Over the course of the week, The Northern Echo has published a series of special reports looking into the state of the historic Silver Street, which has been one of the key retail streets in Durham's peninsula. Reporter Phoebe Abruzzese rounds out the series with her own account.

Last year, the Echo’s experts found Silver Street to be in a sorry state of affairs. But this year, the seems to have tide has turned, with our experts giving hopeful reports on the street's state. Taking a saunter down the street, I could see their point. 

Previously boarded-up shopfronts now house bespoke jewellers, sushi cafes and Mexican takeaways. Even the atmosphere of the street has changed; the buzz of activity seems to have returned as well as the retailers, especially on market days.

Now that lockdown-induced agoraphobia has receded a little, people seem happier to engage. Outside Holland and Barrett, an older couple, Jean and Piotr, stop to chat with me. Like a lot of people their age, they tell me that they are mourning the death of the high street as they knew it.

Read more: Durham's Silver Street revived by independent retailers/restaurants

Having been party to the “heyday” of the high street, where department stores ruled the land and groceries were bought from four different specialist retailers; the greengrocer, fishmonger, butcher and baker, they haven’t got on board with digital retail, and still try to do most of their shopping in town.

But they still appreciate the positive changes that have been made on Silver Street over the last year.

The Northern Echo: Silver Street has visibly turned a corner, but there is still a way to go. Silver Street has visibly turned a corner, but there is still a way to go. (Image: Graham Soult)

Piotr tells me: “For a while, it did seem touch and go, with so many empty shops in Durham. There are still changes that must be made, but we are trying to embrace all the new openings in the city.

Jean adds: “As the street had adapted to the modern world, we have adapted to the street. As the saying goes ‘use it or lose it’!”

They head off to try the newly opened Tortilla, a newly opened Mexican chain eatery.

Not everyone is as optimistic as Jean, Piotr, and our experts. Some business owners feel downtrodden, and many shoppers are worried that the high street will never be able to bounce back. Nay-sayers are not completely in the wrong - there are still empty shopfronts as retailers struggle to keep up with the high rents.

The delayed completion of the new bus station project on North Road has deemed one of the main avenues into the city centre to be chaotic and uninviting until building work wraps up, hopefully, next year. There is always room for improvement, but Silver Street should not be written off as a lost cause. 

The melangic architecture echoes the footsteps of the people who went before, as do the blue plaques that are within spitting distance of each other; this street is steeped in history. During Durham’s 1000 years of inhabitation, Silver Street has certainly seen change and tough times before.

The Northern Echo: Silver Street has been the main shopping street in Durham for hundreds of years. Silver Street has been the main shopping street in Durham for hundreds of years. (Image: The Northern Echo)

I believe the high street is in the process of adapting to a new era of retail. In 1920s America, mail-order catalogues caused panic among traditionalists, as people could shop from home, reducing footfall in shopping districts.

Catalogues did change the way that a whole generation of people shopped; but today, American city centres aren’t ghost towns. Shops changed what they offered and recovered. We are going through a similar stage of flux, driven by a shift to digital retail, and intensified by the pandemic. 

Read more: Durham's Silver Street kept alive by independent businesses

Near the bottom of Silver Street, outside the new health food shop, Grapetree, I bump into an old friend. Like me, Alex moved to Durham in 2018 for university, but unlike me, he has since moved away.

Coming back to Durham every few months, he has a unique perspective on the town, having seen the fall and rise of Silver Street through a number of visits.

He told me: “It does worry me when I try newly opened restaurants and bars during a visit, and they are not open the next time that I come to Durham. But recently, I have seen more things opening and staying open.”

There are plenty of businesses that have become roaring successes since we moved here over four years ago. Rib N Reef, a steakhouse and seafood restaurant is always busy. Blue Eye, a bar, has developed a near cult-like following for its cocktails. Happiness 2, a Chinese restaurant, is both reliably packed and reliably delicious.

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Alex explained: “I think those saying ‘the high street is dead’, are looking at the issue without nuance. Retail is fated to go through different seasons and changes. I like that the high street is becoming less about shopping and more about socialising.

“There are bars and barbers, beauticians and small specialist retailers. There is so much more room for independent business when chain retailers operate online only.”

In summary: it is all on the up at Silver Street.