And so, in Sunderland

[piskieinboots]

I am back from the 'frozen north' and what an eye opener Sunderland was!
Property prices - wow!
Sun - wow!
Beaches - wow!

...and I got bl**dy sun stroke !! In the North, I get sun stroke - I shall never ever be piffy about the North again and Snowdrop just smiled the whole time.

It was quite an emotional do - chucking Pete off the pier, not lest because there were fishermen all along it, so we stood and waited for him to drop he would have laughed at us then we all went to the pub.

All my greenhouse plants survived, my kittens survived and I still have a sun-burned face...nice to be back

[FionaH]

Good to have you back hon. Sunstroke north of the watford gap?!!

[Lorraine70]

Well done. As a Northener born and bred it always pleases me to hear of you 'Southern Softies' being kind about us! My partner and I have lived in Northumberland for the past three years (he is originally from Surrey) and he loves it. I'm so proud when he occasionally utters a Geordie word or two! The weather can be grim but it really makes you appreciate the nice days when we do get them!

[piskieinboots]

I have Geordie blood in my veins Lorraine, my grandma was from Haltwhistle - or was it Henshaw (sp?) not sure, but she is (was) a strong Geordie lass and then I go and marry a Sunderland lad

[scarey55]

Welcome back Piskie - I was wondering where you were, I obviously missed a thread somewhere.
Good job I didn't PM you to check you were OK, I would have looked a bit daft eh? (NO! stop there - don't even think about answering that)

Hope everything went well casting Pete out to sea. Glad to hear you had a good time in the sun (not a bit jealous)

On Geordies

I used to work for Twinings and I travelled to North Shields every month for nearly 20 years. I ALWAYS found Geordie folk lovely (even if I couldn't understand some of them at the beginning )

My impression when I first went up North was of wonderful, friendly folk who would do anything for you, and it hasn't changed.

So, go on - big yourselves up all you Geordies

[piskieinboots]

here's another 'big it up for Northern folk' .....
...we went to set off from Sunderland yesterday morning around 0930hrs for daaaan sarf, having all travelled up in MiL's car (leaving our Mini in Cheshire).

BANG - as Snowdrop was pulling out of hotel carpark, smoke pouring from somewhere!!
*see Piskie shout 'every man for himself' and run

We called AA but had quite a wait, as you would expect on a BH Monday!!

We, me SD and MiL, are stood around poorly car for some time when Northern Lady comes out of her house opposite and says 'I've noticed you all here for a while, are you ok?' - we tell NL what happened and she says 'please come in and have some tea whilst you wait'

MiL and SD took it upon themselves to rib me on how hospitable northern folk are, I said 'indeed, where I come from we avoid eye contact'

[Flummery]

Glad it went well. OF COURSE Geordies are great - look at our very own Snadger as an example.

I was at University in Durham - lovely people and an accent to die for. I can listen to a North Easterner read a bus timetable and swoon!

[piskieinboots]

I can listen to a North Easterner read a bus timetable and swoon!

aye canny lass aye

[SarzWix]

Tis a great place innit? But (and I can say this, I'm from there ) I would only live in Roker/Seaburn/Whitburn/Fulwell, there's noooooo way you'd get me living further inland...

I remember summer holidays as a kid being spent mostly on the beach at the Cat & Dog Steps, ma on a sun lounger at the end of the promenade... Aaaaah, happy days...


ETA;
(Where's my manners?!) Glad to hear that Pete's last 'dip off the pier' went ok. And I hope the car didn't take too long to sort out? You didn't have to go back to Cheshire in an AA truck?!

[piskieinboots]

...Roker/Seaburn/Whitburn/Fulwell...

SD is a Roker boy born and bred (as was Pete), he was a happy soul being back there.

...You didn't have to go back to Cheshire in an AA truck?!

Not one AA truck but two!!

MiL's car was uploaded, we were plonked in back of truck, set off with chatty AA man only to be told 'I'm only able to take you half way as I will run out of hours before Cheshire, you will be offloaded at the (can't remember) Services and reloaded'

AND these AA Relay trucks are governed and can only do 56mph on motorway!!

On arrival at Cheshire me and SD jumped in our Mini and then had to scoot down the M6/M42/M40/bed - but t'was all reet lovely

[SarzWix]

I was brought up just up the hill in Fulwell My maternal ancestors were mostly from Bishopwearmouth and were involved in shipping/fishing and chandlery. Dad's lot were, erm... anyway.... but definitely from Sunderland

Would you live up there? I know my OH wouldn't, he's said so, he thinks he's far enough North already

[HeyWayne]

We don't have the north/south conversation in our house. Glad you were "enlightened" piskie.

[Lorraine70]

Piskie, what a small world! I live in a hamlet near Bardon Mill, which is right next door to Henshaw!

[Snadger]

..............................

On Geordies

I used to work for Twinings and I travelled to North Shields every month for nearly 20 years. I ALWAYS found Geordie folk lovely (even if I couldn't understand some of them at the beginning )

My impression when I first went up North was of wonderful, friendly folk who would do anything for you, and it hasn't changed.

So, go on - big yourselves up all you Geordies

Crawler!

[allotmentlady]

When i grow older and retire I am moving to Northumberland. Its lovely......