It’s beginning to feel like a crescendo of anticipation here, with the stuttering arrival of the various components required for a couple of jobs around the place. But first came the planning, putting the new systems together in my mind,…
Month: July 2019
Little signs of the times . . .
It’s almost, but not quite, like those iconic BurmaShave advertisements that once graced Highway 66 across America’s great southwest, since there’s really no overt punchline: Except that the real punchline in the Recreation Ground’s lovely little signs is that contemporary…
Coming soon, twice!
“Absolutely barmy,” someone said, but somebody else noted that the Co-op is open in the early evenings after the Post Office is shut, while the MarketPlace shop is open on Sunday mornings when of course the Co-op is closed, thereby…
A ‘new’ car means nobody knows you . . .
In one of those small dawnings of rural realisation, I’ve suddenly become aware that if the new-to-us purchase is successful tomorrow, we’ll likely be travelling incognito for some time, since nobody will recognise the car! Course, as Neville Pringle noted…
Lord of the Dales Dance
One of the most popular hymns in English-speaking congregations, and possibly a featured request at the upcoming Hymns & Pimms at St. Cuthbert’s, is Lord of the Dance, written in 1963 by English songwriter Sydney Carter to fit with an…
Surprising Allenheads
Actually, on my reconnoitre around Allenheads yesterday, to prepare for today’s diary entry (recall that we’re featuring free things to do for the family, on successive Saturdays, having already diarised The River Path, Allendale Smelt Mill, and The Chimneys), I…
Hay Meadows of the North Pennines
If you want to understand something of the importance of the traditional hay meadows of the North Pennines, the place to go is to the online archive of Neil Diment’s investigations, served by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural…
The Salt Store at the Council Depot
The new salt store has gone up in the Council Depot behind the Suez Waste Disposal Centre, off Shilburn Road. Unless your view is directly affected, it’s surprisingly hard to spot. But this vantage point, from beside the Fire Tower,…
Getting ready for holidays
I don’t think we’re alone in spending a significant amount of time both thinking about, and then getting ready for a holiday. There’s always so much to do to prepare! But we’re starting a bit early this year, because we’re…
Half-way through the year!
In the normal 365 day year, which this is, not being a Leap Year or anything, today, day 183, is the fulcrum point in the middle, at 182 days gone and 182 to go. So in fact, when you look…