Post-exam celebrations in Durham
The end of exams is a great time to de-stress and spend some time with friends. As we approach the end of the academic year, here are some brilliant ways to spend this exciting time of year (with some personal highlights).
Evenings with friends
After a busy, or even quiet, day, there’s nothing quite like spending an evening chatting away with friends. Whether it’s our usual hangout next to St Mary’s bar – where we seem to always lose track of time, in one of our rooms, or out and about, it’s a perfect use of this period where we don’t have to worry about an early start the next morning.
For something a little more adventurous, check out one of Durham’s many amazing restaurants: from the brilliant burger hangouts of Tango and Fat Hippo, Italian classics like Spags and Rudy’s (amongst many, many, others), to other favourites like the Food Pit and Claypath Deli; there’s somewhere for every group. A great follow up is a trip to one of the college’s bars, or even a sunset picnic. This is one of the best times you’ll ever get to make close friendships that will last a lifetime.
Sports
Durham is one of the leading universities for sports, with thousands of students joining in with college and university levels sports regularly. A highlight of June is the Festival of Sports (FoS), where colleges face off in a one day tournament to see who is best in each discipline. Every year, the atmosphere is electric, yet everyone is very friendly and a great sport. From group pictures with multiple teams, shared picnics, and guest supporters, there’s no friendlier place to enjoy getting active.
My sport of choice is Ultimate Frisbee, which is a firm Durham favourite. With my college squad – St Mary’s A Team – we managed to go unbeaten all year in both the league and FoS, securing a place at the Feast of Champions meal. At the meal, trophies and awards are given to celebrate the achievements over the last year, but also to bring teams together and develop bonds. It’s a great Durham tradition.
Another great sport to get involved with is the wonderful Parkrun, where large numbers of students and staff turn up week after week. It’s the most supportive atmosphere for running I’ve ever witnessed.
Culture
A surprising number of students haven’t properly explored many of Durham’s great historic places: whether it’s our ancient castle, beautiful gardens, free museums, or even our world famous cathedral. Now is the perfect time to discover the history of our city, either on your own, with friends, or on a tour group.
I’d recommend strongly that you stroll through the cathedral, and admire the stained glass, then afterwards you are in a perfect spot to book a tour of the castle. Maybe if the weather is good, take in one of the gardens; picking from Crook Hall, Old Durham, or the University’s Botanic gardens.
If you have access to transport, then a little further afield you may find The Story, Locomotion, Beamish, or Ushaw which make for a lovely day out.
Another great aspect of Durham is the quantity of shows and gigs on; whether at a cosy bar, all the way up to the big stages of the Gala or cathedral. Recently I’ve been to see the much celebrated Durham Revue at their anniversary performance, as well as going to the amazing Hill Orchestra’s summer concerts. Also, it’s only a few minutes on the train to the Glasshouse in Gateshead where even more gigs are available to see.
For many, even more than just a chance to see these acts, it’s a chance to get involved by performing and producing themselves.
Lastly, each June is Durham Regatta, one of the oldest in the country. It’s always a lovely time to spend the day watching the boats go by and (usually) enjoying the sun. Or maybe you fancy going for a row yourself on one of our lovely summer days by hiring a boat for an hour or so with friends.
Walking
As all of my friends know, I’m a walking fanatic! I’ve been known to say words to the effect of a day with less than 10k steps is a day wasted. Now, I’ve created lots of content about walking here already (links at the end) but still, a little reminder won’t hurt!
We’re very lucky here to have such easily accessible countryside, where even just a mile from the city centre can feel remote. Whilst there’s some brilliant walking to be had just around the town, I’d advise everyone to try some of the routes a little further away. Places such as Low Burnhall Woods where you can meet deer, Pelaw wood with its aesthetic bridge and spectacular views towards the cathedral, or much longer walks like towards Croxdale or Finchale Priory.
City trips
Durham is located closely to some great cities that are just a short train ride away. An obvious first choice is Newcastle, which must be one of the prettiest cities in Britain, and has a vibrant high street with many different things to do. But in the summer, why not head a little further, taking the metro, to Tynemouth for a day at the beach. There’s a lovely sandy stretch of beach, with a coastguard hut keeping an eye out for swimmers, plenty of cafes with ice creams available (Mr Wood’s was lovely for our lunch on the day). The views over the cliffs are incredible.
Another ideal beach location is Seaham, though instead of the train a bus is needed (that does reduce costs though). Seaham tends to be a little quieter, but very lovely too.
Another fabulous trip I’ve been on this year is to York. A bunch of us took a short train ride down and spent the day enjoying the sights and cafes in the city, before a little look around the railway museum.
College events
Colleges will usually have an annual midsummer ball and college day held in easter term. These are the highlights of the year for many people, and certainly in terms of JCR events. The balls are often held in external venues, but not always, and will have hours of entertainment; from bands, to food, to fairgrounds. Some also have a ‘survivor’s’ breakfast and photo at sunrise following the end of the evening.
My favourite is the college day; Mary’s Day starts relatively early in the morning, and will end well after sunset. There’s a non-stop lineup of group and shows, with food vans, carnival games, and prizes all around the grounds. And it’s all subsidised by the college JCR to help make it affordable for everyone. The highlight for most people are the tribute acts at the end of the day; this year’s were Adele and Elton John, who had everyone singing along the whole way through. Even the last couple years where we experienced lots of rain didn’t stop a massive turnout (and at times this only added to the atmosphere).
Discover more
Follow The Durham Student on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to see what life is really like at Durham.
Watch Toby’s walking videos Low Burnhall Woods and Shincliffe Woods
Read Toby’s walking blogs Walking in Durham #1. The River Path and Pelaw Wood and Walking in Durham #2. Houghall, Low Burnhall and Croxdale
