Blogs from Durham, Durham County, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Thought we had completed Durham until breakfast when fellow inn mates (actually their son had graduated from Durham University yesterday and is on the way to the continent for the next three months) informed us the cathedral may be open today. Really! This was confirmed between their taking an additional look at the website and our innkeeper. Super! William, the innkeeper had insisted on driving us to the cathedral area yesterday, we steadfastly declined another ride. This guy does not stop; yes he took us again. Furthermore, that constant complainer HP had lamented the fact the only cottage pie he has seen on a menu was at a Costco. Yeah, the sap ate it, but really? So, that morning our innkeeper informed us he had prepared a cottage pie and our presence was required after the ... read more

The walk up to Durham Cathedral through the city is nice and I really like when you turn off the shopping street and walk up the cobbled street that you are confronted with the great view across Palace Green to the cathedral. However this time the view was a bit obscured as a temporary Covid vaccination centre has been erected on the green to offer booster shots. Luckily, I took some photos of the exterior of the cathedral when I came to visit Durham Castle so I have used those. Also, I can't wait until I never have to mention the C word in a blog again. Durham Cathedral or to give it its full name The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St. Cuthbert of Durham (that's far too long) was built ... read more

Durham Oriental Museum is a bit of a walk from the city centre. The website suggested two different routes and I opted for the prettier one, walking along the River Wear. I headed to Framwellgate Bridge, which is the main bridge from the west in the centre of Durham. Since it was early, there was only one family taking selfies with the view of the castle and the cathedral in the background. The bridge dates back to the 15th century, replacing one built earlier in the 12th century for the Bishop of Durham. The views of the castle and the cathedral's towers was beautiful, I love that they just poke out from all the trees surrounding them. I only wish it had been a sunny day as it was rather overcast, but the British weather is ... read more

Where in the world is Gabby the motorhome. She is having well earned rest in the car park of the Masons Arms. Unlike Europe our own small isle does not cater for motorhomers. Caravan and Motorhome Club sites are well out of the way . Suitable for tuggers but not for us in vans. They are expensive . Over £25 a night . Not something you want to pay when you have paid a lot of cash for a lithium battery and do not need electricity. Just a bit of hardstanding. Their members book up the sites for months on end so even if you wanted to get it they would be full . The Camping Club - the friendly one offers cheaper nights of around £15 but even so they are still not what we ... read more

After the FA Cup Final last week, I have to admit I was scratching around for possibilities. It was a Bank Holiday weekend. The Other Half had us destined to visit the Outlaw, so the car pointed north again. The majority of leagues had completed their programme, so it was down to an hour or so of intrepid Internet searching to come up with a possible Cup Final whose geographical distance did not render it into the bracket of beyond economic sense. The question is could anything match the Totalsport Alan Hood Trophy Final that the previous Bank Holiday threw up in Hartlepool? The rest of the country would be solely focused on enjoying the warm weather and watching the Champions League Final taking place in Kiev. A team in red had made the cut, but ... read more