Blogs from Durham County, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 9

Hey Yizzall! As promised here is the second part of my week of study in Durham. You must be wondering what the heck flushin’ roulette is. Well the plumbing in the UK is quite different from what we’re used to at home. The bathroom on our floor was a little temperamental and you had to keep flushing it until it caught and flushed. It was always an adventure as to how many times you’d have to flush until it went down and it was even more exciting when the toilet caught in less than five flushes. So there you have it: Flushin’ Roulette was born and coined by my friend Anna. Wednesday we ventured off to Escomb Church, Hexam Abbey and Bede’s World. That’s right folks, Bede’s Wold. Escomb church was built in the late 7th ... read more

Hi Guys, I've been writing this blog on and off for a while so it's a wee bit old but here goes anyway.. on Tuesday 14th July I jumped on the train from Kings Cross and headed on a 3 hour journey to Durham (northern England) where I was met by my friend Zoe (who you may remember from my African Blog). We had a lovely day in Durham, and Sunderland, not only did she take me on a walking tour to see the Cathedral, we also paddled down the river in a Canoe Boat and had a three course lunch in a beautiful old Castle called ‘Lumley Castle’. That evening we went for a stroll along the beach and came back to a delicious meal of Pumpkin and Prawn Risotto and ‘Lumpy Bumpy’ Icecream Cake ... read more

Today was another big driving day with very little action in between. We called into Coventry on our way to Durham to see the tapestry of 'Christ in Glory' that hang in the Cathedral. The present Cathedral was built in the 1950s, after the original Cathedral was destroyed by incendary bombs during WWII. The new Cathedral still has a modern look and feel, given the date that it was built. We then drove on to Spondon, in Derbyshire, so that I (Terry) could visit where my grandparents lived before they came to Australia in 1914. Then we made our way (almost 3 hours of motorway driving) to Durham. We decided to leave visiting the Norman Cathedral and Castle until tomorrow to make sure that we can give them the thorough exploration they deserve.... read more

Well all good things must end and I can't believe that I have been home for a full week, we spent the last night on Koh Samui where we caught our flight to Bangkok to get our flight home. The whole experience was fabulous and I wouldn't hesitate to do it all again. Thailand has something for everyone and I must admit I did contemplate staying on longer cos there was so much more I wanted to see but I knew my family would send the men in the white coats to find me and fetch me home lol. Despite what I was lead to believe before I visited the country Thailand is a very friendly and safe place to travel to and I was amazed at how many young people were travelling solo and were ... read more

After a pleasant train journey from London Kings Cross Station, I am now in Durham where Br Brendan Geary has welcomed me. Brendan, a counsellor, lectures in human development at the Catholic Seminary for the north of England called Ushaw College which began in 1808 (Catholic emancipation in England took place in 1829). Durham is a university city with the University based on the Oxford and Cambridge model of granting degrees through Halls of Residence, of which, here in Durham, Ushaw College is one. A large cathedral dominates Durham’s skyline. Originally a Catholic Cathedral with a Benedictine Monastery attached, it became an Anglican Cathedral at the time of the Reformation. Brendan Geary spoke about our Marist life. Possible assistant Journal editors: Charles Gay, Roberto Linares, John Klein West Central Province Newsletter: www.mariste.be Br John Hugh Parker ... read more