Newcastle upon Tyne; Thursday, 13 August, 2009

Whilst my going to sleep may have been disturbed by a fire alarm, I was slightly less impressed when I was rudely awaken by yet another fire alarm, this time someone burning toast at breakfast, by cooking it in their own room!, thought they did at least stop the alarm before everyone had to evacuate.

I headed out into town to Central Station to pick up the city sightseeing tour of Newcastle Gateshead. I did one complete circuit and continued round on the second circuit to the bus stop right by the hotel (which, if I had bothered to check I would have found this morning saving myself the hefty walk up hill!). I wasn’t going to the hotel, instead I was just in time to watch one of the most impressive sights in Newcastle Gateshead, the sight of the millennium bridge tilting up to allow a ship to pass underneath.

Having watched the bridge perform its magic, I crossed over it and went into the Baltic Mill. Formerly a flower mill today it is the regions premier modern arts complex and the centre piece of the regeneration of this part of Gateshead. Having looked around the mill, and taken in the views from the roof top terrace, I wandered the short distance along the quayside to the regions premier music venue the Gateshead Sage.

From the sage it was a short walk back across the High Bridge to the New Castle, the building that gave the city its name. After looking around the castle, and grabbing a quick bite to eat, I hopped on a train out to Prudhoe to take in the castle there.

From Prudhoe it was back to Newcastle and the final stops of the day at the Anglican Cathedral of St Nicholas and the Black Gate, former gatehouse of the castle, now separated from it by the railway line.

I headed back to the hotel for some well earned rest, and some dinner.