012

I have not been very active in posting here, but, today, we did something we have been planning to do for quite some time, so I thought it merited a special effort to record it for posterity.

We used our bus passes to go to Durham on the number 50 bus.

We, of course, means, myself and Kathleen.

It was a beautiful morning, sunny, clear blue sky, a little chilly, but nothing to complain about considering it is still March here in North East England.

We caught the 09:45 number 50, (ie the first one after the 09:30 "watershed" for use of your pass), from beside the ASDA (Boldon) supermarket. The journey took approximately one hour,  with a little tour of Washington, then on to Chester-le-Street and finally Durham.

First port of call of course is the toilet, we are, after all, two pensioners! Immediate excitement, the Ladies is out of action and a queue of women of a certain age are waiting anxiously to use the single disabled toilet, while discussing the perils of drinking coffee. Being a gentleman, I make use of the Gents, which at that time is under utilised, then offer to stand guard at the door if they wish to make use of the facility. A sigh of relief is heard. I did consider a quick photograph of the queue, but decided that may not be well received.

We arrive at the riverside, I notice this sign, once we have moved a little way along the riverside, confident Kathleen had not seen the sign, I suggested we walk to Seaburn, rather than get the bus back.

The suggestion is not welcomed, so instead it is decided we will walk along the river, for 4 or 5 miles, before resorting to the pensioners favourite pastime, ie a visit to a tea-shop.

Durham is a beautiful place, and the riverside in particular is quite stunning, as the River Wear winds through the city.

The Cathedral has such a prominent position, high on the river bank, it is visible constantly.

On this beautiful sunny March morning, the views are impressive.

Eventually, the path takes us away from the riverbank, past this church, which I do not know the name of.

I cannot resist this shot of the church yard, our next residence I suppose, but not in the immediate future, I hope.


After a brief period of walking through a built up area, we rejoin the riverbank, and continue downstream, on the opposite bank to the University cricket ground.

One of the attractions of walking this route on a Monday morning in March, is that we have the place virtually to ourselves.

We walk on, to the point at which the A177 crosses the river, and make use of the bridge to cross to the opposite bank and make our way back toward Durham city-centre and something to eat!

Soon, Durham is back in view, and, shortly afterwards, we are in Cottons Tea Shop, drinking tea and enjoying bacon sandwiches after our four mile walk.

We are in a city centre, and of course that means shops.

We have a stroll through the covered market, off Market Square, which even an avowed non shopper like me found (almost) interesting. But I cannot see the logic in visiting a tiny version of Marks and Spencer, and an equally tiny version of Next, when we have much more extensive versions in Newcastle, with exactly the same stock. The day is saved by purchasing a newspaper and reading it in the sun, whilst shopping proceeds unhindered.

Back to the Bus Station, and a ride home on the bus, a very enjoyable day.

Silver Wedding Celebration 31st January 2012

It is our 25th Wedding Anniverary on 31st January.

The original plan is a short break in Bruges, but eventually we opt to return to Keswick, where we spent our Honeymoon.

We left on Monday 30th January.

The weather is not brilliant as we drive via the Hartside Fell.

Cold and a bit murky on the east side of the Pennines.

But, it begins to brighten as we head west, by the time we join the A66 after Penrith, the cloud is breaking and there is sun on the snow capped hills.

It could be Switzerland, but, it is the English Lake District.

The apartment we have rented is just perfect, warm and cosy, near the town, but tucked away with a view over the river Greta.

This is the view from the living room window.

By the time we have unpacked, it is too late for a "serious" walking experience.

We settle for a little circuit along the shore of Derwent Water.

Past the Theatre by the lake, and a little diversion through Hope Park, for this view of the snow covered hills, before heading past the boat landings.

Here there are always lots of ducks and geese, waiting for passers by to supplement their diet with bread and scraps.

Soon, we leave the "town strollers" behind, and head for Friars Crag, this must be one of the most photographed places in the Lake District, but today, we have it to ourselves, except for the odd dog walker.

We head along the shore, it is flat and open, easy walking, so a good introduction to the next few days.

Through a small wooded area, to join up with a path heading back toward Keswick, where we (well, I) undo the good work with coffee and Malt Loaf, in the Skiddaw Hotel, in the Market Square, Kathleen is her usual restrained self and just has the coffee.



On Tuesday, the actual day of our anniversary, it begins overcast and damp, as well as cold. The plan is to walk the circuit of Derwentwater.

Armed with a flask of coffee and some sandwiches, we head off across the fields, to the village of Portinscale at the head of the lake, then following along the lake toward Manesty and Grange.





This side of the lake is much quieter than the Keswick shore, there are fewer houses and the road is much smaller, but most of our route is off the road in any case. We fail to spot any wildlife, not even a squirrel! Our Indian tracker skills are clearly lacking.

We  do hear a woodpecker, making the familiar tap tap tap noise as it pecks at a tree trunk, but although I wait quietly, as Kathleen marches on, I fail to actually see it!

As we approach Manesty, the path runs close to the shore again, and I take the opportunity to try some artistic shots, I leave it to you to judge the degree of success.

It is lunch time and we find a fallen tree to sit on and have our sandwiches and a hot drink. We are only yards from the Keswick to Borrowdale road, but this is the view from our picnic site and not a person in sight.

Unfortunately, it remains cold and overcaste.

But, as we head back along the lake shore, past Lodore and toward Keswick, the cloud begins to break up, and we even see a little blue sky.

But, the brightness does not last, and soon we have cloud again, although it does produce some dramatic sky scenes.

After just a little short of ten miles, we retire to the pub to warm ourselves infront of the fire.

The first of February, and as I clear away the breakfast dishes, the sun is shining. It looks as if it is going to be a beautiful day, so the decision is taken, we are going to do a walk which involves climbing Latrigg.

There are several routes.

We have chosen a one which takes us through Fitz Park, to the old railway station and then along the old railway line, before crossing the River Greta.

Passing under the A66, and then following the opposite bank of the river through a beautiful wooded area, which I think is called Brundleholm Woods.

The climb is slow and steady,

until we are high above the river,

then on through the woods, an easy route to follow, there are not too many options!

Eventually, we emerge from the woods, into brilliant sunshine,

with sweeping views on our right.

and now a choice or which way to go, we must turn right, up the hill,

and over the stile, and up and up.

almost at the top, and a pause for breath, with the excuse of taking a photograph!

and eventually, we are on top of the world, well, on top of Latrigg that is, and at since it is a 1292 foot climb, that will do for me. 

This would be a prime spot to have lunch, but, despite the sunshine, it is freezing cold, with a brisk wind blowing from the east.

So, we descend a little, and find a handy picnic spot, in the sun, and with a tree trunk as a seat and table combined,

but with superb all round views.

So, on down, back to Fitz Park, and after 7 miles, Kathleen is ready to partake of a cream scone.

So, it is off to Brysons's cake shop, coffee and a cream scone for her, hot chocolate and a pice of "sly cake" for me.

Another good day.