Leaving Suffolk

[stevef]

Hi,
After nearly 4 years we are moving away from running Blaxhall Youth Hostel in Suffolk and heading back North to manage the hostel at Kielder in Northumberland.

Looking forward to new areas to explore in the van and the chance to reacquaint ourselves with some hills. I am moving next week but Angela is staying here for 2 weeks as a replacement manager has not yet been sorted.

I have wanted to go to the Western Isles for a long time and hopefully now the distance is not so vast we will manage it this Autumn.

I hear that the midges are bad around Kielder, but hopefully after the first few hundred bites I might become immune to them!

Steve and Angela

[wendy]

Good luck with your move and new hostel.

Northumberland is a lovely area, (another) one of our favourite areas - maybe see you there one day as you'll be gone before we get to Suffolk in August.

You're not moving because we threatened to call in are you?

[viv]

Hi stevef
Hope all goes well for your move. Also the midges are bad here in London so don't worry just keep some anthisan handy. I am in discomfort with bites on arms and legs in last few days.

Maybe we will see you in Keilder in the future. I will let you know so you can set some traps for the midge blighters before we come.

[Pauline]

Hi Steve

Good luck with the move, hope you find some good bird life up there too

[stevef]

Hi,
We have been out of contact for a while following our move up North. Kielder is a lovely place and the midge season is now coming to a close. Avon's Skin So Soft moisturiser seems to be the best repellant around here, I have sold about 30 bottles of it in the Hostel shop so far.
We have not had many chances to get away since we arrived here as we have been so busy sorting out the hostel and the new house and of course in the middle of Summer the hostel is very busy. The breaks we have had have usually been just one nighters by ourselves whilst the other person keeps the hostel going.
However now the school kids have all gone back it has quietened down we can close down for a few days and have a few days away together. Before that though Angela has sneaked off to Dumfries and Galloway for 5 days and I will follow suit in a couple of weeks.
Hopefully come October we can have a full week together and hope to trundle around Scotland re-visiting some old haunts.
The intention is to keep going as much as possible through the Autumn and Winter and catch up on some hill walking and birdwatching. Speaking of which I had the pleasure of watching a pair of goshawks riding the thermals over the village a couple of days ago.
Steve and Angela

[lunnie]

That sounds marvellous, pleased to hear that everything is fine for you, hopefully the autumn and winter will not be too harsh to stop you doing the things you both enjoy.

[Pauline]

Hi Steve and Angela,

Lovely to hear from you, have often thought about you and wondered if you had settled in.

Sounds idyllic up there! You lucky things