Hotel Bannatyne Durham

Countries: 1
Miles travelled by Car: 1121
Miles Travelled by bike: Do trips to the supermarket count?
Fond Farewells: Numerous
Declarations of Jealousy: More numerous (because it includes a lot of people I don't even know)
Accusations of insanity: Even more numerous (because many people made more than one)
Bricks Shat: 53
Tasks left incomplete at time of departure: 2
Tasks able to be completed via internet: 2

... but eventually went to see Bruce Willis in 'Surrogates', a weird but quite cool sci-fi which is worth a look if you have no better offers.

Came out of the film around 11, considered going for a drink but decided that there would be plenty of time for that, and without paying through the nose either. Read for a bit and turned out the light. Found myself restless, not surprising really but a better nights sleep would have been handy; ho-hum.

... up the bikes, we all headed off towards Scarborough to pop in and see Nathan aka the "Postman" & "Dot". Nathan rode from Sydney to London on a moped (named Dot) earlier this year and is a really lovely one off character. We all turned up & his Father supplied tea & biscuits for us all. Thanks Nathan & good luck with the book.

I was getting really excited ...

Well this is day one.

Left Haverhill at 10am this morning and was in Newcastle at the Angel of the North by 15:00. Not bad going for an old thing (the car not me!!!) lol. Stopped at the Angel of the North and took a few pictures, just need some wi-fi so that I can upload a few. Then off to my first stop over, Newcastle YHA. Checked in, handed over £20 and and went up to my room with a packet ...

... I somewhat resemble a tortoise, carrying my home, rucksack-shaped on my back I thought that it was a somewhat apropriate title, lets just hope I have a little more luck than he in certain departments.

So my bags are packed, and that damn Greenday Jetplane song won't stop whirling around in my mind. Although no doubt the easiest song to learn on the guitar my retarded fingers haven't quite been whipped into shape. The idea is that after three months, on a ...

... dinner was scheduled for 7pm. Our room sucked, we had a double bed and when we went down to sort it out, we were told that the fold our couch was the 2nd bed...oh great. What ****. Our tour director didn't seem at all interested in helping sort out the bed, so we decided just to try the double bed. So when the hotel people came to make up the bed at 6.50pm we told them to forget it. To be honest we paid for 2 beds, twin ones..and later we ...

Today myself and Richard took a night drive to Durham City, parked the car up by the river and took a walk around the city centre and the river side. Although not the first time we have walked the banks of Durhams River Wear, it was the first time in a while we were stone cold sober, not something that usually happens when we come to Durham on a night. It was a later start than usual but the city ...

... 400quid we recieved was a shock and a double big thanks to everyone who contributed. We will spend it wisely haha. Anyway when i figure out how to add photos I will. There are a few good ones. Shipley was on top form all day even if he was a bit of perv haha. Taj and Gav managed to cordon off a drunken Scots man, and kim looked like a "panther had been sick on her legs" (Lee) lol - Comment of the night.

... a town called Whitby (look it up on the map). It was the inspiration for Dracula's knife through the heart. The old run down abbey was great - wish it hadn't been closed. WE climbed 199 steps to get there. While at Whitby we got fish and chips and mushy peas and walked along the beach. WE were up very late last night. Today we are off to another school. Be good - having a great time and still no rain to speak of (just a little drizzle yesterday morning). Have a good day.

... touring the grounds and the palace. After our visit, we headed up the road on Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is a mountain on the edge of downtown Edinburgh, right next to Holyroodhouse Palace. Today, the mountain is a natural preserve and city park. My friends decided to climb the mountain (it's only 850 feet high, so it doesn't take that long to climb). I declined to join them because I was fighting a mild cold and didn't want to tire myself out too much. But, they told ...