Not been down the dene for like 25 years now! Is it still the same?
It’s still there and got that embankment and there are some jumps dug into the bit to left if you are coming from Monkseaton. The council gave up digging them up or fencing them. Did you ever ride on the old pit heap near Earsdon? That was sketchy…
The dene forms part of my quick-blast-round-fields loop taking in the various waggonways and farm tracks between Whitley, Seaton Sluice and Blyth. More for the cx bike really but ok for something out of the door.
As for shops at the coast there’s Dixons on Park View, run by a sarcastic old sod and Whiptail in Tynemouth – never been in.
Re: other local shops Edinburgh bikes are ok, preferable to Evans IME even though Shields Rd is in a pretty dire state these days. The newest seems to be CJ Cycles who have a shop near Cramlington and have opened one in Byker too. Seems ok, mostly Giant bikes from what I recall.
Hardisty’s sold the business and site to Edinburgh Coop by the way.