Stiltwalkers in Durham

When I was in Durham there was a real carnival atmosphere on the Saturday morning.  These stiltwalkers were making their way through the crowds and traffic.  I've seen plenty of stiltwalkers at parades in New Zealand but I can't recall seeing them in the UK before.

The Journey

In Durham's Millenium Square is a sculpture: The Journey by Fenwick Lawson. The bronze of the original wooden sculpture 'The Journey', by the renowned sculptor Fenwick Lawson who is County Durham born and a City of Durham resident. The sculpture is in Millenium square just off Claypath near to the Market Place and it depicts the journey of monks, fleeing Lindisfarne Abbey (Holy Island) off the Northumberland coast. They are carrying the uncorrupted body of St Cuthbert to it's eventual destination at Durham. The monks were forced to flee Lindisfarne in A.D. 875 because of continued attacks there by the Vikings.

A Few Images from Durham

Actually these are the sort of images one could find almost anywhere but I thought that I'd share them anyway:

Unusual burgers for the UK!

I though this was a rather attractive, imaginative, practical and unusual set of railings

Dad used to call me a Mugwump.  No one in the shop knew why it was so called.  One girl (for that she was) said she thought it was someone who sat on a fence (literally rather than actually) and that quite a few people came in and said their parents had called them one. You need to Wiki it for a fuller explanation.  The little door to the right hides a splendid cellar restaurant where we had dinner - the best restaurant pan-fried duck breast that I have ever tasted.

This one is to amuse my New Zealand friends

An Afternoon in Durham

Last Friday I spent the afternoon in Durham.  I've probably told you that already.  If you know Durham then you will know that I made a bee-line for the Cathedral which is by the Castle and the old part of the University on a hill in a u-bend in the River (I'm not sure whether it qualifies as an ox-bow, I suspect not) not more than 10 minutes walk from the hotel.  

I had been in the Cathedral several times before but had absolutely no memory of it.  As I tend to recall things by their emotional effect or things I have translated into words it had obviously not left a significant mark.  It did this time but for the wrong reasons.  Firstly I felt absolutely no emotion when I entered and it left me cold.  Secondly it is plastered everywhere with 'don't do' notices.  Don't take photos.  Don't have your phone on.  Don't..... I can't even recall the rest.  It didn't have a single positive message:  no suggestion that one might take time out and think (or pray - it is, after all, a church), nothing.  Actually that's not true.  It did ask for a positive financial contribution towards the £3m annual upkeep.  I shall not be returning in a hurry.  Having said all that I did keep a promise (the person concerned understands).  I also received a completely opposite view to mine from Pat.  So nothing's ever the same for everyone.

As I walked out of the hotel I had to cross this bridge over the River Wear to get to the City Centre

From the bridge I looked South towards the U bend in the river with the Cathedral on the left this was my view:

and as I looked North with the hotel on my left I saw:

The Green outside the Cathedral was absolutely crowded with students and tourists but I managed to get these photos of University buildings on one side of the Green and make it look as though it was deserted:

From The Elvett Bridge looking North there was plenty of activity on the river

and in the hostelries on the river bank.

Journeying - Day 2

On Friday morning I woke at 0430 as a Blackbird's beautiful and exceptionally penetrating song came in through the open bedroom window.  I love that sound.  But not at that time of the morning, thank you very much.  Fortunately I managed to get another couple of hours of shuteye.  Then David and I went for a walk with Molly along the shore at West Wemyss for an hour or so before breakfast and my journey down to Durham.  There I became a tourist for a while before meeting up with friends for  the evening.

Mornings on the Firth of Forth don't come much calmer than this.

However they do come stormier and the shore was littered with broken trees from a recent very severe gale which left much of Scotland paralysed for several hours

Many remained, however, as did this beautiful bank of lupins

David even managed to tire Molly with all the ball throwing

The pigeons had colonised the cliff face.  I would like to know how all the holes appeared in the sandstone: many where perfectly and unnaturally cylindrical

But don't try and get in because it's always locked

I hit the jackpot with my room at the Radison Blu in Durham: exceptional comfort and service with every facility I could have needed