Beamish Museum

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Despite being a fen boy for most of my life I was born in Ryton, County Durham , and my late father got involved with both the Tanfield Railway and I believe was a friend of Beamish. Suffice to say I can remember going there as a small child, when you used to park in a totally different place to now, the village didn't exist and everything had much more of a 'we've collected all of this kit, now what do we do with it' feel. It's been great watching it all grow into what it is now, a unique insight into the industrial past of the North-East.
If you're going up that way, try and visit Cragside House, built by industrialist Lord Armstrong and one of the first houses lit by electricity in the UK. The marble fireplace in one room has to be seen to be believed!

 

[NormanD]

 Gawd more southerners still trying to invade the North ...I mean visiting 

Sunderland Aircraft museum too is worth a visit and it's right next to the Nissan factory (few miles from me) and the night life ..well theres nothing like it in the toon

Anyone caught wearing a coat will be executed   

 

[kettle]

best day out ever. If i ever venture out of scotland by car it is to newcastle - a1 place.
My father was a printer 50 years ago plus so i enjoyed the on site printing shop.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I went to Beamish on a school trip around eighteen years ago. I've still got some pictures taken on that trip. I really liked it as a kid. Must take mine there when they're all old enough to appreciate it.

I've been to the metro centre twice in two years as a kid on a coach trip with my mum and nan. Both were Christmas shopping weekends. It was a nightmare both times. Neither me or my sisters enjoyed being dragged around all day, looking at largely the same shops we had locally. There was a funfair in the middle we weren't allowed to go on. Didn't want to go after the first time but didn't have a choice. I think my mum made us go because mt dad refused and didn't want us to go either. He sid getted dragged into meadowhall in Sheffield a few times after we bought a car. It's something I've never made my kids do and never will.

 

[gbb]

Metro Centre ? hmmm...its no good asking a man, to me its all the same shops under a different coat. Fair enough, it was nice to see some local smaller businesses in there, but from a mans standpoint...i cant stand my local shopping cntre, or any other . Very nice design tho, loads of room etc.

Its funny looking back on the photos we took at Beamish. They really don't convey the darkness within the houses and shops...the lighting and the airiness of the houses was completely different back then of course. Very dark and dank.

Amazing too (and very clever of Beamish) is how they've seperated the eras. You see the difference in houses from the 1930s back to the 1910's. People had so much more around them in the sense of furniture and ornamentation in the houses. And then you go back to the 1820s...wow, what a difference. So dark and austere...everything very workmanlike.

If you like period history, you're going love Beamish if ever you go there !!!

 

[Hover Fly]

I went once and was very disappointed. Not a drop of Irish stout in sight.

 

[taxing]

I went on a school trip years ago and have been meaning to go back, it was the best museum I've ever been to.

 

[GaryA]

Beamish is great but its not cheap. Well it is for some people because they shrewdly park at causey arch and walk the 4 mile there via a public right of way across beamish golf course which actually cuts through 'home farm' via stone steps in a wall (not a lot of people know this)
.... skirt round the staff patrolling the road crossing and hey presto your in for free

No guilt because we always spend some dosh there in the town -usually the pub.

 

[gbb]

Beamish is great but its not cheap. Well it is for some people because they shrewdly park at causey arch and walk the 4 mile there via a public right of way across beamish golf course which actually cuts through 'home farm' via stone steps in a wall (not a lot of people know this)
.... skirt round the staff patrolling the road crossing and hey presto your in for free

No guilt because we always spend some dosh there in the town -usually the pub.

£16 per adult was a bit more than i expected, but...i always find any decent attraction costs around £50 for a family. So its about the right mark IMO. The moneys made in the cafeterias, you soon spend some money eating and drinking there....certainly not cheap. But, i came away happy with what we got for the money. God knows, ive spent more and got less in some attractions i could mention.
Ironically, i think the summer season ends imminently and the charges plummet.

 

[GordonB]

I first went there many, many years ago on return visit (see below) when there wasn't much of it but you could even then see the potential. Since then I've been back four times with the family as we all find there is far more than you can take in in one day. Yes, it is expensive but in the past Tesco have included it in their Days Out Clubcard deals with a four to one exchange rate, so four tickets for the price of one in Clubcard vouchers is a good deal. I see that it's not on their list any more but worth looking out for, although they have reduced the exchange rate to 3 to 1.

Until this year my kids have voted it the best living museum they have ever been to but it got topped this year by the Bork Havn Viking centre in Denmark where we went to their annual Viking Market and festival. Unruddybelievable, if you ever get to go to Denmark try to get to one of these events, they have them at a variety of Viking museums throughout the summer. As soon as they find out you're British they've got all the time in the world for you, but if you're German (as are most of the tourists) you'll get a degree of frosty politeness...........

Gordon


I'm from the Felling for them as knows the area - bloody awful place, glad to see the back of it, although the Northumberland coast is just to die for, as are many places in the region. No chance of me ever moving back there, I'm married to a Suffolk lass and much prefer it down here, but I love going back as a tourist and to enjoy the folk music sessions. Alison has even taken up playing the Northumbrian Smallpipes, possibly one the most frustrating musical instruments there is but glorious when played well (she's just past the strangled cat stage, which is a blessing!).

 

[gbb]

I first went there many, many years ago on return visit (see below) when there wasn't much of it but you could even then see the potential. Since then I've been back four times with the family as we all find there is far more than you can take in in one day. Yes, it is expensive but in the past Tesco have included it in their Days Out Clubcard deals with a four to one exchange rate, so four tickets for the price of one in Clubcard vouchers is a good deal. I see that it's not on their list any more but worth looking out for, although they have reduced the exchange rate to 3 to 1.

Until this year my kids have voted it the best living museum they have ever been to but it got topped this year by the Bork Havn Viking centre in Denmark where we went to their annual Viking Market and festival. Unruddybelievable, if you ever get to go to Denmark try to get to one of these events, they have them at a variety of Viking museums throughout the summer. As soon as they find out you're British they've got all the time in the world for you, but if you're German (as are most of the tourists) you'll get a degree of frosty politeness...........

Gordon


I'm from the Felling for them as knows the area - bloody awful place, glad to see the back of it, although the Northumberland coast is just to die for, as are many places in the region. No chance of me ever moving back there, I'm married to a Suffolk lass and much prefer it down here, but I love going back as a tourist and to enjoy the folk music sessions. Alison has even taken up playing the Northumbrian Smallpipes, possibly one the most frustrating musical instruments there is but glorious when played well (she's just past the strangled cat stage, which is a blessing!).

Having worked with a Danish expat, that makes sense. The Danish all want to learn English....he said they'll talk you to death given half the chance, they just love to speak English.
Bearing in mind the Germans and Danish have a lot of 'history' over the Freisland (sp) region, perhaps thats why they dont take to the Germans. I gather its changed hands a few times in history, each claiming soveriegnty.

My nan (and my mum of course) come from Boomer. We visited it as kids (very) infrequently ...but i'll always remember the miles and miles of deserted beaches and sand dunes...searching for flotsam and jetsam that got washed ashore. I still remember 40 years later.

 

[addictfreak]

On the list FM...the wife wants to visit (inevitably) thppie Metro Centre...i just hope its not full of the usual high street retailers and nothing else. Even so, never been to Newcastle...looking forward to tomorrow.

Why not have trip up next year and combine the trip and do the Northern Rock Cyclone and take in the National Road Race Championships.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Why not have trip up next year and combine the trip and do the Northern Rock Cyclone and take in the National Road Race Championships.

Yes, indeed - as hosted by my old club, the Gosforth RC! The Cyclone is a whole weekend of events - there's also the Leazes Criteriums in the toon on Friday night (24th June). The Cyclone sportive (25th) is on the Saturday and then the the British RR championships on the Sunday (26th).

And forget the Metro Centre, which is my idea of hell on earth...

 

[NormanD]

I'm from the Felling for them as knows the area - bloody awful place, glad to see the back of it, although the Northumberland coast is just to die for, as are many places in the region. No chance of me ever moving back there, I'm married to a Suffolk lass and much prefer it down here

Are you my shadow? ... I was born in the Felling too in 1963 (Rowlandson cresent, now demolished) then before I left school (aged 14) I moved to Newmarket in Suffolk for nine years (great place to see the countryside and nice people) before moving back here to get married  .  Been stuck here for over 26 years now (leam lane), but would move back down to Newmarket at the drop of a hat. (wife had family here so wouldn't move down there with me or we would have done)

You're right about the Felling it's dead, and best avoided, almost all the high street shops are closed, the only time I see the place is when I'm cycling passed it at speed  

 

[GordonB]

Are you my shadow? ... I was born in the Felling too in 1963 (Rowlandson cresent, now demolished) then before I left school (aged 14) I moved to Newmarket in Suffolk for nine years (great place to see the countryside and nice people) before moving back here to get married . Been stuck here for over 26 years now (leam lane), but would move back down to Newmarket at the drop of a hat. (wife had family here so wouldn't move down there with me or we would have done)

You're right about the Felling it's dead, and best avoided, almost all the high street shops are closed, the only time I see the place is when I'm cycling passed it at speed

This gets spooky in a six degrees of separation way - I was born in 1953 in 28 Belgrave Terrace, not a long spit away from you on the other side of Crowhall Lane, it's still there as is the house I was born in. When I was small we moved to - wait for it - Leam Lane, Meresyde to be exact. Hated it as only some who went to a public school (Dame Allans) whilst living on huge council estate could. Spent much of my youth fighting off the local thugs who considered anyone with a morsel of intelligence to be a "poofter". The violence only stopped when they found out the reason they were losing was that I played rugby for Northumberland. No wonder I detest the place......bad memories all round I'm afraid.

Newmarket is delightful if a touch horsey, but we live in east Suffolk, 6 miles north of Ipswich in the middle of nowhere. Suits me fine and the cycling is great!

Gordon