Do, Eat & Go in Newcastle for Great North Run?

Andrew_G

Hi

I'm running in what will be my third Great North Run in Newcastle a week tomorrow. Can anyone please recommend good and cheap (ish) places to sightsee and also places to eat in during the Saturday - my flight arrives at 9am the day before the race, so I've all day to kill.

I've previously seen the Angel of the North, Tyne Bridge and Metro Centre so anywhere else folks? Bear in mind I don't want to walk around too much given I'll be pounding the streets for 13 miles the next day.

Cheers

sue.b_2

Discovery museum, Laing art gallery, Millennium bridge, Baltic, all free and central. Get a day rover from the Metro ticket machine at the airport for travel on buses, metro and ferry or a daysaver for metro only. Visit Tynemouth Castle, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay.

Saveit

Life centre near Central Station, The large Wheel is on the Tyne at the moment.
Good Luck in the run

ashmit

If you want really cheap food, Luigis in the Bigg Market has 3 courses for £4.95 (starter main and either ice cream or coffee) and is very nice. Think it's on 6-7.30 or 5.30-7.30pm or something? Or Marios on Pudding Chare is good too (more Italian). Chinatown is good for Chinese (duh) and you can see the gate they've built. The Gate is worth seeing and has tons of places to eat. And there are loads and loads of places to eat round the bigg market.

If you go to Tynemouth get fish and chips - is it Millers that's really good? yum

The wheel is on the Quayside in Gateshead - get one of the yellow electric buses down there (check it's the right one before you get on- unfortunately I'm not sure which is which!!!)

Castle Keep near the station.

Jesmond Dene and the animals there, although that might be too much walking. Get one of the coast road buses from Haymarket 300 305 306 or 308 and ask them to let you off at Cradlewell (just before the underpass if they ask as some bus drivers don't seem to know which stop is which!!!)

http://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/ and tell me if it's as good as I've heard you can eat there but apparently it's expensive.

and if the stress all gets too much you can visit the samaritans on Portland Terrace

Edited for the third time to remember to say, GOOD LUCK! Hope the weather isn't too hot or too cold

Faith_2

I've been to the biscuit factory. The art was rather interesting. Enough of a variety to please all tastes. A friend and I went on a very nice day so we thought we'd have a coffee and spotted what looked like a nice balcony to have our drinks. Sadly the balcony looks onto what looks like an industrial estate. So ugly! And quite desappointing. But the coffee was good! Don't know if it was expensive. My friend paid!!

ashmit

Yeah, that's one of the things that's put me off going - it's located in such an awful place! Will have to go and have a look round though Cheers Faith

Andrew_G

Thanks Folks.

ashmit

So Andrew_G - what did you do yesterday? and hope the race went well

Andrew_G

Hi Ashmit

Race was tough as this was my third GNR and I was after a personal best.
Finished in 1 hour 40mins which was my fastest half-marathon but also the toughest. Very hot day to run.
Re: attractions in Newcastle, Art is not really my thing so visited the Discovery Museum which was okay, Jesmond Dene and the Gate - Cinema and Entertainment Complex.
Cheers

barjam_2

ashmit wrote:

Yeah, that's one of the things that's put me off going - it's located in such an awful place! Will have to go and have a look round though Cheers Faith

lets hope you dont bump into anyone who lives in the sheildfield area ashmit describing the place as awful:rotfl:

scroogey

barjam wrote:

lets hope you dont bump into anyone who lives in the sheildfield area ashmit describing the place as awful:rotfl:

Hey! Sheildfield isn't that bad!! and it's not too far from town......
Although I did notice that the scrapyard next to the Biscuit Factory was on fire again today.