This year, Mitch and I don’t have any travel plans (can you believe it!?). This is mainly due to the fact that we’ve just moved to Croydon and Mitch has embarked on a new job. While my job allows me to work remotely, Mitch’s does not, anymore, so, we’ve moved into a lovely little flat and are enduring the life of rent, bills and complaining about Southern Rail.
However, despite having no lavish plans to hop on a plane somewhere, our year is filled with many great events throughout the UK. We have five weddings this year and the first of which was in Durham. It just so happens that the friends whose wedding it was we met on our travels…
A Wedding of Friends We Met in Poland
Those who are avid readers of Bristolian Backpacker (Hi, mum) will know that I have previously written about Angolville. This is an English immersion programme run in various European countries. While Mitch and I were travelling around Europe in 2015, we did four of these Angloville programmes and made some friends who, thankfully, we’ve stayed in contact with and who we’ve had the joy of meeting up with in various parts of the world.
During our second Angloville programme, we met Rachel and Simon. We were two British couples of a similar age, and the organisers must have thought we’d get on really well so they put the four of us together in this cottage-type accommodation for the week of the programme. The cottage was often the after-hours drinking hub (which was tiring five nights in a row). But, it was so much fun and we got on really well with Rachel and Simon.
In June 2017, Mitch and I returned from Mexico. We landed in Glasgow and did a brief UK tour back to Bristol. We stopped off in Newcastle and had a fun couple of days staying with Rachel and Simon, catching up on our adventures from the past two years.
There is definitely something to be said about the connections and friendships you make while travelling. Naturally, there is no way that you can keep in contact with everyone. But, for a few, especially those we met at various Angloville programmes, we really kept a deep connection and friendship. So much so, that Rachel and Simon kindly invited us to their wedding day. We were so grateful to be there, had a blast, and, we wish you both the best happiness for the future!
Exploring Durham City
I have been to Durham before, but it was about 15 years ago when some of my family lived up there. When you’re 12 years old, you’re more excited about spending time with your cousins and having unlimited ice cream at Pizza Hut than seeing the city of Durham.
The wedding was at the Ramside Hall Hotel, which was a beautiful setting and a little outside the city centre. The day after the wedding, we had some time to explore the city before our train back to London. It also happened to be Pride so there was a lot of colour and merriment in the city, a perfect way to explore!
We walked down the old streets, full of bunting and explored stunning Durham Cathedral. Miraculously, the sun was shining. So, this meant every outdoor pub space was full-to-the-brim. Thankfully, we managed to find ourselves a couple of spots with stunning views enjoying a beer. It was only brief, but I loved the city — full of history and cobbled streets.
It was a fabulous weekend and goes to show that the bonds you make while travelling can go a long way.