| Product: |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Date: |
28/07/07 (227 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Lovely city with lots to do
Disadvantages: Can get really busy!
Newcastle upon Tyne, often shortened to Newcastle, is a city in the county of Tyne and Wear in north-east England. Technically, people from Newcastle are Novocastrians, although the term Geordie is now more commonly used. I'm not actually from Newcastle but it's the nearest city to where I live (about 15 miles away) and I go quite often.
Newcastle, known at the time as "Pons Aelius" was founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, whose Wall is still visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road that leads out from the city centre towards the A69 road. This wall ends at Wallsend (What a surprisingly original name! - Newcastle itself was named when the 'new castle' was built!)
~ Sport ~
The City has a strong sporting tradition, being home to Premiership football team Newcastle United, and Guinness Premiership rugby union side Newcastle Falcons, for whom England's "(Rugby Union) World Cup winning hero" Jonny Wilkinson plays.
Newcastle is of course home to St James' Park football stadium (Newcastle United) I am not a football fan but I have been here once. (Our school has 4 season tickets and teachers nominate students to go to each match. I was lucky enough to be chosen to go to one of the matches!) St James' Park is the oldest football stadium in the north-east and it houses 52, 387 people!
~ The Town Moor ~
There is a large green space in Newcastle called the Town Moor, this lies immediately north of the city centre. The Hoppings, reputedly the largest travelling fair in Europe, takes place on Newcastle Town Moor every June. Even though I live about 15 miles from Newcastle this is still very popular in the town in which I live. When I was a member of St John Ambulance, I went on duty here. It was the first duty I had been on I thoroughly enjoyed it. When people talk of the Town Moor it is usually because of The Hoppings! Many people often say “The Town Moor’s here!” When obviously they mean ‘The Hoppings’ as the Town Moor remains there all year round :-)
~ The Centre for Life ~
The UK's first Biotechnology Village, the "Centre for Life" is located in the City Centre close to the Central Station. The Centre for Life is a "science village" in the heart of the city. Its purpose is to promote international research into genetics and to help people understand the role of our genes in health and disease. The complex also includes the Life Science Centre, an interactive museum that looks into the origins of life, DNA and the human body. If you are in Newcastle I think this is worth a visit. It is a very entertaining day out, especially for children. There are many school trips in the area, which go to the Centre for Life. I recently found out that scientists at The Centre for Life are the first people in Europe - and only the second in the world! - to get a licence for stem cell research on human embryos. This licence will allow them to work on new treatments for conditions including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
I have only been here once but I really enjoyed it and would like to go back in the future as some of their exhibits change.
Entrance fees - Adult £6.95 Child (Under 4) Free Child (5-16yrs) £4.50 Concession £5.50 Family (2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children) £19.95
~ Discovery Museum ~
This is a science and local history museum, which has free entry. It is one of the biggest free museums in the northeast. I have been here quite a lot, including on school trips when I was younger. I went last summer with my best friend and her sister and we all really enjoyed it. It is located within walking distance from the bus and metro station.
There is a shop and a café there. I think these are slightly overpriced but the quality of items and food is good.
~ Seven Stories ~
This is the only centre for children’s literature in the UK. It is called Seven Stories because it is believed that there are seven basic plots in literature and the fact that the Victorian Mill in which it is situated has seven floors. My nephews have been here and they really enjoyed it :-)
“At the heart of Seven Stories is a treasure trove of original artwork and manuscripts which records the creative process involved in making a children's book and provides an insight into the working lives of authors and illustrators.” Offical Seven Stories website.
~ The Quayside ~
The Quayside is the area along the banks of the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead. As a tourist promotion Newcastle and Gateshead have linked together under the banner "NewcastleGateshead", but otherwise remain separate. One of the Quayside's main features is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which spans the river between the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (Gateshead) and the Newcastle Law Courts. Newcastle Live Theatre is also on Newcastle Quayside. I never used to go to the Quayside but when I was part of the Live Theatre I went every week.
Newcastle has a reputation of being a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclubs. It consistently features in lists of the top ten party cities in the world. Recently, Newcastle has become popular as a destination for Stag and Hen parties. The Quayside is one of the main areas of clubs in Newcastle. I haven’t been clubbing in Newcastle but know people who have and they say it is a really good night out.
~ Transport ~
Newcastle International Airport (located near Ponteland) is the fastest growing airport in the UK. The airport currently handles a little under five million passengers per year, with more than 80 destinations available world-wide. The airport is a 15-minute journey from the city centre by car or about 20 minutes on the Tyne and Wear Metro service. Whenever I go on holiday, I fly from this airport. (Speaking of which, I'll be going next Sunday as I’m going to Nice)
Newcastle Central station was the first covered station in the world and was much copied across the UK. It opened on 29th August 1850! I believe I have only been to Central Station twice, on my journey (there and back) to Cambridge for a summer school at the university last year.
A metro is similar to the London Underground although some of the tracks are not underground. An underground station for Tyne and Wear Metro trains was constructed during the late 1970s, and opened in 1981. Unfortunately, we don't have a metro station (and no longer a train station) in the town where I live, so to get to Newcastle I need to go by bus (or car!). As my mam doesn't like driving into the city centre, she usually drives us to the nearest metro station and we get the metro from there. I like travelling by metro as it is convenient. I think I would visit Newcastle more often if we had a Metro station in the town where I live.
Newcastle has a large bus station, which makes access to the city from surrounding towns quite easy. The buses run quite frequently so there's not usually much of a wait. There is a door leading to Marks and Spencer straight from the bus station. I have been to the bus station on a huge number of occasions as this is usually how I travel into the city centre. I quite like the bus station, it is large and information about bus times is easily accessible.
Newcastle has access to an international ferry terminal located in North Shields, which is 8 miles east of Newcastle.
~ Education ~
Newcastle has two universities located in the city centre. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne (which I hope to start at in September) and the newer Northumbria University. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne has a very good medical school with links to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, which it is located right next to.
There are also many schools in Newcastle.
~ Theatres ~
As well as Live Theatre, which I have already mentioned, there are other theatres within the city. The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building located on Grey Street, it opened in 1837 and has hosted a season of performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company for over 25 years. The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera. There is always a Christmas pantomime here, which I have been to see on several occasions (though unfortunately not for a few years.) Other theatres in the City include the Tyne Opera House and the Newcastle Playhouse.
~ Famous People ~
There are lots of famous people who were born in Newcastle including, Sting, Cheryl Tweedy, Alan Shearer, George Stephenson, Peter Beardsley, Ant and Dec to name but a few!
~ Shopping - my favourite part of Newcastle! ~
I LOVE shopping in Newcastle! There are several major shopping areas in Newcastle City centre. The largest of these is the Eldon Square shopping centre, which incorporates the largest Fenwick department store in the UK and a John Lewis store. This is an indoor shopping centre with lots of shops, most of which are high street stores.
The main shopping street in the city is Northumberland Street, which runs from the Haymarket metro station to the Monument. The bus station is very close to Northumberland Street too, within a 1 minute walking distance. Eldon Square is entered from Northumberland Street.
I really enjoying visiting Newcastle and I feel privileged that I live within easy travelling distance. There are lots of places to eat and drink, shop and sight see (including a sightseeing tour bus of the city). Like any city though, it does have its downsides, such as dirty in places and crime.
Overall, I think this is a city worth visiting!
I hope you have made it this far. I love going to Newcastle it is a lovely city with lots to do. Just for a bit of fun I'll finish with some Geordie words:
Aa: I
Aakward: Awkward
Alang: Along
Alreet: Alright
Bairn: Child
Bord: Bird
Borst: Burst
Dee: Do
Divvent: Do not - ie Divvent dee that
Fettle: Good condition
Gannin: Going
Haway! : Come on!
Lang: Long
Naa - Know
Pet: A term of endearment.
Weter: Water
Yee - You
Yem - Home
Many of these words are also used in other parts of the North-east but are mainly associated with Newcastle.
Thanks for reading. bluejules x
Summary: A great city to visit
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