Now on the way to London and leaving UK

Leaving Newcastle on our way to London by the A1 motorway.  We had seen enough castles, ruins and hedgerows.  Harry and Ros had invited us to stay with them in the small town of Sawtry just off the motorway, a short way north of Cambridge, that positioned us within easy distance to London to return the rental car next day and get organised to fly out of Heathrow early the following morning.

On the suggestion that Durham was worth a visit we stopped in on our way south.  It is a very old town, well maintained with a lot of history.

The plaque says it all.

Kath pondering enrolling!!!

Durham Cathedral the oldest part built in 1093.  To the left of the square was the building shown above.

Down a side alley this structure gives some idea of the changes that have taken place over the years.  Out of sight and out of mind.

A barber's shop in an historic building with a customer entering.

However there was also a modern side to Durham.

Also a modern side to the countryside with this coal fired poer station.

The piles of coal to be burnt to generate electricity.  I does seem illogical to burn coal, to heat water for stream to drive turbine to generate electricity then have to cool the steam once spent.  The electricity is then transmitted to houses and factories to provide lighting and heating.  How much of the the original jouls of energy in the coal arrives at the heat socket in the house or factory as electricity?  To say nothing of the pollution effect.

Away from the urban areas the agriculture was varied but cropping dominated as we travelled south.

It offerred many sympathetic views of an ordered countryside.