White Christmas - 's no joke ! Darnton i' the Snow.

Darlington used to go by the name of Darnton . When King James of Scotland visited the town in 1603 he said it should be called Darnton i'th Dirt ! Apparently he didn't like the unpaved streets ! Stupid boy... This week it's Darnton i'th Snow! The lovely twelfth century Church of St Cuthbert looks especially good with a covering.

This rather spooky chap is in the cemetery near

where we live. I wouldn't like to meet him on a foggy night. He seems to have a cold sore on his lip - must be the weather I suppose. The picture has not been doctored in any way.

For a really cold winter you need to go back to that of 1962-3. THE BIG FREEZE. Starting just after Christmas it didn't let up until early March ! It had been the coldest winter since 1739-40. Not many of us are left to tell the tale.

This side of winter...

Get your batteries charged before the gritters hit the roads. Not a bad Autumn and you can't hope for better than in the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales. Ullswater is especially lovely at this time of the year, and you don't need to worry about how many Euros you will get for your £.

Pick any Dales walk. These images are mainly from Slei Gill, (off Arkengarthdale).

Our Coast.

The Durham Coast was for many years badly polluted by the effects of it's industrial past. Times have changed and the beaches are clean again thanks to a project called "Turning the Tide" - and helped, of course, by the cleansing action of two tides a day! Big things are in store for Seaham which is destined to become the "Skegness of the North"! The harbour, once busy with colliers shipping coal from Lord Londonderry's mines, is to be a marina. Nearby the magnesian limestone cliffs are very impressive.

Hartlepool is now a place for tourists ! The Hartlepool Historic Quay is where you can see the oldest British warship still afloat. It was built in Bombay in 1817 and has been wonderfully restored. The canon on the Headland was

captured from the Russians

during the Crimean War.

It is to the

Yorkshire Coast however that we have taken our family for seaside delights. Here the North York Moors meet the North Sea.

Redcar has seen better days but

the beaches are bucket and spade paradise ! Saltburn has a pier that is "Pier of the year - 2009"! Wonderful cliffs too. All of our beaches have great sands - none of your wall to wall pebbles here. The water may be a touch cold but you'll get

used to it ... eventually. Further down the coast at Boulby are the highest cliffs on England's

east coast. Staithes , Port Mulgrave and Runswick lead to Whitby with it's Abbey and Captain

Cook connections. He was born near Middlesbrough at Marton . Beyond Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and on to Scarborough. All within easy reach of Darlington ! Anyway, these

are just a few of the places for a good day out, at least !

Didn't expect to find

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy here ? Try the Promenade at Redcar.

Nice spring, shame about the summer...

What dreadful weather we get in this part of the world. No that's not strictly true because we do get some lovely days so that we can enjoy our wonderful scenery. So it's Saturday night and I certainly don't want to watch "Strictly come dancing" on TV - the 187th series or thereabouts - so I have an opportunity to have a go at my Photo Blog. A few days in the Lakes, based in Patterdale at the end of March - and the weather was very good ! So - a few pictures of some of our walks.

This working quarry is on the way up from Chapel Stile (Langdale) to Lingmoor Fell, (from which you get outstanding views of the Langdale Pikes).

Caudale Moor (or John Bell's Banner), can be climbed from the Kirkstone Pass Inn. There are excellent views from the top - especially Froswick, Ill Bell, and Yoke - on the Kentmere Horse-shoe. Look out for the friendly ponies !

The disused quarry is an amazing place. This is Hodge Close Quarry near Coniston. The drops are frightening and to think that men managed to work the slate on these rock faces. The archways leading into the quarry are now just above the water level. An old photograph taken before the quarry was flooded, shows more below than above the entrance !