To love living in the North East?

[DrSeuss]

Following yesterday's thread about the "horrors" of living in Manchester and the North in general, what do you love most about the North East? Where do you recommend people to visit? What aspects of life do you like best here? I would nominate Durham, especially the cathedral, the fish and chips in Whitby and the architecture of Grainger Street. Anyone else?

There used to be a great italian on Gosforth High Street, Newcastle called Made in Italy. I have many a fond memory in there. Closed when the boss 'Mr Grumpy Knickers' died I think.

I would move back to Newcastle in an instant - if my in-laws weren't there!

I love Durham, love living here and visiting it! Also like Teesside

Chips by the harbour at Seahouses - nothing better!

Also love the walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh then onto The Ship at Low Newton by Sea.

Sooo relaxing holidaying on the Northumbrian coast!

I have a lovely piece of original artwork on my wall - the only piece of such i own. It is of the beach/dunes at Bamburgh. Then my friend told me that was where he lost his virginity! I can't look at beautiful picture in quite the same way again!

AuntGertrude,.. i must tell you this: i am another Geordie being held hostage in North Yorkshire by my fabulous Dh, but when I first came to live here I went into a massive tesco and asked for a quarter of pease pudding...well, you'd think I'd asked for the head of john the Baptist on a silver salver or some freshly carved raw horse flesh in pot! They had NO clue what I was saying - piss pud in? peace pudun? and were horrified at the thought when I explained.

It was hilarious - I was astounded that noone knew what I was asking for!! I now smuggle it over the border with proper stottie cakes

I lived in NuT for 7 years, loved it (and I hate cities!), loved the coast, loved Northumberland, loved days out to Durham. The Tyneside Cinema and fish and chips on Tynemouth Pier. The only bit of the NE i dislike is The Metro Centre!

Moved "south" to Sheffield for a job (not just a different, a job at all). Would moved back to NE at the drop of a hat.

Pushka, it makes sense to me and I'm a Londoner. I thought everyone knew what pease pudding is!

Vallhala - well that is a releif! That void between London and Tyneside has just been renamed Middle Earth - where no Pease Pudding grows!! ( I love it here too, really )

YANBU I really miss living in Durham (went to uni there and worked there for a little time afterwards). A little bit of my heart is still there. I have not lived anywhere remotely as beautiful - I live in Reading now! If you could cut out Durham and stick it somewhere in the south I'd live there again in an instant - it's just all my family live down here now.

Hi ChezzaB - another person who lives in Scarborough here! Great for natural wonders etc, although can be a cultural vaccuum!
Any others from the lovely Scarborough way??

What about Druridge Bay? The drive up there is like driving through a early 1980's nuclear film but once you get there it is a beautiful sight to see.

And Bamburgh is where i want to end my days - morbid but soooo true! I am convinced i am Grace Darling reincarnated!

Summerbird I remember happy times drinking Thunderbird at Druridge Bay watching the sun rise. And freezing.

Is Klute still going strong in Durham? Please don't tell me those sticky floors are gone forever...

I never drank thunderbird but did drink 20/20

spikybinkle that is very 'Hippy Northumbrian' i like it

I buy pease pudding for my parents when they come to visit. They take it home south and eke it out. Once upon a time I used to buy it at Presto's in the Millburngate Centre.

Fish & chips at Seahouses - not much better than that either.

Or those huge pizzas they used to do at La Stalla on North Road in Durham.

Scarborough is great, even though I don't count it technically as North-East. Some relatives have a sea-front flat on the site of the old barracks on the North cliff which we've used for holidays many a time. I batted a tennis ball over there in 1975 when it was still a barracks and always think I'll find it when we visit, and I walk down to where the old chairlifts used to go from.

How about Hexham in Northumberland with the infamous dontinos night spot? Sticky floors and a fight with a bouncer guaranteed every night.
Apart from that, Hexham is a lovely place, as is the North East in general. (especially when Newcastle win )

my DH says that the fact the I don't like pease pudding is the thing that makes me stand out as a non-native...!

Klute is certainly still there but have not frequented it for many moons now. The floors, the stickiness... wasn't it once voted the worst nightclub in Europe?!

A bit seasonal, but the christmas fayre at Beamish also one of the best things about the NE

I sincerely hope Klute was the worst nightclub in Europe. I'd hate to think that there were any even worse places out there. I'd forgotten about those giant pizzas

spiggy East, West or Colliery? :)

One thing great about Sunderland I can't believe I forgot: The Air Show in July. All those planes flying over the sea. Fabulous! :o

Does anyone else remember the vile fish shop on the Market Square in Durham? Not Bimbi's, the one on the same side as Boots. They were rumoured to change the chip fat annually!

YANBU. I have lived in the NE for 8 years (moving from the NW) and love it here for all the reasons mentioned and more.

I live in a town outside Durham (not Crook though). We can hear the sheep from our backgarden but I can be in Durham city / Newcastle city in 20 - 35mins.

It is very friendly, not a bit pretentious (at least not where I live) but it is bloody cold

muddling -East- which DP claims is vastly superior to the others as he is a native

Surely you can't beat the Boat (now long gone) and the revolving (AKA revolting) dancefloor for ultimate nightclub tackiness?

For anyone who lives near S Shields I recommend the Orangegrass restaurant. Fab Thai food. We usually go at lunchtime when it is quiet and if the kids start playing up the waitress takes them away to another table and keeps them occupied so you can finish a meal in peace.

Hey Travispickles, good to know there are others out there. I love Scarborough but can see where you're coming from. There is just always something that seems to pull me back no matter how far I move away I always end up back here.

Littlepushka - your post about peaspudding really made me laugh. Whenever I visit my brother who moved to scotland I have to take pounds of peas pud and proper stotties.

AuntGetrude - pleease tell me where your secret each is. Promise I will not tell a soul(wink)

Beach!

I live in teesside in thenorth east , affordable and all my family live in the area so thats the number one thing. Followedf by fish and chips and whitby ahh whitby is ace, yarm for an afternoon of noce food and getting peed up with my friends, jumping on a train for £9 return to lovely york for gettingpissed shopping with the girls. Being close to countyryside roseberry topping hikes, the lakes not so far away etc... lovely people.