(23 Aug 2014, 8:49 pm)Tom wrote With my grandad it was really sudden. He had a cerebral hemmerage and that devastated me. I didn't even get to speak to him before he died, and that upset me.
I'm much better than I was last year now, and I deal with it. Thankfully my grandma is still here though

Both my grandparents were sudden, my nan had a heart attack and was dead before the ambulance, they did not even bother with the defibrillator...I blame the NHS for her death, she fell and broke her outside Buckingham Palace, had an op, when she came home she was brought by ambulance straight home, it was obvious to us all she should have been taken straight to Sunderland or Durham and one doctor even told me, an air ambulance may have been a better mode of transport instead of 6 hours on the road, she died 3 after coming home...Me and her never saw eye to eye, I rarely spoke to her and the day before she died, I went to her house for the first time in about 2 years, as I had a feeling I had to go, and that was the day we put everything behind us, it is as if a little voice said to me 'this will be the last time'.

As for my granddad, aneurysm is mentioned on his death certificate, but we all say he died of a broken heart, a part of him died with my nana, he often talked about death, and although he never said it, he just could not live without her despite us being there...

(23 Aug 2014, 8:51 pm)Marcus wrote Thanks for that, Fozz. I suppose I sometimes don't appreciate my mam, and that's something I feel bad about. I don't see my dad much, because he's some kind of Head of Purchasing at Cummins in Daventry, but he makes about 3 times as much as my mam, and to be honest, he's the one who gives me and my family everything that we don't appreciate.

You only have one mother, she is your best friend, a shoulder to cry on and I can tell you now, if you are in trouble or have hurt yourself, she is the only person to go out of her way to help you, so appreciate her and tell her dammit

(23 Aug 2014, 9:06 pm)Marcus wrote I remember the last time I saw my Grandad....

It was Saturday the 22nd March, and he had come out of the hospital on Wednesday the 19th March. I still didn't know exactly what was wrong with him. I just knew he wasn't well. My mam had been living in his bungalow with him, up in Pelton, and I was on my way back from Durham on a 21 when he rang me. He seemed his usual self (really talkative, nice and kind voice) and asked me if I wanted to come up. I thought for a minute, I had 2 options;

A) - Say no, and upset him. I would only say that because I wouldn't want to see him while he wasn't well.
B) - Say yes, and go up and see him.

I didn't want to upset him, so I just said 'yeah, yeah sure, I'll be about 20 minutes'. I hopped off the 21, and ran for the 8. I got up to his house, and said hello. My mam was sitting next to him on his bed, he was sitting in his armchair. I pulled out a Steak Bake, and told him I got him something to eat (I normally did this, and didn't know he actually couldn't eat much). He just shook his head. I sat on another chair, and we all watched the TV. After an awkward silence, my mam asked me where I had been on my travels. I joked about a bit and said I'd been to Darlington, and my grandad just smiled. Another 5 or so minutes went by of just the odd look. My grandad looked yellow (from the jaundice), and had lost a lot of weight.

I suddenly said I better go get the 13:22 back to Chester, and he put his hand out to me when I walked towards the door. I gave him a little high five, and he said 'Ta'ra Hinny'. That was the last time I ever heard his voice. I walked out the door, and looked back. He was looking at me, and I said 'see you later'. He then winked at me and I walked out of Thornton's Close, and to Pelton Bridge bus stop. I sat at the bus stop, and thought. I knew he was dying, by that point. Tears began to form in my eyes, and I couldn't help but think about that scene from Family Guy, where Brian was on the operating table while he was dying, and said 'you've given me a wonderful life, I love you all'. Thing is, he came back - my grandad didn't.

I've never been sure how he died. My mam just told me he went in his sleep, but my grandma (my dad's mam) said that she told me he (and I don't want anyone to take the piss, he was dying and couldn't help it - he could barely move, he was practically in a coma, expect he could open his eyes and say a few words) soiled himself, and when the nurses came, they tried to lift him out of his chair to wash him. They lifted him up, and his head just fell back. He was gone........

Only thing I can ever say to anyone with a relative who they love, cherish your time with them. All I want to do is go to Gregg's, get on a Lime and go up to see him and watch the horse racing with him while he sits in his armchair.

You'd have to be tough to cope with that - I couldn't for sure!

(23 Aug 2014, 9:11 pm)Tom wrote You'd have to be tough to cope with that - I couldn't for sure!

I'm not really an emotional person. I can think about him, and feel sad. I don't cry though, I think that was the last time I've cried to date, in that bus shelter. I hadn't cried at least a year or so before that. I does take a lot to make me cry - a lot!

(23 Aug 2014, 9:11 pm)Tom wrote You'd have to be tough to cope with that - I couldn't for sure!

You find ways to cope, things get easier as time goes on...Life can be shit at times...In those situations you will dig deep and find the best way to deal with your grief

(23 Aug 2014, 9:13 pm)Marcus wrote I'm not really an emotional person. I can think about him, and feel sad. I don't cry though, I think that was the last time I've cried to date, in that bus shelter. I hadn't cried at least a year or so before that. I does take a lot to make me cry - a lot!

I don't cry, I just get panicky and worried thinking the worst.
I would if that happened though, I must admit.

(23 Aug 2014, 9:13 pm)Marcus wrote I'm not really an emotional person. I can think about him, and feel sad. I don't cry though, I think that was the last time I've cried to date, in that bus shelter. I hadn't cried at least a year or so before that. I does take a lot to make me cry - a lot!

I have always been an emotional person, a big softie really, it doesn't really take much to bring my emotions out, one of the worst things in history to see...me crying, I sound like a cat being strangled lol

Not meaning anything nasty by this but i doubt my Great Grandmother will see another Christmas which is a shame. Her Dementia and other problems are becoming too much for her but to be honest, she is nearly 90 and im sure she has had plenty of opportunities to get the best out of life that she possibly can. And im sure i mean a lot to her as i was the first baby she had held (that wasnt her own) but i started avoiding her whenever we took our dog over for 'doggysitting' as we used to call bit because of the way she kept hugging me but now i am at the age where i can understand why she did this and just shows how much i mean to her. Now she is so bad if i was to walk in she would just sit there, look at me and think 'who is he' which is quite bad knowing that ill have missed so many opportunities to see her because i was too much of an idiot to realise why she did what she did. Think it would be better in this case to do what Marcus did, get her cremated and scattered at Mountsett Crematorium where her husband (who died literally a couple of months before i was born) is currently. Just be nice to think that they can be together once more.

With my dog, we have decided that scattering ashes isnt the best option as in reality, she didnt have a favourite place. As long as she got to go for a ride in the car out of the house she couldnt care less where we went. We have just dedicated a small table in our living room with a picture of her on the wall, a set of flowers (plastic for cost effective reasons) with her ashes. We have even made a small booklet from the time we got her back in 2001 until her death at approx 8:40am on 12th August 2014. In a way, im glad there is a Wedding on Monday coming up as it would have been her birthday but with this Wedding it gives me something else to focus on rather than what we could have been doing instead.

I was starting to get emotional by just typing all this (particularly the last paragraph as the first one hasnt happened yet but undoubtedly will. And to be frank, soon at that) and its also taking its tole on the Cats, especially the one that has known her for the full 13 years with us and always had her back when it came to him been involved in a scrap with other cats. Would have been nice for her to see her birthday but we just felt that it would be stupid to watch her suffer for the sake of a day. A sad end to a beloved family pet in my opinion.

Sorry if this post has made anybody breakdown but i just thought it would be good to let people know that other people on the forum and all around them are going through exactly the same, animal or human. Again, no disrespect intended.

Grandparents are there to be cherished - particularly for us older ones, as they have been through a lot in the war etc.

My maternal Grandad died 10years before I was born. His wife (my maternal Grandma), was a caring, loving lady - but very old school.
Despite taking me for days out on the bus and metro as a bairn and obviously loving/caring for me, she was very stand off ish with her emotions.
In a way, my mam is similar.
Her death, was quite sudden and it was as though her body/mind just gave up in one fell swoop.
I didn't see/notice everything, but thinking back, some of the signs were there.
I only found this out recently, but her new next door neighbours (a young married couple), alerted my Mam to some of the things that were going on and kept my Mam informed of her behaviour.

My paternal grandparents were of a working class background and were two I was very close too. Again, they took me out on the bus and metro as a bairn.
My Grandad was a hero in my eyes. He won the second world war single handedly as far as I was concerned when I was a kid.
His medals, his stories, his injuries...
I loved that man probably more than I do my Dad and was devastated when he died. Can still remember my Dad telling me 20 odd years ago.
It was the first person I had knew who had died and it was the person I was the closest to.
He had been ill for a while, following a serious stroke 6/7 years earlier - but being the man he was, he battled on.
Even now, he is still talked about on Barley Mow.

Just 5 months later, my maternal Grandma died.

My paternal Grandma is 94 now and earlier this year, suffered a heart attack.
She was seriously ill and we weren't expecting her to pull through.
After all, how many 50 odd year old blokes survive them - never mind a 94 year old woman.

She did and has gradually got back on her feet. Although not the person she was, she is a million times better than she was in March.
She is totally different to my other Grandma emotionally and is one of the most generous, kindest, loving ladies ever.

Although I agree with Fozz, I honestly think Grandparents are overlooked and not appreciated for what they do or what they have been through.

We miss them when they are gone, but it is nice knowing they are at peace, without any of the pain or illness they were suffering.

Love them, appreciate them and look back on the good memories with a smile.

(23 Aug 2014, 10:46 pm)Robert wrote Not meaning anything nasty by this but i doubt my Great Grandmother will see another Christmas which is a shame. Her Dementia and other problems are becoming too much for her but to be honest, she is nearly 90 and im sure she has had plenty of opportunities to get the best out of life that she possibly can. And im sure i mean a lot to her as i was the first baby she had held (that wasnt her own) but i started avoiding her whenever we took our dog over for 'doggysitting' as we used to call bit because of the way she kept hugging me but now i am at the age where i can understand why she did this and just shows how much i mean to her. Now she is so bad if i was to walk in she would just sit there, look at me and think 'who is he' which is quite bad knowing that ill have missed so many opportunities to see her because i was too much of an idiot to realise why she did what she did. Think it would be better in this case to do what Marcus did, get her cremated and scattered at Mountsett Crematorium where her husband (who died literally a couple of months before i was born) is currently. Just be nice to think that they can be together once more.

With my dog, we have decided that scattering ashes isnt the best option as in reality, she didnt have a favourite place. As long as she got to go for a ride in the car out of the house she couldnt care less where we went. We have just dedicated a small table in our living room with a picture of her on the wall, a set of flowers (plastic for cost effective reasons) with her ashes. We have even made a small booklet from the time we got her back in 2001 until her death at approx 8:40am on 12th August 2014. In a way, im glad there is a Wedding on Monday coming up as it would have been her birthday but with this Wedding it gives me something else to focus on rather than what we could have been doing instead.

I was starting to get emotional by just typing all this (particularly the last paragraph as the first one hasnt happened yet but undoubtedly will. And to be frank, soon at that) and its also taking its tole on the Cats, especially the one that has known her for the full 13 years with us and always had her back when it came to him been involved in a scrap with other cats. Would have been nice for her to see her birthday but we just felt that it would be stupid to watch her suffer for the sake of a day. A sad end to a beloved family pet in my opinion.

Sorry if this post has made anybody breakdown but i just thought it would be good to let people know that other people on the forum and all around them are going through exactly the same, animal or human. Again, no disrespect intended.

My great grandmother won't see another Christmas, partly due to the NHS being shambles. She complained of several problems to her GP, and they put it down to old age. Then a couple of weeks ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer which has spread to the lungs!

My dog is still going strong though! It's for you lovely to have a little memorial table to remember her by.

My last Grandparent died when I was five years old and two others had died before I was born. I never really had the chance to get to know mine.

(24 Aug 2014, 7:52 am)AdamY wrote My last Grandparent died when I was five years old and two others had died before I was born. I never really had the chance to get to know mine.

Never knew any of mine.

Getting more of the independents fleetlists completed today. New lists to be completed are Coopers Tourmaster, Gardiners NMC, Garfield Exec, Glen Valley and I've made a start on Procters, about half completed that one! Also added photos to various other lists and made a few updates to go with the news I posted in the respective threads earlier (David Dove, Pygalls etc)
See them here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/operators/list.php

(25 Aug 2014, 7:55 pm)tyresmoke wrote Getting more of the independents fleetlists completed today. New lists to be completed are Coopers Tourmaster, Gardiners NMC, Garfield Exec, Glen Valley and I've made a start on Procters, about half completed that one! Also added photos to various other lists and made a few updates to go with the news I posted in the respective threads earlier (David Dove, Pygalls etc)
See them here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/operators/list.php

Looking good!

Will be great once we get all of the fleet lists for the big three sorted and then have those independent fleet lists too!

This afternoon (for the first time ever), I managed to use WiFi whilst sitting on a GNE bus!

Tried numerous times, gave up trying for a significant length of time - but today, 7/8 weeks short of their first anniversary, a Citaro being used on the 4, had the equipment in working order, allowing me surf away to my hearts content.

Having the opportunity to see Pat Armstrong in the office - hard at work!

If you don't know who Pat is (which is unlikely because she's kinda well known), drop Marcus a PM.

(28 Aug 2014, 3:02 pm)Dan wrote Having the opportunity to see Pat Armstrong in the office - hard at work!

If you don't know who Pat is (which is unlikely because she's kinda well known), drop Marcus a PM.

Heard of her, and saw her, but never spoke to her!

(28 Aug 2014, 3:02 pm)Dan wrote Having the opportunity to see Pat Armstrong in the office - hard at work!

If you don't know who Pat is (which is unlikely because she's kinda well known), drop Marcus a PM.

Yay!!

Is this at Riverside? Saw her on the 34As yesterday.

Managed to walk through Fencehouses this afternoon and got through unscathed, no AK-Potato Guns, water pistols or fun snaps in sight, am I on the FPF list of people who are given safe passage thru the place

(28 Aug 2014, 4:14 pm)marxistafozzski wrote Managed to walk through Fencehouses this afternoon and got through unscathed, no AK-Potato Guns, water pistols or fun snaps in sight, am I on the FPF list of people who are given safe passage thru the place

Seeing as I have several friends who live in Fencehouses and the surrounding area, I personally hope that I have been granted a flag of truce.

Although, considering I reference the FPF to several of Andreos' posts, I may be on a hit list. I can imagine going back on Tuesday and being shot upon entrance!

(28 Aug 2014, 4:17 pm)Marcus wrote Seeing as I have several friends who live in Fencehouses and the surrounding area, I personally hope that I have been granted a flag of truce.

Although, considering I reference the FPF to several of Andreos' posts, I may be on a hit list. I can imagine going back on Tuesday and being shot upon entrance!

Clearly you've said too much about the FPF.

(28 Aug 2014, 3:42 pm)Marcus wrote Yay!!

Is this at Riverside? Saw her on the 34As yesterday.

I get myself aboot yinna!

Been based at Riverside and Bensham; but I've been to Deptford, Chester and Consett too.
Was meant to go to Stanley, Percy Main and SMR but didn't get the chance due to other things cropping up.

She was sat in what I assume was the LD's office.

(28 Aug 2014, 4:38 pm)Dan wrote I get myself aboot yinna!

Been based at Riverside and Bensham; but I've been to Deptford, Chester and Consett too.
Was meant to go to Stanley, Percy Main and SMR but didn't get the chance due to other things cropping up.

She was sat in what I assume was the LD's office.

The leading driver's room is on the left of the middle door I think. I think it's next to the lost property office.

(28 Aug 2014, 4:40 pm)Marcus wrote The leading driver's room is on the left of the middle door I think. I think it's next to the lost property office.

That's the one, then!

Chester-le-Street depot is quite qwerky. It's an unusual shape, and you really don't get a feel for that from the outside of the depot.
The office side of the depot (the staircase is opposite the leading driver's office) for the likes of the depot manager etc are equally as strange. Lots of stairs, mind.

Riverside lacks all of the photos of the buses. All of the other sites seem to have photos. The ones in the Consett Travel Shop are pretty good. One of a Red Kite in the snow and another of a Great North Run Olympian line-up, from an unusual angle.

(28 Aug 2014, 4:53 pm)Dan wrote That's the one, then!

Chester-le-Street depot is quite qwerky. It's an unusual shape, and you really don't get a feel for that from the outside of the depot.
The office side of the depot (the staircase is opposite the leading driver's office) for the likes of the depot manager etc are equally as strange. Lots of stairs, mind.

Riverside lacks all of the photos of the buses. All of the other sites seem to have photos. The ones in the Consett Travel Shop are pretty good. One of a Red Kite in the snow and another of a Great North Run Olympian line-up, from an unusual angle.

Indeed it is - it's why I bang on about it so much!

I used to draw diagrams of it etc., but could never manage to fit all the buses and coaches in. When I looked on Google Maps, I realised it stretched along the A167 and made some kind of triangular shape.

The personal offices are apparently quite small and oddly shaped. The large office at the front between the middle door and the maintenance section is where the scholars drivers work. They are PAs I gather.

You need to try and get some photos!

(28 Aug 2014, 4:56 pm)Marcus wrote Indeed it is - it's why I bang on about it so much!

I used to draw diagrams of it etc., but could never manage to fit all the buses and coaches in. When I looked on Google Maps, I realised it stretched along the A167 and made some kind of triangular shape.

The personal offices are apparently quite small and oddly shaped. The large office at the front between the middle door and the maintenance section is where the scholars drivers work. They are PAs I gather.

Oh yeah, I was told today that it's rather snug at night! The same applies to Stanley.

It was more so the stairs that were unusual. You'd go up one flight of stairs, do a walk around a corridor, go up another set of stairs heading in the opposite direction... Quite similar to my school actually, so the unusual staircases must be something to do with interior designers of that period.

(28 Aug 2014, 4:17 pm)Marcus wrote Seeing as I have several friends who live in Fencehouses and the surrounding area, I personally hope that I have been granted a flag of truce.

Although, considering I reference the FPF to several of Andreos' posts, I may be on a hit list. I can imagine going back on Tuesday and being shot upon entrance!

Managed to walk through Fencehouses this afternoon and got through unscathed, no AK-Potato Guns, water pistols or fun snaps in sight, am I on the FPF list of people who are given safe passage thru the place
[/quote]

Nah, you will both be ok.
You can both walk the streets of Fencehouses, without running the risk of getting a wedgie, soaked with water bombs, shot in the bot by an AK-Spud gun or bombarded with stink bombs.

@fozz - dare we ask why you were walking through Fencehouses?

(28 Aug 2014, 4:59 pm)Dan wrote Oh yeah, I was told today that it's rather snug at night! The same applies to Stanley.

It was more so the stairs that were unusual. You'd go up one flight of stairs, do a walk around a corridor, go up another set of stairs heading in the opposite direction... Quite similar to my school actually, so the unusual staircases must be something to do with interior designers of that period.

Wouldnt recommend walking around Stanley on a night to see its snugness! God knows what might happen. All the gangs emerge which usually include the drug takers and boozers that go to the few bars Stanley actually has. Slightly worse than Newcastle, thats for sure.

(28 Aug 2014, 5:31 pm)Robert wrote Wouldnt recommend walking around Stanley on a night to see its snugness! God knows what might happen. All the gangs emerge which usually include the drug takers and boozers that go to the few bars Stanley actually has. Slightly worse than Newcastle, thats for sure.

I don't want to go there in the daytime never mind at night, I am regularly hearing how much of a hole it is.

(28 Aug 2014, 4:59 pm)Dan wrote Oh yeah, I was told today that it's rather snug at night! The same applies to Stanley.

It was more so the stairs that were unusual. You'd go up one flight of stairs, do a walk around a corridor, go up another set of stairs heading in the opposite direction... Quite similar to my school actually, so the unusual staircases must be something to do with interior designers of that period.

Sounds like our depot at Stockton too... We have to take buses out on a morning to get some car parking spaces

More snug than the Washington depot? You can go past at 10pm/11pm on an evening and there's still buses on the main road.

Always imagined CLS to be the most interesting depot due to its age. What's it like for asbestos?