Canny lass

I have a look in now and then. Latest last night. Only once have I had a chat with anybody,

That's the best piece of advice I've heard given to a young person seeking work that I've heard for many a year! Mind if I use it on my grandson?

Hi Mobius, could this "cross formy quadrate sable" you mention be St. Cuthbert's cross and could the lions for some reason be holding a cross bow?

Looks like a cross bow to me Malcolm

Lovely pictures Adam. Thanks for sharing. I have to say that I think Bedlington is looking really nice. It seems as though a bit of thought and effort has been put in. Hope it wasn't just because "the torch" was coming to town.

The H&S laws are very strict in Scandinavia as well but it seems to work out to everybody's stisfaction. I'm not really sure what arrangements are made regarding accidents and the like but most sports clubs have an insurance which covers members engaged in club activities. Not sure how it is from the council's side of things. I'll make some enquiries and get back to you.

Couldn't agree more. There's a couple of good reasons why verges in Scandinavia are so nice. First and foremost it's to help reduce accidents caused by elk and deer running on to the road. Verges are generally speaking quite wide here and the vegetation is kept very short to give motorists a better chance of seeing wild animals before they reach the tarmac. It's easier to take avoiding action if you see the animal before it gets onto the road.Another reason why verges are so nice is that we have spring cleaning 2 weekends in April/May every year. The government pays a small sum of money to all clubs and associations who participate. The members take care of a stretch of road and get paid by the kilometer to pick up and bag anything that shouldn't be there. Bags are provided by the local council and when filled are left on the roadside. These are then collected by the local council within the week. The clubs get a boost to their funds and the members get fresh air and exercise. I think it's a great idea.

Keep at it! Been off them for 26 years now myself. Don't worry about the weight. If you've got the will power to quit the fags you've got the willpower to lose the weight - when the time is right. Tackle one problem at a time. The longer your off the weed the better your health will be and the more energy you'll have. The more energy you have the more active you'll be. The more active you are the more calories you'll burn. And - if you then start adding some gentle exercise ( you did say you liked the new gym equipment in the woods) the weight will disappear without really having to try too hard. It took a couple of years for me to reach that stage and then I started running. Still running today 3 X 10K every week. Keep up the good work. Every day without a cig is an achievement to be proud of. if you should happen to fall by the wayside, don't give up and never say "I've started again". You haven't started again you've only had a small lapse - get back on track!Here's a little tip for you to help with withdrawal symptoms: Wash and dry a bunch of celery. Cut a few sticks into strips about the length of a cigarette. It's important to keep all the strips the same way up and remember which end is which - top or bottom. Take a glass large enough to hold the strips. Fill it to 1/3 with vodka and place the strips in the glass with the bottom end in the vodka. The strips should be as upright as possible so choose your glass accordingly. Place in the fridge overnight. next day the vodka should have disappeared as it's been drawn up into the celery. These are great when the craving sets in (actually they're quite nice without the craving as well)!

Where do you find these gems Malcolm!!

I must have missed that one John. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks Malcolm. I loved it!!

Aha! That Mr. Humphries.

Dare I ask - Who is Mr. Humphries? Or would I be better off not knowing?

Thanks Adam! Another question - I know where the Halfpenny Woods are but where in Bedlington are the Free Woods? I've never heard the expression before.

Read with interest of the new exercise equipment in the Halfpenny Woods and prompted by Brian's question " is it the Halfpenny Woods or the Free Woods," I'm now wondering how it came to be called The Halfpenny Woods. Anybody got any ideas?

Very well done! I closed my eyes, I listened and for a few minutes I was in Bedlington on Front Street.

Any chance that we can see it on this site - for those of us who don't get to go 'home' so often?

Happy birthday from me too, Adam. Foxy, you are 19 - with 46 years of experience!

Not sure I ever saw a flag but the motto 'de profundis' was also the motto att Westridge school. It was found beneath the shield on the school badge and the mosaic shield that hung in the entrance hall. Both had a white cross of St.Cuthbert on a dark blue background. You can see the shield in some of the school photos in the gallery.

I really hope it does well Paul.

Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday dear Micky Happy birthday to you. Sung to the tune of 'Happy birthday to you'.

Definitely standing behind a camera! It's late July - early August. Not sure about the year.

You've got the tears rolling down my face Malcolm. I just love Tommy Cooper!

It say's you know a good book when you read one!

Thank you Brian. I was just beginning to think this thread had died!