Ten Great Reasons for Visiting Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle may not be the largest city in the United Kingdom but it is one full of history, culture, entertainment and so much more. Here are just ten of the reasons for visiting Newcastle upon Tyne.

History of Newcastle and Tyneside

Newcastle has a history spanning 1800 years, when it was first made into a settlement by the Romans as a fort for the protection of a bridge over the important River Tyne.

Since this time, Newcastle upon Tyne has played a pivotal role in the history of the United Kingdom in so many facets, many of which have left their legacy on the city you can see today.

The history of the city of Newcastle is multi-layered, and a visit to Newcastle will open the eyes of anyone who visits as they wander around the city taking in the historical monuments and buildings of days gone by.

Nightlife in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle Theatres

Newcastle upon Tyne certainly has a great theatrical scene within the city.

Museums in Newcastle upon Tyne

Art Galleries in Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne has long inspired the arts, and for this reason has a number of great art galleries where works of art from local and international artists can be seen in all their glory.

Newcastle upon Tyne Concerts

River Tyne, Newcastle

The main reason that Newcastle has become the renowned city it is today is the impact of the River Tyne: it was the reason a settlement was created in the first place, and has been a driving force in the growth of the city ever since.

The River Tyne is a wonderful place to visit for walks, cycling, boating and much more. If you love Britain’s waterways or would just like to find a place to get away from it all, then the River Tyne in Newcastle is the place to visit.

Newcastle United Football Club

The Great North Run in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle is the host to one of the world’s most popular half marathon road running events: the Great North Run.

The Great North Run is a huge event that attracts massive crowds and is an annual attraction for visitors to the city of Newcastle.

Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club

External Links:
Museums in Newcastle upon Tyne
Art Galleries in Newcastle
Newcastle United Football Club
The Great North Run
Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club

 
The O2 Academy on the Westgate Road in Newcastle city centre has something to entertain revellers virtually every night of the year: Newcastle was crying out for such a venue for a long time after the Mayfair shut its doors on Newgate Street for redevelopment of the area, and duly got what it craved when the Bingo Hall on the same premises shut its doors a few years ago!

Since then, the Academy has been packed out night after night showing the very best musical talent available in the UK, becoming an established part of the UK touring scene for leading and upcoming bands.

With a slightly more independent feel than that other famous venue the City Hall, and more intimate than Newcastle Arena, the academy is a firm favourite amongst Indie music fans and fans of upcoming talent on Tyneside.

Furthermore, it includes a smaller separate space within the venue, called Academy 2, holding about 400 people that specialises in putting on up and coming local acts.

Over recent years the Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and Hard Fi have all played the venue and the Academy continues to put on great bands throughout the year.

The great thing about the O2 Academy is its location – you don’t have to trek off to the edge of town somewhere to see the gig you want like in some other cities!

It is centrally located and easy to get to from the Central Station Metro or Monument Metro.

Being Newcastle upon Tyne, there are also plenty of bars and restaurants in the area to start your night off, or if you still have the energy, to finish it!

Address:
O2 Academy Newcastle
Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1SW

Tel: 0191 260 2020
Website: O2 Academy Newcastle

Here we present our highlights of the second week of the Easter School Holidays from Directory of Newcastle.

From 12 April 2010 onwards, there are many things to see and do for the children:

from Easter adventures to Easter Egg Hunts,

places to visit and great days out for the kids…

Enjoy a great Easter Break out and around Tyne and Wear and the North East!

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

Here is Directory of Newcastle’s selection of Family Activities for Easter Bank Holiday weekend.From Good Friday to Easter Bank Holiday Monday, there are many things to see and do:from Easter Egg Hunts to family meals,

places to visit to great days out for the kids…

Enjoy a great weekend out and around Tyne and Wear and the North East!

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

Youth clubs in Newcastle upon Tyne

For the young people who grow up and live in the city,  Newcastle and Tyneside is a great place to be; with a great number of youth clubs in and around the city, offering the young a refuge at the end of a day of school, where they can meet their friends and enjoy a game or two!

If you are bringing a young person into the Newcastle area or already live in Newcastle and wish to find a great youth club close to where you live, here are a few of the Centres around the city that you can visit, make friends and enjoy games of football, pool and other interesting activities.

Montagu & North Fenham Boys Club

Located just outside the city centre, not far from the A1, the Montagu & North Fenham Boys Club is a great place for young boys to find friendship and enjoy many varied activities during evenings and weekends.

Address:
Montagu & North Fenham Boys Club
Pooley Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE5 2SU

Tel: 0191 2430069

Denton Young People’s Project

The Denton Young People’s Project is a great youth project that offers a place for young people to go and take part in activities they enjoy, and is also heavily involved in the community to support the young of Newcastle.

Address:
Denton Young Peoples Project
Dunblane Crescent
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE5 2BE

Tel: 0191 2647566

Lillia Youth Project

This great youth project offers support and activities for the young in the Benwell area and beyond – the Lillia Youth Project is supported by great trained staff.

Address:
Lillia Youth Project
Benwell Lane
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE15 6LX

Tel: 0191 2740434

D 2 Youth Zone

Located just off the A696 in Whorlton Grange, the D 2 Youth Zone is the perfect place for children to enjoy great activities and learn in a safe environment. The staff at the D 2 Youth Zone are very supportive of anyone who visits.

Address:
D 2 Youth Zone
96 – 98 East Thorp
Newbiggin Hall Estate
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE5 4JD

Tel: 0191 2861800
Website: D2YouthZone

Forty years ago people had a very different attitude towards the earth: in 1970 huge, gas guzzling cars were preferred as a status symbol, nuclear energy was shrouded in mystery, the Apollo space mission was still being launched to the moon and the US was preoccupied with the conflict in Vietnam.

In comparison to the 21st century, many politicians regarded environmental issues as a less pressing concern.

In actual fact, a grassroots movement was gaining momentum across the country, as groups of students and workers united in an attempt to alert the government to the idea that voters were equally concerned about ecological matters.

The result was Earth Day, first celebrated in America on the 22nd April 1970 and founded by the US Senator Gaylord Nelson to “shake up the political establishment and force this issue on to the national agenda.”

United Nations Unite for Earth Day

Senator Nelson’s initial concept of a national “teach-in” in universities, colleges and schools across the country was conceived after his observation of the oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969 and subsequent outrage at the political indifference.

On April 22nd 1970, the day marked a landmark in history as twenty million campaigners fighting for various related issues united on streets, parks and auditoriums in a common cause to highlight concern over the environmental crisis.

Inspired by Senator Nelson’s words, the peace activist John McConnell had called for a global holiday called Earth Day at the UNESCO Conference, and a proclamation was signed and Earth Day subsequently became a UN tradition.

The coming of the new millennium brought a change in direction as the campaign began to focus on global warming, the phasing out of fossil fuels and finding alternative, clean sources of energy.

In 2007 one of the largest Earth Days ever took place, with an estimated one billion participants.

40 Years On: Earth Day 2010

The year 2010 sees the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, when Earth Day Network and Carbon War Room are combining to connect public and private sectors and provoke discussion on the roles of government and industry in the fight against climate change, with talks by major industry leaders.

A Global Day of Action will take place on April 22nd 2010 when conversations will take place throughout the world on climate action in 500 communities.

Celebrations will culminate in A Global Day of Celebration on April 24th 2010, when 40 major city events are organised around the globe in venues like London, Mumbai, Sydney, Barcelona and of course, Washington DC.

One of the traditional events of Earth Day, usually taking place in the previous month, requires everyone to turn their lights off for an hour at the same time. In the US people are encouraged to call US Congress or national government offices to object to using coal in agreements about power generation, known as the “no coal call.”

To become part of this united effort to bring about historic changes and preserve the world for generations to come, prospective participants can find events and register at www.earthday.net.

It’s St Patrick’s Day party time again!

Wednesday, March 17th, will see people from all over the UK heading down to pubs and bars for a mid week party to raise a pint of the beloved black stuff in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. Thousands of pub owners will be decorating their interiors with those famous black, white & green decorations and gearing up for the ultimate St Patrick’s Day party of the new decade.

Celebrate the first St Patrick’s Day of the new decade in style by trying a Guinness Black Velvet cocktail or impress your mates down the pub with some St Patrick’s Day facts & stats, plus tips on how to enjoy the perfect pint of Guinness!

Anna Brown’s Beef, Onion & Guinness Pie

For this recipe be sure to use shin beef as it is well suited to the long slow cooking process. Stewing steak tends to disintegrate, as opposed to shin beef which has gelatinous fibres running through it.

1.5Kg Shin Beef cut into 2″ cubes
2 medium onions peeled and sliced onions
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 pt Guinness
1 pt beef stock
1 pack ready roll puff pastry

Method
Place the cubed shin beef and the onion in a casserole dish and coat with the seasoned flour. Pour in the Guinness and the stock and bring to simmer gently on the hob. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and place in an oven preheated to 140 Celsius for at least 2 to 3 hours until beef is tender.

Cook pastry as per the pack instructions, cut into individual portions about 5″ by 5″ square. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and spring greens.

How to drink the perfect pint of GUINNESS

This St. Patrick’s Day, when you are raising a pint of GUINNESS with friends to say cheers to the Irish, be sure to follow Master Brewer, Fergal Murray’s guide to the perfect way to enjoy a pint of the ‘black stuff’:

*Hold the glass with the Guinness harp facing you and your thumb over the harp
*Never look down. Look at the horizon and bring the glass to your mouth, not your mouth to the glass
*Take a sip, breaking the seal of the head of your pint
*Enjoy the Guinness cream moustache left on the top of your lip
*Each time you take a drink from the pint, hold the glass in the same position and repeat above, letting the liquid flow underneath the head of the pint
*Expect to experience the malty sweetness at the front of your mouth, the roasted flavour at the side and the distinctive Guinness bitterness at the back

With over 5 million pints of the black stuff to be sold this year….

GUINNESS Brings St Patrick’s Day to Life

Join St Patrick’s Day celebrations at your local

With party celebrations set to last well into the weekend, the makers of Guinness are set to join in one of the liveliest parties of the year by sending out St Patrick Day party kits to thousands of pubs across the UK. Each kit will be filled with iconic black, white & green white hats & props, limited edition glassware & cash prize competitions that will help bring the party to life. Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day for over 15 years and this year is no different with over 5 million pints of Guinness expected to be sold in the UK.

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with GUINNESS

St Pat’s facts

*Over 5 million pints of Guinness are sold in the UK each year on St. Patrick’s Day
*Over 13 million pints of Guinness are raised on St. Patrick’s Day across the globe, which brings more than 150 pints to life every second
*Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day, one of the liveliest calendar celebrations for over 15 years
*Last year, Guinness celebrated 250 years since the signing of the 9,000 year lease at St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin
*The St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin produces 4 million pints of Guinness every day
*Today, Guinness is popular around the world and sold in more than 150 countries
*Gas bubbles travel downwards, instead of upwards, bringing a pint of Guinness to life with its famous surge and settle motion

Black Velvet Recipe and History

Ingredients:
Flute of Champagne
Flute of GUINNESS Extra Stout
Serves 1 (1.3 units)

GUINNESS mixed fifty fifty with Champagne. Legend has it that this famous drink was invented in 1861 at Brook’s Club in London. Prince Albert had died, everyone was in mourning, and the story goes that the steward at the club, overcome with the emotion of the occasion, ordered that even the champagne should be put into mourning, and proceeded to mix it with GUINNESS. The taste was so delicious, Black Velvet became extremely popular.

Easter: 2 April – 5 April 2010

For many people living in the UK, Easter is a double bank holiday during which it’s possible to scoff loads of chocolate eggs.

In some parts of the country, people roll hard-boiled eggs down a hill or indulge in a bit of Egg Jarping, a contest that involves smashing an opponent’s egg to smithereens.

Strange though it may seem, these rather eccentric traditions, including the egg-laying bunny, are inextricably linked with pagan tradition and the Christian Church.

Easter Traditions and History

The Romans, Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians celebrated the egg as a symbol of the universe.

In Anglo Saxon legend, the goddess Eostre was said to have changed a wounded bird into a hare so it could survive the winter; when the “hare” discovered its amazing egg-laying powers, it not only left them as an offering to the goddess every spring, but also decorated them in bright colours to symbolize the rebirth of the world.

The time of year became known as Eostre-monath, named after the goddess.

When early Christians began to commemorate Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the celebration was known as Pascha, relating to the Jewish festival of the Passover.

Because this usually took place in Eostre-monath, the name evolved into Easter.

Easter: A Christian Festival

Forming the foundation of the Christian Church, Easter is the most important time in the liturgical calendar and refers to the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

As a moveable feast, Easter can fall any time between March 22nd and April 25th: the actual date is linked to the Passover and falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon which, being an ecclesiastical full moon, varies slightly from the astronomical one.

Also marking the end of Lent, a time of fasting and abstinence, Easter Sunday signalled a return to a more indulgent diet when eggs could be enjoyed once more.

Easter Eggs and Pace Egging

Traditionally, boiled eggs were eaten on Easter Sunday and people used to wrap their eggs in onion skins, before boiling them and decorating them with flowers and leaves to give as gifts.

Traditions of Pace Egging, Egg Rolling and Egg Jarping evolved in villages, especially in the north of England: these sports and entertainments usually took place on Easter Monday.

Egg rolling still takes place in many villages in the UK especially in Lancashire and Cumbria, with Avenham Park in Preston being a popular event.

An even more famous venue further afield is the lawn of the White House in Washington DC, when competitors roll an egg along using a spoon in a desperate race to the finishing line.

The old custom of Pace Egging was related to the mumming tradition, and comprised a procession through the streets to the accompaniment of the Pace Egging song, culminating in an entertainment acted out by a group of local yokels known as Jolly Boys wearing elaborate costumes of animal skins and coloured ribbons and streamers.

Egg Jarping or tapping – a kind of conker fight played with eggs – is popular in County Durham and contests are held in pubs and houses. A player is known as a “jarper” and a particularly good hit is known as a “dunch”.

In Victorian times, with the advent of chocolate factories, larger chocolate eggs began to be all the rage. Easter egg hunts became popular, and sometimes Easter baskets were given containing candy.

Printed cards started to be sent as the holiday celebrations became more widespread.

Today, families wishing to celebrate Easter Sunday in a traditional manner will usually eat a dinner of roast lamb, followed by custard tarts and Easter biscuits, all rounded off with a piece of Simnel cake.

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

]]> http://directoryofnewcastleupontyne.com/blog/2010/03/02/easter-2010-newcastle-easter-events/feed/ 0