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I ♥ Durham

14 August 2009 2 Comments

It’s been seven months, one week and four days since I moved to Durham. Going back to London I realised how much I miss having some of my best friends on my doorstep, but I don’t miss living in London, after all it’s only three hours away on the train. If only I could move my friends up here.

I have decided to follow in the footsteps of the great Bill Bryson and tell you why I love Durham so much.

1. It’s so pretty. For years my favourite part of the East Coast train journey was pulling into Durham station and seeing the Cathedral and Castle, it’s one of the best views in England. My walk to work is through woods, fields and along the river. I can see countryside from my bedroom window. Even flat hunting in the snow last December was made bearable because of the beauty of Durham under a blanket of white. You can’t get angry with this city because within seconds you get a glimpse of a beautiful view and all is right with the world once again.

The view from the London Kings X train pulling out of Durham station, taken on my iPhone

2. It’s incredibly friendly. If you want to be sad and wallow in self pity then don’t come to Durham. You can’t get much past your front path without a “hello” or “morning” from your neighbours. Dog walkers talk to you. As do people at bus stops, drunk and sober. You feel obliged to smile, be friendly and helpful. And don’t think you’ll get away with a one word answer to a question, there’s at least five minutes of chatting to follow. It’s great!

3. The air is clean. Stepping off the train at Durham station from London is literally a breath of fresh air. Gorgeous clean air. Durham is a tiny city in the middle of lots of farm and woodland so there is more fresh clean air than you can shake a stick at. And it’s free.

4. There’s less stress. I am so relaxed and laid back that I’m not sure I recognise myself some days. A weekend in London is exhausting now my pace of life has gone down a notch or two (or twenty). I can chill out, relax and not worry about having to do every single thing this minute. I thought being less busy would give me less to write about, but now I have more time to appreciate life and sit down and write about it too.

5. There’s something else. I can’t name or put my finger on what makes Durham so special. Long before Harry Potter and his magic descended on the city I am sure the Durham ‘thing’ existed. Bill Bryson will back me up on this one. Once you’ve visited Durham you want to go back. It’s also the anomaly of the North. Friends, who would moan about going as far north as Birmingham, will happily come up to Durham. Now I live here I think it would break my heart to leave.