Our Man in Newcastle

1 St James’ Park
Specifically the fact that it is in the centre of town. God botherer, BBC pundit and former Toon Star Gavin Peacock described it as being “up on the hill, in the centre of town – where the church should be.”

Gavin, you enjoy your church and I’ll worship at mine.

On match day, the whole city knows there is a game going on. That feels right. None of your out-of-town, flatpack, identikit, blando, modern grounds here.

2 The Ouseburn Square
There are various pubs that could have made this list but all the best ones are in stumbling distance of each other. It used to be a triangle, now it’s a square. The Free Trade wins for views and old style grubbiness, The Tyne for cosiness and friendliness, The Cluny for music and the arts and The Cumberland for outside drinking and ping pong played like you’ve never seen it before.

3. Tyneside Cinema
Our arthouse cinema has been on its holidays in the the ‘heed while its old home is done up. Excitingly it’s due to re-open in the Toon this Sunday. I’m not sure what to expect of the new look site but I think we’re still going to get velvet curtained loveliness. I just hope that fabulous street level coffee bar comes back too.

It was always one of the few places you could get a decent coffee without feeling like a corporate shmuck. Being surrounded by old Italian gadgeys reading foreign newspapers only added to the cosmopolitan feel.

Update: Tickets now on sale for first flurry of films in the new place.  Not exactly arthouse but I just booked two seats in the classic circle for the Indiana Jones flick. Can’t wait.

4. Hall 2 Sage Gateshead
Believe the hype. I tend to dislike places that other people harp on about just because I am awkward bastard but the Sage is breathtaking. It genuinely is. Absolutely awe inspiring (see my pic above). But the best bit is not the cavernously beautiful hall one, it’s the intimate hall two. The best place to watch music in Tyneside. Nah forget that – I can’t believe there is a better place in any city anywhere.

5. High Level Bridge
I could have gone for the iconic Tyne Bridge, the flash new Millennium Bridge but for me it’s the High Level every time. Solid, sturdy, unflashy and it suited Michael Caine a treat.

6. Civic Centre Rabbits
I like to think of them as our version of Ninja Mutant Hero Turtles. Fearless Urban Geordie Rabbits. The first time you see them you’re so surprised. Then eveytime you pass after that you can’t help but search for them.

They’re nearly always there. Brave little feckers. (Not to be confused with the Toon’s vampire rabbit)

7. Heaton Park/Jesmond Dene
Stretching from the comparatively mean streets of Heaton to the leafy suburbs of Jesmond – an absolutely gorgeous strip of green that really does make you feel like you’re deep in the heart of the country. In my early twenties I can recall getting very drunk with mates and deciding it would be fun to sleep on the rocks by the waterfall. Twenty minutes later we got spooked. Three hours later we were back in Heaton after incredibly getting lost walking home.

Oh and don’t miss the Shoe Tree.

8. The Metro to the Coast
Sun is shining? Head to the coast – you can be there in 15 minutes. The Metro is our tube, the only difference being is it’s actually pleasant to ride.

Old jowly tosspot Harry Redknapp reportedly said he didn’t want to manage Newcastle because he liked being by the coast. Look at a map dickhead.

9. The Monument
Speakers corners, meeting place and busker venue all rolled into one. The statue itself is pretty cool too but its just the space that really makes it work. It’s loved by Goths and office workers alike. The Christmas market is just too tasty. I am still losing the weight.

10 Baltic Viewing Platform
The art isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I know there is always something there that I enjoy seeing. But the best bit is still the view over the river and its bridges. I could do without the nanny state glass screens but still – nice. Very nice.

Feel free to add to the list in the comment box.  I am a bit short on restaurants - any ideas?

Update: Quite by chance two other Toon bloggers have posted their favourite things.  Look here and here for tales of Tyne Gods and post boxes.

As ever - not enough pictures on this blog.  But here’s a perfect excuse to include these shots.

The Port of Tyne has once more launched their Reflect Photo Awards.

There’s £500 for the winners plus a bunch of Jessops vouchers for runners up.  Basically the brief is pictures of the Tyne.  More details here.  Last year’s winners here.

My shots are all from the homeward leg of a recent ferry trip to Amsterdam.  Full set here.  Coolest Amsterdam hotel room ever here.

It occurs to me that ahead of the VSO event blogged below it might be of interest to look at the PDF here.  It essentially outlines the skill groups most needed.

It’s not exhaustive - as an example I knew a few VSO volunteers with hospitality and tourism skills.  In addition, though my background is journalism and PR I ended up a fundraiser.  I reasoned that fundraising was just publicising a lack of cash and what it was needed for. 

I guess I was half right but close enough.

Just remember everyone is there to teach.  The idea being that you don’t just do your job - you train someone else to replace you when you leave.   VSO will train you how to do this before you depart.

Two free Thinking Digital tickets available from www.bdaily.info

Please email competitions@bdaily.info with 50 words indicating what you feel you’d get out of the Thinking Digital Conference and what you bring to the conference community.

The deadline for competition entries is 2pm, Thursday 15 May. We’ll let the winners know by Friday lunchtime.

Discounted tickets, giveaways, competition prizes.  A last big push or panic? Has it all gone a bit Jay-Z?

If anyone manages to get their hands on a freebie or a discounted ticket then let me know how you managed it and I’ll pass it on.

More of me on Thinking Digital here and here.

I’ve agreed to do a (very) short talk as part of a Meet VSO event to take place in Newcastle.

It all happens at the Civic Centre from 7.30pm on June 10th.

There’ll be me and (I think) other ex volunteers all taking the stand for seven to eight minutes to tell our stories.  I believe there will also be an opportunity for questions too.

Not sure what form my speech will take but there might be some brief readings from Our Man in Hanoi detailing my experiences in Vietnam.

Just to reiterate, yet again, if you have ever thought about VSO but dismissed it for whatever reason - think again.  If your really want to do it then find a way.  If the problem is the mortgage, or the kids, then think about doing it in your retirement.  VSO just loves oldies.

Some more facts to dispel any myths:

1.  It’s not all floppy haired gap-year kids

2. It is people with skills and experience doing in the developed world what they get paid for back home.

3. It used to be all two-year stints but there are some shorter options now available.

4. You might end up in a mud hut in the middle of nowhere but, then again, you probably won’t.  I lived in rather a nice house.

5. While you’d be advised not to pick and choose too much, you can say what you’d be prepared to do and what you just couldn’t do without.  Don’t be too picky though or they might not be able to find anything.

6. You do get a living wage and your flights are paid for.  It’s enough to cover the basics.  Volunteering for VSO shouldn’t cost you anything.  You even get a resettlement grant when it’s all over.

VSO Flickr pool here. Facebook here.

As a final spur here’s a brief snippet of something I wrote about the experience:

“I am so proud of what we have achieved at KOTO.  So proud just to be a part of it.  So proud that the new KOTO is going happen. And if you’ll forgive me the indulgence, I’m proud I stuck it out.  Not just the two years but the extra time to see this through. 

“It is easily the single best thing I have ever done with my life.

“My future has many more adventures ahead but I will see and experience nothing like this ever again.  I am the luckiest guy in the world to do this.”

For more info, or if you’d like to attend, go here.