My June Days

How can we be half way through the year? I can't be the only person who thinks that this year is just flashing by. It's been a very busy June for us, and the lovely long hot days have meant loads of adventuring about the region in the sunshine. Fingers crossed the rest of the Summer is as good as this.

Here are a few things that didn't make the blog this month and, a little warning, as we spent a week of the month indulging in a North East staycation there are a lot of food recommendations this month!

The Hoppings

Every Geordie will tell you that it "always rains at The Hoppings" - not this year my friends! The 2018 Hoppings had to be THE hottest on record! Each year Europe's largest travelling fair visits Newcastle and we all lose our heads over eating too much ice-cream before making ourselves feel ill on the rides. My favourite way to enjoy the fair is to go for a little wander, it really does offer the best people watching! I took this photo on the top of the Ferris Wheel and the views across Newcastle were stunning.

Cake at Maddisons

Our North East Staycation gave us the great excuse to try some different coffee shops and the clear winner of our week was Maddisons in Consett who have a cake counter to really write home about. I ordered myself a huge chunk of Galaxy Ripple Cake and a pot of tea and loved every moment of it. I'm going to have to return to try more - they also do an amazing sounding Mac n Cheese Toastie that has my name all over it.

Exploring Ormesby Hall

As much as we love the larger National Trust properties we've started exploring a little further and discovering some of the smaller sites starting with Ormesby Hall in Teesside. The Hall is beautiful and Simon particularly enjoyed the model railways (pretty sure he now wants to put one together in our house!) The gardens are small but a real sun trap, nothing beats sitting on one of the National Trust deckchairs catching a few rays and enjoying an afternoon snooze.

Food and Drink Week at Evan's Bistro

Our month started in the best way possible with Food and Drink Week in Whitley Bay. The seaside town showcased their best restaurants and cafes with a week of special menus at reduced prices. We went to one of our North Tyneside favourites, Evan's Bistro where we enjoyed 3 courses for £12.00 - this Steak Dish was SO good, the chips were epic! Of course I spent my saving on two large glasses of wine - oh yes!

A Panic Purchase

I am probably the most organised person you could ever meet, I am constantly making lists for my lists. So don't ask me how I managed to go away to the Lakes and forget to pack clothes to travel home in. Some might say I did it on purpose just to give me a great excuse to pop into Joules and panic purchase this gorgeous skirt. The perfect length, gorgeous colours and so comfortable - I think I'll have to forget my clothes more often.

Scone in 60 Seconds

I have definitely reached that age where a potter around a garden centre on a Saturday afternoon is one of my very favourite things. This month we tried the newly opened restaurant at Plantsplus in Seaton Burn after hearing good reports about their food. Although we were a little disappointed at their sandwiches (the bread was very dry!) the scone was delicious! Served with a very generous amount of jam and cream it certainly hit the spot. We also loved chatting to the floppy fringed alpacas outside (although be warned they do like to spit at husbands!) We are always on the hunt for the perfect garden centre cakes so if anyone has a recommendation for others we should try please let me know.

The Lighthouse Keeper

In desperate need to shift a bit of our Staycation Podge we decided to do The Leas walk from South Shields to Souter Lighthouse. It's such a stunning few miles along the coastal walk and offers some of the most dramatic views in Tyneside. Souter Lighthouse is National Trust owned so taking advantage of our membership we decided to go in for a little explore and discovered the Lighthouse Keepers Cottages before climbing up to the very top of the tower. The ladder at the top was a little scary but the views more than made up for it and we even got to turn the light on!

Lunching in Yarm

I have wanted to visit Yarm for such a long time, it seems it's become quite the food destination of the North East! I'm not sure Simon has forgiven me for suggesting it yet after doing battle with the Yarm parking (it's not the easiest!) but I'm already planning a return trip after the most delicious lunch at Muse.  I had an amazing Croque Madame and those chips, I'm still dreaming about them! If you're local to Yarm make sure you let me know where we should try next time.

The Station at Richmond 

We finally visited Richmond on our staycation and although I was a little disappointed by the town centre (the cars parked all over the beautiful cobbled town square ruined it!) I completely fell for The Station, a beautiful old railway station that is home to independent businesses. We enjoyed the creamiest ice-creams from Archers and watched a film at The Station Cinema which was just amazing. I love independent cinemas, they are also so clean and quiet and have crystal clear screens.

The Garage 

You know those mornings where everything just goes wrong? I had one of those recently when I headed to three different places for breakfast only to find them all either closed or having kitchen disasters!  Luckily The Garage in Ouseburn saved the day and what a beautiful find, it made me forget the dramas in seconds. Located within an old garage, its small breakfast menu is perfectly formed and I had a delicious doorstop wedge of toast covered in mushrooms - I will most definitely be returning!

PhotoRed Squirrel Spotting

I couldn't resist finishing with this adorable video taken from my Instagram Stories during a little trip to Pow Hill in County Durham. We went in search of red squirrels never thinking that we'd actually spot one but we were very lucky to run into this adorable fella who put on quite a little show for us before scurrying up a tree. We are so lucky to have a few places in the North East to see red squirrels. I'd love to know if you've ever managed to spot any?

For more adventures from New Girl in Toon make sure you follow me on Instagram.  I post a new photo every day and you'll find videos of my favourite North East adventures on my Highlights.