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. ...