It's time once again for my regular feature in which I revisit towns and cities across the UK and tell you something about them I didn't tell you last time. This time it's the letter D which'll take us travelling far across England (but sadly not to the other home nations as I've never been to Denbigh, Derry or Dundee).
1) Darlington(2017)
It was nigh dark by the time I arrived because I'd spent most of my day elsewhere, so by the time I'd crossed the Skerne the town centre was closing down for the evening. I walked through the covered market, which'd pretty much gone home, and admired the slits of light emanating from the modernist town hall. I walked the Rows, explored the alleyways through to Skinnergate and headed back to the station for the half five train. This eventually arrived but then didn't move for an hour (due to line damage ahead) so we were all bundled into coaches and shipped to York. I'd have enjoyed the journey more if it hadn't been dark. Here we caught the train we'd previously been stuck behind, and by the time we reached King's Cross we were 255 minutes late. This fiasco somewhat clouded my opinions of Darlington.
2) Dartford(2010)
I didn't mean to go to Dartford but the bus terminated short. I remember it was cold and wet, it being the gap between Christmas and New Year, so I failed to venture very far. I spent some time attempting to buy a newspaper but it was late in the day and the newsagents were down to stacks of tabloids, which I thought summed the town up well. I liked Dartford better when I came back in the summer.
3) Dawlish(2017)
I only spent an hour and a half in lovely Dawlish, and pretty much everything I did I've already blogged. But I didn't mention the lacklustre crazy golf course where the town's name is picked out in white and green gravel, nor the jaunty Blenheim B&B on the seafront, nor the fact that I tucked into a pasty before diving into my vanilla cornet with a dollop of thick Devon cream dropped on top. Take everything else as read.
4) Deal(2013)
Deal has a historic maritime vibe, as befits a town made rich on the spoils of cross-Channel trade. Homes on the seafront may be bright pink or bright yellow with large upper windows for ship-spotting, while the narrow lanes behind are packed with desirable mercantile terraces. I guzzled fish and chips at the end of the concrete pier while watching the RNLI rescuing an overturned boat. The old Regent cinema was up for sale (and is still empty because the new buyers have failed to meet a renovation deadline). There are fine views of Ramsgate from the top of the Timeball Tower. The beach is a bit shingly, and Sandwich is unarguably prettier, but there are far worse days out.
5) Derby(2019)
On my first visit to Derby I only had 20 minutes to explore the city centre so I thought I'd make more time on my second. This may have been a mistake. The Silk Mill renovations still weren't complete, the market was shuttered and the bland stepped terrace overlooking the river Derwent was amok with local youth and messy geese. Such are the perils of a pre-booked rail ticket because I'd happily have left Derby an hour earlier.
6) Didcot(2014)
There are more sensible things to do than attempting to walk round the perimeter of a power station whose cooling towers are due to be demolished tomorrow morning. As a result I have lots of photos with the bottoms of those towers obscured by trees, fences, warehouses, engine sheds and a sign saying 'Welcome to Didcot A', but I take comfort from the fact it's impossible to take those photos any more. The more sensible thing to do was of course to take a spin round Didcot Railway Centre, which involved hitching a ride on a railcar, watching the stripping of a steam engine and risking a weak cuppa in the cafe.
7) Diss(2013)
I'm often in Diss, it being the most convenient bridgehead to the parental home, although we don't normally go for a walk through the town. But we did that particular Thursday afternoon, admiring some of the backstreets and stopping for soup in the bookshop cafe overlooking the mere. You can see why Betjeman liked the place. Then we headed out to the auctioneers where it was preview day so the yard and storerooms were brimming over with objects ranging from proper antiques to junk. The auction rooms had appeared on Bargain Hunt the day before which may have explained why it was so busy, or maybe there's nothing much else to do round here. I see in my diary I described Diss as "not quite bloggable" so I'm pleased to have finally proved that wrong.
8) Dorchester(2015)
If you're in town you simply must drop in, said Old Friends. So after I'd dashed round the museum and gawped open-mouthed at Poundbury I simply did. Blimey they'd gone up in the world, because flogging a terrace in Lewisham allows you to buy a capacious period townhouse in downtown Dorset. You must join us for lunch, they said, which was lovely of them... but then they served up three foodstuffs I absolutely detest and I had no polite choice but to tuck in. I must have been convincing because they offered seconds, but this time I was able to decline. I'd never have got out to Maiden Castle and Hardy's Cottage without them, cheers, but I haven't touched a slice of quiche since.
9) Dunstable(2019)
It's hard to believe that only last autumn I had the freedom to go to a minor provincial town for entirely non-essential reasons. I wrung two posts out of my day trip to Dunstable, so there's not much left I haven't written about, but... a) A mobility scooter had been parked outside Auntie Claudette's greengrocers b) One of the town's 25th anniversary sculptures is of a whimsical BMX bike c) Dunstable Downs features lynchett strips and a medieval rabbit warren
10) Durham(2015)
It's the cathedral everyone remembers, but personally I loved Dunelm House, the brutalist Student Union building perched high above the swirling river Wear. The engineer Ove Arup designed it in the 1960s in combination with the sleek concrete span of Kingsgate Bridge alongside, and loved it so much he asked to have his ashes scattered here. The university would love to demolish the building, claiming it's now unfit for purpose, but have thus far been thwarted by a pesky Grade I listing. I hope it's still there the next time I go back because I'd love to admire it in conditions other than relentless rain.
