10 Places To Visit | Newcastle - Gateshead Quayside

We've had a fair few days of sunshine already this year and I have my fingers crossed for more of the same. One of my favourite places to visit on a nice sunny day is our gorgeous Quayside. There is always such a lovely buzz about the place and it's the perfect place for a stroll. I have to agree with New Girl In Toon - it actually reminds me of LA at times!

Credit: New Girl In Toon

 Today I am bringing you my top 10 places to visit when you next pop down to the Quayside:-

1 - Free Trade Inn

The Free Trade Inn is a gem of a pub with not one but two beer gardens offering unrivalled views of the Quayside. They offer a huge selection of beers and ales (and serve a nice chilled Sauvignon Blanc too) 

2 - Cycle Hub

The Cycle Hub is a bike friendly cafe where you'll find a very decent brew with gorgeous views. It's an independent establishment so show your support if you can! You don't even need to be a cycling enthusiast. There is also a bike workshop (for repairs), bike hire and information about cycle routes. 

3 - Gusto

Gusto is hands down my favourite restaurant on the Quayside. We always receive a very warm welcome, the food is always superb and it's such a versatile space too. Over the years we've enjoyed a romantic lunch date, dinner with friends, live music nights and family lunch. Everyone and every occasion is welcome! Don't miss their cocktail happy hour either - all cocktails are only £4.95 from 5pm onwards Sunday-Friday. 

4 - Pitcher and Piano

I don't think I've ever been to the Pitcher and Piano and it not be busy! They've increased the outdoor seating this year and I can't think of a better place to sit with a glass of wine if you're in the mood for a spot of people-watching. 

5 - Baltic

The Baltic is a FREE gallery (donations welcome) on the Gateshead side of the Millenium bridge. Our kids love the super fast glass lifts and the views from the viewing platform are superb. There are a range of visiting exhibitions and events and their rooftop restaurant (SIX) is one of the best in Newcastle. I recommend their afternoon tea.

6 - Quayside Seaside

I LOVE that Newcastle has it's very own seaside. It's the perfect place to relax on a lounger and soak up some vitamin D. The kids are always happy building sandcastle and I am over the moon that this year the Quayside Seaside has it's very own Fish Shack too. 

7 - The Sage

The Sage is another gem on the Gateshead side of the Quayside. The cafe is light and airy (with free wifi) and there's even a toy corner/mini soft play for little ones meaning this is a lovely place to meet friends for coffee if you have toddlers/babies in tow. There is a huge variety of events and concerts available at the Sage too and a concert here is not to be missed.  

8 - The Broad Chare

The Broad Chare is what I'd describe as a 'proper pub' just off the Quayside. There are Cask Ales, a huge selection of beers and even a Whiskey list to tempt you. The food is top notch with a restaurant menu or nice little selection of bar snacks including Lindisfarne Oysters, Pork Crackling and even Pig's Ears on the menu.

9 - The Quayside Market

Every Sunday from 9:30am-4pm,  the Quayside is transformed into a canny little market where you'll find street food, local suppliers, food stalls, plants for sale, local art and much more. Definitely the place for a Sunday morning stroll. 

10 - River Escapes

Want to see the Quayside from a different perspective? Why not book onto a River Escapes cruise. There are a selection of cruises available from only £6 per person. Bargain! 

So there you have our Top 10 Quayside gems - I'd love to hear of your favourite spots too. 

My Love/Hate Relationship with Housework

My mam's house is immaculate. She's the sort of person who washes her kitchen floor every day and vacuums the full house daily. Although her home is very welcoming and cosy, it wouldn't look out of place as a show home. Everything is ALWAYS clean & tidy and has it's place. I always remember as we were growing  up, even as teenagers she would re-make our beds for us every day so they were perfect. There is no way you would catch me doing that for my kids! We often joke that she doesn't know where she got her own children from as we are quite the opposite to how she is.

I would LOVE a tidy, clean house and in a lot of ways this is a lot more achievable now that my children are at school and I would never say my house was dirty or unkempt, it's just what I would describe as 'lived in'. Keeping the house clean and tidy is A LOT of work and effort and I am always looking for ways to make my life easier. I asked some of my friends for their best cleaning hacks :-

Top Cleaning Hacks from Real Mums

Line the bottom of oven trays with greaseproof paper - nothing sticks - Hollie 

Clearing a room is clockwise manner moving things that don't belong in the room to a basket or box and then emptying the basket in the right places once you've finished the room. This keeps me focussed on the room at hand! - Gemma

Break jobs down into manageable chunks and do a little each day - Helen

Have a duster/cloth handy in each room and clean little and often - Carly

Put pictures on toy boxes so kids are learning to tidy away in the right places on their own - Gemma

Don't have children or a husband seemed to be a popular tip and was recommended by at least 5 people! haha! Unfortunately, this is not viable. 

WOW I love all of these tips and feel better already. Thanks ladies! 

Introducing the Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner

My personal cleaning hack is to invest in decent equipment that actually does the job that it's supposed to. I don't know how many times I have been tempted by the latest gadget only to be let down by it's performance. I would also recommend you buy products that have features that do the jobs you need them to do. There's no point in buying something that is good for hard wood floors if your floor is carpeted.......

Check out my short video below where I discuss how my new Vax has made cleaning a lot easier and I go through a few of the vacuum cleaner's features:

Why Vax makes cleaning easier

It's easy to switch from hard floor to deep pile carpet with your foot - perfect as I move from my hallway (carpet) to front room (hard floor)

It's super easy to steer and is the UK's lightest lift-out corded cylinder meaning I can get the kids to vacuum their own bedrooms as I sit back and watch (hahaha)

This is the best part - as we like to call it - the 'Ghostbuster' action. You can detach the main cylinder from the body of the vacuum cleaner which makes vacuuming the stairs an absolute BREEZE.

The super long (10 metre) cord and detachable cylinder also make this vacuum perfect for vacuuming the car.

The suction is second-to-none. 

The hose easily reaches up to the ceiling meaning those nasty cobwebs are gone in a second and I can reach up to my light shades and curtain poles with ease - it's all part of my vacuuming routine now.

The range of tools make it easy to vacuum furniture and it any nooks and crannies. 

The Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner is currently available for just £249.99 via the Vax website and this includes a 6 year guarantee. What an absolute bargain! 

We were sent a Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner in return for an honest review. All thoughts and words are our own and I would never recommend something unless I was actually delighted with the product myself (and in this case I most certainly was, just ask my mam - haha)

Attitudes to Sun Protection in the 90's, 00's and now

I sometimes think it's amazing how quickly culture, science and attitudes evolve. If I look back on my 32 years on Earth, times have certainly changed. As a child of the 80's I had no idea I would live a life with the internet in my pocket for example.

One thing that I think has radically changed is the advances and attitudes towards sun protection. Things have certainly come a long way since I was a child. 

4 year old me in Estartit

Sun Protection in the 90's

As a redhead with fair skin I burned fairly easily as a child. I remember my mum putting LOTS of suncream on me but it was never enough. The main memory I have of this holiday to Spain in the 90's is burning my shoulders so badly that they peeled and my skin felt so raw as my poor dad tried to rub aftersun in. I don't think I've ever experienced pain like it. It was horrendous. For the rest of the holiday I had to swim in the pool with a t-shirt on. There was no such thing as UV swimming suits in those days!

Sun Protection in the 00's

In the early 00's like a lot of girls or my era, I NEEDED A TAN. I shudder when I think of this but our parent's used to hire sun beds and from the age of around 13 years old our group of friends would take it in turns going on each other's sunbeds. I think the risks weren't fully understood then but OMG! I really regret doing this. I don't blame my mam at all as it was absolutely acceptable, normal and common place for teens to do this. I even used tan accelerator on my skin!!! Can you imagine 13 year olds doing this now though? Because I certainly can't. It really is amazing how quickly things change. 

In the late 00's I had two young children and I'm always conscious that they don't get burned like I did. Thank the lord for UV suits which are a life saver when you're on holiday (especially abroad) and offer good protection from the sun. These have always been available even when my children were babies (although they weren't as common and were more expensive then). I like how these days most supermarkets even make these suits and they are usually accessible and affordable to all.

Sun Protection Now

 It was during our holiday to Marrakech that I first discovered sun cream that you can wear all day. At first it seemed to be too good to be true. It was a little more expensive than 'normal' sun protection but we decided to give it a go. It works by creating a very thin film over your body to shield it from the sun's rays. Ideally you should apply 15 minutes before going out in to sun and you actually should re-apply every 6 hours I think. OMG I can't tell you how life changing this was! Steve and I (both redheads) walked around Marrackech in mid-July when the temperatures were near 50 degrees and didn't burn once. Once per day sun cream was a real game changer for us!

Fast forward a few years and the range of sun screen available has never been greater. For our up-coming holiday to Spain we have decided to go for Calypso Once A Day Lotion  that has been especially formulated to protect children's skin. It is water resistant and provides 4* protection against UVA and UVB rays. The online reviews state that it's very easy to absorb too.

Obviously we will still be applying common sense - my three will mostly be spending their days in their UV swimsuits which have long sleeves, legs and hats and I'll keep them out of the sun around midday when the sun is at it's most damaging. I plan to apply their 'once a day' sun cream in the morning before we head out for the day and then I will re-apply again after lunch (you don't really need to do this but it feels weird if I don't). I honestly can't explain how reassured I am that the kids have this kind of protection and won't have to endure the horror of sunburn. I also like that I don't have to re-apply every 2-3 hours like I would with traditional sun screen. Anyone who has kids will know how hard this is once they are on the sand or in the water.

Have you tried 'Once a day' sun screen? What did you think? 

Children's Menu at The Botanist Newcastle - Video Review

Take a look at the fabulously quirky children's meals served at The Botanist Newcastle in our latest video review:

For more recommendations from 400+ people about food and drink in the North East, why not join our North East Food Lovers Facebook Group

Taking your kids out of school to go on holiday - does it harm their education?

The Government published this research in 2015 which states that taking 'short breaks damage your child's education' This could be the case in some cases but I'm pretty sure it's not in all cases and the Government failed to look at the broader picture. They state that:-

These statistics INFURIATE me.

First of all, who says that it's short breaks that do this 'damage'? They don't take into account why the children are absent - it could be illness, it could be bereavement, it could be to attend a family wedding, it could be to travel, it could be a chaotic home......who knows?

Secondly, I was taken out of school in the run up to my Year 6 SATs AND for a whole 17 days in the run up to my GCSEs. Guess what - I still achieved 10 x Grade A's and 4 x Grade A*. It CLEARLY didn't do me any harm and I am living proof that this 'research' doesn't apply to everyone. I took work with me and was sensible enough to catch up. Statistics really don't show the full picture - if your children are supported I firmly agree they won't lose out.

Travel IS one of the biggest educational tools out there. Do you think a child is more likely to remember reading about the Pyramids in a classroom or actually walking amongst them and seeing them with their own eyes? It's really not rocket science.

We are travelling to Spain later this month and my three children will be exposed to sites and learn through experience. They will travel through the channel tunnel and plot our route through France and Spain on their maps, they will see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, they will soak up Spanish culture and cuisine and mix with people of all nationalities in a way they just don't get to experience at home. Sitting in a classroom just doesn't come close to actually experiencing life first hand.

My children are often praised by their teachers for their knowledge, their extensive vocabulary and creativity. Most of this is due to how much we have travelled with our children (at home and abroad) and because of how much we've talked to our children and created conversations about what we are experiencing.

Yes, I know we could take them on holiday out of term time however a lot of people will be in the same boat as me and just can't afford it, especially when you are a larger family. Our family holiday would have been 3.5 times more expensive if we'd travelled in the school holidays.

I could also just not go on holiday but to me travel is a priority and it's a compromise I'm not willing to make.

I'm not saying we should take our children out of school for a fortnight during their GCSE's but what I am saying is that we should have a broader and more holistic approach to travel and education.

For me, I am happy taking my children out of school every 2-3 years for around 5 days to enjoy our family holiday until they are in year 8 (then it will be UK camping in the school holidays for a few years). I know in my heart of hearts that their education will not be affected by this and they will actually benefit from seeing some of the world. If I have the opportunity to show them life beyond Northumberland and the UK - I'm going to take it.

Finally I would like to end by saying that I am my children's parent. I know what's best for them and should be able to decide this. I DO NOT subscribe to the idea of living in some sort of nanny state where the Government dictate to us when we can take our own children on holiday.

You might like this article from Mini Travellers - remember, school fines do still need to be taken into consideration.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Exploring (or getting lost in) the Labyrinth at Cragside

We love Cragside and have visited on numerous occasions - as NT members it is free for us to explore and it's one of those places where every time you visit there is something new to discover. 

We started our latest visit with a picnic by the main lake near the entrance. OMG it was sooooo breezy here and Steve and I hadn't brought our coats! As soon as our picnic had been devoured we packed up and met up with grannie and grandad before driving through the estate to Crozier car park. 

Crozier car park is where you park if you'd like to visit Cragside's play area and I would highly recommend you do this as it's fab and our three love it. There are loo's up here plus and ice cream/coffee kiosk and plenty of picnic tables too. Thankfully it was a lot warmer up here and actually quite pleasant. 

The kids wanted to take part in the barefoot challenge which is next to the play park and free of charge. Grandad dutifully walked around with them and I think they enjoyed it!

The main reason for our visit though had been to visit the labyrinth - a part of Cragside we had yet to explore. The labyrinth has it's own car park but we decided to walk from the play area. It's just under one mile on easy terrain and you are rewarded with spectacular views of the countryside. There are 4 'trim trails' along the way too which help to break up the journey - they are basically mini obstacle courses. 

The entrance to the labyrinth kind of snuck up on us but to be honest we already felt like we'd been on a bit of an adventure as we'd walked past giant boulders, dens and ancient trees. 

Looking like real adventurers as we entered the Labyrinth

Walking around the labyrinth started off well - it seemed all pretty straight forward. However as we wandered deeper into the forest we had to choose which paths to take and after a few twists and turns it's fair to say we were lost. The kids loved it and I truly think they had a real 'labyrinth' experience.

In the centre of the labyrinth is a rather magical music box which was lovely to discover. You could pedal the swan boat too to light up a light bulb which pleased little miss. 

Parts of the labyrinth were very muddy, we had to duck under trees, climb hills and jump from boulders. We didn't bump into many people but when we did I asked them if they knew the way out to which they answered 'noooo' with a little bit of a chuckle. Hmmmmmm.......

In the end though, we made it! Hurrah! I have never felt more victorious. It felt like we were in there for hours but it was actually not much longer than 30 minutes........not sure if 'time flies when you are having fun' is an appropriate phrase here or not? 

Victory is ours! We survived the Labyrinth!

We walked back to the car on familiar territory feeling very relieved and proud of our achievement. It was a real team effort (albeit with the kids leading). Map My Walk informed us we'd walked just under 2.5 miles in total (from the play area, through the labyrinth and back again).

We decided to drive back to the main car park to explore the house. It was around 4:30pm at this point and we were disappointed to see the house had already closed. I had asked on entry what time the house would close and I was told as long as you are in before 5:30 pm it's fine. Hmmmm! I have to say I was annoyed for my in laws who had actually paid the more expensive entry fee to see the house. Nevermind though I suppose - there is always next time. I would advise to anyone visiting Cragside who would like to see the house though to stop here first.

We headed down the steps from the house to the river in hope of spotting some otters. We weren't lucky on this visit but it was a lovely pleasant stroll along the bridges and there are plenty of places to stop for a spot of pooh sticks. 

We ended up at the pump house near the entrance and it was nice to see this in action before it was time to climb the bank to the car park and head home. 

We were worn out after our trip to Cragside and the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home. It is such a lovely place for a family walk. I would advise the Labyrinth on days where the ground isn't too wet and think it is best suited for school-aged children and teens. Let the children take the lead and you may be surprised and their skills. 

Read about the walk from Cragside House to the play park here

Read more about the play park at Cragside here