Things you didn't know about... Darlington

Chris Rea had humble beginnings here
In the 1960s, Chris Rea sang for his supper at the Bowes Pub in Darlington.

King James wasn't impressed with Darlington
Visiting an unpaved Darlington in 1603, King James of Scotland described Darlington as "A mucky, mucky town. And mair sham on the people." James did, however, compliment the town on its "Bonny, bonny church", St Cuthbert's.

Darlington boasts a brick homage to its trains
Darlington's Brick Train is a 1997 sculpture created by artist David Mach. A representation of the famous Mallard locomotive, it's made up of over 185,000 bricks.

The beginnings of the railway are here
In 1825 Locomotion Number One, driven by its inventor George Stevenson, made the first rain journey on a new public railway line. Travelling at an average speed of 19 km/h (12 mph) from Darlington to Stockton, 600 passengers completed the inaugural journey.

Darlington is brilliant TV location
Paul Whitehouse's "Brilliant!" character from BBC TV's The Fast Show proclaims the world's brilliance in scenes shot on High Row, Darlington. And the TV version of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance used the old row of shops on Crown Street as the location for her character Emma Hart's emporium.

Darlington, top towel centre
In the 18th century, Darlington was renowned for the manufacture of linen tablecloths and towels.

Vic Reeves went to school in Darlington
James Roderick Moir, aka comedian Vic Reeves, grew up in Darlington, eventually leaving Eastbourne School with one O-level in Art. Moir returned to the town in 2006 for a signing of his book, Me:Moir Volume 1.

Tortured souls in the River Skerne
The Hell's Kettles—deep pools of water found along the River Skerne at Darlington—are said to hold the souls of sinners. They say you can see even these tortured spirits in the Hell's Kettles when the water is clear.

St Cuthbert's once housed human skulls
When the floors of St Cuthbert's Church were re-laid in the 1800s, over 300 human skulls were removed from internal graves that were weakening the building's structure.

Martyn Bedford stayed here
During his time as a student in Darlington in the early 1980s, acclaimed novelist Martyn Bedford (author of Acts of Revision, Island of Lost Souls) lodged in a caravan next to the Faverdale Industrial Estate.