NEWCASTLE - ALWAYS A CITY OF CULTURE (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Member Name: katestuartuk

Product:	Newcastle upon Tyne
Date:	01/11/06 (1290 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: VIBRANT, FULL OF LIFE, SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO AND THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD FOR HAVING A GOOD TIME

Disadvantages: IT RAINS SOMETIMES...

*****Newcastle – Always a City of Culture*****

I can hardly believe it, but it’s true. I’ve managed to write 99 reviews since I joined Dooyoo! I really wanted my 100th review to be something a little special, so what better to write about than my beloved home town on Newcastle. That’s Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Just to be clear! I wasn’t born here, but in a British Military Hospital on the other side of the world, but I’ve lived here since I was 3, give or take a few years at uni near Liverpool, and a stint in Oxford. I have to say, that of all the places I’ve lived or stayed, nowhere seems quite so much like home than right here, in the land of pease pudding, Greggs Stotties and The Chronicle (or Keeeeronicaaaaaal, as a true Geordie would say!)

I am probably the only Geordie in the world without a Geordie Accent, which caused me great strife at uni, as no-one would ever quite believe I was from Newcastle, and I had to fight for my right to be northerly patriotic. But it is home to me, and I think it’s the one place I will always come back to.

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*****Introducing Newcastle*****

Newcastle is really the last big city before you hit border country.

As in Border between England and Scotland.

There are people who think Newcastle is actually in Scotland, but this is not so!!! It did, however, in Roman times, form a boundary between The Savage North (Scotland) and The Delicate South in the presence of Hadrian’s Wall. Emperor Hadrian was a canny soul, who figured a 5 metre high wall, the length of the furthest reach of England, and with 80 turrets or mile castles along the way for soldiers to keep watch from would do the job.

It took six years, a lot of stone and an enormous amount of man power, but the wall was built and still stands now in many places between Wallsend, on the banks of the Tyne, and Carlisle where it begins. I have a wee roman temple near my house, and it truly blows me away that something so old and so populated at one time is still sitting where it was put so very long ago.

Newcastle is a vibrant city, full of life and colour and movement. Things are always changing in Newcastle, and yet somehow the atmosphere, the mood, the soul of the place is something that always manages to remain the same. It is a city that celebrates multi-culturism, which celebrates art and life and music and humour. It is a city home to over a quarter of a million people, and we’re all just as proud as punch to call ourselves Geordies.

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*****Reasons to visit*****

You may not know this, but Newcastle is way up there in the top 5 of the world’s best party cities, along with New York amongst others.

I think that’s a fairly good claim to fame for a city that has risen from the nuts and bolts of shipbuilding and the dust and grime of coal mining, to a shining example of multi-culturism and one of the biggest tourist attractions north of London.

So much is in reach here – fine art at the Laing and the world renowned Baltic, state of the art music production and performance at the glorious Sage, architecture to die for, with Grey Street being voted the UK’s best loved street, and the sort of people who say “thank you” to the bus driver when they get off the bus at their destination. Now you don’t get that in the bright lights of London!

If you want good food, we have it. Great and green transport links? Look no further. History, innovation, a grand night out? Maybe you fancy a cruise, or a walk on the beach, or just a spot of retail therapy? Newcastle really does have it all. I’m biased, I know, but I bet if you came for a visit, you wouldn’t be able to prove me wrong. You’d be far too busy!

Even using Newcastle as a base, there is so much to see, so much to do that it’s impossible to cover it all here, but I’m going to give it my very best shot! So with my very best Geordie accent, a la Ant&Dec stylie….Heor we gan….

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*****Things to see*****

The Tyne Bridge

Coming home on the train from uni the Tyne Bridge was always the sign that I was truly home. The train would trundle over the rail bridge, and I would sigh and sometimes even get a lump in my throat that I was home. The Tyne Bridge is a must see for anyone coming to our lovely city, but to see it at it’s very best, I would say take yourself down onto Newcastle’s quayside, stand on the middle of the Millennium Bridge (also a wonderful piece of architecture) and just absorb. My gran could remember it being opened, and walked across it from the Gateshead side to the Newcastle side back in 1928, after it was opened by King George V.

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The Castle Keep

Since well before Roman times, when Newcastle was known as Pons Aelius, there has been a fortification on the site of the current “new” castle. The very first castle (the “new” castle on the river Tyne) was founded by Robert Curthose, who was one of the sons of William the Conqueror. It’s a very interesting visit, and there are some great views of the city to be had from the top.

The Castle Keep is open daily between 9.30am and 5.30pm during the months of April through to September, and 9.30am till 4.30pm from October to March.

It is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Last entry is 30 minutes before the castle closes.

Charges:
Adults £1.50, Senior Citizens, Students and Children under 16 50p

There is disabled access, which is free of charge and includes a virtual tour, though this is by appointment only.

For more information on visiting telephone: 0191 2327938

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Roman Ruins

There is nothing quite like seeing real physical history, and being able to reach out and touch it. There are plenty of roman remains and excavations to be found in and around Newcastle, and anyone who has a back garden will be keen to share their finds with you (I have loads, I keep then in a pot on the bottom shelf of my pantry!) But there’s nothing quite like seeing it for yourself.

Segudunum is a roman fort in Wallsend, where the Roman wall literally ended, hence the name. I have never been, but it’s on my wish list of places to go, as everyone I know who has been, has said it’s an amazing place.

There are details on the Tyne and Wear Museums website:

http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/segedunum/

or you can call: 0191 2369347

As far as other remains are concerned, the West Road, leading up to the A1 is the route the wall took, and at certain points along this road, you can see parts of the wall still remaining. Just off the West Road, there is a Roman Temple, and the gateway of a fort, which are stunning and will impress all you Time Team enthusiasts out there!

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Museums and Art Galleries

Where do you start with this – there are so many in Newcastle!

I love the Baltic, and have already sung it’s praises in a review of it’s own, but The Laing Art Gallery is also a wonderful place, and often overlooked by the contemporary visitor to the city. Right in the heart of the city, with beautiful architecture and a collection of works to please every artistic disposition, this gallery is free to get into, and a wonderful place to spent a free half hour. I love the cool quiet of the place, and know that whatever mood I’m in, there will be a work to look at that suits me!

For more information, call: 0191 2327734

Or log on to : http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing/

The Sage is known now as the glass armadillo in most Geordie circles. It is a beautiful and unique piece of architecture and I for one absolutely love it. Designed to be a home for music in the North East, it really is just that, with daily performances of all sorts of genres of music, as well as being a place where you can learn about and really discover music for yourself, by yourself.

It really is quite magical, and when I look at it, sitting proud on the south side of the river, I feel an overwhelming sense of awe, not just at how it looks, with the glass reflecting the ever changing sky, but with what it represents and what it achieves every single day. Definitely a place to visit and explore and come back to, whether you love music or not.

http://www.thesagegateshead.org/

or call 0191 4434661

The Discovery Museum is full of weird and wonderful stuff for kids and grown ups alike, and what’s more, it’s free to get in. Perfect for if it’s raining! I used to go here a lot when I was a childminder, and the children never tired of looking and touching and experimenting with all the weird contraptions.

The Centre for Life is another creation that has well and truly put Newcastle on the map. Designed as a place to get you to really think about “life” and all that it means, this is a very science-based place which has exhibitions, annual debates and loads of educational facilities with things like live science shows and hands on displays.

It is a place where the real scientists work on revolutionary new theories and issues, in an environment which is accessible to the average man on the street, and it’s something that appears to be quite unique to Newcastle.

The buildings that make up the Centre for Life are as innovative as you can get, and there is a public space called Times Square in the heart of the buildings, which is used for all sorts of things, including, at Christmas, an outdoor ice-skating rink!

Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 11am – 6pm.

Last admission 4pm.

Admission price is:

Adults: £6.95
Children: £4.50
Concessions: £5.50
Family Ticket £19.95

Telephone: 0191 2438210

For more information go to:

http://www.life.org.uk

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Shopping

Newcastle has some of the best shopping in the world. (In my opinion!) We have Eldon Square, Monument Mall and Eldon Gardens, as well as the historic Grainger Market to pick from in the centre of town.

Out with town, we have The Metro Centre, which is very, very, very big. My first job was working in the cafeteria of BHS. I was 17, and I only worked for 4 hours on a Saturday morning. I got lost every single Saturday morning. It really is that big. My advice would be to plan to spent a whole day there, make sure you get a map when you go in, and don’t get too stressed if you find you’ve got round in a bit of a circle – it happens to the best of us!!!

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Newcastle United Football Club

Dominating the city’s skyline, this amazing looking stadium is the home of football in the North East. Alan Shearer recently thanked the people of the city for all the years of support by putting a banner up on the side of the stadium. A really big banner. We don’t do things by half measures here, that’s for sure!!

Whether you’re a fan of the beautiful game or not, this is a great place to visit, as much for the actual structure as for the possibility of getting an autograph from one of the players. There’s a restaurant and coffee shop, as well as a shop where you can buy all manner of black and white striped items, from humbugs to framed shirts. It’s a five minute walk from the centre of town, and to any honorary Geordie, it’s a pilgrimage to hallowed ground!

For more information go to: http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk

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The Angel of the North

Anthony Gormley is a genius. I really think he is. He got thousands of Geordies to get up at stupid o’clock one Sunday morning last summer and stand, naked as the day they were born, along the banks of the time for a naked photo shoot. Amazing, liberating, utter freedom. Can you imagine that?! The pictures where fabulous, and I only wish I had been in Newcastle that weekend as I would surely have trotted down, flung my outer garments to the wind and stood proudly shoulder to shoulder with my fellow naked Geordies!

His genius, however, never more apparent than in his symbolic Angel of The North sculpture. It is, in fact, Britain’s tallest sculpture, at 20 metres tall, and with a wing span of 54 metres – and it is for me a very powerful symbol of coming home, being welcomed into the city, and really of the people of Newcastle who are kind hearted to the last, and as welcoming as can be.

The word “angle” apparently means messenger, and the message is surely “welcome”.


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*****Places to eat*****

Again there so many places to choose that will serve you good food in great surroundings, so I’m only going to pick a few here.

My first choice is always Panis, a tiny Italian café on High Bridge, which is frequented only by those who know it’s secrets! Read my Panis review for more details!
www.paniscafe.com

If you want high class, tres expensive, then look no further than The Fisherman’s Lodge, which is situated in Jesmond Dene, a wooded valley five minutes drive from the centre of the town. It serves seafood, and has been well known as the best seafood restaurant in Newcastle for over 20 years. It is not cheap though, so be prepared to spend big bucks if you go, and make sure you call in advance to make a reservation!
www.fishermanslodge.co.uk

China Town, located in the Stowell Street area to the west of the city centre is the place for Chinese and Thai food as well as Sushi – the whole street is so packed with different establishments that you can work up an appetite just pacing up and down the street trying to decide which to go into!

I can highly recommend Mangos, which does very traditional Chinese set meals as well as make-it-up as you go along type courses. Their dim sum is amazing, and they stock a wide selection of chinese beers!

The Dragon House is nice too, though quite expensive – the food is great and the service is fantastic, but the full Chinese food experience for two people, if you’re having for example, pancakes, soup, main course and herb tea, with drinks can easily set you back £100.

If it’s cheap and cheerful you’re after, Lau’s Buffet King is the place to go – eat as much as you like for as little as £6, with great food, lots of choice and very pleasant staff. It can get very busy, so the downside is that you may have to wait to be seated, though it is possible to phone ahead and book a table.

All in all, if I had to pick, it would be Mangos every time. I love it there! Call 01912326522 or visit them online at:
http://www.mangos-uk.com
(and enjoy..mmmmmm!!!)

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*****Nights out*****

If you like to have a little drink, Newcastle is one brilliant place to do it in! There really is something for everyone. There are different areas of the city and whilst a native Geordie would probably flit from one area to another in any given night out, you may just want to stay in one area. The choice is yours!

The Gate is full of bars and a nightclub called Mood, great for the younger generation, though not really my cup of tea!

The serious drinker should head to the Quayside or to The Bigg Market, though you may feel overdressed if you’re wearing anything other than a bikini and a thong! Newcastle girls have a reputation of going out wearing next to nothing, and how we don’t have the highest recorded incidences of hyperthermia I will never know!

The Central Station area is great if you want a gentler night out, with pubs like Centurion and The Forth offering warmth, comfy seats and a more laid back atmosphere.

The Centre for Life area and Times Square is the heart of the Pink Triangle, and you will find that this area is very popular, be you straight, gay, bi or anywhere in-between. There are plenty of bars and clubs to choose from here, and all in walking distance of each other.

If it’s live music you’re looking for, Osbourne Road in Jesmond has some good offerings, and you can have an amazing night out at The Salsa Club opposite Central Station, where there is music playing literally till the last person stops dancing. A great way to loose some of those calories you ate at dinner and to have a good laugh too. Don’t worry if you’ve never salsa danced before, it’s so infectious you’ll pick it up in the blink of an eye!

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*****How to get here*****

Newcastle is on the East Coast Mainline from London Kings Cross to Aberdeen, so getting a train here is as easy as pie. Well, as long as there are no leaves on the line! Check out the GNER website for cheap deals, and remember that sometimes its cheaper to buy 2 single tickets than one return!

There are buses in and out of Newcastle too, check out the National Express website for details and pricing.

Driving here couldn’t be easier, it’s only an hour and a half from Edinburgh, and four hours from Liverpool – check out www.multimap.com for a route and an estimated journey time.

Newcastle has an International Airport, with flights coming in daily from all over the world. Easy jet currently offer some great deals on flights from London, Bristol and Belfast, as well as loads of European cities. Check out easy jets website for more information.

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*****Where to stay*****

I have to admit I’ve only ever experienced one hotel in Newcastle, which was the Newcastle Thistle Hotel, opposite Central Station – my sister had her wedding reception there in 2000, and we found it to be most agreeable.

My best advise here is to look around – there is so much to choose from! B&B’s dominate the streets of Jesmond, and the city is peppered with upmarket hotels like Malmaison, and The Station Hotel.

Consider staying outside of the city too – Tynemouth is on the coast, 15-20 minutes drive from the city and has some of the best beaches in the country – spectacular views, loads of fresh air and a real seaside holiday feel. It also has a very famous weekend flea market, were you can pick up all sorts of weird and wonderful curios at amazingly low (bartered!) prices!

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*****Transport*****

The transport system in Newcastle is something that makes me feel pretty proud. We have buses to everywhere, we have green, environmentally friendly electric buses that link the city centre and the Quayside. We have trains, and ferries, and the fabulous Metro. The Metro is a fast way of getting from A to B, and can work out relatively cheap if you buy a day ticket. Linking the coast, both north and south, as well as the airport to the city, it is a much friendlier, nicer smelling version of The Tube!

For those who are less able, most buses have ramps, and the driver will help you if you need him/her to – the Metro, whilst being underground, has very good access if you use a wheelchair, and we also have a Shop mobility system, where you can hire a motorised chair to help you get your shopping done faster.

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*****Out and about away from the city*****

If you fancy a few days trips, Edinburgh is only an hour and a half on the train, and we all know how much there is to see there! That’s a whole other review!

York is very close, as is the North East Coastline, which stretches up to Berwick and has highly acclaimed beaches, views and places like Bamburgh and Lindisfarne to discover.

The market town of Hexham is a lovely day trip, and there are some lovely little villages along the banks of the Tyne that are well deserving of a visit. We used to spent Sunday afternoons at Wylam, watching the river run by – so relaxing and peaceful.

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*****My final thoughts*****

I love my city. It is my home, it’s certainly where my heart is, and somehow I don’t think that will ever change. When people ask me where I’m from, I declare with immense pride “Newcastle”, and it makes me feel so happy and so glad to be from a place that values culture, that strives for positive change, that isn’t afraid of “new”, and that builds, every day, on the strengths of it’s people. She’s a fine place, is Newcastle, and I hope, when you come visit, that you feel that sense of wonder that we get every day, walking her streets and breathing her air…

Thank you so much for reading all about my beloved home town! Kate x

Summary: MY HOME, MY HEART, THE PLACE I LOVE THE BEST - NEWCASTLE - ALWAYS A CITY OF CULTURE...