What is the Durham Cathedral sanctuary knocker all about?

The big knocker on the northern door of Durham Cathedral is known as the Sanctuary Knocker. It has long played a part in the history of Durham Cathedral. Anyone who had committed an offence such as murder in self-defence or breaking from prison, could knock the knocker, and would then be given 37 days of sanctuary within the cathedral. In this time they were expected to try reconciliation with their enemies or plan their route of escape.

The Durham Cathedral Sanctuary Knocker is mentioned as far back as 1593, in a book called The Rites of Durham.

Find out more detail on the Durham World Heritage Site website.

The beautiful Durham Dales are a vision in green!

At any time of the year the Durham Dales are spectacular and beautiful. Whether it is the snow of winter or the shades of brown in autumn, they are a beautiful sight. But my favourite time of the year in the Durham Dales is spring, with the green colours-

These photos were taken just outside the lovely village of Middleton-in-Teesdale which is a great place to visit and stop for a nice cup of tea. Check them out http://www.middletonplus.org.uk/

The Durham Dales are a must for any visitor to the North East of England so put it on your list.

High Force waterfall is a sight to behold

High Force waterfall is the heart of the Durham Dales and is a great place to visit for young and old. It is a leisurely walk from the car park and pub down to the waterfall through a wooded area.

The High Force waterfall itself is quite spectacular and , depending on the amount of rainfall in the previous few days, can be very powerful-

Gone are the days from my childhood where you could stand at the top of the waterfall and feel the force of the water pass you by as you stood there, but with safety in mind that is probably just as well.

Check out the visitor details at http://www.highforcewaterfall.com/

A great trip to Egglestone Abbey

Egglestone Abbey is the remnants of a 12th century monastery and it is a great place for the kids to run around while the grown-ups take a look at the Abbey and see what life was like in the past. It is free to enter Egglestone Abbey and free to park so it is a cheap trip to see something interesting.

There are cows in a field next to the car park-

Egglestone Abbey itself is the ruins of an old abbey-

And it is quite impressive to see.

Take a trip there. Egglestone Abbey is not far from Barnard Castle, past the Bowes Museum and is well worth a visit.

Check out all the details here-

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/egglestone-abbey/

Redcar is a nice day out when visiting the North East of England

Visit Redcar

Redcar is a nice place to go when the sun is shining in the Spring or Summer. Although it consists of a town centre that really has seen better days, there is still something to be had here for the visitor to Redcar. As you would expect from a seaside town there is an excellent choice when it comes to Redcar fish and chip shops or Redcar ice cream parlours. Add in the expected fast food choices and the ever-growing presence of Costa and you will never be stuck for a cuppa, a snack or a meal when in town.

Amusement Arcades

Again, as you would expect from the seaside town that Redcar is, you can find amusement arcades and the like along the coastal road opposite the seafront. These places have changed remarkably since my childhood as games consoles can now match anything that an arcade machine can produce. But you can Still have fun to a degree and while away some time with the children.

Redcar Beach

The beach itself is where a lot of Redcar's beauty lies. It is an unbroken stretch of (almost) golden sand that is a great place to walk the dog, play with the kids or just relax. You can walk for miles and just enjoy what the views can provide. I'm not one who has strong views against wind farms, which Redcar has out at sea. It doesn't detract from the beauty for me.

Redcar Vertical Pier

Nor does the much maligned vertical pier at the seafront. It isn't fantastically designed but it is unique and adds to the interest level. It contains a nice cafe at the bottom, several workshops they contain arty shops and there is a great view from the top balcony of the sea and over to Middlesbrough across all the heavy industry.

Marske

At the southern end of Redcar you will find the nice village of Marske which has some nice shops and cafes - the type that are missing in Redcar itself.

Give it a go on your trip to North East England.

Visit the hidden gem that is the City of Durham

As a city, it has been lost in the media images of the North East of England, as Newcastle and Sunderland take centre stage, not least because of their Premier League football teams. But Durham is the city that I have visited that most fits the tag 'hidden gem.' It is quite simply beautiful. It has the heady combination of the natural beauty of the River Wear circling and winding through the city, and the man made beauty of the cathedral, the castle and countless old bridges. I love this city.

Even through the North East England winters and the wet Summer days the city shines through in every aspect. Bill Bryson enthused about it in his book Notes From A Small Island: Journey Through Britain and rightly so.

It is a wonderful city with a rich past and a vibrant future. The number of residents in the city swells every September with the annual migration of students and this helps to keep the city fresh and vibrant. The cathedral and castle dominate the skyline and remind you of just how old this city actually is.

Over the coming blogs I will share with you my experience of Durham, the history of Durham, the photographs I have taken of Durham and the best places to visit in and around the city.


 

North East England embraces spice, and will love Mannys Sauces

North East England has its ups and downs in terms of food. We go from the High Street masses of Greggs to several Michelin-starred restaurants. But one thing that I have experienced in the North East that I perhaps didn't expect was an addiction to spice. For a part of the country that hasn't experienced the same amount of immigration as London or The Midlands but the people here have embraced food from all over the world.

The people of the North East and its surrounds have taken spicy food to their heart, from Chinatown in Newcastle to Bradford winning curry capital 5 years in a row-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34586019

And if spicy food is something that you are interested in then you need look no further than Mannys Sauces. They have a variety of options for the discerning customer and were set up by Manny. Here is his story-

“As any other person in the world, I had a huge dream - to open the first Piri-Piri Chicken Restaurant in the world, and then spread this dream to every corner of the planet. It wouldn’t be easy to achieve, but neither was it impossible. I had the will, the courage, the faith and family support to make it come true. Early in 1985, I sold my home to open the first piri-piri chicken restaurant outside of Mozambique. CHICKENLAND was the chosen name and Johannesburg, South Africa was the birth place of my dream! After a short while, I was making, bottling and selling a range of 5 different Piri-Piri Sauces and Marinades. After a slow start, the business was a stunning success! The name quickly spread across the city and everyone was talking about this new food place that was taking the food industry by storm.

The business success was proven! The next step was expansion to other parts of the city, country and abroad, and many people tried to get financially involved. Expansion included a need for capital and people, and so in 1987, I sold some of my business shares to two young men: one of Portuguese origin and the other, a South African of Jewish origin. Shortly after they joined, the business name was changed to NANDOS. Chickenland was a nice name, but according to marketing experts at the time, it was felt that the business should be backed by a personal name before the expansion took place. Between MANNYS and NANDOS, I was out-voted two to one, and the latter name was chosen. Despite a few initial problems, the expansion started taking off and now more than ever, the success was tremendous!

A few years later, the rug was pulled out from under my feet and I was forced to leave my business. I lost my dream; one of the best things in my life after my family. After this happened, I opened a few other restaurants including Chickenland in Portugal, but these weren’t my dream. It was a way to make a living, but it wasn’t my passion. It took me a long time to recover from what happened, but I was determined and pushed through until another dream emerged; to make the best sauces and speciality food products in the world! MANNYS SAUCES is now my new dream! Once again I can see this new dream taking shape and growing strong all the way to the TOP! The passion is back and I again have the will, the faith, the support of my family, and the support of so many loyal customers that know and appreciate the high quality products that we make. I am forever grateful to my family and my customers for their support and the divine forces for showing me the way.

Manny x”

There are three of Mannys Sauces that I’d recommend for those with more discerning tastebuds-

The Original Piri-Piri Sauce

This is the classic - and you don't mess with a classic! It's a taste that has to be tried to be believed. It mixes the heat of the chilli with the depth of flavour that you require from a sauce or marinade. In fact, Manny guarantees that it is the tastiest Piri-Piri in the land. Try it and you won’t be disappointed.

Curry Sauce

Make the most delicious and healthy curry in your own home, without any hard work or effort! Whether you use beef, lamb, chicken, fish or seafood, add this sauce to create the most delicious and flavoursome curry.

Meat Marinade

Excellent marinade created to marinate any meat, but can also be used with fish or seafood. Make the best BBQs, roasts, or stews. The contents of a 250ml bottle will marinate 3kg of meat.

And don't forget the selection of cured meats. One of these is presunt, a very tasy and popular Portuguese-style parma ham and is great for any occasion.

The North East hasn’t seen anything quite like it before. Try the whole collection, they are delicious. Mannys Sauces can be contacted in various ways, which is befitting modern business. If you want to contact them, follow them or just find out more then you can try-

www.twitter.com/Mannyssauces

www.facebook.com/Mannyssauces

www.youtube.com/channel/UCPvHPFfaz5yJRTtlv_ViDPQ

www.mannyssauces.com