26 Elvet, Durham

 

Having spent Monday afternoon walking around the City of Durham, we stumbled across 26 Elvet on Elvet Bridge in the city centre. We needed a refreshing drink so we headed in for a couple of smoothies served in jam jars with the widest straws ever to enter my mouth!

Durham Cathedral

 

You can't miss Durham Cathedral. It dominates the city. You can see it sitting majestically next to Durham Castle. Pass through Durham on the main East Coast rail line and you will see it. It is one of the greatest medieval buildings in the North East of England. It's free to enter though some additional exhibitions come with an entry charge. As a completely non-religious person myself, I do however find the Cathedral to be a fantastic building, showing off the architectural skills of the people of the medieval period. If you visit Durham, you need to visit the Cathedral as well.

Turkish Kitchen Meze and Grill in Durham City

 

Out for lunch in Durham City centre and we found the Turkish Kitchen Meze and Grill (Ground Floor, 66 Sadler Street, Durham, DH1 3NP). It wasn't full but there was a steady flow of customers in and out of the door. We stayed for a two course meal. I recommend the white bait for started.

Durham Botanical Garden

 

Slightly away from the Durham centre but definitely one to go on your list of places to visit if you are in Durham City. Consisting of large gardens showing plants from around the world. I particularly liked the cacti. It takes about an hour to walk around.

The Story, Durham

Yesterday I headed to the City of Durham, by car only 20 minutes drive from where we live (it's even quicker by train). Our plan was to visit The Story, effectively a history of County Durham, the Botanical Gardens, the Cathedral and Durham City centre.

The first port of call was The Story which I found quite absorbing. Okay, I am an historian, but I liked the way the history of the area was presented. The good news is that it's free to get in though they rigidly enforce the 10am opening time. Definitely worth a  visit.

 

Insieme in Newcastle

 

Insieme is an Italian restaurant on Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. We paid it a visit last week.

I was a bit disappointed with the starter - kalamari. It was a bit stringy.

My main course - steak in tomato sauce more than made up for the kalamari.

Dessert was a must-have!

Tanfield Railway - the video

 

Here's the video I filmed last week of our visit to the Tanfield Railway and fish and chips on the train.

Photos from the visit to the Tanfield Railway

 

Last weekend we paid a visit to the Tanfield Railway in Gateshead to enjoy fish and chips on the train. Here are a small number of photos I took during the ride.

The fish and chips lunch was organised by a company called Fox and Edwards. It's worth looking them up as they do similar events at heritage sites throughout the country.

Momos in Kings Cross

 

We were in London recently, staying in the Kings Cross area. After a bit of a search we found Momos where we turned up without a reservation. Although crowded, they still fitted us in. Being outdoors was helpful as we were experiencing the back end of a heatwave. First class Greek food. The photos speak for themselves.

Ravensworth Arms

 

The Ravensworth Arms is a pub/restaurant in the village of Lamesley in Gateshead, North East England. We had lunch there yesterday. It is worth a visit though it is busy and popular with older couples and funeral parties (at least when we were there!) A full menu for pub lunches is available.

There is a good area for sitting outdoors.

Borough Market

 

One of my favourite places to visit in London is Borough Market. If you love the sight and smell of good food, this is the place to be. To get there take the Tube to London Bridge. It's a couple of minutes' walk to get to the market.

National Liberal Club dining room

 

During one of our recent visits to London we were able to book a table in the dining room of the National Liberal Club. Fantastic food!

Fish and chips on the Tanfield Railway

 

Snapped stuffing my face with fish and chips! Yesterday we visited the Tanfield Railway in Gateshead, in the North East of England. We were attending an event that was organised by a company called Fox and Edwards. They specialise in putting on events at heritage locations. In this instance it was fish and chips on board the Tanfield Railway.

Good fun had by all. I will post up the video soon.

Visiting Regent's Canal

 

We have been to London twice in recent weeks and on both occasions we stayed in a small hotel in Kings Cross. The Regent's Canal is just a short walk away.

Lunch at the Terrace

 

The National Liberal Club in London is a members' only club. I joined it last year but only in the past couple of weeks have I been able to make use of my membership. Across two recent trips to London, I've been able to make three trips to the Club. Dressing up for dinner or the various events is a must-do. In the photo above, we had lunch on the terrace overlooking the Embankment. Food is excellent but you can't just walk in off the street. You have to be a member to eat there or a friend of a member to sign you in.

Supawan: some like it hot!

 

We were in London recently, staying in Kings Cross. We found Supawan, a Thai restaurant, on Caledonian Road. If you like your food hot, this is the place to visit. On my very own food heat gauge, (0 is not hot at all, 10 is industrial strength) Supawan gets an 8.5. Not helped that we were in a heatwave as well.

Have a margherita cocktail to wash it down.

I rather like the internal decor.