What not to miss in Newcastle

A visit to the Museum of Geordies with Mullets and Perms - Kevin Keegan, Bob Carogees etc is a must.

A concert at the Sage.

The Baltic gallery.

A show at the Theatre Royal.

A film at the Tyneside Cinema. 

A visit to the Side Gallery. 

Take the Metro to the Coast - Tynemouth. 

Catch the train to Hexham or Alnmouth (check the times though). 

Excursions to Hadrians Wall a possibility with a bit of planning.

Enjoy a reasonably priced Italian meal at the Portofino.

Pick a museum - look them up.

The Laing Art Gallery   

Check what is on at The Sage-two stages and a really good building.

That waterfont area is all quite nice, The Baltic art gallery has rather variable quality exhibitions in my experience (and I like modern art) but if nothing else the restaurant on the top floor is excellent and has great views too. 

Bruce

Thanks Bruce.

Just booked a gig at Sage 2 for Friday 16th.

Ant & Dec 

Karl

The thread title begs for the answer "the plane home!" but actually it was quite pleasant when I went there, especially the Baltic Gallery. Enjoy your visit 

You could take a stroll along the quayside beneath the bridges and across the millennium bridge.

Or a walk through Jesmond Dene, 

As John suggested, Tynemouth and while you're there Cullercoats, which are just a short train ride from the town.

Durham City is also a short train ride away and a walk around the River Wear gives classic views of the cathedral and the castle.

No pictures to hand of Newcastle, but it's only a short train ride to Durham and its cathedral.

At the weekend part of your trip, you could book a train ride down to the Leeds area and a tour of the set location of Emmerdale tv soap.

Thanks guys.

If you like a pint you should check out the Crown Posada (31 Side NE1 3JE) which sounds like an Indian restaurant but is actually a nice cosy pub with an historic interior. Also look up the Wylam Brewery in their new home at the Palace of Arts Exhibition park (NE2 4PZ). The Cluny (36 Lime St NE1 2PQ) is good for gigs and is close to the Victoria Tunnel which is worth a tour if you like to explore the history of a place. The Newcastle town wall is also worth exploring on the historical side as you get to see a part of Newcastle quite a few folks miss out on.

Tyneside cinema (in centre of Newcastle) - more arty rather than mainstream films. One of my favourites when I lived uo there for a few years.

See what's on at Newcastle City Hall, Theatre Royal and Tyne Theatre & Opera House, all in the city centre.

Pubs and restaurants will mostly have changed considerably since I frequented them, with at least a couple of my favourite pubs now gone, bit last time I visited the Bacchus (off Grey St) was still doing real ale- very possibly many more do now.

If you want noisy drunken outrageous behaviour and with queues at bar doors for the obligatory one drink before moving on, aim for the Bigg Market (southern end is between the station and Grey Street) - I avoided like the plague!

The best restaurant in which I have ever eaten, the Fisherman's lodge in Jesmond Dene, before it trendified itself a few years ago, sadly burnt down last year. However 21 Queen St., just off the now trendy Quayside that others have mentioned, is still renowned for quality food.

And I am reliably informed that the best Italian in town these days is Francesca's, between Osborne Road and Jesmond Dene Road in Jesmond (just north of city centre). Been there a couple of times and it certainly seems to live up to what I was told, with excellent food, great atmosphere, yet surprisingly cheap. The only downside is they don't take bookings, so on busy nights it can mean joining a queue for some time (which of course can be in the bar enjoying an aperetif or two!)

There's a Chinatown, too, in Stowell St at the western extremity of the shopping area - but nowhere near as extensive as London.

if you want shopping, the city centre is quite good, part outside and part arcade, and there's a large out of town indoor shopping centre in Gateshead called the Metrocentre, reachable by public transport. Both of course are dominated by the big names that make so many towns and cities the same.

Finally, round about midsummer's day - possibly when you are there- the Town Moor just north of the city centre, becomes the site for one of the largest funfairs in the UK, called The Hoppings. Admittedly it is quite a few years since I experienced it, but it was huge, and noisy, and awful, but curiously interesting just to walk around once if you're not actually inrpterested in the rides, stalls, fortune tellers, etc.

I'm assuming you will already have sorted out your accommodation, but if not, The Malmaison, down on Quayside, right opposite the Millennium Bridge, is recommended.

It's quite quirky, and is ideally positioned for strolling around the city. Ask for a room with a river view, and you can gaze at the floodlit bridge to your heart's content.

Just round the corner from the hotel, there's a fish and seafood restaurant, Big Mussel, the name of which says it all.

Quite basic inside, and not exactly haute cuisine, but good portions of fishy things at reasonable prices, and a good selection of bottled Belgian beers to wash it down. 

Town Moor Hoppings this year 16th - 24th June

As IB says, worth just walking around. (but it's more than half a century since I used to go..........)

Lived there for three years. Have the vaguest recollection of lots of lively pubs and a vibrant social scene. Thinking about it I wonder how I ever managed to complete my PhD!

Last year, or the one before, flew over to see The Ukrainians at "The Cluny". Good, intimate, venue and worth checking out who's playing.

Willy.

Just like to say thanks to all responders on this post.

We had a great trip, the Gate Hotel was very good lots of history of the Co-op stare that it was, many original features kept even one of the the iron frames from the arcades that were there. Close to China Town and St Jame's. We had a day in Durham by bus, saw the Angel on the way. Spent a day on the Metro, taking in a couple of Roman forts, a ferry ride, Wallsend , Whitely Bay(closed it seemed)  down to  Tynemouth for fish and chips. Pie and Mash by the Quays. Caught a show at the Sage2 on the Friday,  Elephant Sessions the group. No tickets available for Kraftwerk on the Wednesday.

Why aye man!