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The celebrated author, Bill Bryson, described Durham in glowing terms. "I thought it was perfect when I first saw it - I still think so now" were the words he used. "The city of Durham is an intensely beautiful and historic place. There is so much history there but what makes it so special is that it appreciates that history - it looks after it and does positive things with it". Bryson stumbled upon Durham by chance, when writing his Notes From A Small Island book. He went on to become Chancellor of the University between 2005 and 2011. The new University library still bears his name.
On a day that saw Dominic Cummings take to the stage once again in pursuit of revenge against TFB, Durham seemed an appropriate place to be. It was after all, the initial bolthole of DC and his Mrs at the height of Lockdown 1. The original "staycation", except weren't meant to be having them in Spring 2020. Staycation is the new buzz word and out on the roads, the numbers of fancy new motorhomes are escalating. The tin snail crew are also multiplying. I hoped that they were not all heading to Durham.
For once, I hoped to find it quiet and peaceful and without tourist hordes.
The Indian variant of COVID now has a foothold in England and for some reason a Parliamentary sub- committee is having a mini inquest into the lessons of COVID, instead of conquering the new foe. Today we learned that, in the humble opinion of the former Senior Advisor, Little Matty had escaped the sack at least 20 times, Princess Nut Nuts was more concerned about a Welsh mongrel than the COVID virus and that TFB was something akin to a wonky shopping trolley not fit for such a high office. There was also a bizarre claim that TFB was up for an experimental injection live on TV in a double act with Prof Chris Witty to calm the fears of the nation. There are many, who despite not being stated fans of our current illustrious leader, were swayed towards there must be an ounce of sense in him to dispense with the counsel of DC. Meanwhile, old DC admitted he had spun the odd yarn on his trip to Specsavers in Barnard Castle and that he was acting on security concerns on his getaway to
the Land of the Prince Bishops. The general consensus would probably be, who would trust any of them? It will all come out in the wash, as my mum would have said! However, we might need a boil wash on this occasion to get close to the truth.
I avoided the A1 and cut through Coxhoe. We approached Durham from the Bowburn junction, which is now dwarfed with a huge Amazon distribution centre. We parked up on the edge of Shincliffe. The Other Half was keen on a coffee, so we retraced our steps to the nearby garden centre. The early morning rain had not deterred an onslaught of the grey pound eager to invest in additional equipment for their own piece of green space. The car park was temptingly close to the river, but was for the use of customers and not for any other purpose, including "walking the dog". We set off for a stroll along the banks of the Wear. We associate the River Wear more with the industry and shipyards, that once lined the banks in Sunderland. In Durham, it has a more tranquil pace. The land either side at this point is very much
given over to the recreation of the student population. The spaces on the north bank was given over to rugby pitches, American Football and lacrosse. Lacrosse must be popular in the public schools of the nation, as many of the Henriettas that passed us were carrying the relevant equipment. Maiden Castle on the opposite bank is a serious complex of hockey, athletics and football. It was always owned by Durham University, but was the training base for the KK Geordie revolution as he plotted the rise of the Magpies from Division 2 also ranks to Division 1 title contenders. A lot of the players of that era lived in the city. The two sides are linked by a footbridge, which although modern in design is looking a bit worse for wear. It dates from 1974. The rowing clubs are also represented on the banks, although perhaps many students were either still studying remotely or had exams on their mind.
We carried out walking. The opposite bank opened up to reveal the cricket club and a panoramic view of both Durham Castle and the Cathedral. HMP Durham nestled into the horizon almost un-noticed. This is the sort of view that
Bill Bryson was referring to when he made his 'perfect" observations. We detoured from our planned route. The renovation works on the New Elvet Bridge had closed the footpath. A lot of the offices of the professions were open by "appointment only" and amazingly, parking spaces were free. The spaces were not charging after 2 pm, in a bid to reignite city centre business. The empty spaces indicated it didn't appear to be a massive success to date. The Amazon facility at Bowburn perhaps says it all - shopping habits have changed. City centres need a rethink. The smallest bar in Durham - the Tin of Sardines - had definitely been thinking creatively. In a world of social distancing, their micro size - the main selling point - was their potential demise. They now had tables snaking out down Old Elvet Bridge.
We cut back down to the River Wear by the Klute nightclub. The venue has been a focal point for students for 40 years and seems to revel in a down market reputation. It maintains the slogan of wiping your feet "on your way out". FHM Magazine voted it the 2nd worst nightclub in Europe, although whether
it had cornered the market on sticky carpets by the bar is open to debate. There could be certain readers in Montreal, who might think a certain venue in the NEPSR could give them a good run for their money in the sticky carpets stakes. The Guardian ran an article on Klute last year, after it transpired to be owned by Dom's Uncle until 2013 and that our former Senior Advisor had been employed as a bouncer in his youth. It was here perhaps, that he developed his skill of bossing old Etonians into following his visions? Brexit anybody? There were boat houses down here, that I never knew existed. A group of students were having a taster rowing session at one. "We won't fall in, will we?", from one participant suggested there was not a great future in the sport for her. Other than the Boathouse, there are few buildings on this side of the River at this point. The exception is the Count's House - a small house and Georgian "folly", built in the style of a Greek temple. The reality was it was no more than an occasional summer house, but it has become associated with a
Polish dwarf, Count Joseph Burowlaski. The Count was a musician and entertainer, who lived in Durham for the last 46 years of his life. A mere 3 feet tall, he died aged 97 in 1837. The Count had been invited to Durham by the Cathedral organist and clearly like it. Our river walk ended at Prebend Bridge. The bridge was built in 1778, basically as a private crossing and entrance to Durham Cathedral. The Cathedral looms on the high ground above.
We approached the Cathedral walking up South Bailey. The historic residences here are part of the University. Theses are the old Colleges. It is a similar feel to that found at Oxford and Cambridge, which explains why many who don't get the required grades for the latter favour this as their next choice. It is a world away from the University experience I was after. We pass St John's College and the St Cuthbert's Society. "St Cuths" has an "independence of spirit" and "an energetic Junior Common Room". The latter probably says it all. South Bailey becomes North Bailey and is a short walk from the Palace Green in front of the Cathedral. There were two immediate observations,
both a sign of the times. First, how quiet it was. There were no hordes of tourists - next stop Edinburgh. Second, part of the lawned area on the Cathedral approach was given over to a large white tent - the COVID testing centre for the university students.
We headed into the Cathedral. This is not just any Cathedral mind. In another quote from Bill Bryson, this is the "best Cathedral on planet earth". I don't claim to be a Cathedral expert, but those in the know suggest it is up there with the best. I visit football grounds, but the Outlaw knows a woman who can't wait to add another Cathedral visit to her list. Cathedral hopping or something similar. She is a big fan of Durham, but apparently rates Beverley Minster as the number one destination in England. Entry to Durham is surprisingly free. There is a suggested donation of £5, but there was nobody twisting your arm to contribute. In the new world of a cashless society, there are points thoughtfully dotted round where you can make your "contactless" donation. All very 2021. The Other Half is known to be a bit nervous of Tower visits
- I vividly remember the panic of a descent in Bolognaonce - so I was a bit surprised by her wish to take in an ariel view of the city. Her luck was in - there were 2 remaining £5.50 tickets for the last permitted climb of the day at 2.50 pm. We had a relaxed stroll round the Cathedral, invested in a coffee in the Undercroft and rolled up ahead of schedule for the tower climb. The numbers are strictly controlled under COVID protocols to reduce congestion on the narrow steps. I think it was limited to 6 climbers every 40 minutes. There are 325 steps to the top and believe me, it was a serious workout. Your legs knew you had got to the top. The weather was still a bit cloudy and overcast, but you could still easily see over to the Penshaw Monument near Washington. In times of restricted travel, think of it was the staycation Acropolis. The real Acropolis in Athens doesn't come with the advantage of a view of the Nissan car plant. All in all, the Cathedral experience was a good one and helped by cheery, friendly staff. Bill Bryson continues with his
write up by advising "if you haven't been to Durham Cathedral, drop whatever you are doing and go at once. You owe it to yourself. It is one of the most moving and iconic creations of civilisation" and is "one of life's great experiences".
We bid farewell to the Cathedral and descended towards the city centre, pausing to photograph the old University library and the entrance to Durham Castle. The Palace Green was largely devoid of tourists, as was Owengate that leads down to the city centre. The student numbers were low too. There would be many, who had continued to study remotely or had already finished their exams and disappeared back to the parents' place in leafy suburbia. The only winners would have been the landlords - charging rent, whilst the tenants lived at home elsewhere. There were few shoppers around the periphery of the Prince Regent Centre and indeed, fewer shops than our last visit. Mark's & Sparks have left now - concentrating on their Metro Centre store apparently.
The time was right for food. Durham might be inland, but has one of finest fish and chip shops in the whole country. Bells has a city
centre restaurant, but we opted for their out of town establishment at Framwellgate Moor. It is neatly tucked away behind the Arnison Centre and offers plenty of free parking. There are times when businesses sometimes over extend and the quality drops. This is not so with Bells. The haddock was superb. It is on a par with the original Colmans on Ocean Road, South Shields. I can offer no higher praise.
I was planning to finish the day off with a visit to the nearby Durham FC. The football scene in Durham is odd in that there are now multiple teams vying for a limited support. Durham City - who don't actually play in Durham anymore. Durham United. Durham Corinthians. Alas, there was no sign of life at the King George V, where Durham FC were scheduled to kick off at 6.30 - definitely no game on there. The pitch is sunken into a grass bowl amphitheatre and had taken on a lot of water with the excessive rain in the last few days. A good bit of forking would have done the job, but probably they were trying to keep the pitch looking okay for their Durham FA
Minor Cup semi-final at the weekend. It didn't help mind. The Yakkas arrived from Shotton and won 7-1! The lower reaches of the Wearside League are a bit of a law unto themselves - one team the previous weekend just failed to turn up for their game at Cockerton - and I scoured the social media to see whether the game was postponed or moved to another venue. Information was non-existent and the official Wearside League website showed the venue to be still at King George V. Durham United play just down the road, but they had moved their game to the delights of Sunderland. We gave it up as a bad job and drove back to Teesside.
As stated earlier in the blog, Bill Bryson "stumbled" on Durham. You could do worse than plan a visit now - while it is quiet.
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Rainyb
Lorraine Brecht
ooooooo fish & chips, my fav!!!!