Sunday worship

Today, the last Sunday in October 2022, was spent in the company of the partner's mother in Jarrow, where the partner spent a happy childhood before escaping to Weardale. After dropping the mother at church the partner and the old blogger went for a walk along remembered paths dear readers of Wear and Dao, and returned after the church service to whisk the mother over to The Red Fox for Sunday lunch ... turkey for Mum and nut roast for us, delicious and nutritious of course!

The rest of the week was spent mainly in Stanhope except for a trip to Chester le Street with two bags of washing at the laundrette ... sheets and towels.

Otherwise there's not much to report dear readers, hence the gap in blogging. Let's face, it the blog was started to share the stories of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela anyway!

Tomorrow, Monday, we're off to Durham for a service on the car ...

Wednesday back to normal

After yesterday's high drama, today, Wednesday, was more or less back to normal. A quick trip up to St John's Chapel for an appointment with the G.P led to a quick chat with the nurse and another E.C.G. to check that all was well I.e. normal.

After Chapel it was home to Stanhope for a delicious lunch of spinach and feta cheese plus smoked mackerel and various vegetables ... yummy indeed!

A post lunch wander around the village seeking blackberries and eldberries, still in abundance hereabouts, revealed a craft fair at the railway station ... we wandered into the station where the train for Wolsingham was waiting. Though we had no wish to ride it, nevertheless we took a look round the stalls at the craft fair and met folks we knew.

On the way home we popped into the Co-op for supplies then went home for a rest and a read before the usual drink at The Grey Bull nearby. After last night's late supper night tonight's supper is earlier I.e. normal time ... so, dear faithful readers of Wear and Dao it's Goodnight from her and Goodnight from me aka your ancient blogger.

Mid-week dramas ...

After Sunday's convivivial day dear readers of Wear and Dao,  Monday passed pleasantly enough, though yesterday's drama more than made up for it!

In the morning it was decided to head South to Ripon and Fountains Abbey and just as we arrived there, with the partner driving, your doddery old blogger had an "episode" which was rather alarming ... meaning we abandoned the trip round Fountains Abbey after a quick coffee and headed home Stanhope toute suite!

It was decided that a trip to Dryburn Hospital in Durham was a good idea, so we spent several hours having various tests to find the cause or causes, whilst observing and sometimes engaging the other patients patiently waiting for their turn in the waiting room of A&E ... Returning to Stanhope about 10.30 pm, it was time for a quick supper and bed after the unexpected drama of the day. Anyway, all appears to be well happily ...

Wet Sunday

A damp day in Stanhope and the post breakfast walk for stuffing at the Co-op was dry enough ... the fresh air and exercise being the main aim ...

The partner was making toad in the hole for Bill and Andrew next door plus us of course. (For any other pedants out there dear readers of Wear and Dao, please explain why toad and which hole?!)

The Carlo Rovelli book passed the time whilst the partner laboured in the kitchen before the guests arrived. Also the archive from the blog you're reading was perused as a reminder of those days on the Camino. .. nostalgia as is observed is a jolly good thing, but it's not what it used to be :) ...  The door bell rang at 1245 to signify the arrival of the guests and a delicious and nutritious lunch was served at1 pm. After lunch a game of chess between Bill and Andrew over a cup of tea passed a pleasant half hour or so before Bill departed and Andrew played a game of chess with the blogger. Let's just say Andrew won both games before going home next door leaving your old blogger to continue reading Rovelli's book on quantum physics.

Another walk was dodged due to rain and our final quick walk to the pub for the usual pint of Guiness rounded off a sociable day ...

Around Stanhope ...

After the Duns trip Thursday and yesterday's visit from Lee and Martin, today, Saturday, was spent in Stanhope cooking a mushroom omelette after a lovely walk in the sun, then another walk in the afternoon ...

In the evening a pint of Guiness and a bag of cheese and onion crisps in the Grey Bull, the return home entailed the telly and BBC 1 with game shows whilst eating cheese and biscuits ... very decadent!

Current reading is Kate Atkinson and Carlo Ravellli the quantum physicist. .. always a fascinating subject what with non-locality, Schodringer's Cat, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle etc...

Tomorrow Bill comes for lunch for delicious food and psychology  ... happy days for your old blogger! 

A short trip to Duns ...

As mentioned in yesterday's blog, we went North to the Scottish Borders near Duns today on the A1 via Morpeth and Longframlington for supplies for the elder daughter ... notably sourdough bread, steak and onion pie for her and quiche for us.

After a lovely day, albeit wet, we returned via the A68 via Jedburgh where we stopped for fuel and a pee. .. from there it was along the A68 to Stanhope, where we arrived in time for two pints of Guiness with lime and crisps at the Grey Bull... to see Arsenal beat PSV 1-0 at home.

Tomorrow dear readers of Wear and Dao,  Lee and Martin plan to come over for fish and chips and mushy peas ... well it is Friday after all ..........!!

Blog returns!

For the few loyal readers of Wear and Dao, good news. The recent failure of service, due to technical incompetence is remedied here today ... hooray! Frankly there has been a dearth of vaguely interesting stories to report anyway.

But first a heartfelt obituary. .. a dear friend of A Place to Be and Wear and Dao passed on to another world some weeks ago and was buried in a woodland funeral attended mainly by family. Alan Charlton died peacefully in his sleep and will be fondly remembered by the many folks in County Durham and further afield.

Meanwhile, in the land of the living, life goes on inexorably until we ourselves hand the baton over to the coming generations.

Tomorrow, dear readers of Wear and Dao,  the ancient blogger and his partner head north from Stanhope in Weardale to the Scottish Borders to see the elder daughter, soon to bring new life and light to the world.

The winter holiday in Cyprus is close now, which is very exciting.

Such is life for retired folks with sufficient funds in the 21st century.