Well, I did the latter two first and decided to pop into Amble on my way home for a quick look.
Despite glorious sunshine and it being relatively early afternoon ( 3.30pm) the harbour area was quiet and I had the place to myself...until a group of youths ( for want of a better word
) approached me and gave me the choice of hand over my bins and scope or go for a swim!!! Well, being on my own and them being a lot taller than me I did as they said 
and legged it back to the car....suppose I should be thankful they didn't realise I had car keys on me or that would have went for a burton too no doubt!!! Anyway I was EXTREMELY upset and adamant that I was giving up birding as it just wasn't safe for a girl on her own.........but all this week I've had the most terrible cravings and have realised that I couldn't stop birding even if I wanted to - and my upset has turned to anger at the low lifes who have no respect for others!!!
So I put a cheap pair of 8X30 bins into the boot and decided to nip along to Hauxley after work today and, to cut a long story short, as I was driving through Amble I saw a notice in a shop window saying that a pair of bins and a scope had been found! I described them to the shop owner and, joy of joys, they WERE mine!!! They had been found in a back alleyway on Saturday so I imagine they'd been outdoors in the rain for a day or so.
BUT, and I am getting to the point here
, the binoculars ( Opticron 8 X 42s) have got a fair bit of condensation inside them and looking through them is a bit like looking through fog! Does anybody in the NE know where I could take them to be fixed? I once took a pair of bins that had been dropped *shock, horror* to a company right next door to Chester-Le-Street train station and they realigned them for just £11. This apparently is the place where the shops such as Bonsers in Newcastle send the ones customers give them to be fixed...for a lot more than eleven quid!
I don't mind driving down to Chester-Le-Street if it's the only place around but if anybody knows any places closer I'd be their friend forever!
I'm currently COPING with a pair of 8X30's but, after my Opticrons, they are as much use as a chocolate fireguard!!!!
I don't care about cost....I JUST WANT MY BINS BACK & WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gill