Anyone had an interesting ride recently ?

[RobF]

Rob, I dont know whether to thank you for that or cry ......but thats the winning ride for me.

Aw, thanks Lyn.

What's the prize - five minutes behind the bike shed?

Moving on swiftly to your move, the likes of Rightmove are great, but as you are discovering there is a danger of drowning in a sea of information.

Bit like buying an electric bike, or anything else these days.

I know little of North Tyneside, but would say some of the pit villages around Durham City are still a bit run down.

One place on your list that has come on big style in the last few years is Seaham.

The seafront is now bordering on smart and includes several cafes and restaurants, also an ice cream parlour which is well-liked by one or two lasses of my acquaintance.

Is East Shore Village within budget?

Former Vane Tempest colliery, now a new housing estate with a modern pub/restaurant and a few shops handily placed at the entrance.

I know a few people who have realistic expectations who live on there and they profess themselves content with it.

 

[funkylyn]

Honestly Rob, if you were privy to the mixed up whirlpool that is my mind at the moment you would understand how difficult this move is.

But keeping to the house side of it....yes. Seaham I was very impressed with and looked around the St Helens Drive area when I was up there last month.

Without rambling on and boring the whole forum with my house move, maybe if I say that
as I am feeling at a total crossroads in my life right now, my property choices vary from........

a river front apartment at The Ropery,N/castle, a stone end cottage at High Spen, near Chopwell woods, a

semi in Brandon, a 4 bed detached at Ludworth, a narrow boat on a canal somewhere, and a pub/B&B at

Grosmont.....these are just a few.....I think you can maybe see the problem I have

I love rivers, especially the Tyne, I love woods and the countryside, I also love easy access to plenty of retail therapy outlets and urban life as long as I have my own private bolt hole to get back to and for now I will have to hope I have a little more time before having to make a decision.

Lynda

PS. Rob, your prize can be buying me an ice cream in "Lickety Split"

 

[D C]

Theres a lovely " Camping in the Forest" site there I believe, though I prefer wild camping, which happily is legal and accepted in Scotland.......however, after many, many holidays in Scotland and tempting though those lochs and cycle trails are, I could only go back when there was absolutely NO chance of the dreaded midges

I can still remember the horror of having to break camp at 3am due to the midges and a totally traumatised family,3 kids, my mother and our poor German Shepherd who we could hardly see for the cloud of midges around him ....it may have been 18 years ago but my now 32 year old daughter still swears she will never go back to Scotland again lol

Seriously though, as I am allergic to any sort of insect bite and have to carry an Epi Pen I really have to be careful.......but I still love Scotland
You are very lucky to have all that on your doorstep.......

Lynda

I'm the same with insect bites but not to the Epi Pen stage, they go straight for me and ignore other people then the bites swell up in huge lumps and itch for a couple of weeks.
It's also a shame that the whole of Scotland suffers from the midge reputation as it's mainly confined to the west, there's less midges (and rainfall) in these parts than I found in Manchester or I couldn't live here.
If you want to be extra sure the end of August till the end of July you would be very unlikely to see a midge at all round here.
This site is useful and pretty acurate -
Home | Midge Forecast
Another pic to tempt you!


Dave.

 

[funkylyn]

I'm the same with insect bites but not to the Epi Pen stage, they go straight for me and ignore other people then the bites swell up in huge lumps and itch for a couple of weeks.
It's also a shame that the whole of Scotland suffers from the midge reputation as it's mainly confined to the west, there's less midges (and rainfall) in these parts than I found in Manchester or I couldn't live here.
If you want to be extra sure the end of August till the end of July you would be very unlikely to see a midge at all round here.
This site is useful and pretty acurate -
Home | Midge Forecast
Another pic to tempt you!


Dave.

Oh nooooo.....stop it Dave or I will be adding scotland to my property dilemma lol

That is so beautiful you lucky man you

Thanks for the link to the midge alert site thats very handy to have.

Lynda

 

[peerjay56]

Dave (DC),

Is that a double battery setup? How's about a bit more info, maybe in a seperate thread, please?
(Apologies if you've already done that - if so, could you please point me to the appropriate thread?)
Ta.

Phil

I'm the same with insect bites but not to the Epi Pen stage, they go straight for me and ignore other people then the bites swell up in huge lumps and itch for a couple of weeks.
It's also a shame that the whole of Scotland suffers from the midge reputation as it's mainly confined to the west, there's less midges (and rainfall) in these parts than I found in Manchester or I couldn't live here.
If you want to be extra sure the end of August till the end of July you would be very unlikely to see a midge at all round here.
This site is useful and pretty acurate -
Home | Midge Forecast
Another pic to tempt you!


Dave.

 

[D C]

Dave (DC),

Is that a double battery setup? How's about a bit more info, maybe in a seperate thread, please?
(Apologies if you've already done that - if so, could you please point me to the appropriate thread?)
Ta.

Phil

It's a thumb throttle Cyclotricity kit with their single 10 Ah battery.
Thanks for reminding me that I should post a thread about it, I've been meaning to do that but have been having so much fun cycling that I didn't get around to it.
I have remedied that today http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/15010-diy-kit-great-success.html
Dave.

 

[Taff]

See my blog and album for details and pics of today's ride.

 

[Scimitar]

I can still remember the horror of having to break camp at 3am due to the midges and a totally traumatised family,3 kids, my mother and our poor German Shepherd who we could hardly see for the cloud of midges around him

Seemples. You light a small smoky fire and stand downwind of it.

 

[D C]

Seemples. You light a small smoky fire and stand downwind of it.

Or use Avon Skin so Soft, brilliant for those it works for but sadly it doesn't work for me.
Dave.

 

[freddy]

I've been told the recipe for skin so soft has changed. No longer effective on horses with sweetitch

 

[funkylyn]

It doesnt work for me either and sadly, its not always convenient to light and stand down wind of a smokey fire

Lynda

 

[Ettica]

Nowhere near as good as all those gorgeous pics but i was cycling to work and i decided to stop and look back towards our house where 10 mins ago i said goodbye to my lovely wife.

Someone asked me recently do you like going to work?
I said yes. Going and coming home ( on my ebike) but not the bit in between

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[funkylyn]

No pics, but I was out cycling at 6.15am today and did the Stop Line to Chard and back to Ilminster along with a tour of a very quiet town at that time of the morning.....only 16 miles but great non the less

And to those of you who know me......no.....I hadnt wet the bed lol

Lynda

 

[Cyclezee]

A ride across the concrete jungle of Milton Keynes

A few photos of my ride from home to Costco on my trusty old Quando taken with a Samsung Galaxy S4

 

[funkylyn]

Mmmm......great pics......you certainly know how to float my boat John......

Lynda

 

[Ettica]

gorgeous pics and what a lovely route.

 

[Ettica]

I've updated my pic to try and make it more interesting

 

[timidtom]

a narrow boat on a canal somewhere,

I lived on a narrow boat for a while several years ago. You have experience of living in limited spaces (?) and a boat is generally more spacious. You'll need to research places to moor-up during times the canals are iced over, of course, but apart from that the system is your whelk!
Like buying an ebike - try as many boats as possible - unless you're already a boater?
Living on a boat isn't a money-saving venture, but re-sale values are good. Like camping/caravaning, you can change the view from your window as often as you like! And you can charge your bike as you potter along!
Best wishes,
Tom

 

[103Alex1]

@ Alex......OMG....where, where, where is that ??? How beautiful, if that is on your doorstop then I am seriously jealous........it kind of looks familiar but I just cant think that Ive been there.....the town picture in particular is teasing my brain

That be South Devon ... the town pic is Dartmouth. The seaside spots .. 1st pic is Bigbury facing Burgh Island. The second ? Now that would be telling

 

[funkylyn]

a narrow boat on a canal somewhere,

I lived on a narrow boat for a while several years ago. You have experience of living in limited spaces (?) and a boat is generally more spacious. You'll need to research places to moor-up during times the canals are iced over, of course, but apart from that the system is your whelk!
Like buying an ebike - try as many boats as possible - unless you're already a boater?
Living on a boat isn't a money-saving venture, but re-sale values are good. Like camping/caravaning, you can change the view from your window as often as you like! And you can charge your bike as you potter along!
Best wishes,
Tom

Tom, my commonsense side is saying buy a house and try to grow old gracefully......

my wild side is saying go for the canal life for a few years and grow old disgracefully.......

its a battle but although Ive never been a conformist, I was once an estate agent, have owned houses for 45 years and the urge for bricks and mortar is very strong......along with the hyperventilating that goes alongside the very thought of having to part with my beloved motorhome if I lived on a boat.

I need to get a grip, had a way too low offer yesterday, lets see if today we can meet somewhere sensible, then the battle really will commence.

Lynda