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Darlington
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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
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