Gosh, it's 10 years since I wrote that letter to the NPL. Since then Blyth has descended further, the town centre is a wasteland and public transport awful.
I live in Switzerland, in Thun (pronounced Toon, so somethings still sound familar) and from the airport to my Mum's via Metro and bus can take over 2.5 hours. 8 miles in a straight line!
I still think Ronnie has done better out of Westminister than Blyth Valley has. Apparently, he will retire soon, watch out for a Corbynite/Momentum replacement.
All the best to Bedlington, I have some good memories from there.
Alan