Introduction ... Hello to all my new Steem friends

Thought it was time to do so as I'm not that sure if I'm doing this right so far...

I'm Big Stu to my friends @thebigone7 

Born & bread in Co Durham, England.... they call it the "home of the prince bishops"  a must visit for the travelers out there.

Why the Prince Bishops you may ask....

Durham’s political importance lay in the fact that it was a buffer state between England and Scotland. After two unsuccessful attempts to send an earl to govern this border region, the English king came up with the solution of giving the bishop of Durham secular powers, and therefore the responsibility for protecting English interests, in return for allegiance. 

From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier.

The autonomy of Durham, the prestige associated with the title of Prince-Bishop, and the fact that it was extremely wealthy, made it a desirable place for ambitious, powerful men, not all of whom were particularly pious.

Bishop Flambard in the twelfth century, and Bishop Hatfield in the fourteenth are good examples of the type of people that held the Bishopric. In later centuries, the Durham Bishopric's importance as a buffer state declined - but this did not diminish the prestige of the Prince Bishop. The building projects of men such as John Cosin, bishop in the mid-seventeenth century, exemplify what Durham became in the early modern period.

Well anyway for those who are reading welcome to me showing a piece of the NorthnEast of England.

Best Wishes to you all

                    Stu 

P.S.... I have a few Tattoos too lol