Durham's Fallen Angel Hotel

Just a few yards up from the little bench/Dun Cow is Durham's recently opened Fallen Angel Hotel. Created and owned by entrepreneur John Marshall, who founded the Durham Pine furniture chain, the Fallen Angel is an imaginative and unusual place.

John Marshall calls it a Restaurant with Rooms, and says in the brochure that it is really a reflection of his life.

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I recently visited and had a wonderful evening of exquisite food and a tour of the amazing rooms.

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John writes, 'The rooms are a journey of fantasy and adventure and reflect my feeling that people should give themselves permission to live their dreams, to think big and to be outrageous.'

I have posted photos of some of my favourite rooms. Above and below is the luxurious Edwardian Express room. The ingenious ensuite bathroom is in a constructed railway carriage!

Another sumptious room is the Cruella. Lavishly decorated with black velvet and diamante is has quite a Gothic feel.

For a complete contrast, the Russian Bride suite is light and airy, in tranquil whites and creams.

Taking up the entire top floor, it has a hand carved bed, and a beautiful sitting room area.

I like the serene views from the windows.

The next room I visited was a real surprise ...

The Sci Fi room - complete with Dalek!

Visit the ensuite, and you might open the door and find yourself in another world!

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I love the imaginative quality of this hotel, and admire John Marshall for creating it. I'm inspired by the statement he has written in his brochure, 'Be bold, be brave and give yourself permission to break free from convention.'

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You can see more of the hotel at http://www.fallenangelhotel.com/
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Other great places to visit in Durham: the beautiful gardens of Crook Hall, and for delicious food prepared on the premises, click here for favourite Italian restaurant Ristorante San Marco.

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To see more of North East Artist & Entertainer Ingrid Sylvestre's work please visit Ingrid Sylvestre Art, where you will find her paintings, illustrations, live event caricatures and silhouettes cutting including wedding entertainment ideas, party entertainment and corporate events entertainment throughout the North East UK.

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Ingrid Sylvestre - Durham Artist Ingrid Sylvestre Durham artist, artist in Durham.

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 Durham's Fallen Angel Hotel photographs by North East artist Ingrid Sylvestre Fine Art Paintings Murals Illustration Live Event Entertainer including North East Entertainment Caricatures and Silhouettes cutting at Weddings Parties Proms Corporate Events Entertainment Business Launches Awards Ceremonies Conferences County Durham Newcastle upon Tyne Sunderland Tyne & Wear Middlesbrough Teesside Darlington Nothumberland Yorkshire UK

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Bench of the Week - A lively little bench!

This week's bench is situated outside the picturesque Dun Cow pub in the centre of Durham City.

It is just the right size to fit into the corner under the window. A lively little bench it must be - obviously needing to be tethered outside the pub, like dogs sometimes are, and horses were in the old days!

There's just enough slack on the chain for it to jump up playfully at passersby, but not to run off down the road visiting other benches.

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It seemed quite docile as I walked past!

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'Bench of the Week' was started by RuneE of Visual Norway. Other participants include Barbara Martin, PERBS, Malyss, and Ackworth Born - do visit their blogs to see their Bench of the Week on Fridays!

Durham artist Ingrid Sylvestre, artists in Durham.

Hippophae shapes

Shape and form, light and shade fascinate me in the garden. The soft rounded little mounds of moss on the wall contrast with the angular shapes of the hippophae rhamnoides. After the rain, all is gleaming.

These photos of the budding hippophae were taken in the spring. Again there is the contrast with the rounded buds and the long slender thorns.

There is a jewel-like quality to the buds seen against the darker background.

I like the defiant exuberance of these criss-crossing branches against the spring sky.

Hippophae rhamnoides can grow to a very large shrub, and is often used as hedging in seaside areas. Mine is in a large tub, which I have positioned behind this wall, as I like the pattern of the mossy angles of the brickwork with the triangular shapes of the hippophae. Behind is a forsythia in spring bloom, also in a tub.

Now it is summer, and yet more contrast with the slender silvery willow-like foliage of the hippophae. What revelry!

Bench of the Week - Elegant Bench

My bench for this week's 'Bench of the Week', (a day late!), is a slender bench in Moorbank Botanic Garden, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I thought how peaceful and graceful it looked, in this green-and-white area of the garden. Rather delicate too ...

It was only when zooming in on my photos on the computer that I realized there is only one arm-rest. Maybe it is a chaise-longue sort of bench for elegantly reclining on!

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'Bench of the Week' was started by RuneE of Visual Norway. Other participants include Barbara Martin, PERBS, Malyss, Ackworth Born and Pacey - do visit their blogs to see their Bench of the Week on Fridays!