Beauty & The Beast pantomime in Newcastle

“It's an absolute pleasure to come back and make people laugh like that tonight. The mams, the dads, the grannies and grandas and the kids are rolling around the floor laughing. There's no better feeling in the world," said Charlie Richmond who plays Daveed Granola.

Art in Newcastle and Gateshead

Thanks to the city's many pubs and celebrated nightlife, Newcastle has long been regarded as one of Europe's party capitals. Many a hen and stag party veteran will recall — perhaps in some cases hazily — moments in the pubs and bars of the Quayside, Diamond Strip and Bigg Market. The city's Ouseburn and Jesmond districts also offer their share of cracking destinations for a few drinks. Yet it’s not just the artists with glasses in their hands that people now associate with Newcastle and Gateshead.

Places to visit in Newcastle upon Tyne

There's lots to see and do in Newcastle. The ‘new castle’ which lends its name to the city is centuries old: it dates from the reign of King Henry II, 840 years ago. You can climb its steep, honey-coloured stone steps to visit the great hall before watching a video that explains the role of the fortress through the ages.

Great Exhibition of the North

The Great Exhibition of the North started with a spectacular opening event by the River Tyne, between Newcastle and Gateshead, in North East England. The 2018 festival was billed as a celebration of northern arts, design and innovation.

Pizza Punks Newcastle restaurant

The space now has a hip, contemporary feel. It’s very much decor of the moment. Picture brickwork walls, a concrete floor plus industrial-style metal piping on the ceiling. The restaurant’s white pillars bear Pizza Punks’ anarchist-style logo; a ringed, hand-drawn capital ‘A’. There's more elaborate graffiti-style artwork at the back of the room, near the steps down to the toilets. It is the company’s first restaurant in England, following openings in Glasgow and Belfast.