Search found 255 matches

by Flite
21 Mar 2024, 3:20pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Favourite tea shops
Replies: 367
Views: 332031

Re: Favourite tea shops

Good News!
The Hemmel Café at Allenheads in Northumberland re-opens on Thurs 21 March, with new tenants in charge. Opening times will be 9.30am till 4pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, and 9.30am to 4.30pm at weekends.
Closed on Wednesdays for now but will open all week in the summer.
It is on the Sustrans C2C route. Only cafe between Alston and Parkhead (Parkhead is only open weekends, I think) Plenty of safe space to leave bikes. Indoor and outdoor seating.

I biked over today (in gale-force winds) for coffee and scones - both good.
Properly experienced chef, good range of food, incl veggie, vegan, gluten free etc.
You may need to walk up the next hill...
Please note that the old facebook page is not being updated and still says the café is closed.
by Flite
18 Dec 2018, 3:33pm
Forum: Racing, Olympics, TdF, Competitive cycling
Topic: SPOTY - Geraint!
Replies: 16
Views: 11276

Re: SPOTY - Geraint!

Interesting that the recent cyclists to win spoty are a Welshman, a Scot, a Manxman and an Englishman!
by Flite
6 Mar 2018, 11:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Hartside cafe
Replies: 56
Views: 15908

Re: Hartside cafe

Considering Hartside had been closed for over a week due to snow, I think electrical fault is more likely than arson.
by Flite
6 Mar 2018, 10:58pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Yellow roads and black numbers.
Replies: 51
Views: 5108

Re: Yellow roads and black numbers.

There are still over 500,000 bench marks in existence, but like trig points, they are no longer used by the OS.
However there are 190 Fundamental Bench Marks (FBM) which are still used.
Source: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/benchmarks

Thanks to you lot, I have just downloaded the details and locations of over half a million bench marks - mostly so I could find out the date of the one on our house. It is 1955, so no help in dating the house which is at least 100 years older!

Cyril Haearn - Thank you, we have now dug our way out to the road and thanks to determined work by ploughs, gritters, blowers and diggers, we can go east or north, but not yet south or west. The snow started on Monday last week, but it wasn't worth staring to dig until it eased up on Friday.

Going to have a shock when we do go west and Hartside café has gone!
by Flite
6 Mar 2018, 9:41pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Yellow roads and black numbers.
Replies: 51
Views: 5108

Re: Yellow roads and black numbers.

I think spot heights have been accurately determined, and are marked in the terrain by a "bench mark".
Bench Marks are usually carved into buildings and look like an arrow pointing up with a bar on top.
Government property, like prison clothing used to be marked.
We've got a bench mark on our house :D
by Flite
4 Mar 2018, 10:42am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

Starting to snow properly again now. Visibility poor.
The paths we dug yesterday are going to disappear :roll:
by Flite
3 Mar 2018, 9:46pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

Well, it hasn't thawed here at all.
The 4foot drifts around the garden mean the rabbits can walk over the walls and fences. So today I have been hand digging a snow moat around the outside. While OH has been using the mini digger to clear a route to get the vehicles onto the public road. We can now exit the village to the east, but north, south and west still have massive drifts. Last time we had this much snow, they dug the road to the west out in April, and it was over 20ft deep....
It's funny snow this time isn't it? It digs out in big solid blocks. Forget snowmen, around here the trend is for building igloos!
Could solve the housing crisis for a while!
by Flite
2 Mar 2018, 3:52pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?
Replies: 78
Views: 5298

Re: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?

The steam loco snow plough would do a good job of keeping the trains running on the Settle to Carlisle line.
In 50 years time, I don't think folks will be watching film of the electric trains stuck in the South of England this week.
by Flite
2 Mar 2018, 3:38pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

Best way to thaw out frozen locks and doors is with a hairdryer!
I use it fairly often for the cat hatch.
I have never used it to dry my hair (dryer was purchased for the guest bedroom)

Still snowing (not as much) and blowing.
Still not worth digging ourselves out - Maybe tomorrow
So we will stay in and watch the Black Grouse swaying about in the Birch trees.
by Flite
1 Mar 2018, 10:10pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

It's no joke for folks living in areas that have got the snow. It has been snowing here virtually non-stop since Monday. We had 12in of new snow yesterday and another 18in today. Drifting to about 4ft deep. We gave up trying to get to the rain gauge. White out conditions due to the wind, and impossible to see the edges of the roads, where the tarmac disappears into peat moss. Two snow ploughs have been off the road. The snow blows back in again as soon as they get a plough through. All the fell roads linking villages are shut, as they need to concentrate on more vital links. Most of the A roads are closed as well. Health workers, carers and other emergency personnel are desperately struggling to do their work. I don't think the temperature has been above freezing all week, and it has been down to minus9. Heavy snow is forecast for tonight, tomorrow and into Saturday morning, then "light snow" for as far as the forecast goes.....

We are not moaning - we are used to it and are well stocked up so will stay put (the forecast gave plenty of warning!).
But it is irritating when folks belittle the problem.
by Flite
1 Mar 2018, 4:29pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

Yellow:
Expect trouble: make sure car fully prepared - top up fluids, check tyres, incl spare, pack shovel, old carpets, tow rope, scraper, de-icer, torch brush.
All done in October, and checked regularly until April
Food, hot drink, boots and lots of clothes. More clothes.
Fully charged phone if it's likely to get reception. Tell someone where you are going and when you should be back.
Allow extra time for your journey. Where can you take refuge? Consider how you are going to get home later.

Amber:
If it can wait, don't go. If it can't wait use a 4x4. Can someone travel with you? (to push)
Do the neighbours need anything while you are out?

Red
Only travel in a real emergency, or if you are a carer, health service worker, snow plough driver etc.
You will only get in the way.

I think my village is planning a mass 4x4 breakout on Saturday........
https://www.facebook.com/groups/194943624242935
by Flite
1 Mar 2018, 11:49am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?
Replies: 78
Views: 5298

Re: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?

Barney is too nice, lets not spoil it.
Presume you mean Bowes museum - obvious candidate really with it's connections to the royals.
(And a reminder that most of our grand houses were built off the backs of miners.)
And if Bowes Museum was in London, admission would be free.
by Flite
1 Mar 2018, 10:02am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?
Replies: 78
Views: 5298

Re: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?

Yep.
Upgrade the East Coast main line, develop Darlington airport (plenty of space if they are quick before it becomes a housing estate), move government departments to Doncaster and sell Westminster to the Americans!
And return Britain's historic treasures back to the regions - in free museums like they have in London.
by Flite
28 Feb 2018, 8:24pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?
Replies: 78
Views: 5298

Re: Do you intend to come and look at the Bayeux tapestry?

Not unless it is going to be in the North of the UK - Durham, Carlisle, Edinburgh. Folks in London and the south can go and see it in France easier than I can go to see it in London. And it's time we got the Lindisfarne Gospels back from London anyway.
by Flite
26 Feb 2018, 8:00pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Weather Forecast
Replies: 255
Views: 13462

Re: Weather Forecast

Well, we are prepared for the worst. Living near the top of the North Pennines, we get the snow from any direction.
But our nearest Met Office weather forecast is for the village 5 miles away and at 650ft, so we need to knock off a few degrees as we live at 1100ft. Most of my bike routes go to about 2000ft, so that's a few more degrees. (yesterday's ride still had a few patches to walk up as the ice flows were right across the road). I don't bother too much with the absolute temperature, its the wind-chill temperature that impacts on everyday life, as in yesterday I got home speechless as my face had frozen.
So, we listen to the forecast, subtract 4C, look out the window. Pretty accurate by now.
Just to make life really silly, our nearest Met Office observation site is the top of Great Dun Fell!