Still Game

The beautiful lochs and munros haven't changed, the leaping salmon still swim up the river. You'll still get beautiful misty twinkly mornings and a red nose rushing around doing your Christmas shopping. The blossoms still form on the trees linining Princes St each Spring and the Scottish sense of humour hasn't changed, in fact it has, it's just gotten better. It still makes me smile the Glaswegians wanted to name the new Queensferry Crossing 'Kevin' after Kevin Bridges.

Man. Wish I was back.

Caroline in Arizona

Still Game - and with tears rolling down my face as I read your response thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes certain things have changed but not the things that matter to me. Thank you for capturing the yearning so eloquently.

Still Game

Oh golly, I didn't mean to cause tears! Just a few of my favourite things....

All the very best in moving back. It'll be great!

morpeth

Quite understand about friends and family to be sure. To me returning to Northumberland for a walk by the sea, crisp morning air for daily walk, or visiting inland, all have a charm of the past and some things that don't change. Of course not every one may appreciate the finer charms of black pudding.

Novocastrian

Newcastle certainly has changed for the better. And it's still full of Geordies too. :thumb up:

Hyem canny hyem.

Moses2013

I thought Northumberland had excellent white pudding too.

Novocastrian

... and divn't ferget the stotties.

Moses2013

I had to google that one. Seems a breakfast stottie with sausage, egg, bacon and pudding is the way to go.

Pulaski

That's one of very few things I miss, living in the US.

Moses2013

Easily made though:
4 cups fresh pig's blood,
2 1/2 teaspoons salt,
1 1/2 cups steel-cut (pinhead) oatmeal,
2 cups finely diced pork fat (or beef suet), finely chopped,
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped,
1 cup milk,
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper,
1 teaspoon ground allspice,

morpeth

Yes the change in Newcastle past 20 years has been quite impressive. Coming from a bit north a different story in some towns, but coast is still stunning and unique.

morpeth

divn't ferget the stotties, reet champion !

Hard to find these days it seems, and only Welsh Rarebit I come across is at the bookstore in Alnwick.

morpeth

Maybe just my experience, but one thing I like in Northumberland is every time I have ordered breakfast some place, it has been hot ! Having lived in three states in America , never encountered routinely piping hot breakfast. Thoough I admit to being a fan of Waffle House.

durham_lad

Greggs and/or Cooplands sell stotties here in N Yorkshire so I would think they would also sell them in Northumberland (There are plenty stores in Northumberland/Newcastle )

Novocastrian

The original Greggs shop was on Gosforth High Street, a walk from where I lived between 1962 and 1969. I go away for a few decades and they're all over the f***ing place.

(Gosforth is a northern suburb of Newcastle).