Quotes
"Some UK destinations have all three (adventure, nostalgia, cosmopolitan cities) rolled into one, of course – Tyne and Wear, for example, has all of the above by the bucket-and-spadeful, from the bustling city centres of Newcastle and Gateshead to the laidback coastal village of Tynemouth, from the traditional seaside town of South Shields to Sunderland the areas city by the sea." Glasgow Evening Times, 21/04/2010
"I wandered around the city’s graceful Mowbray Park, where a statue of a walrus is a reminder of Lewis Caroll’s sojourns here. I then visited the National Glass Museum and the Saxon church of St Peter, which was once home to a youthful Venerable Bede and is now part of a bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status. After all this… One must wonder if the Policy Exchange report’s authors had ever visited Sunderland, or anywhere in the region for that matter." The Independent on Sunday ,18/04/2010
"Further up the coast are the seaside resorts of Seaburn and Whitburn and the Souter Lighthouse, where you can climb to the top. Further on is South Shields, where the boys would have loved to bump into Cheryl Cole. They made do with playing football on the beach and an ice cream in the legendary Minchella’s Ice Cream Parlour." Sunday Mail (Scotland), 28/03/2010
"NewcastleGateshead is unarguably one of the UK's leading lights when it comes to the arts. This year's events programme is second to none, as both sides of the River Tyne play host to numerous events across all art forms." The Guardian, 13/02/2010
"The North-East is home to some of England's best waves. Swells come out of the maelstroms of the Artic Ocean and rumble down the North Sea. Longsands Beach, Tynemouth has nurtured some of the UK's top surfing talent -such as Sam Lamiroy, Gabe Davies and his brother Jesse, who operates Rise Surf school here. Jesse has travelled the world taking on the best waves, and in Tynemouth he guides beginners through their first steps and helps intermediates with one-on-one coaching." The Independent 20/06/2009
"Everywhere you look you find relics of the city's colourful past…across the river in Gateshead, the Baltic Centre, the largest modern-art gallery of its kind, stands in a landmark industrial building." The Times, 25/07/2008
"Its party reputation is still well-deserved, but Newcastle is more than just a night out – it’s a breeding ground for avant-garde art and cutting edge culture too." TNT Magazine, 09/07/2007
"Recent development in the twin Tyneside cities of Newcastle and Gateshead have made this urban area one of the most exciting places in England. Now known as NewcastleGateshead, the cities – on opposite banks of the Tyne – are focused on the waterfront, though both have plenty of attractions away from the river." The Independent, 24/02/2007