The When-We-Can North East bucket list: the things we are looking forward to doing after lockdown
Most of these are things we can’t - and shouldn’t - do right now, but when we can, here’s 100 ways to celebrate the best of the North East
by Graeme Whitfield1. Take a walk through Durham Cathedral
2. Have a Greggs sausage roll (vegan or regular, your choice)
3. Explore Bamburgh Castle
4. Take the funicular up the cliffs at Saltburn
5. Go to a concert at The Sage Gateshead
6. Check out the vampire rabbit behind Newcastle Cathedral
7. Walk to the top of the head at Northumberlandia
8. Ride a tram at Beamish
9. Get the train across the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick
10. Do the Great North Run (or cheer someone across the finish line)
11. Walk Hadrian’s Wall (or a stretch of it, at least)
12. Climb Grey’s Monument
13. Have a parmo in Middlesbrough
14. Do “the Angel” at the Angel of the North
15. Get a boat to the Farne Islands
16. Have a pink slice in Sunderland
17. Get your picture taken with Andy Capp in Hartlepool
18. See the Pitmen Painters’ artwork at Woodhorn
19. Watch the opening of Fenwick’s Windows
20. Have a crab sandwich in Craster...
21. ...and then walk along the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle
22. Check out the Tommy sculpture at Seaham...
23. ...and then have an ice cream at Lickety Split
24. Walk to High Force
25. Have a picnic in Jesmond Dene
26. Have a lemontop at Redcar
27. See the automated swan at Bowes Museum
28. Do an experiment at the Centre for Life
29. Climb Roseberry Topping
30. Have afternoon tea at one of the Running Fox bakeries
31. Go to the Hoppings
32. See the Zurbarans at Auckland Castle
33. Visit the North Pennines AONB
34. Have fish’n’chips at Colmans
35. Take the Tyne ferry...
36. ...then come back through the Tyne pedestrian tunnels
37. Cross the Tees on the Transporter Bridge
38. Check out Newcastle’s Lit and Phil
39. Explore HMS Trincomalee at Hartlepool
40. Take the riverside walk around the peninsula in Durham City
41. Explore the region’s railway heritage at Locomotion in Shildon
42. Find out why the Raby Hunt has two Michelin stars
43. Cross the causeway – when it’s safe! – to Holy Island
44. Walk through the Victoria Tunnel in Newcastle
45. Visit Sunderland’s Winter Gardens
46. Go on the roof to check out the views from The Sill
47. Go on the roof to check out the views from The Word in South Shields
48. Have a stroll around the Fish Quay at North Shields
49. Browse (and buy!) at Barter Books
50. Walk up the hill to Penshaw Monument
51. Have a pint – and take in the view – from the Free Trade Inn
52. See the New Year’s Eve tar barrels at Allendale
53. Check out the rhododendrons at Cragside
54. Take a surfing lesson at Longsands in Tynemouth...
55. ...then get lunch at Riley’s Fish Shack at King Edward’s Bay
56. Take in an exhibition at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.
57. Visit Souter Lighthouse
58. Have a drink or a meal – why not both? on Newcastle’s Quayside
59. Immerse yourself in English history at Jarrow Old Hall and St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth
60. Go climbing at Alnwick Treehouse
61. Check out the deer park (and the art) at Raby Castle
62. Take in the art at Baltic...
63. ...or the Laing
64. ...or Mima
65. Have a meal at the House of Tides
66. See a victory at St James’ Park...
67. ...or the Stadium of Light...
68. ...or the Riverside Stadium...
69. Walk the sculpture trail at Kielder
70. Watch a foreign film at the Tyneside Cinema
71. See the Swing Bridge swing...
72. ...and the Millennium Bridge tilt
73. Walk from Bellingham to Hareshaw Linn
74. Relive your childhood at Seven Stories
75. Go star gazing at the Kielder observatory
76. See a play at the Theatre Royal...
77. ...or the Sunderland Empire
78. ...or Darlington’s Civic Theatre
79 ...or the Live Theatre
80. Hire a rowing boat at Durham
81. Cheer on the Newcastle Eagles
82. Have a walk at Gibside
83. Spend a leisurely day watching the cricket at the Durham Riverside
84. Climb to the top of Newcastle castle (and enjoy the views)
85. Listen to the kittiwakes on the Tyne Bridge
86. Rent a beach hut at Blyth
87. Go on the curry train to Corbridge
88. Explore the grounds at Wallington
89. Get a little boat across the river to the Hermitage at Warkworth
90. Go mountain biking in Hamsterley Forest
91. Sing Jimmy Nail’s ‘Big River’ close to the Tyne
92. Visit the Train sculpture at Darlington
93. Check out the Chillingham Wild Cattle in Northumberland
94. Climb up to Captain Cook’s Monument at Great Ayton
95. Cross the Tees on the Transporter Bridge
96. Explore Roman history at Chesters, Housesteads and Vindolanda
97. Have food and a drink under the Tyne Bridge at By the River Brew Co
98. Get sweaty at a gig at the Cluny
99. Check out the revival of Spanish City at Whitley Bay
100. Take in all the local history offer at the Great North Museum: Hancock and Newcastle’s Discovery Museum