Blog Squad

Meet Jamie

Hi, I’m Jamie, a 32 year old lawyer with a passion for travel and photography.  Those two passions come together on my travel blog jamiechancetravels.  I’m sure my fascination with travel came from my childhood lifestyle where, as an RAF child, I had to pack up home every three years or so and move to the next city or country.  After 10 months of living in Australia, I now live just outside of Durham and happily making the North East my forever home. As Covid-19 brought travel abroad to a halt, I have been exploring much more of my local area and I’m currently on a mission to show that it really isn’t grim up north. I’m really excited to discover more of Durham both this summer and in the future and, from what I’ve experienced so far, I am proud to live in and show off this part of England.

Connect with Jamie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

Meet Sol

I’m Sol, a 22-year-old graduate of Durham University. I did my degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In my free time this summer, I’ve been volunteering at the Cathedral and in Chester-le-Street. I moved to Durham from Peru to study my undergraduate degree and will be spending the summer here before I move to Warwick to get my MA in Writing. One of my favourite things about Durham has to be the amount of history there is. I was lucky enough to live near the cathedral when I was a fresher, and I loved being able to take in all the sights. Now that I’m preparing to leave Durham, I want to learn as much as possible about this beautiful place. This is especially important to me as I knew so little about the North East before I moved here, and I think it’s important to appreciate the culture and history of the region that’s welcomed me so warmly.

Connect with Sol: Twitter | Instagram

Meet Melissa

Hi, my name is Melissa, I’m 29 years old and a cycling coach from Newcastle. I have a love for all things outdoors and I love talking about all my adventures over on my blog Melissa Jane Marshall and my Instagram. With COVID-19 and the lockdowns exploring the North East became a normal weekend for me, my husband, and my sister. I’m really excited about exploring Durham this summer as it’s somewhere that I haven’t fully explored and I’m looking forward to challenging myself with some of Durham’s beautiful cycling and walking routes.

Connect with Melissa: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Meet Nikki

Hi, I’m Nikki, a thirty-something North-Eastern Mam. Along with my children, super headstrong Evie (10) and gentle soul Harry (9), we are North East Eats & Kids.

We live in Northumberland and love to spend our free time exploring the North East. From family friendly days out to completely honest restaurant reviews, we share it all on our blog and across our social media channels. We are a very outdoorsy family and are still blown away by the adventures our region has to offer - something we appreciate even more following months of lockdown! This summer we want to help show Durham in all its glory; to prove there’s more to the area than just Durham City, highlighting the whole county from the stunning Durham Dales to the breathtaking Durham Coast.

Connect with Nikki: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Meet Tasha

Hi I’m Tasha. The twenty-something face behind Hello Freckles, an award-winning lifestyle and travel blog hailing from the North East England (Sunderland specifically if you wondered). Hello Freckles was originally set up as a lifestyle blog when I was at university, but I expanded it to incorporate my love for travel too. When I’m not blogging (or working in communications for the 9-5) you’ll find me out running, cycling or enjoying a cappuccino somewhere. I’m proud to be from the North East, and I’m excited to be part of the blog squad and visit places across Durham and share my experience with you. I’ll make sure you’ve got great coffee spots to visit too, don’t worry!

Connect with Tasha: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube