The Durham Regatta is due take place on the River Wear on 8-9 June.

BBC: Collapsing garden threat to Durham Regatta

In the North East the flood situation has eased with only the River Wear at Chester-le-Street remaining on a severe warning.

BBC: Floods 'unlikely to ease soon'

Next month, for example, Sunderland is due to muscle in on the act with a work by Alison Wilding which, while it will not be taller, will be bigger than anyone else's a set of 10-foot-long back-lit aluminium cylinders bobbing about in the river Wear.

ECONOMIST: Big is beautiful