A city revamped
Newcastle Upon Tyne has contributed many great things to the world.
It gave us Newcastle Brown Ale, Sid the Sexist, Ant & Dec, Gazza, the Geordie language, and of course the warm, friendly Geordies themselves.
Having lived in Newcastle for a year, we headed back this past weekend for one final visit — a chance to say goodbye to a city we love and to some very good friends.
The Quayside: From Coal to Culture
The Quayside was once the commercial heart of the city, where coal from the surrounding mines was loaded onto ships and sent across the UK.
In the past two decades, it has been completely transformed — regenerated from old factories and mills into one of the grandest quaysides in the country. Now it’s lined with bars, restaurants, hotels, riverside apartments, and a brilliant Sunday market on both sides of the Tyne.
Landmarks like The Sage, The Baltic Centre, and the Millennium Bridge have reshaped the skyline forever.
The Sage & The Baltic
The Sage, opened in 2004, is a musical education and performance centre. Its curved glass design is instantly recognisable and now a defining feature of the Quayside.
Next door is The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, opened in 2002. Once a flour mill, it’s now the world’s largest gallery of its kind — a symbol of Gateshead’s regeneration.
Entry is free, and the observation deck offers fantastic views over the river and city. On the top floor is Six, a superb restaurant where I once famously asked the waitress what kind of gravy came with my meal. She replied, with the sort of tone that could curdle milk: “It’s not gravy. It’s jus.” Chips and jus for me next time.
The Bridges
The Millennium Bridge, opened in 2001, connects Newcastle and Gateshead as a pedestrian footbridge. It tilts to let ships pass underneath, earning it the nickname the winking eye bridge.
There are seven bridges in total crossing the Tyne, the most iconic being the Tyne Bridge itself. Built in 1928, its design was inspired by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Shame the Aussies didn’t repay the favour by sending over some sunshine.
Nightlife: Legendary for a Reason
Newcastle’s nightlife is legendary — famous for its women who wear nowt when oot on the tap (translation: wearing very little when out drinking).
The Bigg Market, named after a type of barley once sold there, has been a trading spot since the 12th century. Today, on a weekend, it becomes the epicentre of debauchery. Walk through at 2am and you’ll quickly understand why it’s sometimes called the Pig Market — dodging trails of urine, puddles of vomit, and the occasional stag‑do punch‑up. It’s Saturday night carnage at its finest.
But step away from the Bigg Market and you’ll find some brilliant bars scattered around the city.
Ouseburn: The Cool Bit
One of our favourite areas is Ouseburn, walkable from the Quayside and just east of the centre.
The pubs here are old, traditional, and full of character — great for live music and real ale. Places like The Cluny, The Cumberland Arms, The Free Trade Inn and The Tyne Bar make for a cracking pub crawl away from the madness of the centre.
A City With History
Newcastle’s history runs deep. It began as a Roman settlement, and Emperor Hadrian built the first bridge across the Tyne in the early 2nd century. Hadrian’s Wall stretched across to what is now Newcastle, and the Romans built a fort here called Pons Aelius.
The city gets its modern name from the Norman era, when William the Conqueror’s eldest son, Robert Curthose, built a new castle on the site of that Roman fort. A settlement grew around it — and the rest, as they say, is history.
Seeya Gan Canney
So it’s seeya gan canney — goodbye — to Newcastle.
This weekend has been a joy, a final wander around what we’d happily call our second home. Even on this last visit, we met new faces who showed us that trademark Geordie warmth.
We managed to avoid the Bigg Market last night, so with all teeth still intact, we’re heading south on the East Coast train line one last time.
