Eastshaw Guesthouse Seaham Harbour

20/11/2025

Greetings from Shotley bridge xx

20/11/2025

I put on my old Sergeant Uniform to help promote Julie’s book. Btw her pen name is Bobby Cussens

20/11/2025

Hello folks.

I’ve no idea if any of our old guest are still linked to our old page.

Since we closed Eastshaw so much has changed and we look. Back at our guesthouse days with huge appreciation.

One of the things Jules has done is write a crime novel.

It’s called Shotley Bridge Murders.

It’s a great read.

Here is a link to Amazon.

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15/09/2021

And then it was gone.

I'd like to thank everyone who supported our little guesthouse.

Not one of you were ever taken for granted.

Very much appreciated.

Loads of memories, laughs and love.

💘

03/09/2021

Bargain.

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 from just £44.50pp! 🤩
Our fantastic Winter Breaks offer is BACK. You can enjoy a dinner, bed and breakfast stay for as little as £44.50 per person.
Limited availability, book now ➡️ https://bit.ly/3yqirCg

T&Cs apply. Visit website for full details.

06/08/2021

Julie and I are so sorry to hear of the death of Virgil Hibbs.

He was one of life’s characters and had an appreciation of our little town and it’s seaglass treasure. So much so that he travelled all the way from the USA half a dozen times.

He always caused a stir around town, the most obvious thing being his fancy for walking topless on the beach in February.

“ Have you seen that bloke on the beach, with long hair and topless?” I heard that more than a few times.

He had a kind heart and enthusiasm for life

Rest easy bonnie lad.

23/06/2020

To all our past guests who have taken an interest in Julie’s writing.

Here is one of her pieces performed by Jackie Phillips a wonderful local actor.

Performed by Jackie Phillips – YouTube Premier Tuesday 23 June, 8pm Sunderland Stories Monologue programme is an extension of the Sunderland Stages Writers P...

06/02/2020

Our old guests who bought next door are moving on, so on the off chance that any other old guests fancy living in the street.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rightmove.co.uk%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fproperty-89145146.html&h=AT0OBaoKTGcPe5uiFSzqGXNRJUO9gnzFM80jSD2JAgDmJ_PEANWAPYkrCFP_vaMw6hboVHwHQl0pLznpCD2qmGyQkuN9EfUCFzNAAIWOkon_L_q41Uc2ymFkvyaJLto&s=1

4 bedroom terraced house for sale in Bath Terrace, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 £430,000. Marketed by Jonathon Lewis, Seaham

22/01/2020

We received a lovely piece from Annie one of the four ladies who travel all the way from Seattle to seaglass hunt in our town. They have been four times and are returning once again this spring.

Thanks Annie, Linny, Bobbie and Robin for loving our town so much.
Your next hosts will be blessed to have you stay. X

Eastshaw

From the beach, you can see the white house up on the cliff; an old Sea Captain’s house. It is our Mecca; where we climb the stairs, by the sea wall, to go home each day. It is named, Eastshaw; Mick and Julie’s home.

March is cold, with the wind churning the waves and blowing the rain sideways. It is a perfect time for hunting sea glass, as with each tide, there are new treasures to be found. We’ve mapped the tides and know each day when our journey should begin.

We traverse the stairs to the beach; our heads are down; expectations high, as we start each day. Linny is far down the beach, wanting to be the first, to find the big pieces. Linny stops, and chats, with everyone she passes and trades stories of previous finds and what treasures she has found today. She makes lots of new friends. Robin is hunting for marbles by the pilings and rusted railroad ties; she is always lucky. Bobbie has positioned herself on a pile of rocks and proceeds to dig for multi’s; no one had better get too close to her digging spot. Me, I climb the huge mounds of rocks piled high next to the sea wall, hoping to find unusual pieces.

The tide is coming in and it is time to go. Mick is there to greet us and light the fire, so we can get warm and dry our boots. Ahh, he brings libations to brighten our spirits and help ease our sore backs. We laugh and show our treasures, as well as, stories from the beach. Julie’s home from work; she sits on the floor and we share, as only women can do. Stanley wants us to throw the ball and feed him treats; he is such a “Terrible Puppy”; he makes us laugh.

We are blessed. We are living our passion for hunting sea glass. We are at Eastshaw with friends.

We are the “Fearsome Foursome”!

20/11/2019

Once again the council are wanting to ban dogs on our main beach in Seaham.

How many of our guests have loved seeing the hounds frolicking around.

Please sign the petition if you would like to still enjoy our furry friends on the beach.

Thanks

Stop the dog ban on Seaham Beaches

23/10/2019

Exactly 10 years ago this week, we tentatively dipped our toes into the guesthouse business.

Jules and I struck a deal as the house was too big for just the two of us; she was keen to sell up, I on the other hand, was keen to stay.

“Why don’t I set this place up as a B’n’B and see what happens?”

Our first guest was Tom, a neighbour’s cousin who needed a place to stay during the working week for a month or so.

Back then, the idea was to host business people visiting the town and only during the week.

We gently pottered along for a year or so. I’d make evening meals for our guests; as hard as it is to imagine now, there were no places to eat in Seaham. The meals ended when a rather direct chap likened by cauliflower and walnut soup to wallpaper sizing.
The £10 per person for three courses and wine was not worth the insult to my culinary sensibilities.

It was July 2010 when two American ladies booked in to stay.
Both we’re coming to Seaham to “walk along our beaches”.

Why on earth would someone travel so far to do that?

They would tell us of “seaglass” a term I’d never heard before,

“You mean the glass pebbles on the beach that I call Julie-Diamonds?”

Both ladies each day would return with colours, shapes and sizes the likes of which I’d never seen in over 40 years of wandering the beach.

A ripple turned to a friendly tsunami.

Since then we have been blessed with countless seaglass hunters, many who’ve returned time and time again.

Then there’s all those folks who have stayed visiting family, returning home, fetching the ashes of loved ones back to our town, on pilgrimage to walk down the same streets their emigrating great, great grandparents trod. They came to visit the world famous Tommy statue, to house hunt, or as European cyclists who randomly appeared, soaked-through, looking for refuge.

We’ve loved accommodating fabulous people from all over the world.

Americans, British, Austrailians, Germans, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian and more nationalities have sat around our table. With few exceptions we have shared warm, kind time together.

Our dining table has been a place of unity, laughter and sometimes tears, guests safe in the company of friendly strangers, free to voice troubles. But it’s the laughs which have soaked into our walls.

One day I’ll write some stories down of our time running Eastshaw.

I’ve have truly loved the experience of offering shelter and food to our guests.

There are very few jobs (I don’t really view it as work, but you know what I mean), very few occupations where you will meet as strangers and after a few days leave company with a worthwhile bond.

It’s time for a change, Jules has kept her part of the deal and it’s time to keep mine.

So thank you all. It’s been such a special journey.

If you’re passing, please pop in for a cuppa.

Btw, St Cuthberts cottage is not closing. ❤️. https://m.facebook.com/StCuthbertscottage/

We will hopefully see you down the road. X

20/10/2019

Everything is ready for Lindsay and Elese. Our last guests at Eastshaw ❤️