Andy Mitchell

"The Original World Cup" Statue by Nigel Boonham in West Auckland County Durham is the sort of place where the hills look you dead in the eye and say, “Aye, we’ve seen worse,” before immediately pelting you with sideways rain, sunshine, hail, and a rainbow — all before you’ve finished your cuppa. It’s a county built on perseverance, grit, and the occasional moment of “Wait… seriously?” One example of grit that deserves its own statue made of pure determination? West Auckland winning the Lipton Trophy. Twice. This mighty tale begins beside the River Gaunless — a name that literally means “hopeless,” as if the Vikings took one look, shrugged, and said, “Aye, good luck with that, pet.” It’s the sort of name that sounds like it should come with a leaflet and a support hotline. And yet, right next to this allegedly hopeless river, something spectacular happened. West Auckland — a village with enough heart and humour to make even the Gaunless reconsider its name — sent out a footba...

Lake Windermere (Bowness-on-Windermere) There’s a certain  irresistible pull to Lake Windermere on a still day — the kind of pull where the entire lake looks like it’s been politely asked to freeze for a photograph, and, like anyone who’s ever awkwardly posed for a group picture, it has complied immediately. Well, almost. The tourist tour boats remain the lone rebels, chugging along with the unstoppable commitment of a bus driver who refuses to be ahead of schedule. Everything else? Perfectly still. Dozens of private boats sat motionless, as though they were deep in meditation or had simply forgotten what their engines were for. The water was smooth enough to offer its own opinion on your hairstyle, though it was kind enough not to. It was funny, really. All that potential for movement just… sitting there. Like a group of people who’d planned a big night out, got dressed up, and then collectively decided they’d rather stay in, order a takeaway, and question their li...

Richmond Castle Wall Last weekend we took another wander around Richmond in North Yorkshire — because when you find a place you like, you just keep going back until it practically starts greeting you by name. It was a proper leisurely stroll too, the kind where you nod knowingly at familiar streets as if you’re locals (even though you still check the map now and then, just to avoid confidently walking in the wrong direction). As we ambled along, the great outside walls of Richmond Castle appeared once again — standing there with the same impressive confidence as always, looking far more put together than we did after 45 minutes of “gentle walking”. The castle stood there with the quiet confidence of something that has survived far more than any of us would care to imagine. Weather-worn, dignified, and only slightly crumbling (in the charming way), its walls seemed to say, “I’ve been through storms, sieges, and coach-loads of tourists — what’s your excuse?” And, strangely enough, thos...

View of Elvet Bridge Here’s an iconic view of Durham City, looking out towards Elvet Bridge. We walk past it most days on the way to the car. It’s a beautiful sight during the day, but it becomes something truly special at night. It’s so easy to take for granted the beauty we see every day. As the saying goes, when it’s gone, it’s gone — and that’s when we miss it. In a world filled with so much brokenness, it’s easy to get pulled into the despair of it all and find ourselves asking, is there more than this? As for me, I’m choosing to look for the beauty in what’s right in front of me each day, and to focus a little less on the despair. Keep looking up!

We had the loveliest morning out in Teesdale today. The snow was crisp, clean and brilliantly white – a rare little gift for February. There’s something wonderfully refreshing about looking out over a snowy landscape; it makes everything feel still, calm and just a bit magical! What made it even more striking were the flashes of green peeking through where the snow had either melted or never quite settled. Those soft contrasts between winter white and fresh green gave the whole valley a layered, almost painterly look. And after weeks of gloomy skies, the sun finally decided to make an appearance. The light bounced off the snow and shone across the fields, making Teesdale feel alive again. You might think it’s grim up north, but honestly – it couldn’t have been further from the truth. The place was absolutely glowing. A simple morning out, but one that lifted all our spirits.

Kirkcarrion On New Year’s Eve, my wife and I set off from Middleton-in-Teesdale to Kirkcarrion—a walk we’d been meaning to do for a while. The air was icy cold, and pools along the path had frozen solid, glinting under the pale winter light. Stone walls lined the way as the hills opened up before us, quiet and still. Middleston-in-Teesdale Kirkcarrion is a striking ring of trees on a hilltop, marking the site of a Bronze Age burial mound. The trees were planted in the 19th century by a local landowner to shelter the summit and make the landmark even more distinctive against the skyline. Kirkcarrion Kirkcarrion Kirkcarrion The wind was fierce, but the panorama was worth every step. Standing there together, we felt a real sense of achievement—a simple, perfect way to end the year. Kirkcarrion Here’s to more walks, more views, and more moments that matter.

So we ventured out on a dark evening to brave Durham City not knowing what to expect for the final Lumiere. We jumped on the park and ride which was very well organised and headed into the city. After a short wait our first experience was the installation in the market place, 'Rhizome'. Not my personal favourite, but certainly built the expectation of what was to come next. Rhizome,  Market Place It’s worth noting a curious road safety sign also in the market place titled ‘Entanglement is Extential’, which flashed a series of thought-provoking messages. Entanglement is Extential After speaking with a volunteer for advice on where to head next, we wandered up Saddler Street towards the Cathedral. At Palace Green, we were greeted by beautifully illuminated flowers glowing in the night. Palace Green Palace Green Following the trail of illuminated flowers, we joined the queue into the Cathedral with great expectation — and we weren’t disappointed. The atmosphere was electric as peo...

These photographs were taken recently during an evening walk around the South Bailey. It was fairly dark on the bridge itself but the orange lighting at both ends look almost like fires. Prebends Bridge, Durham Prebends Bridge, Durham

Replica of Locomotion No. 1 I had a great time Friday just gone in Shildon, watching the start of the replica journey along the Stockton and Darlington Railway of the Locomotion No. 1 (replica) as part of #railway200. The original journey took place on 27th September 1825 starting in Shildon making its way to Stockton. The original train was built by Robert Sephenson in Newcastle. I had my camera phone ready and this was the photo which I managed to take of the train. Shildon Locomotion Museum

 We are so fortunate to live in the Northeast of England with access to the country and seaside. This afternoon we had a wonderful walk around Derwent Reservoir. We've had a fairly dry summer which has affected our reservoirs.  Looking at the photographs it is possible to see where the levels should be when full of water.

Durham City Landscape From Observation Hill Had a lovely walk to Observation Hill in Durham. Sadly we didn't bring a picnic with us, but there was a family there who did. They were able to enjoy the back drop of the Durham landscape while eating. Fortunately I did bring a drone to take a few pictures and video. Observation Hill, Durham Video of Durham Lanscape taken at Observation Hill in Durham.