pilgrim

canny lass - forgive the lower case but I think I can be familiar with you now (awaits rants from the pedants) this beast is called Kota - Japanese for happiness but as that language is very contextual - its happiness associated with the birth of the first son and as this was our first 'dog' rather than bitch it was appropriate - oh ands he sleeps upside down on his back as I think he learnt that from the cat - who is of course the boss!!

that is limnality - its been used in the military for many yrs and is an insinuous part of hr now. if used correctly it is a wonderful tool - but these days it is very eric Arthur blair --now theres a challenge lol (and ya cant use google)

many folk over the years have put a name to my face and none of those names were in any way complimentary - ones learns to live with it lol

that was 3 yrs ago -- as er well young lady -- that is the child -- one does wonder why you spend that much money on a private education to get someone as dim as a pup!!! and now that small dog is about 85 kilo but still a complete wuss. I have had berner sennenhunds for over 30 yrs -- the tragedy is then they lived to @12-13 yrs -- now its 6 - 8 -- last one was taken 2 weeks before 6th b/day -- cancer takes 80% but his father is from Russia so we hoping ---- they are the most adoring loyal and protective - in a very laid back way animals I have ever know -- nothing is a worry and they can take 5 mins or 5 miles exercise a day its not a prob

same small dog

small dog

we sent the child to Laos and Cambodia over the summer and she loved it - although we sent her to Uganda last summer and she loved that too!

what an awkward woman!!! Alas I have commitments in Durham over that weekend and have to be at Bangor uni for 9am on mon 19th which means travelling from Durham and staying over in wales to be there for the mon am. perhaps another time?.

I stand corrected and you are right yet again Canny Lass, forgive me I was having a Brexit moment!!!

very Pratchett - small dogs or was that a typo??and what would we do without Gaspode?? --am thinking of naming next hound that -- but where would you find such flea-bitten bundle of mange ??? ooooo I know --parliament. now having very disturbing thoughts about Canny Lass as a Guide - no not in that way -- but in taking you across the road even if ya didn't want to be on the other side lol

am thinking that the last time we entered Europe was dunkirke ??

I have a dog and it barks itself -- even when I don't want it to - i'm thinking there are too many mad dogs in the world already. Them jihadists are safe when asleep so tread lightly and don't wake them. oh and 13 yrs wi a certain regiment and then many yrs doing other things might help with my survival. funny how I have not felt threatened even after all the dire warnings on here and in the populist press. I recall a chant of 'up the hammas' but I think that was possibly one of them football things??

the very ones -- you are obviously the types that are causing all the problems!!!! however I have now swabbed my fevered brow and opened a bottle of pinot grigio --er foreign muck from Italy - whilst I sort out some bits and pieces for the daughter to visit Dubrovnik in the summer oh and there is todays copy of private eye to peruse just so my blood pressure can go up a Cpl of more notches..

hush yo mouf canny lass and don't mention Gibraltar

I was mainly referring to the folk that exported themselves but I see this thread has caused some angst and some perhaps deep or not so deep thought in some cases... I am now wondering if there could be a grant available from county hall for a supply of tissues to wipe the froth from the corners of the mouth ..... runs and hides oh and by the way I am white, educated and live on independent means --I may have to go out and dispose of myself as I do not have any problems with all them foreigners being over here as part of an integrated slice of humanity and obviously don't fit in with what is (news to me ) the majority view (in most cases - although that is qualified as ex wife sits on immigration tribunals 3 days a week and is not best pleased wi the system) should really add that I don't have a clue about my ancestors apart from them originating from a very minor baronetcy in Ireland than emigrating to Scotland and taking up residence in queen street in Edinburgh then moving south..so I suppose I am a foreigner and 'should bugger orf back home' ??? in the meantime I will continue to chat on here using the language of my birthplace which is an amalgam of soooooo many languages from immigrants and the empire and owes a huge amount to 'them foreigners' as the actual old English - if there ever was such a thing is now non existent

slavery??? I think I made it quite clear that I was talking about UK citizens - Irish scots welsh and English - that's the 'native ones' leaving the uk and departing off to sunnier climes for the last several centuries. nice to mention Italy - a fine example of a settled political climate - until recent times it had a new government almost every year since the war. (and I do know about Italy since my mother spent 6 months of the year there for 20 yrs and I was a regular visitor and always went @native' not as a tourist) had to laugh though -- I have never been referred to as a leftie before......................and I have been called a lot of things

maybe we should consider what we are going to do with all the folk we exported over many hundreds of years? Vast numbers of Welsh in Patagonia. New Zealand and anywhere there were mines or sheep. not forgetting the Irish contingent all over the world in the aftermath of the potato blight - Bernardo O'Higgins is certainly not a Chilean name! plus those from almost every other region of Britain who left for a better life or because of land enclosures etc. maybe we should tell them all to come 'home' to replace those residents we don't like the look of/colour of/opinions of/religion. Afro Caribbean's were actively encouraged to come to Britain in the late 40' and 50''s and of course anyone who is retired and living in Spain or France etc.. it is a bit of a farce when you think that these sceptred isles were populated by those foreigners when the land bridge still existed and before we had a channel. and during the glacial periods there was no one here anyway - so we are all foreigners I seem to think that there are many places that British immigrants are not particularly welcome or wanted.

immigrants?? oh that would be them Vikings, and them normans, and afore that them roman chappies and even further back the Phoenicians that came over for the tin-- I really would like to see dna profile of the good folk of the shire (lets face it - most families ANYWHERE cant name anyone past 3 generations back with certainty) we seem to forget that England expelled the jews on two occasions - yet that isn't mentioned as a diaspora. (very convenient) difficulties - and there shouldn't be difficulties, but there always will be- will always occur in any post colonial era - look at France and Algeria etc etc. we now live in a multicultural and cosmopolitan world and should embrace that not shun it - and not be afraid - the fear is of the making of the minority and the dread of the majority. here is some food for thought - do you really feel threatened? Ethnic-Group-KS201EW_2011-Census.xls and if you really want to worry about something - compare these http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/last-72-hours and reflect on what a wonderful area we live in oh and the crusaders were the invaders and the aggressors

might be worth looking at the London Gazette for that era - bit of a long shot but might have some names attached re location/date etc that could open up further avenues of research. (one of the most bizarre areas of information is if you can find football notices of regimental teams as the home team is always shown first - ergo you know which regiment was where on that date)

It should be noted that the search for coal was the starter for modern geology and that coal measures were predicted at locations and at what depth by the fossil trace in higher layers. I have a box of glass slides somewhere of mounted micro fossils from the Northumberland area that were from a long gone family member who was a mining surveyor and date from the late 1800's and later. I will try and scan them in via the microscope and post them but it might take some time. not a lot to see but of possible passing interest.

ah - canny lass - its always nice to have friends over the water - brought back to mind a wonderful song by Arrival - we who have friends who have friends by the river - but a great version was done by Kirsty McColl - and if it makes you younger go for it!!! oh and I knew some folk would have an interest in a geological survey - and that doesn't mean they are sad !!!

waggon ways -- not sure where my post on this went?? but there is a waggonway from the above mentioned PLESSEY site -- it starts somewhere beside the old windmill aside what used to be MSD and carries on in the middle of the dual carriageway to the east and thence to Blyth. it is most easily seen between the dual carriageway on the rise up to Laverock hall. this was in use in at least 1709 and was used until at least 1812 There is a bit about local waggonways on this site http://www.seenewcastle.com/subjects/waggonway/

James - I have mentioned in other parts of this site that very old artifacts were found when the opencast at Cramlington (Plessey) reached some very old workings which had been driven in from the southern river bank at Hartford - east of the bend near the swimming hole (in fact there used to be signs up warning of dangerous shafts in the bank side. The artifacts consisted of wooden coal shovels - as In all wood and some very primitive coal picks.) I have no doubt that in the depths of the Durham archives (although some are held in America now) there will be even older references of income from mining at Bedlington and surrounds. |I note your pic of the Dowty prop - I am thinking that in later years these were made by a frim at Backworth?

it is worth bearing in mind, as well that, in days of the private coal companies they were not averse to trespassing into other coal companies excavation areas and falsified the underground plans with an official set and an actual set. (allegedly)

no worry canny lass - I have a bundle of the last few weeks privates eyes to send to you -- if you can cope -