Walking around Durham since the term has started, fills me with an incredibly odd sense of Deja vu.
In between smiling to myself about how young, and often confused, the freshers look, as they try to get to grips with the maze of streets and bridges that fill Durham, I forget that I myself, despite now being in my third and final year, have only really experienced “normal” Durham for less than 20 weeks. Before Epiphany term had ended in my first year, COVID-19 sent us home, and characterised the entirety of my second year with lockdowns, tiers, and staying inside.
So, the bustling market in Market square, properly looking around the cathedral, going to tucked-away restaurants and cafes, serve to fill me with the same sense of newness and excitement, I felt as a fresher. Third-year is becoming first year 2.0.
I know how hard it can be to stop Durham Uni from consuming your time living in Durham, but the city has so much more to offer than hours spent in the Billy B (and I should take my own advice). So, make the most of this wonderful city that we are lucky enough to live in for a few short years.
And if you’re stuck for ideas, my top three recommendations to do this term are:
- Go to the Moon exhibit in the Cathedral
- Meander around Market Square on a Saturday, and go into the Market Place too
- Walk along the River Weir and explore the Old Viaduct
Editor’s picks this week are:
Review: The Durham Revue Returners’ Show: Unfinished Business
China-Taiwan relations: the brewing of international turmoil?
Done watching Squid Game? Why not try Korean poetry?
Relieved it’s over: a honest review of freshers’ week
Image credit: Abigail Brierley