Road to the North Pole

 Hi Everyone,

This Christmas, Road to the North Pole is coming to Newcastle Arena. It is a fully immersive 90 minute experience filled with all things Christmas related. There are currently plenty of tickets available and prices starting at £24.50 for early bird admission.

"Road to the North Pole is a premium Christmas attraction located in Central Newcastle. It combines high quality theatrical performances, costumes and state of the art scenery with spectacular storytelling to create the most magical, immersive, walkthrough Christmas experience the North East has to offer. You and your family must work​ together to help save Christmas from Jack Frost. You will get the chance to meet some of your favourite Christmas characters, play lots of exciting games and even make some take home crafts all topped off with a very personal meeting with the REAL Santa where they will receive their very own Christmas gift." (Info from Road to the North Pole)

Full details about this event can be found here Road to the North Pole

Jarrow Hall

 Hi Everyone,

Yesterday we visited  Jarrow Hall . At the moment only the Farm and the Village are open which we found perfect for a few hours of fresh air.

The farm is very well set out and the animals all seemed thrilled to see us. We had a lot of fun feeding and petting them, especially the goats who were very keen to get some treats. The farm is set up to try and match how it would have been in Anglo-Saxon times and the animals are also in keeping with the time. There are goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, bulls and ponies. 

At the end of the farm there is a small Anglo-Saxon village with various buildings to explore. While in the village, we came across an 'anglo-saxon' making some repairs to the village meeting hall. He was extremely friendly and explained all about the building methods he was using and the different ways the buildings were used. He also spent alot of time telling us about life in Anglo-Saxon times and was very happy to answer questions for the kids. He definitely enhanced the day.

The staff on whole were amazing, one gentleman was telling us about the pigs and why they had that specific breed at the farm. Another staff member made the kids names into how they would have written in Anglo-Saxon times along with their ages and talked about the way words were written which the kids loved. They are definitely a credit to Jarrow Hall.

There are picnic tables, toilets and the gift shop is open. If you prefer to not bring your own food, the Hive cafe which is close by is also open.

The price of entry is also very reasonable £7 for adults and £4 for children over 5. This price includes admission for the rest of the year so it really is a bargain. 

You do need to pre-book before you attend but we found lots of slots were available.

You could team your visit with a trip to the local park, ruins and River. More details can be found here: St Paul's Monestry and River Don

Roseberry Topping

 Hi everyone,

Yesterday, we decided to stretch our legs with a little walk up The National Trusts Roseberry Topping in Newton Under Roseberry which is just over an hour away from South Shields. The site is free to visit and there is car park at the base that is pay per hour although we noticed several other free of charge options on the way out.

The walk is advertised as around 30 minutes.  We took a leisurely stroll and did the walk in about an hour each way so I would be surprised at anyone completing the full walk in 30 minutes unless they are very fit. The trail is suitable for all ages, we saw toddlers and walkers of an older age climbing to the summit. The climb is steep but not too taxing. There are many points to stop for a rest and even if you don't make it to the very top the views all the way up are stunning.

The walk takes you through the forest by the old hunting hut and on to the top of Roseberry Topping.  Just to reiterate there are stunning views along the way up.

We were lucky enough to have a magical moment when we got to the top as it started to snow which just topped a memorable day.

There are public toilets located in the car park along with picnic benches.

You can find more information on Rosemary Topping here:

Roseberry Topping National Trust

  

Go North East Staycation Service

 Hi Everyone,

Some great news from Go North East to help us make this summer a great one. They are offering direct services to Whitby, Scarborough, Beamish museum along with the Toon Tour bus and Handrians Wall Country bus.

The busses will operate weekends from 17th April, daily from May 31st and weekends again 2nd and 31st October.

 You can find more details about routes and timings at Go North East

Dinosaur Encounter Morpeth

 Hi Everyone,

Yesterday the girls wanted to have a 'yes day' after watching the film currently on Netflix (well worth a watch). At first we were a bit hesitant but we thought they deserved a treat so why not.

They both decided on playing mini golf somewhere they hadn't been before so we settled on Dinosaur Encounter Morpeth. It turned out to be a very good choice. The course consists of 12 holes and as the name suggests is Dino themed.

The course although a little smaller than some others we have visited was very well set out and very well kept. We thought it was perfect for our daughters aged of 8 and 11 who thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There are also lots of opportunities for some fun Dino selfies while playing too.

The golf course is within Dobbies Garden Centre so we were able to spend some time looking at the fish and flowers too which kept us very entertained (we definitely need to visit an aquarium after lockdown). 

We teamed our golf trip up with a visit to the lovely Carlisle Park to finish the day off nicely. We would definitely recommend a visit here as it is situated on the banks of the stunning river Wansbeck and there is lots to keep the family entertained. You can read our past review here Carlisle Park review.

As part of yes day we had a McDonald's for dinner and pizza for tea, and we now have a cinema tent erected from duvet covers. It has been a lovely fun filled day and definitely one we will remember.

Carlisle Park

Carlisle Park in Morpeth is about 40mins drive from South Shields but is well worth it. The park has lovely gardens, a aviary, forest walk, play park and a full size paddling pool which is now open. It also has the nicest toilets I have ever seen in a park complete with a baby changing room, I had to take a photo as they were that nice!

At the edge of the park is a lake with ducks and row boats and immediately outside there are lots of lovely shops including a fish and chip shop and an ice cream shop.

Parking is free for 3 hours with a disk which costs £1 if you don't already have one. There are quite a few parking spots near by so would be easy to move the car if you were wanting to stay longer.

This park is definitely worth a visit if you fancy a change from your locals.

Back to Nature at Cragside National Trust

 #ad Hi Everyone,

We spent a lovely day at Cragside this Good Friday and it was so lovely to be back visiting such a beautiful location.

Every time we visit Cragside, we find ourselves on a different route as the site is just so vast. This visit, we took a stroll around the lake with hot chocolates purchased from the cafe (takeaway only). We later ate our picnic at one of the tables over looking the lake which was a simply stunning view.

We then moved on to explore the river and the rocky paths leading up to the main house (currently closed due to covid restrictions). The scenery around Cragside is breathtaking and there are so many points to stop and admire it, with ample seating options.

After this, we moved onto the formal garden which was so peaceful and was filled with flowers. We also enjoyed watching the sheep milling around the adjacent field.

From here, we took a beautiful drive up to the higher parts of the site. Again we walked along another stunning lake and were able to have a peek at the play area which is currently under construction. We can't wait to go back when it is finished as it looks amazing. In this area there are more walks and a fantastic labyrinth. We didn't take on the challenge this visit but you can find previous reviews at NotBoredOurDoors . The labyrinth is always lots of fun and well worth a visit.

Cragside is such a vast site we find it impossible to do everything in one visit. For us this means there is always something new to discover whenever we go. The site is suited to all ages and it was lovely to see a range of families enjoying themselves today.

If you wish to go Cragside it, like most National Trust properties, is working on a booking system to ensure the site never becomes to busy. We personally think this works really well for a more relaxed feel. The site is also free for members, if your not already a member membership can be bought here:

National Trust Membership