I have always been fascinated by the history of individual buildings and the people who lived in them. About a week before the trip I booked a train ticket and found a good hotel deal. I decided to stay one night only and see how much I would manage to discover in 24 hours just by walking a few different neighbourhoods and soaking up the local atmosphere.
I made a shortlist of things I absolutely had to see and usually group those by area with spots for lunch or coffee preselected, which gives me a few things to aim for along the route without restricting me too much in terms of spontaneity. Here are a few of the things I especially enjoyed:. Fairly unassuming from the outside, you walk up a flight of quite dark stairs until you emerge into the most brilliantly designed by John Green , large yet cosy space every booklover would want to never ever leave again.
Apart from its undeniable instagram appeal, it was the friendliness and uncomplicated feel of the library that made it even more enjoyable. I was made feel welcome by an enthusiastic volunteer who worked as a librarian for 40 years and while it is an independent members library, everyone is encouraged to browse and explore the space.
It has always been a place to discuss books, not just for quiet contemplation, so if you want a guaranteed good experience on your visit, even just 10 minutes in here will lift your spirits.
In fact, I dare you to walk across any of them and not feel like wanting to take hundreds of pictures from the many possible angles. Newcastle is a lively city with a large student population and as I was lucky to have excellent weather during my visit, everyone was out and about enjoying the rays and a relaxed drink by the water.
