Recommendations for Newcastle?

I've noticed that there are a lot of UKY-ers in the Newcastle area . . . DH and I are considering taking a long weekend there, the 13-16th of March.  He's going to a geek convention maker's fair on Saturday, and I need a bit less of a tech-centric way to spend the day.  Any recommendations?  Thanks!

No real suggestions for how to spend the day, as I tend only to go to Newcastle for a specific purpose (visiting a particular shop, seeing a film at Tyneside, a gig or an event at the Civic Center), but if you're going to be there for a couple of days, make sure you go to Chinatown and have some delicious dim sum for me!!

What kind of things do you like to do? Newcastle has a little bit of everything, it seems.

If you like a bit of modern art, go to the Baltic which is on the Quayside and near all the bridges. The Laing Art Gallery is also nice.

The town centre shopping area is a good browse both in terms of actual shopping and Georgian architecture.

There is a castle but it's not really worth it IMO.

Ha! My boyfriend's going to the maker's fair too. He seems pretty psyched about it.

The Baltic is definitely nice (and free), and the castle's only something like a quid to get in. The Quayside area is just nice in general. There's also the Biscuit Factory and the Live Theatre in that area too.

Hmm, what else. You can head to my neck of the woods and see where Hadrian's Wall ends! There's a Roman fort there and one in South Shields (which is free, too).

Damn. Now I'm really missing home.

I hope you two have fun!

ETA: I thought of two more free things to see. The Bessie Surtees House near the Quayside and the Discovery Musuem. Hurray free things.

I've noticed that there are a lot of UKY-ers in the Newcastle area . . .

I'm just so tickled about this! 

I really wish I was going to the maker's fair, but I won't move until this summer.  I got the impression that the ones in the Bay area have been craftsy as well as tech-y.  But maybe not for Newcastle?

When I was there in October, I really enjoyed going to the Biscuit Factory and Seven Stories (a children's book museum--I was the only one there without a child, but I really like children's books, so it didn't bother me).  I also took the metro down to the coast a couple of times--the first time I just got off in West Monkseaton and wandered down to Whitley Bay and along the promenade.  I guess Whitley Bay has a bit of a reputation for being rowdy in the evenings, but I thought it was a lovely little village.  Nothing too exciting, mind you, but pretty and very relaxing.  There's also the Tynemouth Priory--it's not open for exploration every day, but it's quite striking even just to look at from the pavement. 

Now I'm getting excited about going to the Baltic and all these others someday!

Here's a link to the Discovery Museum and some other museums in the region:
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/

I hope you guys have fun!

Screw Newcastle. Take the bus to Alnwick and we will meet up for a pint.    Haha, I'm just jealous because I'm a lone wolf here in Northumberland. Someone come to see me!! 

Has anyone visited the Center for Life? Any good?

Thanks so much for the recommendations, everyone!  Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to go after all  :\\\'(  Our car wouldn't start this morning, DH got the RCA in to look at it, they fixed the starter problem but say that the alternator could go on the blink at any moment and really needs to be looked at.  We won't be able to get that done in time for the trip, and anyway DH had to trade one of the holiday days he had booked that weekend in exchange for not making it into work today.  We have to borrow his father's car until our one gets fixed, and that would never manage a 700 mile round trip.  So it's either spend more ££ to fly, or stay home (actually, we might go to the Eden Project, but it's not quite the same . . . DH is really bummed that he won't get to rub elbows with all the other geeks).  But thanks all the same!  Eventually we'll get up north, DH has friends and family in Yorkshire, but it may be a while.   

Aww, that sucks!!   I totally understand the trials and tribulations of dealing with unreliable cars.   

Hope you do get a change to get up this way sometime soon!

Aw, man! That's  . Is the Maker's Faire going to be an annual event like in Austin and the Bay Area?

Screw Newcastle. Take the bus to Alnwick and we will meet up for a pint.    Haha, I'm just jealous because I'm a lone wolf here in Northumberland. Someone come to see me!! 

My MIL drove DH and I through Northumbria on our way up to Edinburgh and we stopped off at Alnwick for a good walk around (although unfortunately, we didn't really have time to stop and see the castle) and well, words just cannot describe...

We also stopped off at Holy Island (almost got caught in the tide! eep!!) and it was just amazing. I'm still a Yorkshire girl at heart, but Northumbria is certainly up there in my books after last trip :-). DH and I are definitely planning to spend some time there when we manage to move over!!

/hijack 

Sorry you didn't get a chance to come up to Newcastle. You should come this summer, I bet it would be a nice drive then. Hopefully your car gets sorted soon!