Just dont say your English

[happy daze john in oz]

Have to boost my home town of Durham, Beautiful castle and cathedral.

Durham cathedral is the only one in UK where in the times of the earlier kings such as John you could claim sanctuary from the law.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Have to boost my home town of Durham, Beautiful castle and cathedral.

One of the best in all of England.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Please notice the 'Weir'
It generated power for the local ice rink.
The view you see was the one we got from our school.

[happy daze john in oz]

One of the best in all of England.

Have been there a few times and have to agree with you on that.
How are the fires going, bad ones in France now.

[j.sabourn]

#42...As said in another post Denis a cousin of the wife used to live in High Shincliffe. When was the last time you were there. Right opposite his house was the house where Bliar had lived as a boy for some time. At that time how
Ever think he had shifted his residence to 10 Downing Street. Re Durham is a beautiful city and got the grand tour of the council office and official rooms of the mayor of Durham City being a family in law member. Cheers JWS

[Dennis McGuckin]

#44 #45 Hi John's Fires still burning in BC. No end in sight. This mornings news. Fires could get worse as weather staying hot and dry.

Took the wife back to Durham about 15 years ago. Not much changed except lot's of traffic.
I spent my childhood playing around the castle and cathedral, so was a good guide.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Durham cathedral is the only one in UK where in the times of the earlier kings such as John you could claim sanctuary from the law.

True John. The 'sanctuary knocker' is on the main door. If you were escaping the law, monks would take you in. Believe for only a few days.
However, in later years tunnels for escape were found. Guess it all depended on which side you were on.

[Keith at Tregenna]

The ancient Greeks and Romans had a similar concept of sanctuary from which the romanticized medieval laws grew. In Greek and Roman society, all temples to the gods could harbor runaway slaves and criminals to a certain extent. These early asylums were established under the belief that the gods (or god) were inviolable, and thus their temples and holy sites shared this untouchable aspect. Of course, these sites were not just hidey holes where fugitives could go to thumb their nose at the authorities; petitioners for sanctuary had to atone and pay penance for their crimes.


Through much of the existence of English sanctuary laws, fugitives would be given about 40 days to remain in the church, setting their affairs in order and generally preparing for their journey to exile. While they remained within the prescribed sanctuary grounds, their protection was sacrosanct. It was not unheard of for people to take justice into their own hands, although abusing or messing with fugitives in sanctuary held heavy penalties for the perpetrators.

As the centuries rolled on, the length of sanctuary afforded to fugitives began to increase, with many churches extending their fugitives indefinite stays. This form of sanctuary began looking pretty attractive to some criminals, who would flock to these church safehouses, essentially forming small dens of thieves under the protection of the church.

At one time they had to simply enter a church and wait for an appointed officer of the crown (known as a coroner) to arrive. Once the coroner arrived, the seekers had to confess to their crime, whether they committed it or not, and they were then under the protection of the church. In some cases, more specific action was required, such as ringing a certain bell, sitting down on a special bench (known as a “frith-stool”), or wrapping their hand around a special door-knocker, as was the case at the Durham Cathedral, and giving it a rap, not unlike a historic, legal version of freeze tag.

Slowly, sanctuary laws were rolled back. The eligible number of crimes were reduced. By 1624, standard sanctuary laws were abolished, and fugitives were no safer in a church than they were in the streets.

[happy daze john in oz]

#44 #45 Hi John's Fires still burning in BC. No end in sight. This mornings news. Fires could get worse as weather staying hot and dry.

Took the wife back to Durham about 15 years ago. Not much changed except lot's of traffic.
I spent my childhood playing around the castle and cathedral, so was a good guide.

We could have a bad season here this year, been so dry over winter and plenty of fuel out there.

[Dennis McGuckin]

This mornings news.
Fires expected to get worse, as hot weather continues.

New fire started. Driver seen chucking cigarette out of car.
Hope they catch the ejjit and put him on the fire line.