12 Step Planet: Newcastle

Why should I go?
Contrary to its image of coal, shipbuilding and ‘it’s grim up north’, Newcastle is a modern, thriving city replete with great restaurants, cafes, bars and venues. In addition to The Sage concert hall, there’s also the Baltic, a very impressive modern art gallery in a converted flour mill. While there, I was invited to take part with Yoko Ono in her Onochord event. She gave us all a flashlight, so we could beam out the message “I love you” to the rest of the world (don’t ask). Yoko was in Newcastle for the opening of her provocative exhibition, Between The Sky and My Head, which occupies two floors of the Baltic until March 15 and is well worth a visit.
Why should I not go?
Don’t go if your ideal break must feature sun, sea and sangria. Newcastle is a place for doing things (meeting people, attending gigs and exhibitions, eating out), but not for lazing by the pool.
What’s my challenge?
See if you can track down Chris Phipps. He came to Newcastle from Birmingham over 25 years ago for three months to produce the first series of The Tube. It was to become a groundbreaking TV series and Chris hasn’t gone home since! He’s a serious and passionate rock fan, and a great admirer of Thin Lizzy, and he’ll happily recall such adventures as the day he lost Iggy Pop.
How do I get there?
There are flights to Newcastle Airport from Dublin, and the beauty is that the journey takes only 45 minutes. In other words, Newcastle is nearer than London and far easier to navigate. Aer Lingus has five flights per week from Dublin, while Jet2 will have one flight daily from Cork every Friday and Sunday from late March through to mid-October. Ryanair flies twice a day from Dublin and once daily from Shannon. All flight detail available on: www.newcastleairport.com
When should I go?
Any time, really. It depends on what you want to see or visit. Football fans should note that the hallowed turf of Newcastle United is close to the centre of the city. Newcastle is also a very active arts and culture location, with music events taking place virtually every day. In December I saw Joan As Policewoman turn in a sparkling gig at the Sage Theatre, just across the River Tyne on the Gateshead side.
What’s the touristy thing you have to do?
It’s a crime to visit Newcastle and not drink Newcastle Brown Ale on draught, especially if you were a fan of The Animals or Lindisfarne. You should also cross the Millennium Bridge which curves across the Tyne. Watch out for it “blinking” like a human eye as it raises and lowers to make way for river traffic. If you need your hand held while sightseeing, track down tour guide Jan Williams. Williams makes the effort to tailor the tour to your personal interests so that it becomes more like a stroll with a mate.
What should I avoid?
Newcastle women have decided to dispense with coats when out clubbing, even on the coldest winter nights. This is apparently because it saves all that bother of having to find your cloakroom ticket and then having to find the cloakroom. But if your body isn’t already inured against the sharp winds that blow in from the North Sea during the winter, you’d be best to avoid shedding that coat until you are properly battle-hardened.
How much to get tanked?
With sterling now almost at par with the euro, you’ll find drinking is considerably cheaper than in Ireland. There’s no scarcity of enjoyable pubs, including Bacchus, Tilley’s, Bodega, The Bridge, and The Hotspur. But the Crown Posada at 31 The Side is particularly good, not having much in the way of distracting televisions or jukeboxes, so you can concentrate on the pleasure of sampling the local beers. It’s one of the oldest pubs in town and is rich in character. The decor is a mixture of wooden and mirrored wall panelling and the bar has a high ornate ceiling. Opposite the bar you’ll see terrific portraits and pictures of sailing ships on the Tyne.
What about dining?
The centre of Newcastle has more fine restaurants then you’ll need. Cafe Vivo in Broad Chare near the Tyne is an excellent Italian restaurant with an arts vibe. Not far away is Cafe 21, which has a real buzz about it and some great food and service. All menus tend to be varied and not overly expensive. Even with four courses, an aperetif and a decent bottle of wine, you’ll probably easily have change out of €100 for two.
Where can I stay?
The Hotel du Vin is a small, cosy modern hotel close to the Tyne and with great views along the river. It has a reserved English feel to it, but without being stuffy. It’s only a short walk to the centre of the city and all the main attractions. It used to be a shipping merchants office, and has dispensed with room numbers and given each room the name of a well-known drinks brand. Ours was Mouton Rothschild. The small bar is relaxing, and the staff, all unfailingly pleasant and helpful, will be happy to advise you on, say, the best local ales.
What should I get to bring home?
I brought home pieces of a smashed pottery vase that Yoko Ono gave to various people with the intention of us all reconvening with our shards 10 years from now. Sterling/euro parity makes clothes and drinks particularly attractive at the present time.

RECOMMENDED!

RESTAURANTS

Cafè Vivo
29 Broad Chare
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DQ
Tel: (0044) 191 232 1331
E-mail: [email protected]
www.caffevivo.co.uk

Café 21
Trinity Gardens
Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2HH
Tel: (0044) 191 222 0755

The Living Room
12 Grey Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
Telephone: (0044) 191 255 4450
www.greystreethotel.com

CAFES

Cafe 8
8 Regent Terracne
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE8 1LU
Tel: (0044) 191 490 1705

Quadrata Cafe Bar
Central Square
Forth Street
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ
Tel: (0044) 191 261 1468

Scandals
Phoenix House
4 Queen Street
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3UG
Tel: (0044) 191 261 8117

Coffee Beans Cafe
3 Eldon Square
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7JG
Tel: (0044) 191 222 0213

The Side Cafe Bar
1-3 Side
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3JE
Tel: (0044) 191 261 4224

PUBS

Crown Posada
31 The Side
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3JE
Tel: (0044) 191 2321269

Tilleys
104 Westgate Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AF
Tel: (0044) 191 2320692

The Newcastle Arms
57 St. Andrews Street
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5SE
Tel: (0044) 191 232 3567

The Bodega
125 Westgate Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AG
Tel: (0044) 191 2211552

HOTELS

Hotel du Vin
Allan House
City Road
Newecastle Upon Tyne NE1 2AP
Tel: (0044) 191 229 2200
www.hotelduvin.com

Malmaison
Quayside
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 3DX
Tel: (0044) 191 245 5000
www.malmaison-newcastle.com

DEPARTURES

Room to Romania
Moby, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Iggy Pop, Manowar and Motorhead are among the first batch of acts to be confirmed for Romania’s B’Estfest, which takes place in Bucharest from July 1 to 5. Tickets are available from www.myticket.ro/#bilete and cost a bargain 420 ron (€99). Because the Romexpo site is only 15 minutes from the city centre, there’s no camping. Not a problem because double-rooms in the Dalin Center Hotel (Stefan Cel Mare 33 A. www.booking.com) and similar 4 star establishments are available for just €65 per night.
While admittedly a little frayed round the edges, Bucharest is a great city to kickback in: must-visits including the 3,100-room Parliament Palace, which was completed five year’s before Nicolae Ceausescu got a rope round his neck, and an old town that’s stepped straight out of a Bram Stoker novel.
Aer Lingus fly direct to Bucharest every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

An Ace up their sleeve
If you’re looking for rock ‘n’ roll lodgings in Manhattan, let us point you in the direction of the Ace Hotel (20W 29th Street, New York City, NY 10001. Tel. 001 212 679 2222. www.acehotel.com/newyork), which opens in March with introductory $99 a night rates. The retro feel extends to a ‘70s record player and a stack of vinyl in each of the rooms.
Part of a chain that already takes in Portland, Palm Springs and Seattle, the Ace will also house an as-yet-unnamed eatery presided over by culinary NYC hotshots Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield.
“It’ll have a turn-of-the-century New York vibe, with curtained booths and a vintage, charred-oak floor,” reports the eater.com blog, “and specialise in ‘nose-to-tail-cooking.’ Eat the trotters, eat the ears, eat the head – it’s definitely not a place for vegetarians to feel good in!”
So, that’s a spineburger and side of entrails for us then.

Morocco for you, too
Good news for U2 fans who want to check out the city that inspired No Line On The Horizon – Royal Air Maroc subsidiary Atlas Blue has started direct flights between Gatwick and Fes-Saïss Airport for around £295 return. Not cheap compared to a charter to, say, Agadir, but once you’re there suites in the likes of Riad El Amine (94/96 Bouajjara, Bab Jdid R’cif. www.booking.com) are a bargain €125 a night.
Of similar design to the Riad El Yacout where Bono and the boys brainstormed musical ideas in 2007 with Daniel Lanois and Eno, it’s on the edge of the city’s ancient medina, which dates back to the 8th century and is far less touristy than its Marrakech counterpart.
There are no price tags, so prepare to haggle hard!

Cash for crash
The 150 passengers whose US Airways flight crash-landed in the Hudson last month have been given $5,000 compensation to cater for their “immediate needs” such as the loss of personal computers and mobile phones… Having been somewhat laissez-faire in the past about hand luggage, Ryanair are now strictly enforcing the one 10kg bag person rule and imposing a £30 penalty on anyone presenting at the gate with additional items. If you’re not prepared to pay, you don’t travel… Aer Lingus is investing £100 million in a new base at London Gatwick, which will open in April and facilitate new flights to Malaga, Munich, Nice, Vienna, Dublin, Knock, Faro and Zurich… British Airways has vowed to half its net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050… Vilnius’ status as the 2009 European Capital of Culture has been dented by the Lithuanian state airline, FlyLAL, going out of business. There are also aviation industry fears for Thai Airways who’ve applied for an emergency £618 million loan to keep operating… Wildcat UK strikers aren’t the only xenophobes out there with the Italian city of Lucca banning foreign food restaurants…