Written by David Simpson
Born in Durham City, the author has completed 13 books on North-East history, including, most recently, Durham City and Durham Villages. He will be writing every week in the Durham Times.

When Scottish soldiers and English troops did battle 1:26pm Fri 5 Sep 08 ON October 17, 1346, a Scottish army of 15,000 men assembled in three units on the hills of Crossgate Moor. International intrigue brings battle to Durham 2:21pm Fri 29 Aug 08 THE Battle of Neville's Cross was rooted in a long-running economic and military struggle between England and France that came to be known as the Hundred Years War. Reader comment (1) Remembering the pit village that vanished 1:38pm Fri 22 Aug 08 NOTHING remains of Whitwell pit village. The man who escaped Durham’s E-Wing 2:59pm Fri 15 Aug 08 PRISON escapes were once a much more common occurrence than they are today - and in the 1950s and 1960s they were a constant problem. If you share this view, you must be in jail... 2:20pm Fri 8 Aug 08 ALTHOUGH a popular place to visit, Durham is small and its attractions - though very grand - are perhaps modest. The noose that cast a shadow over city jail 11:57am Fri 1 Aug 08 WHEN John Grieg was hanged for murder in 1816, it was the start of a century-and-a-half of executions at Durham Jail. Being ‘banged-up’ in Durham – never a pleasant experience 12:18pm Fri 25 Jul 08 A VISIT or stay in Durham is often a pleasant experience, whether you are a tourist attracted to the cathedral or a student at Durham University. Pendulum that swung away from the pits 2:13pm Fri 18 Jul 08 BY 1894, the collieries in Belmont and Gilesgate Moor had closed. The buildings that mark out an area's past 2:12pm Fri 11 Jul 08 Publicans, parishioners and pupils were all part of life in an early mining settlement. Of Pembertons and pits – a tale of three villages 2:10pm Fri 4 Jul 08 BELMONT, Carrville and Broomside all lie east of Durham City and their history is closely linked to that of Gilesgate Moor. More ...

EDITOR'S CHOICE TALKING POINT What does Durham Cathedral mean to you? EATING OUT Garden House, North Road, Durham EATING IN Kedgeree PAST TIMES When Scottish soldiers and English troops did battle GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register Most read Comments 1 Pub wins approval after promising to be family-friendly 2 Is that a handlebar moustache? 3 City ready to host military spectacular 4 Living life outside the bubble 5 Tia’s, 84 Claypath, Durham 6 Palace Green is added to World Heritage Site 7 Post offices lose their fight for survival 8 Couple shopping for wedding rings win £1,000 9 Watch out for the mystery churchgoer 10 Miners' banners to go on show Today | 7 Days 1 Hopes rise for a return of ice rink to the city 2 International intrigue brings battle to Durham 3 Stop meddling 4 'Failing' school celebrates huge rise in GCSE success