Durham Lumiere

We made our first ever visit to see the “UK’s largest light festival” at Durham and were rewarded with a fine night and a host of interesting exhibits around the cathedral, river and city centre; favourites were ‘Fire Tornado’ which splendidly lit up one of the city’s many construction sites; ‘Frequencies’ which reflected beautifully in the still River Wear; and ‘Our Moon’ whose changing expressions projected onto the castle were fun to watch.

Hull, City of Culture

Took advantage of the cheap TP Express ticket to take a trip (solo – my wife failing to qualify for the offer) to immerse myself in the 2017 City of Culture. First up was Turner and the Whale at the Maritime Museum – four Turner canvasses (or three plus a print) depicting ships, waves, whales and clouds barely distinguishable from each other but overall providing the desired impression. Second, inspired by a statue at the station, a visit to Waterstones to buy a slim volume of Philip Larkin’s poems. Third, a couple of hours in the Ferens Art Gallery enjoying the permanent exhibition rather than the four put on by the Turner Prize shortlist (my vote goes to Hurvin Anderson). Finally a walk round the old town and the waterfront including a visit to Ye Olde White Harte pub for a glass of Yorkshire Blonde ale, as cultured a pint as any I have tasted.

Manchester Velodrome

A trip to the National Cycling Centre to see a session of the Track Cycling World Cup meet was rewarded with three hours of great entertainment. The venue was easy to get to, warm (very), welcoming and well-appointed with catering outlets from whose short queues the action was still in plain view. The full range of events was programmed – sprints, pursuits, keirin, the crazy madison, and the elimination and points race elements of the omnium. World class cyclists, hard fought races and some wipe-out crashes added up to a memorable night out.