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A day in Newcastle
With the weather still no good for departure to Scarborough I decided that I would take the day out for a sightseeing trip to Newcastle by train so off to the station at 9.30 i went.
I didn’t know if I could even get a train to Newcastle at that stage but on arrival I was delighted that they were hourly. A 15 min wait and on to the train. I was expecting the ticket price to be ridiculously pricey but again I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was only £7.10 for a day return. Pulling out from Hartlepool station I had a great view of the coastline and it was patently clear that I had made the right decision… the waves were crashing on the shore and boats were partially disappearing out to see below the swell.
50 minutes later we were pulling in to Newcastle station. I have never been to Newcastle before and I had absolutely no idea of what to expect and even before I left the station I was feeling at home there. The city is just wonderful! It is a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis with a super mix of the ultra modern and the historic. I didn’t get any sense other than a city that was making a big effort to be a great place to live and to visit and in my opinion, based on this one day visit, I believe they are succeeding.
I decided to just walk and see where i ended up and so I walked downhill on the basis that it might lead to the river…. it did and I found the Quayside which has a fabulous walkway all along the riverside. The River Tyne is the strangest colour… it is a chocolate brown! I wonder why?
I had seen the Gateshead Millennium Bridge from the train on the way in to the city and seeing it as I approached the river I walked towards it. It is a superb piece of modern bridge design similar in initial appearance to the Millennium Bridge in London but on closer inspection it is very different indeed with a curved deck. I think it is beautiful and took quite a few pics. I stopped at the bar on the Newcastle side for a beer while I admired.
There are many bridges over the River Tyne that are notable one of which was designed by Stevenson and it is still fully functional. It is a superb river to walk alongside and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Returning to the station I noticed the Life Sciences centre and being very interested in all things science I investigate and found an interactive exhibition on human and bio sciences and not being able to resist I went in. The £8 entrance was a bit steep but it was a great museum and exhibition and one I do recommend especially for kids.
So back to the station. Waiting for the train I couldn’t help but feel that Newcastle was a city I wanted to return to so that I could discover it with the time it deserves. One thing I would say though… it is quite expensive to live there as far as I could see. Accommodation is quite pricey and food seemed so too and I think that the city has a slight London feel (only much better in my opinion) and has London prices but if someone has something that people want then I suppose they can charge for it.
All in all a great day out and the image that Newcastle left with me for one I loved and I want to return.
