Queens Head Hotel Bishop Auckland

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

1345 and I set out (Chauffeur driven of course) to leave the Eden Valley, bound for Newcastle. The journey was fairly uneventful and once I had located the correct check in desk it only remained for us to wait 20 minutes or so until boarding commenced. Jo and I broke into a chorus of 'The Littlest Hobo' which caused mum to get a touch emotional and we all had a lump in our throat for a minute or two. Soon enough however the doors started to roll ...

... amp; one off my brothers there to meet me, it brought a tear to my eyes. Like Dorothy in the wizard of Oz said, "there really is no place like home"...thank you all for making my visit so special.

Well my belly is full now after pigging out on a Toby carvery & it's time for bed as we have a long day tomorrow.... and guess what?..... it's just started raining again!

... sheets. Let's hope my 3 other room mates don't mind my snoring! At least I got there early and bagged the bottom bunk!

Up early to get some breakfast and to try to work out where to head to tomorrow. Nothing booked yet...let's see what happens. Left the LR tonight with a strange rattle, not sure what it is, sounds serious, lets hope I can work it out tomorrow and it doesn't cost too much :-(

... guitar that strums like a six year old sawing enthusiasticaly away on their first violin lesson, I am meant to return a musical genius, a self-taught prodigy, star of every future camping trip. Like thats ever going to happen...no doubt if the green haze I envelop myself in in the coming months ever lapses enough for an outburst of creativity I will indeed believe myself to be the next Bob Dylan but in fact be revelling in a delusion greater than that of Lister's ...

... Dan and I went to the toilet at Starbucks, then headed to the tourist information Centre. We wanted to walk up the spire but the Church wasn't reopened until 1pm, so we lined up at got a Cod and chips at a Fish 'n Chip shop. The fish and chips were a bit oiley, the fish inside the batter was very nice, the chips a bit average. We watched a street performer get out of a straightjacket and chains whilst we ate. He was pretty entertaining ...

... In its stark beauty it makes this old Protestant feel quite at home but, this ain’t our church. It was built to the honor of St. Cuthbert, a very early saint from Landisfarne who died in 687 C.E. and was buried twice, first in the Anglo-Saxon church at this site and then in this new Church. (The problem with being a saint is they won’t leave you alone.) It is even more solid and beautiful than I remember. You really ought to check it out if you come up this way.

... pubs in Osmotherley.

The picture is one Him & Her took on their walk - but why anyone would want to photograph snails having their lunch is beyond me!!












Got back home around 5.00pm and then they tucked me up for the night, taking care to do all they needed to settle me down for a long rest.

... and I carried on along the road. Walking on hard tarmac was agony for our feet by now but we finally made it to the campsite. When we got there Ian was not only rested and smiling but he'd put up the tent and had been chatting up the girls on the campsite. We finished the day feeling happy with a meal at the nearby Swallow Hotel before going to bed. Reason for building the wall # 5 Marking the Empire limit. The wall was at the furthest northwest edge of the Roman Empire.

... family. It is refreshing to know that in this world of corporate hotels where one feels like a piece of machinery, there was a place where hosts still take the time to remember your names and make you feel like it's their privilege to have you stay in their house. We are grateful that fate brought us together with Janet and Freddy. I think Kelly said it best when he said that he felt that Ratho was his home in Scotland. And when was the last time that anyone said that ...