Durham

Today was a supremely disappointing day. I'd been planning a day trip out with my son all week. I'd researched places, turning down York Minster as while they allow photography, you have to be amateur, and I was worried that by taking the tripod they would assume I wasn't amateur. So I went for Durham Cathedral - only to get there to find no photography is allowed inside at all! They have since told me on twitter that if I read their policy, I would have known I could have applied for a day permit for £15. But none of this was obvious on their website. There is a page on photography - but you have to hunt for it. On top of that, there were no tours of the castle today - so that was off limits, and the Fire and Ice Festival was a bit of a damp squib. So I feel that I've driven 4 hours in total for a 5km stroll around shops - which I could have done here. 

Will I go back? Sorry, no. I'll not risk then being told that I wasn't getting a permit. I might as well go somewhere closer. 

What makes it worse is the policy states that visitors support the policy. Really? Because all the ones I saw were very irritated by it. I wasn't the only one sporting an amateur camera. 

They have told me that taking pictures affects the spirituality. Funny it doesn't seem to do that for York, Ripon, Canterbury, Wells, Salisbury, St Pauls..... I could go on.