Latest news with #Seaham
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
New train route links seaside town famous for sea glass beach and dolphins to UK capital
THE seaside town of Seaham in County Durham is getting new direct links to London Kings Cross for the very first time. The train route will link the quaint coastal town with the UK capital from this winter. 4 Grand Central recently secured approval from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to launch four daily direct trains each way, from December 2025. Anyone from the south looking for a coastal escape in the north can expect great things from Seaham. The town in County Durham has a mile-long shingle beach and on it you'll be able to collect sea glass, which is scattered along the shore. The treasure is man made glass which has ended up in the sea, where it is then shaped by the water over several years and is eventually washed up on the shore. There's more sea glass in Seaham than in other beach destinations because during the Victorian era, it had a glass bottle factory where waste was put into the sea. It's not uncommon to see dolphins jumping out of the water in Seaham either. One visitor to Seaham Beach said: "Dolphins and glass beads... what could be better?" They added: "Staying on the beach gave us a prime viewing of the pod of dolphins that swam along the coast catching fish." There's even a mole sanctuary - a designated patch of land that lets the little subterranean rodents live peacefully in the soil. The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK 4 Seaham is a popular spot for holidaymakers and when we chatted to some travel influencers about their best UK beach spots, the coastal town came up trumps. It was praised for its golden sands and craggy rock pools, which are particularly fun for toddlers. Currently, getting from London Kings Cross to Seaham includes changes at Hartlepool, Newcastle, Northallerton and Thornaby. According to the cost of a ticket from London to Seaham can be as little as £27.50 when booked in advance. On the day fares can be as much as £200 at peak times. The journey takes three hours 46 minutes at the very least - so the time is expected to shorten with the direct journey. Further along the coast, you'll find one of the top trending beach destinations in the world. And check out the best-rated UK seaside towns for families picked by our experts – including Britain's sunniest beach & stays from £26. 4
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
A19 coach fire: Passengers evacuated and lane closed near Seaham
Part of a major road was closed after a coach caught fire broke out at the Doxford Park turn-off of the A19, near Seaham, County Durham, at about 10:35 passengers of the coach were safely evacuated and Durham Police said nobody was southbound carriageway was closed between the A690, near East Herrington and Sunderland, and the A1018 near Seaham. The road has since reopened. "Thankfully, nobody was injured during the incident, but the road was blocked while emergency services worked at the scene," a force spokesperson said. Darlington Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene to extinguish the blaze and its crews from Seaham and Peterlee worked alongside firefighters from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Highways has advised drivers to allow extra time for their journeys. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
County Durham priest enlists TV's Dec to give parish announcement
A County Durham Catholic priest has enlisted award-winning TV presenter Declan Donnelly to make a parish announcement. Fr Marc Lyden-Smith shared a video on Sunday (August 10) of Dec, seen without on-screen partner Ant, announcing the mass times for his Seaham and Houghton-le-Spring parishes. Parishioners of St Michael's in Houghton-le-Spring and St Mary Magdalen's in Seaham were met with the recognisable tone of the I'm a Celebrity host who began his notice with: "Hi, Dec here!" "Just to remind you that mass is at nine and 11 with this guy," he added before panning the camera to Fr Lyden-Smith. The clergyman is no stranger to the TV cameras himself, after starring in every season of Netflix show 'Sunderland 'Til I Die', the documentary chronicling the fall and rise of Sunderland AFC and his role of club chaplain. However, Fr Lyden-Smith did have to clarify in his post that the earlier mass time was in fact 9.30am and not 9am as was previously stated and posted the caption "Don't forget to come to mass!" alongside the video. The funny video attracted comments from members of the public, with some of the churches' parishioners saying how much they enjoyed the reminder. "Best thing I've seen this morning," said Rachael Cuthbert. Recommended reading Stunning Grade II* listed hall with 170 acres and its own priory on sale for £3.95m Steve Watson admits to 'biggest disappointment' but calls for Darlington perspective Glorious summer walk in County Durham among UK's best - stop for a Sunday roast too While Trish Bradford noticed "Even with you, he stands on the left" - a nod to the fact that Dec always stands to the left of his presenting pal, Ant. Dec's brother, Fr Dermott Donnelly, was a Catholic priest in County Durham, with stints at churches in Consett and Stanley as well as Newcastle's Catholic cathedral, before his tragic death after a short illness at the age of 55 in 2022. He also established the Youth Ministry Trust, an outreach programme aimed at helping young people in the diocese's schools.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tanning addict, 18, who uses sunbeds four times a week, reveals worrying signs of UV damage on her body - but admits she still can't kick the habit
A teenager who is addicted to sunbeds has revealed she's spotted worrying signs of UV damage on her body - but still can't stop tanning. Megan Blain, 18, who has used sunbeds almost every day for three years, has previously revealed how she's been abused online over her habit, which she uses to achieved a deep bronzed look. Some of the nastiest comments have compared her to a 'dirty 2p coin' - but she still visits the salon every day. Now, Megan, from Seaham, County Durham, has revealed she's found new moles on her body that she didn't seem to have before she began regularly tanning - and has warned other people against trying sunbeds. Her tanning addiction began when she was just 16 years old, in the hope of maintaining a tan that lasted all year round. She swapped fake tan products for sunbeds and even started injecting herself with tanning agents to achieve a deeper glow. Despite 'not knowing much about sunbeds' at first, she spent up to half an hour on the beds under the UV lights for over a year, often coated in baby oil to enhance the results. Megan has been compared to a 'dirty 2p coin' by trolls - but she insists she is trapped in a cycle of tanning and can't imagine stopping Speaking in a Truly video, she said: 'I started notcing moles on my back, my hands – I've got moles all over, but you do get moles off the sunbed. I didn't know if the moles were cancerous. 'I've got a mark on my stomach. I tried going to the doctor's but I freeze at the door.' In a stark warning to others who have considered using sunbeds, she said: 'The addiction's just getting worse. I wouldn't recommend going on sunbeds to anyone.' Previously, Megan explained she began using sunbeds because she liked how she looked with a tan. 'I'm a person that wears bright colours and liked how it made the colours pop,' she said. 'I started seeing results and how good it made me look and started going on more often.' However, her intense tanning regime has raised health alarms, prompting Megan to acknowledge her 'addition' and cut down her sunbed usage. The student admits tanning injections make her feel nauseous and she's even noticed a suspicious patch recently appear on her skin - but fear of cancer has not made her stop tanning yet. Megan said: 'I've noticed a patch on my skin which keeps changing size. I've tried to go to the doctors like five times but keep freezing at the door. 'I'm one of those people that will worry over anything so for me not to be worried about potentially having melanoma I noticed a few months ago and still abuse the sunbeds has made me realise this is an addiction. I just never think I'm dark enough.' She explained: 'I'm stuck in a cycle of abusing sunbeds and taking tanning injections which make me feel sick and sometimes unable to eat. I used to go on every day and now it's four times a week.' Megan says her extreme tan has attracted attention from strangers, with some comparing her to a 'burnt chip' or saying she looks like a 'cremated' version of herself. Yet despite the backlash online, she insists she never feels 'dark enough' and struggles to imagine a life without the tanning beds. She swapped fake tan products for sunbeds and even started injecting herself with tanning agents to achieve a deeper glow Despite 'not knowing much about sunbeds' at first, Megan spent up to half an hour on the beds under the UV lights for over a year, often coated in baby oil to enhance the results She said: 'Everywhere I go, I see people staring at me. When people say I'm dark, I actually find that hard to believe. I don't feel dark whatsoever - it's like I'm physically blind. 'I want to stop one day but I can't ever imagine myself not going on the sunbeds. I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this. You could end up addicted without even realising like me.' In a bid to regain control, Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction. She said: 'The younger generation seem to be using [sunbeds] more than the older generation which is concerning because If I got addicted without even realising it then the same could happen to other people.' On TikTok, Megan has become a target for trolls, who have joined forces to poke fun at the teenager's appearance. In regards to Megan's tanned skin colour, one person wrote: 'The chips that fell down from the oven.' Another said, 'You know when you get those really dirty 2p coins,' while a third commented, 'Did [the sunbeds] cremate you?' While her views on tanning have shifted, Megan admits that she still finds it hard to break free from the compulsion to hop under the UV lights. Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction She said: 'After two years, my views on sunbeds have changed. If I could go back in time, I would've never started. I just feel like I have to go on the sunbeds - it's not even a case of wanting to be tanned anymore.' 'I find it hard to turn the sunbed off once I'm on. I don't even like going on sunbeds, I dread it, but I feel like I physically have to go on.' Meanwhile, a tanning addict who used sunbeds almost daily for 15 years has said she feels 'lucky o be alive' after things took a turn for the worst. Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, from Belfast, started using sunbeds at the young age of 14 and never once applied SPF during her years of tanning - now she's warning others not to make the same mistake. She admits to using the machines routinely for more than 15 years - visiting salons as often as seven days a week at the peak of her addiction.
