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Compared to Leeds, Durham is an oasis of calm and tranquility. It is so quiet. We’re slowly unpacking boxes and assembling flat pack furniture. We’ve just joined the fantastic local library and now have sporadic access to internet, hence this post. We need to set up broadband access at home but are still awaiting a landline number from BT before we can do that. We had many vouchers left over from the wedding and these are coming in handy as we buy furniture and electrical equipment – with some B&Q vouchers, we have obtained a chiminea and are looking forward to nights in our tiny garden, burning all the cardboard from our packing and toasting marhmallows!

We have met some of our neighbours, a Dutch couple Jan and Myemke (we think that is how you spell them both!) – Jan is an ordinand and Myemke is a research student at Newcastle. They make great coffee! Ian and Mickey are another couple – Ian again the ordinand and Mickey works in customer services at the Halifax bank. They are originally from the Wakefield Diocese and its good to hear broad Yorkshire accents amidst all the North Easterns voices. Most people in the cul-de-sac are either away on holiday or haven’t yet moved in. This gives us a chance to settle in quietly and as term starts there will be plenty of occasions to meet all these new people. One thing we have noticed about the North East is the friendliness of all the locals; in shops, they don’t simply serve you, they ask you how you are and have a chat. We can’t get over it after being in a city where people keep their heads down and get on with it. It’s lovely.

We’re enjoying the glorious weather and the fact that we have time free to do as we choose, something that won’t last long, I’m sure!!

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