Shildon hasn’t even got running water
But the River Gaunless isn’t far away, I’ve seen the locals carrying buckets there.
What it does have though is The George Reynolds Industrial Estate (unless the name’s been changed) The only thing ever named after a safe-breaker.

NRM York is great – how many free museums are there that you can lose yourself in with the kids for hours.

A few highlights are things like the Royal trains where you can look at how Queen Victoria etc travelled in the past. Plus the Bullet train, the massive British made Chinese Loco, Streamliner Duchess of Hamilton.

York itself is great with loads of other things to do.

Shildon Locomotion is OK – it had the Mallard for the whole of last year and has some other interesting railway memorabilia but isn’t a patch on York. I live about 5 mins from Locomotion and when my boys were little spent seemingly every other weekend there as one of them was obsessed with trains. The Shildon Locomotion Steam gala is good as it gets some big name engines like Tornado, etc. It’s worth a trip if you are properly into railway stuff but not otherwise.

Shildon is a slightly sad town with not a lot there.

Jorvik is overpriced and highly disappointing. Just to press the point home. The interactive displays involved getting in a carriage and being driven around ghost train stylee, only a ghost train is much better.

Top day out. Thanks for the tip about the car park. A couple of quid cheaper if you park over the road.

Highlights.

For me – The Bullet

For my lad – A 50p rocking Thomas ride

For my girl – Lots of steps

For my wife – Stephenson’s Rocket. Didn’t take a photo, sod the history it looks like a water butt with a load of pipes sticking out of it.

The only let down was Mallard. It was outside where you couldn’t see it. A bit like going to The Tower Of London and seeing the Crown Jewels sticking out of a packing case through a store room window. 😕

Couple of quid cheaper

You tight bastard.

Some of us are unemployed.

The money saved went towards funding a “fine dining” experience with the family.

I went with my husband, loads of fun. The Hogwarts Express was there to look at and you could stand in the cab!

izzi
http://www.izzivelo.com