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Darlington is a town in
County Durham, England and the main population centre in the Borough of
Darlington. Darlington has a resident population of 97,838. On 1 April
1997, the Borough of Darlington became a unitary authority area, which
separated it from the non-metropolitan county of Durham, for
administrative purposes.
 Darlington
railway station (Bank Top) lies on the East Coast Main Line. There are
also services from the historic North Road railway station and associated
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. The town is also home to the
football team Darlington F.C., known as "The Quakers" because
of the contributions made to the town by men such as Edward and Joseph
Pease, members of the Religious Society of Friends.
The
Civic Theatre is a popular arts venue in the town, hosting a mix of
musicals, dramas, plays and pantomimes. The smaller but well-used Arts
Centre, founded in 1982, features smaller events, film screenings and
more experimental material.
The
Rhythm'n'Brews festival is a music and real ale festival normally held in
early autumn, with many rock, blues and jazz acts playing at various
venues around Darlington, as well as a Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) run
bar at the Arts Centre.
The
Forum Music Centre, opened in 2004, hosts regular live music events, from
Ska and Punk to Indie and Classic Rock. Also runs a popular comedy club.
As well as live music, the facility houses a state of the art recording
studio and several rehearsal rooms. The Carmel Rhythm Club is another
place for music. Held at Carmel College in the Hummersknott end of town.
A charitable organisation for the Carmel PTA (Parents and Teachers
Association) attracts many large bands in the genre of rhythm and blues.
Darlington
town centre has built a strong focus on independent shopping, giving a breathing
space from the usually high street national stores and introducing a
varied and popular shopping experience. Grange Road has a number of
expensive and attractive designer stores, Duke Street houses art
galleries and restaurants and nestled between the two is Skinnergate,
which holds the greatest variety of interesting and original stores. A
focal point of the street is In Arcadia, which attracts a strong youth
culture who are attracted to the colourful clothes, shoes and jewellery,
as well as the Latino food served in the Voodoo Café... read more
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