A city in transition (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Member Name: jacquelina

Product:	Newcastle upon Tyne
Date:	01/08/03 (2397 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The real city of culture

Disadvantages: None

It amazes me how people from the South never seem to tire of hearing a Geordie accent. I couldn't count the number of times over the years that friends and acquaintances have begged me to say 'Why aye man' or 'haway the lads', etc, . I've also heard countless bad impressions of a perceived Geordie accent, ranging from 'why hymen' ??, 'chippy butty though' ??? and of course, the inevitable 'Spuggy!!!' ('Ah divvin' tark funny, ah talk proply me!') (will be lost on you if you've never watched Byker Grove). A couple of years ago I took a friend from uni to Newcastle for the first time, and after my repeated assurances that Geordies do not walk around saying 'why aye man' all the time, they were of course the first words she heard after stepping off the train, loudly exclaimed - much to her delight!

Despite the tiresome associations of being a Geordie (but hey, at least I'm not from Liverpool), like most of its inhabitants I am still proud to call the North East my home (you won't find Newcastle in theidler.com's forthcoming worst cities book). Admittedly, I live in London nowadays, but the buzz I get as my train trundles across Newcastles's railway bridge, with the river Tyne, its bridges and the unique skyline stretching out on my right, beats anything I've experienced here in the capital. People who visit Newcastle for the first time are usually pleasantly surprised by how beautiful and vibrant the city is, and over the years I have witnessed its cultural evolution from a great city into a truly fantastic one.

First and foremost the people make it what it is.. the locals, obviously, the students from Newcastle's two universities, and increasing numbers of tourists and people flocking from other parts of the UK realising that Newcastle is not only a great place to visit but somewhere to settle down too. New bars, cafes and restaurants are cropping up co

nstantly, and some very desirable properties, particularly down on the quayside, are attracting alot of interest - many have been bought that are not yet built.

Despite quashing some stereotypes of 'grim up north' and 'uncultured Geordies', certain aspects of the city do live up to their dubious reputations. The girls do wear very few clothes out on the town in the middle of winter! And there are always lager louts to be found round the Bigg-Market on a weekend! Most Geordies do live for their football! And some parts of the city are so rundown and undesirable houses really were on sale for 1 penny!!

Anyhow, before we get down to the nitty gritty, a note to anyone who lives in Newcastle and knows the city well - my memory is not great and I only get to visit Newcastle a few times a year (oh dear I sound like an old pensioner, I'm only 24!), so please forgive if there are one or two minor inaccuracies.... and please feel free to correct me in the comments...

First, a history lesson...

... or not. I know shamefully little about the history of the city so instead of trying to blag it I shall instead direct you to the following cites:
www.tyneside.com and www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk should provide more than enough to be getting on with

Now... getting there!

Newcastle is served by excellent road and rail links (its train station is called Central Station) from most major cities. It takes about 4 hours 30 min to drive from London, but the train is faster at only 3 hrs and a return costs as little as £30 if booked in advance.

In addition, Go-fly.com has recently introduced flights from London Stanstead to Newcastle from £5 upwards.

And getting around...

Once in the city the able bodied can see everything by foot, though Newcastle does have its own little underground system, the metro.. aaah! This runs to several towns outside Newcastle such as Jesmond (a mile or
so ou
tside) to South Shields and Whitley Bay on the coast several miles away, and was famed for playing classical music in the carriages to try and deter vandalism (well famed in the North East anyway).

Where to stay?

I would recommend the Quayside, about a 5 minute walk downhill from the train station. In my opinion this is the most attractive part of Newcastle with all the best sights and the nightlife.. the only downside is the walk up Grays street into the town centre if you wish to go shopping! Pleasant, but tiring, though you can stop on the way for liquid refreshments...

Travelodge / Travelinn - reasonable accommodations in the heart of the quayside, for reasonable prices (£59.95 and £49.95 per double room per night)

And next door, if you're feeling flush, is the swanky Malmaison.

The Surtees hotel just up from the Quayside used to be quite cool (when I used to work there!), with its fair share of celeb's and some funky if slightly sleazy decor. Its website doesn't give room rates (http://www.surteeshotel.co.uk/surtees.html), however, and don't believe its claim that the adjoining Quay club is the city's 'premier party venue'...

I cant comments on hotels elsewhere, but in the pleasant localities of Jesmond and Gosforth there is plenty of reasonable accommodation to be found. You certainly wont find yourself sleeping on the Millennium Bridge (unlike some of the casualties last Saturday at 4 in the morning!!)

Where to eat?

I don't eat out often in Newcastle (my dads cooking when I go home is much more appealing!), though new eateries crop up regularly - the new beer and mussels joint on the quayside looks nice. Some noteworthy restaurants are Marco Polo (Dean Street), a cozy Italian, though the service sadly leaves a little to be desired (Dean Street). Rupali in the Bigg Market (near Central Station) offers cheap Indian food and if you can eat their hott
est curry
you get it free. Only the very foolish attempt this... At the other end of town is Chinatown on Stowell Street, with numerous Chinese restaurants - the Mandarin is a good bet.

For light bites, the Theatre Royal and the Tyneside Cinema cafe (Monument) both offer decent grub in pleasant, chatty surroundings, and Pani's on High Bridge Street (nr Greys monument) is a lovely Italian cafe restaurant with delicious pannini's and a deli next door. Blakes coffee shop on Greys street is a real winner, too, especially for its cakes, and a bit further down is the grand Metropolitan hotel and brasserie (Monument).

For snacks on the move, try good old Gregs bakers or Bakers oven (several branches) for pasties and sarnies.

An excellent Indian takeaway is The Brighton Halal , Brighton Lane (0191 273 3184),

Shopping!!!

For me, I don't think Newcastle's shopping is much better than anywhere else in the UK. The main high street, Northumberland Street, is pedestrianised and runs from Haymarket down to Monument. Off the high street you have Eldon Square, a fairly claustrophobic and smoky indoor shopping precinct with the biggies like Fenwicks and John Lewis. Towards Monument you will find slightly classier shopping - e.g. Jigsaw, French Connection and a couple of nice shoe shops, and off Monument you will find Central Arcade, home to an excellent music shop called Windows. Behind Central Arcade you will find tack city, a street littered with Poundsretchers and cheap bed linen shops. Nearby is the traditional Grainger market, which apparently houses the smallest and oldest branch of Marks and Spencer, the Penny Bazaar.. how bizarre! (laugh). At the top end of town you'll find second hand / vintage shops, the queen of them being Attica.

Where to drink?

The quayside has an abundance of watering holes. Ancient atmospheric pubs such as Bob Trollops and the Cooperage stand alongside some more mo
dern ones - the
entirely glass Pitcher and Piano (one of the nicer in the chain) with its fantastic views of the river, and others such as Bar Casa, the popular Bar 38, Offshore 44s and Chase. All are guaranteed to be lively and busy on weekends - I'd advise you to kick your evening off early as the concept of late bars has sadly not quite caught on in Newcastle.

Away from the Quayside, favourites of mine include The Head of Steam, a pub full of character opposite the train station (Neville Street) and the impressively interiored (I know its not a word) Wetherspoons nearby, formerly a gentleman's club, aka the Union Rooms. I'm not very au fait with some of the newer pubs, but you wont go far before passing somewhere that takes your fancy. And of course if you want cheap drinks, bars with names like 'Kiss' and 'Vaults', barmaids in bikinis and a guaranteed pull, then hit the Bigg Market.

Where to club?

On the south side of the river, easily reached by one of the bridges, one can choose from the Baja Beach Club (massive, decorated with palm trees etc) or the equally tacky Tuxedo Princess (nightclub on a boat with revolving dancefloor). A slight step up is Julies 2, under the railway bridge and Sea, opposite or the hip hop / r'n'b oriented Legends on Grays street, but the more discerning clubber can choose from the Foundation (formerly the Riverside) and its Shindig club night, with big name house dj's such as Roger Sanchez, or one of the many top nights put on by Newcastle University student union. Other clubs worth a mention are, Powerhouse (gay), Rockshots (gay/mixed) and Planet Earth, all at the top end of town around the Haymarket, Lizard Lounge near the station and the Jazz Cafe on Pink Lane, opposite Central Station.


And now for the cultured among us.........

Theatre Royal - often a stop off when the West End Musicals go on tour, plus comedy, opera, dance etc

>Tyneside Cinema - P
ilgrim Street (near Monument Metro) - independent and arthouse films

Laing Art Gallery - New Bridge Street (near Monument Metro) - fine / decorative art, showcase for local talent

The Baltic - museum in a converted flour mill - nice building but slightly lacking in substance on my first (and only) visit (apart from the fantastic room of gongs!)

Millennium Bridge - absolutely blinking stunning!

Tyne Bridge - the original and the best - majestic! The Sydney Harbour Bridge was not actually modeled on thyne humble Tyne bridge as some Geordies will have you believe, despite the Tyne being built 4 years before its Australian counterpart - the plans for the Sydney Harbour Bridge were submitted 1st. They are, however, identical in structure (just that one's a little bigger than the other!)

Castle - small, but ours..... and named the city!

Cathedral - as above.....without the naming of the city part

Greys monument - well, not sure what the history of this is, but it certainly is a good meeting point!

St James Park - not so much culture, more like religion!! (claim to fame.. my cousin was in the McDonalds ad with Alan Shearer.. you know the one where they go 'he's a bit boring like..', 'aye, you're not wrang there'!)
Also a notable racecourse at Gosforth Park, just outside the city.


Finally, some of my favourite memories relating to Newcastle and the surrounding areas: getting dressed up with my friends aged 15 and the thrill of getting into 'Yell' and 'Bliss' in the Bigg Market when underage........ the view of the seahorse sculptures round the top of the Civic Centre building peeking above the treetops..... the GNER train going across the Tyne early evening............. the opening of the Metro Centre (at the time Europe's largest indoor shopping centre and cause for great excitement).... fishing off the pier and
finding a squid on the b
each at South Shields...... walking along miles of deserted sand at Cresswell..... sneaking past the bouncers at the student union to see, ahem, D-Ream!!...... being taught The Blaydon Races at first school (Oh me lads, you should have seen us gannin', etc etc).... bringing friends to Newcastle and witnessing their surprise.. and enjoyment!


In conclusion, I asked my boyfriend to sum up his impression of Newcastle after his first visit, in one sentence. He couldn't quite manage it, so instead I'll leave you with some of his more interesting quotes.... 'up and coming'.....'a great adventure'... and my favourite.... 'the jewel of the north'......


Further info: www.tyne-online.com or read Michaelhudson's evocative and knowledgeable review on this wonderful city.

Good city centre maps can be printed off the council website http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/

Finally, a little bit about the surrounding area, if you have a bit more time to kill (lucky you!).....

East
Jarrow - not the most picturesque of towns but a hell of a history (Jarrow Crusade 1936)
South Shields - a seaside resort with more to offer than first meets the eye, including scenic cliff top walks.. and some fantastic Indian restaurants (see op by K.Sh for further info) and the ubiquitous fish 'n' chips

South
Gateshead - on the other end of the Tyne, joint bidder with Newcastle for 2002 City of Culture (lost out to Liverpool), home to the Metro Centre (one of UK's largest indoor shopping centres, wow!), and home of the Angel of the North (controversial huge bronze statue, ugly but impressive).
Durham - beautiful and historic cathedral city

North
Some of England's most beautiful coastline and into real castle county, dotted with castles and pretty little towns, e.g. Bamburgh, Warkworth, Seahouses, Cresswell, Alnwick, Holy Island and Lind
esfarne (with the seals!)....
then Scotland!

West
A short drive inland leads to some fantastic, unspoilt countryside, Hadrian's Wall, Durham cathedral, Hexham Abbey, and a bit further West, the Lake District National Park

Thanks for reading.....

PS I nicked the title of this review from a stand-up comic I saw last week talking about the North / South Divide??- it was his impression of a Southerner!

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