On The Move

Further to a couple of posts in March in 'What Did You Do To Your Silverwing Today', I purchased a house in the North-East of England and am moving over this weekend.

The removal people will follow next Tuesday with all my stuff.

I can't move the 'Crowman' yet as I will have to have the entrance to the back yard widened to get it in. However, it is safe where it's parked in Salisbury and I'll collect it when all is ready.

It's been and still is a very stressful time as anyone know who has moved house and it's not been helped by a completely separate set of problems that have been going on since February.

Suffice it to say: I am leaving behind some wonderful friends but will make more - when I moved to Salisbury I knew no-one there - and will benefit from more space, sea air and lovely roads to ride.
I'm very lucky to be in a position to do it.

New roads to explore is always fun!

Yes indeed!

I meant to say: the town is called Seaham.
It's a former coal-mining town which boasted one coal-seam that stretched two miles or more out under the sea.

The area is also famous for glass-production and was a very important glass-making centre in Europe.

It has nearby a preserved Industrial Steam Railway which boasts the oldest railway bridge in England. It's a place I plan to visit frequently - the railway, that is.

The area has religious connections going back over 1000 years. There are at least two churches built in the 8th Century, churches which are still used daily.

You could take up 'beach combing' Mike, Seaham is famous for it's glass pebbles, a left over from when the bottleworks dumped waste into the North Sea

Yes indeed!

I understand that much of the glass on Seaham beach came from a ship fully-laden with bottles which hit a mine (or something like that) close to the beach in the First World War and was a total loss.

I visited the National Glass Centre and was bowled over; it's fantastic! I will visit it often to watch the glass-blowers and sculptors at work and have lunch in the very good café.

Hi MikeO, welcome to the northeast. We are spoilt for good roads up here, north, south or west is full of gloriousness (but not east because you'll get wet).
I'll point out the good ones once you've got the bike moved up.

Thanks, Steve. I'm looking forward to meeting a few riders in due course and sampling new roads you all know well.

Got to get the back wall altered first but it shouldn't be long.

Sounds like a great move Mike. It would sure be nice if, when you get a chance, to share some photos of those old churches. Some of them are beautiful.

I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing, Dale, but I have my fingers crossed.

When I'm settled I will take more pictures and share them round. You are right: those churches are beautiful.

200 mile drive today and I'm there!