A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

[chestermikeuk]

We had a little gathering to celebrate the 60th birthday of our friend and collector Alistair, (Vacbear58) as Al`s place is currently a mudbath while building work is completed, Richard in Consett, Durham kindly offered to host. Al made a request to visit Beamish, a sprawling open air museum dedicated to telling the stories and preserving the villages, shops and coal mines of the area and beyond.

Of course a visit to Richards is like stepping back in time so what better than head for the kitchen and a "Vintage Wash", The Hotpoint 1501 Top Loader from the 1960`s.

From the left, Steve (SESteve) , Darren (Slowspin66) Richard (Ricky5050) and Alistair Birthday Boy (vacbear58)

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

I arrived Thursday evening just in time for a fab meal and to check in to the " Hoover Room" for a good nights kip before morning.

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Next morning we picked up Steve and then headed to Durham railway station for the arrival of Darren who was on the steam chuffer from Stackton Tressell, all arrived safely.....

http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_railway_station

 

[speedqueen]

As someone who had a brithday yesterday,

I say happy birthday to you, Alistair.

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

All In the car and a tour of the historic town and cathederal, it was time for a coffee so Richard drove us to a fab new Café Bar with working Launderette, converted from an old cinema, just up our street.

Link to City of Historic Duram, in the North East of England.

http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/DurhamCity.html

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

All the machines are named after all the filmstars of the era, such as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, its used as a music venue as it very popular,

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Time for a Coffee while the washing is doing !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Speed Queen and Continental Girbau dryers..

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Bench seating and fur lined sofas to relax while your laundry is doing, Fab place....

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Even a Chinese Laundry Blues piano , moi vamping !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Into the late afternoon and Alistair arrives so its time for tea, fizz and the evening catching up ...

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Richard gets to grips with the drinks.....

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

While Alistair peruses some reading material of his birth day era lol.

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Meanwhile I`m baking pizza in Richards vintage New World gas cooker, hotter at the top "Keep rotating those shelves" ha ha

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Well as its Alistairs birthday its "Time for Cake" , Its Richards birthday later this week so Al suggested a "Hoover Twosome" cake, so its the Hoover Spin a Rinse and Single tub washer, compete with water splatt !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

And a "Happy 60th Birthday" to Alistair, Thank You for all you have done and doing in bringing us all together, we all look forward to the new appliance space and your home refurbishments and more meets.

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

After all that cake a crisps everywhere its a ...

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

 

[rolls_rapide]

Happy Birthday!

(Ah - Battenberg Cake!) Lol

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Before we commenced reading the vintage material lol.

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

A grand night had by all and we where all "Up before our breakfast" to get ready for the day out to Beamish Open Air museum, the snow had missed us according to the forcast, it was a tad parky and all needed the hot chocolate at end of day......"Are We There Yet Dad ? "....

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Waiting under cover at the tram stop...

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

And also a bus to catch...

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

Heres our tram..Yay !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

All Aboard, sit tight and enjoy the ride !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

First Stop and its a morning coffee and hot chocolate to Warm Up for the day !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

The view from the tearoom bridge, row of workers cottages, dentist and doctors...

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

First port of call was the Co-Operative CWS shop, a society opened in Rochdale North of England in 1844, you would have had a dividend number (Divi Nu) and you would have selected your goods or asked the shopkeeper to get them for you....

 

[chestermikeuk]

A Vacbear Birthday, Beamish and Building works....

In the window was a "Laundry Day" Special, must have known we where coming !!