The Tyne And Wear area is located in the Northeast of England (see map ) adjacent to the North Sea coast. There have been many arguments over time as to where this area actually starts and ends, most importantly as to whether you are a Geordie or a Mackam, but for the purposes of this guide, I'll be concentrating on the major towns of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Whitley Bay, South Shields, Tynemouth and Sunderland and their surrounding areas. I'll hold my hands up in shame as I admit this site will ultimately be a tourist guide to the region, but I hope it will appeal to everyone. My main interests revolve around pubs and clubs and if thats what you want, then you've come to the right place since Newcastle-Upon-Tyne was recently voted one of the top ten party cities in the world! The Bigg Market is world famous and must be the only place in the world where the women seem to wear less clothes as the weather gets colder!! If pubs, clubs, getting drunk and being violently sick isn't really your thing, there's still plenty for you to do around Tyne And Wear. The coast around Whitley Bay, and between South Shields and Sunderland, is absolutely lovely in all weather (OK, apart from when you can't see it due to the fog) and there are numerous parks and gardens as well as the scenic Tyne Valley for you to explore. You see, something for everyone!! And of course, the most important thing, the people who live here are just about the friendliest you will find anywhere in the world - and even moreso after a few beers!
What else is the North East famous for then? Beer of course! There are still a number of breweries dotted around the region including Newcastle Breweries who dish up that most famous drink of them all, Newcastle Brown Ale. And right across the road from the home of the broon stuff lies St James' Park, Newcastle United FC's ground which leads me on to another passion of many around here - Football. The other major team in the area is Sunderland FC, who play at the brand spanking new Stadium Of Light, and local derby days are a lively affair to say the least. Nearly everyone supports one team or the other, and some people even support both!
Industries which used to be the lifeblood of Tyne and Wear, namely Shipbuilding and Coal Mining, have largely disappeared to be replaced by a huge number of call centres and electronics factories, some more successful than others, but generally the area nowadays is pretty prosperous. If you do come to visit, I guarantee you'll have a great time, and if you try out one or two pub crawls, you'll have an even better time! Gan Canny like.
This Page Was Last Updated On Friday 12th May 2000 At 0300