Last Saturday under a grey wintry sky me and the lads had a nice walk around the Durham Woods. The only bird of note that I saw was a fine Jay perched on a power cable squawking for all it was worth. Whether it was squawking for a mate or about a mate or to get rid of competitors I do not know but it was a total delight to see it. Fiona was not with us being zapped out with sinusitis.

Today Fiona and I trucked off to Newcastle to pick up some skateboard wheels for Miles, very big ones which are better for riding the absolutely excellent bowl that is at RKade skate park in Redcar. Not only that the wheels have been designed by Steve Alba aka Salba who is one of Miles skateboard heroes.

Since we were last in Newcastle a whole load of new buildings have popped up, a science city, student accommodation, hotel and a business unit. It is really good to see the Northeast forging ahead in its economic development. Whilst we were circumnavigating this whole complex just to look at all the materials used, stone as well as ceramic, we saw across the road, foundations  being laid for the rest of the science city. The North-East is forging ahead and nothing can put it down.

Fiona was in good fettle and the boppy walk around the city centre and down to the Baltic Arts Building and the Sage were really good. I have  got to like this area. A major sore point was we never took our binoculars or loupes for looking at rocks which was a big mistake. The tide was out when he got there so some mudflats were exposed, always a good place to look for birds but worse than that many of the buildings in Newcastle have some excellent sandstones and granites from around the North which are well worth a look through a geological loupe.

It was nice to see Fiona walking 4 to 5 miles comfortably although when she got back home she crashed out and was fast asleep within about 20 min. A very nice day and my eldest lad is getting on well with his mathematics he got 97% for his last assignment spending a lot of time on some of the very tricky bits. He's not simply going for scores he really wants to prove to himself that he has the mettle to get involved with mathematical research as well as the understanding. Both are needed: a hairy chest and a big brain!