LIFE: Newcastle and My One University Regret

Eight years ago this week my life was packed into a car and I headed north to spend the next four years as a student at Newcastle University. Coming from a rural, back end of beyond kind of childhood, moving to the city was a big deal - it was exciting, a new start and certainly changed me for the better in many ways. Newcastle was really the only city, and only university I ever wanted to study at mainly due to family history of the north east, the culture and just loving the city in general. While I don't regret much in life and hindsight in a marvelous thing, but there is one thing I regret that I didn't do more of while in Newcastle - nope not the hangovers, missing seminars or cheap drinks, it was not making myself find the time to explore the city and the region more. 

If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know I love exploring my local area - be it around my hometown, York, Yorkshire and now Detroit and Michigan. This love for exploration in my locality only really started once I really got into taking photographs and more so through blogging. As I only started blogging in the last couple of months of completing my Masters in 2009, Newcastle and blogging never really crossed each other and I often wish it had. 

View towards the Tyne Bridge when the Tuxedo Princess floating nightclub (a hot spot for students on a Monday nights) with it's revolving dance floor but horrid smell of vomit - it closed in 2008 and by 2011 was sinking in the River Tees. The Monument which they decorated in the Toon colours.

I have no real excuse - after the fun of freshers I became a bit of a geek. Through being the first in my family, being working class and receiving a fair few bursaries and funding to even go to university I felt I had to prove myself and my worth at even being there, so I became a book worm and I'd feel guilty when I wasn't reading and researching. In hindsight I wish i'd taken then time at weekends to hop on the metro - visited Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, popped down to Wallsend to visit the eastern end of Hadrain's Wall to actually visiting the castle in Newcastle rather then merely walk pass it a couple of times. I somewhat kick myself when I think how Newcastle would have been a great base to pop up north to Edinburgh or Durham on the train. Oh hindsight how marvelous you are! Granted I often visited the Laing and the Baltic art galleries, but I could of done more, I wish i'd of breathed in more of the history, the life of Newcastle.

Granted I did go and visit things and many of my favorites include;

• Quayside Market - Sundays 9.30 am - 4 pm along the River Tyne under the Tyne Bridge
• Hancock Museum 
• Laing Art Gallery
• Jesmond Dene 
• Grainger Market - great fruit and veg stalls
• Walk along Gray Street - often voted as one of the finest streets in Britain
• Baltic Art Gallery
• The Sage Gateshead - even if your not seeing a music concert there, just going inside is awesome!
• Severn Stories - over in Ouseburn valley is the National Center for Children's Books, they often have some great meet and greets with authors there. 
• Heaton Park and it's castle
• St James' Park - a must if you're a football fan, our freshers flat had a view looking out to the stadium on one side. 

While i'm proud of my Geordie family roots and of being alumni of Newcastle University, I sadly took the city for granted, it was only a little over an hour on the train from York and I had imagined living and working there after university so exploring was always put off for another day. But as I have learnt all too well, life doesn't always work out how you ever dreamed it might and still I miss that city. 

The view from my attic bedroom window in my fourth year in looking south towards Byker. I spent three years after living in Newcastle itself living in Heaton. I miss a view of hills! 

So forgive me if I rattle on about Detroit or Michigan too much, i'm just documenting the places for myself to remember everything on my doorstep before life changes again. Reflecting and remembering my university city certainly makes me see that any place - a village to a city, even a country should never be taken for granted, it needs to be explored, enjoyed and lived in.

Did you explore your university city much? Where did you go to university? And if you've ever been to Newcastle i'd love to hear your favorite places to visit!