50 Good Things about the North East -and one more

My friend @sbl76 challenged me to find 50 good things about the North East. I found 51 in 10 minutes. You can add a few more if you like.

1. The Sage Gateshead
2. The Baltic ArtGallery
3. Grey Street
4. Greggs
5. Wor accent
6. Jimmy Nail
7. Sir Bobby
8. Shearer
9. Niall Quinn– okay, he’s technically Irish but he’s been adopted. Just ask the children’s wing at Sunderland Infirmary. Big Niall paid for most of it.
10. Gazza
11. Bryan Ferry
12. Brian Johnson
13. George Stephenson
14. Jeremiah Dixon
15. Bridges .
16. Bamburgh
17. Durham Cathedral
18. Durham Castle
19. Holy Island
20. Zurburan – Bishop’s Palace
21. Bowes Museum
22. Temenos
23. Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
24. The Laing Gallery
25. The Northern Echo
26. Tyneside Metro
27. Brown Ale
28. South Shields seafront
29. Tynemouth
30. Sunderland Glass  Museum
31. Bede’s World
32. The Lindisfarne Gospels
33. Sir Thomas Allen
34. Mike Neville
35. The Great North Run
36. Marcus Bentley
37. Cragside
38. Rrrrrrrrrrrrothburrrrrrrrrrrrrry      rrrrrrrrroundabout
39. Weardale
40. Teeesdale
41. The Blaydon Races
42. Beswick
43. The Laing Gallery
44. The Angel of the North
45. Durham Big Meeting
46. The Pitmen Painters
47. Auf Wiedersehen Pet
48. The Likely Lads
49. Richard Griffiths
50. Alnwick Gardens
51. John Wilson

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This blog started as a throwaway 10 minute challenge but when I posted it on Twitter, my feed lit up. So many people wanting to share their love of the North East. In a week where the news has focused on the “it’s grim up north” coverage of Margaret Thatcher’s death, it was lovely to see so many people celebrating the beauty and achievements of the North East. There will be stuff missing. Feel free to add to it.

Hadrian’s Wall – @rosamundi

The Farne Islands; Puffins; Northumberland skies; Beaches … And I love The Angel … One of my favourite things ever! – @belugajill

Neil Tennant – @jo_the_hat

The Lambton Worm. The Brick Train, Darlington – @cjhancock

Lauren Laverne, Farne Islands during puffin & seals mating seasons, stunning Northumberland beaches & extraordinary post industrial Durham coast – @nickysian

Alnmouth and Alnwick – @patrickhadfield

 Jesmond Dene, ham & pease pudding sandwiches – @sbl76

The Biscuit Factory – @pommieknight

Red Kites – @MrPeterWood

The Crown Posada, Housesteads – @HeadinBook

 “my grandad’s deep Northumbrian voice saying ‘cowp yer kreels’ with that lovely rolled rrrrrrr.” #dialect. Druridge Bay, Dunstanburgh Castle. Ellington Colliery. Ellington Colliery Band. The air.  –‏@cate_a_moore

Yarm, David Almond. “Oooh, also the words my friend Kath from Redcar says. Spoggies, gegs and gadgie. I love them” – @MsTick68

 The Waal (Byker), North Shields Fish Quay. The Red House, Forth, Strawberry and Trent. Flavoured crisps, the light bulb, the hydraulic crane, the windscreen wiper, the steam turbine, the Great Reform Act. The Longsands, St. Mary’s, The Derwent Valley, Chillingham. Beamish, Kilhope, Colmans in South Shields, Simonside, The Theatre Royal, Lit & Phil, The Endeavour “We should stop this, people might visit.”- @magicdarts

Mark Knopfler, Angel, Corbridge, followed by a walk along the river – @DBanksy

 Marsden Rock & grotto. P.J. & Duncan #BykerGrove – @AnneDunkley

The cafe at Milfield on the road from Wooler to Coldstream – @Richard Lucas

Sid Waddell and Jossy’s Giants. Crossing the Tyne on a train from the south. The Tyneside Cinema, Gina McKee, Viz – @Benjamin Bunny

Ridley Scott. Also Tony Scott. Bobby & Jackie Charlton, Jarrow Marchers, Grace Darling, Carlin Sunday. Seven Stories. Hexham Abbey. Chips at Seahouses. Best beaches in the country… – @PaolaOeste

Craster kippers and DunstanburghCastle – @keithy73

Northumberlandia – The Lady of the North – @patcat63

 A pint of Workie Ticket – @makapala

Minchella’s ice cream, Ant n Dec, NUFC, The People – @Mitchas23

 Parmos – @steelriverboy

The Wildhearts – ~DeeTeeUK

  The friction match, steam locomotion, electric light and the Sydney Harbour bridge. Peter Higgs (of Boson fame). Futureheads, Wildhearts, Lindisfarne, Kenickie, Young’uns, Vin Garbutt, Unthanks, Rowan Atkinson and Alexander Armstrong. Also CP Taylor, Alan Plater, Pat Barker, Vic and Bob, Robert Holman and Mo Mowlam. Tynemouth Priory, Pumfrey’s Coffee, Eston Hills, Northern Stage, Side Gallery, Live Theatre and Barter Books.- @danielbye

Centre for Life, Great North Run – @sandyfootwells

Saltburn by the Sea – walking along the cliffs looking down at the town – @RobinlaRoca

 Prefab Sprout, Ross Noble, Paul Rodgers, Sir William Armstrong, Bessie Braddock, Daniel Bye, Kevin Whateley, Roseberry Topping, Martin Stephenson & the Daintees, The Hoppings, Alan Price, coatless revellers, John Martin, John Miles, High Force, Low Force, The Northern Sinfonia, Lee Hall, Alan Price, The City Hall, The Evening Chronicle, The Sunday Sun, Eldon Square, The Stadium of Light, The Riverside, St James’ Park, Chinatown – @andromedababe

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