Durham City - Jewel in the northeast
By Stan M Tunstall-Otterburn
9 Oct 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
Durham City is one of the oldest seats of learning and religion in the country. The area, once known as the Land of the Prince Bishops was the northern stronghold of these powerful men who held the border against Scottish Invasion. I live in an area about two miles north called Pity Me. During the Napoleonic wars it was just moorland and many small lakes. The French called the area 'petite mers' meaning small seas. Of course the rougher dialect of the residents gradually corrupted it to its present name. It was also a site of a leper colony looked after by the clergy from the cathedral. Fortunately it has gradually been developed in to a residential area with a large comprehensive school and a busy trading area. It is a popular area for small industrial units due to its closeness to the rail and major roads out of the area.
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
Suburban, friendly, scenic
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
I've lived in this area for almost thirty years having moved from my home town of Sunderland situated twelve miles away on the coast. I moved to get away from the industrial activity and a lot of noise pollution in a town whose main industries were coal mining and shipbuilding.
Durham offers much more scope for my hobbies and interests. A ten minute drive will bring you into native moorland, where you can fish or walk and find areas that would please any photographer or artist. Along with the varied wildlife, it is easy to see the attraction to many people.
The city holds regular events throughout the summer and for an old performer like myself, it is a chance to enjoy the traditional folk music and dancing. The city is small and mostly pedestrianized so shopping is a lot more relaxed and the advantage of a small city centre is that you don't have to walk far to find what you need.
Durham also has one of the oldest and smallest pubs in the country. Good food, good drink and good company is reason enough for wanting to stay.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
My favourite thing about Durham is that it retains a lot of its heritage in the buildings near the city centre. Being a University town many of the colleges on the campus are still in the original buildings from the 1600's. Although they have been significantly improved on the inside, they still retain the appearance of a medieval town.
The thing I really dislike is the way new developments try to fit in with the architectural style. There is a big difference between a large, ugly wall of modern red bricks and a large wall of natural stone. Bricks really do deteriorate the visual appearance of large buildings.
Do you feel that you belong there?
I often wish I could have lived in the city three or four hundred years ago. No motor traffic, no pollution, all in all, a lot simpler life. Even with today's standards of living, yes I feel more at home here than anywhere else I've been.
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
The most annoying thing is for outsiders to comment it must be really dull when the students leave the city during their recesses. We do have a strong variable population of students, but we do not rely on them to lift us to new heights in the entertainment stakes. The new Gala Theatre has brought many delights in the way of drama and performing arts with out any sightings of students helping to assist us in our search for self enlightenment.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
A totally new way of producing mustard was discovered by a Mrs Clements in 1720.
She was granted a Royal Patent by King George I and travelled the length of the country taking orders.The original recipe and preparation method is now held by Colmans of Norwich.
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
The fact that tourists haven't fully discovered the hidden beauty spots and quiet backwaters of the city and its surrounding countryside. It's always nice to take visitors to a spot they didn't know about that is only a few minutes walk from the main tourist trails. There are also added bonuses of inner city walks through lovely narrow streets, a traditional market and lots of activity in the market place throughout the summer and most of the winter months.
