DURHAM'S eagerly-awaited civic calendar will be making its way around the globe in coming weeks.

The 2003 edition of the award-winning Images of Durham is now available, with all 3,500 copies expected to be snapped up by local people, many for stocking fillers for exiled relatives round the world as a reminder of the city.

Local photographer Royston Thomas was again commissioned by Durham City Council's economic development team to put together the 13 scenes featured in the calendar, one for each month plus the cover shot.

They include new perspectives of some familiar and other less well-known buildings and scenes around the city, as with previous year's calendars, all in monochrome.

A new dimension of this year's calendar, the 11th, is the use of the latest technology to blur the final images, with some almost appearing to be from the brush rather than via the camera lens.

"We have never called it photographs of Durham, it's always been Images of Durham and so that's given me some licence," said Royston.

"They all started off as photographs, some presented fairly straight, but quite a few have been manipulated through the computer to give an almost impressionist feel, albeit in black and white.

"Software programmes are so powerful these days that I had to show some restraint so as not to alter the final image too much."

Last year's edition was only pipped for the 2002 National Business Calendar Awards in its category by the world-famous Pirelli calendar.

It earned rave reviews, including words of praise from travel writer Bill Bryson, who wrote to Royston saying: "A million thanks for the calendar, always, which I'm delighted to receive. I don't know where I'd be without my faithful Durham calendar."

The calendar costs £5.99 from Waterstone's in Saddler Street, or from the Tourist Information Centre in the Gala Theatre reception.