NEW YEARS DAY 2022

SATURDAY 1st January 2022

Busy day today. Started off with a drive to Saltwell Park near Gateshead - Becky and Mike were running in the ParkRun - 9am start.  We got there around 8.30am so that they could check out the course as they hadn't done this ParkRun before. Its quite a hilly course taking in a few laps of the park including running  a few times around the lovely lake.  Me and Astrid waited near the finish line while Becky and Mike went off on the ParkRun.  I could see all the runners in the distance running here there and everywhere.  The winner was fast - he took around 16 mins to do the 3 mile course. Mike took 20 mins and Becky's time was 24 mins.  Coincidentally Neil was one of the marshalls today so we were able to have a quick chat with him at the end.  See Extra shot. Neil went off to work ( he works not far from Saltwell Park ) and the rest of us got back in the car and drove to Newcastle.  Had a lovely wander around. The centre of town was really empty - no shops open except a couple of coffee shops.  We looked at Fenwicks Christmas window.  At 5 months Astrid is too young to appreciate it but she did seem to enjoy all the music and colourful lights. The rest of us loved all the Shaun The Sheep figures.   Next we headed down to the Quayside - it was very busy down there.  Lots of dog walkers.  It was nice and warm and sunny and the river with all the bridges was looking really lovely.

Then back home to relax .... and watch the Shaun The Sheep movie which told the same story as the Fenwicks displays. 

Then Mike started preparing the meal.  Chicken plus all the usual trimmings - roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, veg, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and gravy.  Cheesecake for pud. Mike enjoys cooking so apart from little bits of help I just tend to leave him to get on with it.

Around 8pm Neil and Rachael arrived.  No buses today so they had walked up the hill from where they live.  It was lovely to have them visiting... and they couldn't wait to see Astrid.  (Neil only saw her this morning for a couple of mins ).  Gifts were exchanged and we all had a nice catch up before the meal was ready.

We all enjoyed the food and afterwards we just relaxed and chatted.... and I took my blip shot. See Extras for a photo of Neil and Astrid and another of Astrid in her bouncer.  Neil and Rachael left around 11pm - they got a taxi home.  After the others had gone to bed I set about doing the washing up..... such a lot of washing up. 

By this time it was after midnight.  I uploaded the many photos I had taken but I was just too tired to post my blip so Im doing this on Sunday. I will post Sundays blip later on.  And try and catch up with comments. 

Steps today - 15,110