We were staying with our friends in Northumberland. They took us to different places via public transport and on the first day we went by train to Newcastle. A short walk from the railway station took us to the Discovery Museum. This was housed in the old Co-operative Wholesale building – Blandford House. The museum illustrates the story of Newcastle from Roman times to the 21st century. It focuses on the importance of the area’s technology, scientific and maritime history to Britain and the rest of the world. On the second floor is the hands-on Science Maze and you can look down onto the steam powered ship Turbania which was once the fastest ship in the world. Also, on this floor is the permanent gallery Destination Tyneside which tells the story of people who migrated to the area. On the first floor it is all about the military past, maritime history and the major industries. It was all well laid out and worth a visit.
After we left the museum it was a short walk to Newcastle United Football Stadium. My friends are all football fans so it seemed right and proper to see the home of the Toons. By this tme, we were ready for a sit down with a cuppa and a snack. It was not match day at St James’ Park so we were able to go up into the Terrace Bar area where there was a range of refreshments on offer. We were surprised to be entertained by a variety of singers on the stage below.Our friends then took us into the Strawberry Pub opposite the football ground. This old traditional pub has been popular for over 160 years and is full of Toon memorabilia.
Obviously, we only took in a fraction of what Newcastle has to offer, but nevertheless it was an enjoyable day out.
