Two days post Bank Holiday. ..

Well well dear readers of Wear and Dao, where did those two days post Bank Holiday go to? Yesterday was for a dental appointment in Consett in the morning  and the afternoon was spent cooking lunch and cooking up the blackberries from the Blanchland Show. So, nothing much to report dear readers yesterday ...

Today, Wednesday, was rather more exciting for both your old blogger and his partner in different ways, as the partner drove her car to her hairdresser and chatted as women tend to do and as she emerged from the hairdresser's shop she tripped causing her much pain. Meanwhile the blogger bumped into Mac, an old friend from Scotland who'd moved to Stanhope with his wife, now deceased and a regular reader of the blog you're reading now! Mac was delighted to see me and me him too, so I invited him in for lunch or a cup of tea which he declined and promised to call in again sometime.

Mac's career was in the Royal Navy, where he served with distinction becoming  commander of a ship serving Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth whilst the blogger was a republican determined to overthrow the monarchy altogether and as a communist found ways to foment the glorious 'revolution in Great Britain and Northern Ireland ... madness basically, but there you are, that's youthful enthusiasm for you dear readers! 

Anyway, tonight brought exciting news as we booked a trip to Duns in the Scottish Borders and plan to go to see the elder daughter next week. Tomorrow, Thursday, Gillian the Angel of Stanhope may come for afternoon tea which she usually does each Thursday ... indeed who knows, Mac might pop in for tea and a scone or something, now that would be fun in the sun would it not?!!

Bank Holiday Monday at Blanchland Show

Bank Holiday Monday dawned sunny and dry dear readers of Wear and Dao,  and the old blogger and his partner set off for Blanchland and Hunstanworth annual show early to discover the bridge at Baybridge was being repaired entailing a short diversion to Blanchland for the Show. Having parked at Baybridge car park we walked along the River Derwent which leads to Derwent Reservoir picking blackberries and raspberries from the hedgerows. In the Show we paid our £5 each entry and went for coffee in the Community Centre. .. imagine our surprise dear readers to find Jane and Andrew from Langdon Beck Hotel serving the tea, coffee and cakes. With our black coffee we took a pain au chocolat and a slice of lemon drizzle cake and went next door to see the stalls and buy some things like cheese etc then walked around the Show ground buying more things such as chocolate flavoured honey and a metal robin for the front garden  to keep the painted cockerel company!

Leaving the Show for lunch at home picking more blackberries as we went, we arrived home in Stanhope to make lunch of salmon fishcakes with vegetables  ... delicious  (and nutritious ) ... After a nap for the blogger and the partner sorting out her bedroom, we went for a drink at the Grey Bull  then came home for soup for supper and an early night.

Tomorrow we go to Consett for a dental appointment, which won't be much fun!

Sunday plus a Bank Holiday Monday

Sunday at the end of August means a Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow dear readers of Wear and Dao. Anyhow today started warm and dry as your old blogger prepared lunch of salad with prawns, tomato,avocado, sweetheart cabbage, spinach and mayonnaise which went down well with the blogger's partner and Andrew from next door.

After Andrew left we decided to go for  a walk through the caravan park where the rain became heavy and your old blogger wasn't kitted out for the adverse weather conditions. We called in to see Sharon and Kevin at no2 Wear Terrace for shelter, and when the rain eased we went home rather wet!

That was the news for today dear readers. .. tomorrow is Blanchland Show which we plan to visit ... let's see shall we?

Saturday at Chapel Show

Time flies in blog land dear readers of Wear and Dao, and Friday's report about Beamish went missing ... briefly, let's just say it was a warm sunny day and the day at the museum was good fun as the blogger and his partner wandered the site picking blackberries and enjoying the ambience plus the good food at the tea rooms (quiche and salad). On the way back we called in to to the Black Horse pub and restaurant to check it out for next Saturday's 90th birthday for the blogger's partner's mother.

Today, Saturday, we went to Chapel Show with Dan and Harvey the grandchildren to enjoy a lovely day at the Show in more warm sunshine and wandered around seeing the tents and the exhibits until it was time to take the boys home to Toft Hill as they prepared for Monday's flight to Mallorca and a week's holiday.

Tomorrow the day is free, so let's see what we'll get up to shall we dear readers. ..

Thursday cooking ...

So, dear readers of Wear and Dao, another Thursday in 2022 and the last one in August as showtime commences in Weardale, County Durham. First up is Chapel Show on Saturday at St John's Chapel and the smallest of the three shows.

Since Thursday is usually the day that Gillian comes to afternoon tea  the blogger and his partner set to early to prepare a Dorset Apple Cake to welcome the Angel of Stanhope after her absence last week since she and her husband Colin were away for a long weekend celebrating the tenth anniversary of their wedding.

Before Gillian's visit lunch was prepared  (smoked mackeral with roast veggies, spinach and artichokes plus cheese and gravy), which was delicious and nutritious and very filling. Gillian arrived about 3 pm and the three of us had tea and Dorset Apple Cake outside in the sunshine,, again delicious, mostly nutritious and very filling!

After Gillian's departure we contiued moving furniture about since the hospital bed downstairs was deemed unnecessary after the miraculous recovery from the pulmonary embolism of several months. Then it was up to The Grey Bull for a pint each of bitter shandy with a lime top  before returning home for soup and an early night.

Tomorrow is free, so let's see in the morning shall we dear readers. .. Beamish Mureum is a strong contender ...

Wednesday to Nenthead

Today dear readers of Wear and Dao  the old blogger and his partner joined the Wheels to Meals crew on the trip to Nenthead in Cumbria ... specifically The Hive a converted Methodist Chapel with delicious food to eat at a reasonable price. We sat at a table along with John Lloyd the minibus driver and Dennis an old friend from Stanhope. We chose vegetarian curry which was        delicious and nutritious and returned home to Stanhope via the fascinating model village nearby.

Back home in Stanhope we read for a while (A Very French Wedding by Maeve Haran), then the old blogger went walkabout for a little exercise after the filling curry lunch. Over the stepping stones I went to collect more apples to eat or cook and give to friends and strangers including a Jewish Orthodox family on holiday from Hackney in London. Since the ice cream van was open for business an ice cream with a chocolate flake was purchased, then Gillian, the Angel of Stanhope turned up and we walked along to the Stone Bridge over the River Wear and back home to Rose Terrace where we offered tea and pastries and had a good chat about philosophy as usual.

When Gillian departed we went to The Grey Bull for a pint of bitter shandy with a lime top and some cheese and onion crisps before returning home for soup with croutons and an early night to read some more and write the blog you're reading now dear readers! !

Tuesday lunch alone ...

Today, Tuesday, the old blogger was deserted by his partner who had a friend to visit up the Dale. Before she left he set out to deliver some things to Beryl at the Charity Shop at the Community Centre. Then he called in to see John at the Hub to ascertain the arrangements for tomorrow's trip to Nenthead with Wheels to Meals. Arriving home too late to see the partner depart he settled down to read his latest book (A Cat called Bob and the story of James with his struggles against heroin addiction). Another book of poetry by Jamie Tucknut a local author was on the go too, between tucking in to a coffee and croissant when a friend called Dave arrived with his collie dog called Tess. After a brief conversation Dave departed for lunch with Sandra whilst the old blogger set to preparing lunch for himself ... cheese omelette with vegetables followed by blackberry and apple crumble with custard since you ask dear readers!

The partner returned soon after the lovely lunch was finished so we sat out in the sun reading our books before walking over the stepping stones to collect more apples. Returning laden with apples we sat reading again before popping up to The Grey Bull for a pint of bitter shandy before supper of soup and booking a hotel for the forthcoming trip to France and the Eden Project in St Austell ... and writing the blog you're reading now ...

Monday on oxygen etc

Well here we are again dear readers of Wear and Dao, another Monday in and around Stanhope ... the morning started with a trip to Meadowfield to test the fitness of your old blogger with a walking test at the Oxygenation Clinic. This proved very satisfactory indeed and we went home via Tow Law to buy provisions including pain au chocolate to eat with coffee. .. delicious!

Lunch was prepared of yesterday's frittata leftovers plus runner beans provided by Andrew, who left early this morning for Oakhampton where he's working for a few days with others on the Peatland Project.

After lunch your old blogger walked into the village to see John at the Hub to find out information about Wednesday's trip to Nenthead, to no avail since John and others were in a meeting,  so he returned home via the apple tree behind the Dales Centre to provide more apples for Beryl.

Various things needed sorting out indoors including the meter readings for Octopus Energy the provider of electricity and Good Energy who pay the returns on the Feed in Tariff from the solar panels at no 5 Railway Terrace. Then there was the parking fine to pay and Brittany Ferries to book for the forthcoming trip to France to see the blogger's sister Judith Bohic nee Day.

What a life eh dear readers!

Sunday lunch with Andrew

Today, Sunday dear readers of Wear and Dao,  was another day in Stanhope in bright sunshine after yesterday's rainy day and occasional downpours ... that's what makes England the promised land as William Blake told it in his poem Jerusalem.

Our next door neighbour, Andrew, came for lunch and frittata was on the menu, involving lots of veg and four duck eggs ... dessert was blackberry and apple crumble with custard and the starter was vegetable soup ...delicious and nutritious!  Many of the vegetables came from Andrew's allotment ... such a great idea these allotments for folks with no growing space at home, like the miners in their terraced houses etc.

Before lunch we went in search of apples, in abundance at this time of the year, and found plenty behind the Dales Centre by the Church of St Thomas, we gathered plenty in to store for the winter and make apple sauce and chutney plus those we cooked with blackberries in a crumble topping with custard for lunch.

Andrew works for the A.O.N.B on the Peatland Project, which aims to restore the peatland to its former glory and maybe reforest the moors as they were hundreds of years ago.

After Andrew departed we set off in search of more apples to cook and store.

Tomorrow is another day with no fixed plans apart from a medical appointment at 9am so let's see how the day pans out shall we dear readers?

Friday to Jarrow

Another sunny day and the visit to the blogger's partner's mother took us to Jarrow in South Tyneside dear readers of Wear and Dao. First task was to do some shopping in Morrison's then on to lunch at The Red Fox. Mam is almost 90 years young and still fit and healthy despite a recent bout of Covid, whatever that is ... hmm, Sars-Cov-2 or a corona virus with symptoms like influenza but hyped up to scare the world for no good reason!

After lunch we returned to Stanhope to rest a while and pick blackberries to go with the apples of which we have many. Then we went to visit Jules and Peter to celebrate the conclusion of the sale of the Retreat House at no.5 Railway Terrace.

Tomorrow is unknown at the moment ... maybe a trip out, maybe just sort out all these apples ... who knows? But you can be sure dear readers that you'll read about it here.

Thursday to Cumbria again ...

Today dear readers of Wear and Dao,  your old blogger and his partner set off bright and early to visit the Lake District at Sizergh Castle, a National Trust place near Kendal (where they make the mint cake, a minty concoction aimed to give energy to the walkers and cyclists so often found around The Lake District).

The weather forecast was rather dull but not too much rain, which turned out about right, and the visit to Sizergh Castle was a delight, especially the apple trees bearing an abundance of fruit which we decided to pick to take home to Stanhope for apple pie or crumble with custard.

Before all this we stopped off en route for coffee and cake in Middleton in Teesdale at the wittily named Teespot. Over the hills we went along the M6 for a while before arriving at Sizergh Castle in time for lunch of chilli beans on baked potato and after more wandering about the gardens and castle itself we returned home for a pint of bitter shandy and a chat with Muna, a friend of ours ... then it was supper of soup and ready for bed a looking forward to visiting the partner's mother in Jarrow.

Wednesday 17.08.22

Today dear readers of Wear and Dao was spent at home in Stanhope, Weardale in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just east of Cumbria with its National Park, south of Northumbria and north of North Yorkshire ditto ...

Of course the main aim today was to see our solicitor in Crook and sign the contract for the transfer of 5 Railway Terrace to Jules our dear friend and neighbour ... which was done by 3.30 pm and we returned home in the sunshine to celebrate at  the Grey Bull with a pint of bitter shandy  and get a message from Lee  that she and Martin were calling over on their motorbike to see us at Rose Terrace. .. After Lee and Martin departed it was a light supper and off to bed to read and write the blog you're reading now ...

Tuesday at Whitby

Those of us who know Whitby in North Yorkshire will probably think of fish and chips with mushy peas or the gothic drama of Dracula and Bram Stoker. Anyway, that was the destination for today dear readers of Wear and Dao and after a night of heavy rain your  blogger and his partner set off south and east past Middlesbrough, Guisborough to Whitby by the sea. Whilst there the weather was dry though heavy rain fell on the way back through the North York moors via Pickering, Northallerton and Darlington. ..

After coffee and a pee at the Royal Hotel on the clifftop, we wandered through town with the other tourists seeing the sights and finding a restaurant for fish, chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce we were ready for a walk back to the car for the drive home.

Back in Stanhope we found a message on the phone from our solicitor saying both sides were ready to sign the contract for the sale of the Retreat House ... finally! After a pint of bitter shanty at the Grey Bull  we had supper and an early night ready to go to  Crook to sign the contract tomorrow  ... and write the blog you're reading now.

Monday swimming

And so another week begins dear readers of Wear and Dao,  and the old blogger set off to buy milk from the Co-op in Stanhope in order to make porage tomorrow, then after lunch the blogger and his partner headed over to Toft Hill to see the partner's grandsons Dan and Harvey and how Harvey was coping with his football injury ... playing in goal yesterday he made a brilliant save at the cost of an injured wrist.

Oreo the dog required walking then Dan had a swimming lesson for 30 minutes at 4pm. Harvey came along but couldn't swim due to his wrist injury, so he watched while Dan swam. After this it was back home to Stanhope via the Co-op for cheese and vegetables for soup. The soup was superb as usual and supper of vegetable soup and sourdough bread filled the tummy gap before an early night.

Sunday with Bill

Today, Sunday 14th of August 2022 dear readers of Wear and Dao,  was another hot and sunny day in Stanhope in Weardale.  Being Sunday it's not unusual for Bill our philosopher friend to come for lunch, this time a salad with a mushroom bake and ice cream, strawberries, some sweet tarts and a chocolate flake for dessert.

Before lunch your old blogger wandered over to 5 Railway Terrace to see Jules and try to sort out the sale of the house, hopefully to be finalised tomorrow!

Lunch with Bill was delightful and afterwards Bill and your old blogger left the partner clearing up to go for a walk along the River Wear picking blackberries. .. foraging food in this season is easy of course. After Bill departed the blogger and his partner popped up to the pub to quench the thirst before supper.

Tomorrow hopefully the solicitors will get their fingers out and get the contract signed!

The weather forecast continues dry and sunny until Tuesday when some much needed rain is predicted  ... Let's see shall we!

Saturday to Barney and Rise

This morning dear readers of Wear and Dao,  the blogger and his partner set off for Barnard Castle bright and early to buy some sourdough bread from Rise. We took a circuitous route via Middleton in Teesdale, Langdon Beck, Mikleton, Romaldkirk, Cotherstone and Lartington before arriving at Barnard Castle in time to meet John from the Stanhope Hub for lunch at Rise ... not only a bakery but a cafe too with wonderful food.

We stopped at the Langdon Beck hotel to see how our friends were faring with the refurbishment of the hotel, which is slowly returning to its former glory ... Jane and Andrew, sister and brother and son of Beryl at the Community Centre in Stanhope were found busily working alongside the painters as they hurried to finish the job.

Back at Barney we met John and enjoyed a delicious and nutritious lunch before going to see John's house which looked really good. Returning over the hill to Stanhope we went for a pint at the Grey Bull to assuage our thirst before a light supper of egg mayonnaise in a white sourdough sandwich  and an early night.

Tomorrow our philosopher friend Bill arrives for lunch of mushroom risotto made with the wonderful wild mushrooms found growing on trees called Pheasant of the Woods.

Friday at Alnwick again ...

First, dear readers of Wear and Dao,  to apologise for  the error of the date yesterday, when actually the 12th of August is today I.e. Friday. Off we went bright and breezy to Alnwick Castle with the partner's two grandchildren, Dan and Harvey to see the stately home of the Percys, the Earl of Northumberland. The castle is very impressive and full of valuable artwork, like Van Dyke and other master painters and the current Earl, Ralph Percy has made a great job of selling the place to visitors, with participative games from yon times like quoits and bowls plus animated stories of the history of the place.

We brought a picnic for the two boys and ourselves which we ate on the lawns then played petanque or boules which was fun then moved on to crazy golf. What a great day we had dear readers, with more warm sunshine to enjoy.

Tomorrow it's to Barnard Castle for sourdough bread from Rise ...

Thursday 12th August 2022

Some say: "The glorious 12th of August", though obviously not the pheasants and grouse getting shot by the wealthy hunters who kill birds for fun. Anyway, notwithstanding the sporting connotation, your old blogger set off up the path through Stanhope Dene with Annie and found, guess what? Yes, pheasant of the woods a delicious mushroom growing on trees.

Meanwhile the old blogger's partner was at home preparing lunch for Kathryne and Gillian, the angel of Stanhope. Let's just say, dear readers of Wear and Dao that there was sufficient food to feed an army ... a salad of quiche with prawns, hard boiled eggs and more ... certainly enough to feed us four and enough for tomorrow's picnic  at Alnwick Castle with the partner's grandsons.

Today was another hot and sunny day  ... as for tomorrow, the forecast is much the same.

Wednesday in Weirdale and Consett

Wednesday 10th August 2022 and your old blogger and his partner spent the morning in Stanhope foraging for blackberries now ripening daily. Talking to friends in the allotments elicited courgettes, peas and grapes, whilst all that was really sought were paints to paint the cockerel in the front garden ... an artwork worthy of the Sculpture Park in Wakefield yesterday!

After a delicious and nutritious lunch of fried duck egg, fried bread and fried potatoes with baked beans, off we went to Consett site of a steelworks many years ago in search of a few items of shopping ready for Gillian and Kathryn's visit tomorrow and the grandchildren's outing on Friday.

It had also been decided to plant up a box of flowers for Annie two doors along at 8 Rose Terrace as a surprise necessitating compost for the planter. Returning from Consett work soon sorted the planter for Annie then work commenced on the painting of the cockerel which turned out well and very artistic. After this it was the pub for half pint of shandy and half of cider before a light supper of cheese and biscuits before an early night to sleep and write the blog you are now reading. It was another hot and sunny day in Weardale and the same tomorrow. ...

Tuesday at the Sculpture Park

What a beautiful day it was today on the way to Wakefield and the Sculpture Park. .. blue skies and warm Sun all the way from Stanhope to South Yorkshire and the Sculpture Park in a park dominated by Henry Moore.

We wandered about admiring the artwork and picking apples and pears from the trees. After coffee and croissants we wandered some more before lunch of falafel and sea bass with chips to share. Another, longer walk revealed even more sculptures including Anthony Caro as well as more Moore, before returning to base having met Hilary Friend who lived there many years ago with her family.

A swift drive home along the M1 via Leeds included a stop at Piercebridge Garden Centre for tea, compost and a Buddha for the front garden. What a day eh dear readers. .. as for tomorrow who knows where we'll go ...?

Monday in Stanhope and Barney

So, dear readers of Wear and Dao,  another week begins in Stanhope with strong coffee and porage and a walk into the village for a haircut and a wet shave, followed by a visit to see Gillian the angel of Stanhope for a cup of tea and a chat about Wheels to Meals and other things.

Home for lunch then off to Barnard Castle via the travel shop all to sort the passport of the blogger's partner to enable the winter 3 week holiday in Cyprus in November. Then it was home again to Stanhope before popping over to see Julianne to sort out the details of the property transfer of the Retreat House at 5 Railway Terrace which is dragging on somewhat thanks to the solicitors.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the plan is to visit the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, South Yorkshire. Well that's the plan anyway, let's see how it pans out shall we dear readers! Anyway, the Sun continues to shine, so what could possibly go wrong ...

Sunday ending the weekend. ..

Well here we are dear readers of Wear and Dao, another weekend comes to an end as Monday looms on the horizon. An early wander around the village for some shopping was followed by cooking a lovely lunch of toad in the hole with strawberries to follow ... after which we headed up the Dale and over to Alston for a walk, rehearsing for a possible Camino de Santiago de Compostela!

We took the little steam train up to Slaggyford and walked back picking raspberries for tea. Now dear readers, who knows whether another Camino de Santiago de Compostela is possible, but the walk this afternoon was excellent fitness training anyway.

Tomorrow, Monday, there's things to do in the village, and with luck you'll hear about it tomorrow. Let's see shall we?!

Saturday shifting

Well here we are again dear readers, a warm Saturday in early August in Stanhope in Weardale and stuff to shift around to make life a little easier. It's often said by chaps with Luton vans: "No job too small", but surprisingly it was tricky find a man with a van prepared to shift a bed from Railway Terrace to Rose Terrace then pick up a couple of mattresses and take them to Bishop Auckland. Our saviour finally was found in Hope Street in Crook - Andy who had moved your old blogger into Wear View by the River Wear in Stanhope some years previously.

That was arranged yesterday when the morning included a trip up the Dale for a coffee and muffin at Chatterbox cafe in St John's Chapel followed by a walk up Slitts Wood collecting raspberries and blackberries for later use indoors, to combine with the apples and rhubarb scrumped from an empty house by the river in Stanhope.

After lunch of eggy bread with salad we spent some time moving furniture about upstairs to prepare for Andy's arrival today. Then we rang our solicitor in Crook to finalise the house sale and went shopping in Front Street for essential supplies for lunch today. So that's your update dear readers!

Stanhope into the weekend

Friday 5th August 2022 dear readers of Wear and Dao, and the weather continues dry and warm as the weekend approaches.

After the break in Bournemouth, Stanhope remains to be the place to be ... the seaside is great in the summer and also the hills of the North Pennines! Home is where the heart is after all ... and the heart is here now.

Where better to lounge about reading  ( Mark Haddon's amazing "The Porpoise") and writing the blog you see before you.

As for the weekend, well, we expect to complete the contract for the sale of 5 Railway Terrace very soon and bank the money enabling more holidays including Cyprus in November for 3 weeks. What a life eh dear readers!

The Royal Bath Hotel

Monday August 1st 2022 and it's off to Bournemouth for a short holiday down South at The Royal Bath Hotel. The traffic was remarkably light and your old blogger and his partner made the 350 miles in around 7 hours including one stop for fuel and picnic and pee.

Of course these parts are well known to your blogger, who spent his childhood hearabouts.

Bournemouth is a great tourist place and since it's the summer holidays where better to spend a couple of days before heading West to The Eden Project.

Bournemouth, Wimborne and back

The last day of the short break in the Royal  Bath Hotel entailed a trip on the upper deck of a bus to Wimborne.

Before that an early walk along the promenade saw old chaps prospecting for coins that dropped from the pockets of folks enjoying the golden sands the day before. Then came a full English breakfast to fill the tummies since breakfast was included in the price. The trip to Wimborne followed and was certainly a more relaxing way to see the countryside. .. have bus pass, will travel is the motto hereabouts!

Let's see what tomorrow brings shall we dear readers ...