Boning up on his geography perhaps?

Well known as the man who shifted Durham from the River Wear to the River Tyne. As in -

"I've got to leave old Durham town,
I've got to leave old Durham town.
I've got to leave old Durham town,
And the leaving's gonna get me down.

When I was a boy, I spent my time,
Sitting on the banks of the river Tyne.
Watching all the ships going down the line, they were leaving,
Leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving me."

Perhaps he left old Durham Town every day and travelled across to the River Tyne. If he did, I wonder if it got him down then? If he DID spend all his time away from Durham Town when he was a boy, why was he so bothered when he left it?

So many questions...