A photo every day for a year! 23rd - 29th September - Week 39 of #Project365

Hello there and happy Saturday. I have had a good week. I've started on the Christmas present buying and got quite a few bits from town on Thursday. Ellie is so easy to buy for now that she's all about clothes and make up. I got quite a few sets of pj's, I love that they have their fleecy one's back in, but no Harry Potter one's yet. Hmmf. I got a Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie that Ellie has been really wanting and a dress that she's had her eye on which might actually get used in the run up to Christmas if we plan any evenings out.

We went to my dad's yesterday like we do most weeks. Last week we didn't go to his and it didn't feel like a Friday, it really knocked us off track. He was having a lazy day, he's knees were sore but doesn't do bad for a 75 year old, the days of being a jockey in his younger years are catching up with him.

Now for a photo every day!

266/365 - 23rd September

I've started making TikToks and not just watching other peoples. They're all daft one's using filters or playing silly games with no dancing from me at all. lol It's strange having a social media account that is in no way linked to blogging. Ellie thinks it's ridiculous that I am making TikToks but it's only because I won't let her have a public account. hehehe 

267/365 - 24th September

Howay the lads! Aren't Newcastle United having a great week. I thought they would beat Sheffield United on Sunday but 8-0 with all the goals from different players is pretty impressive and then they went on to knock Man City out of a cup on Wednesday. Wow! 

268/365 - 25th September

We had a bit of a mishap with the washing over the weekend. Stu washed a red cushion with normal clothes and the colour ran. Thankfully it was just pj's which now have a tinge of pink to them but with them being on the line they have whitened more.

269/365 - 26th September

Tuesday's now means we have to have cake with The Great British Bake off being back on tv! I do love that show!

270/365 - 27th September

Becky has been watching the new series of Sex Education off Netflix and I have heard so much about it over the last few years so decided to give it a watch. I am enjoying it.

271/365 - 28th September

I started the Christmas shopping and of course had to have a look in B&M. I do love their Christmas gifts and picked up quite a few. I love the J2O lip gloss sets.

272/365 - 29th September

Becky was talking to her friend on messenger and I said why don't you just go and meet up with him instead of annoying me by telling me everything that you're discussing and while you're out you can call in the Romanian supermarket and get me some Tomato Ketchup flavoured crisps. hehehe 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This week my Word of the Week is: Friendships!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

I did think I was going to struggle with my Word of the Week this week as nothing much had happened over the weekend and at the start of the week and then my girls, who are the gift who keep on giving inspired me.

One of my girls made a friend who I wasn't keen on. I had two choices: tell her that she wasn't allowed to see them anymore or just let her ride it out and realise that the person was a wrong'un for themselves. My girls are not kids anymore so it's not as straightforward as just saying no, you can't speak or see them anymore. I decided to just let things go, keeping an eye on what was going on. My girl realised things weren't right with this person on Wednesday and told them so and blocked them on social media. They will see this person when they are out and about but we are hoping they have got the message and keep their distance.

One of my girls has had a change in her friendship group as one of her friends has moved away. The friend in question was her best friend so she has been a little sad about it. Over the past few weeks she has got closer to one of her other friends and now they are as thick as theives. She has said she hasn't replaced her best friend, the one in question is just a new, added best friend.

Ellie has reconnected with old friends from school while she has been at college. On her first day she met up with someone that is a couple of years above her who has kept her right with the buses and she is now closer to a couple of people in college that she went to school with and has reconnected with with a couple of people who left her school in year 8 or 9. Ellie has a couple of boy friends who are not boyfriends, she said it's so funny as she keeps having to explain things to a new friend that they are always silly like this, play fighting, arguing over football and apologising for them being so embarrassing. Boys will be boys. lol.

On Wednesday Ellie and her group of friends were in college they had a free lesson at the end of the day and decided to go to the other college before they caught the bus. There are 2 colleges almost next to each other and students are not supposed to visit the other college but they do anyway. Her and her group went looking for another friend and found out what classroom he was in, they were all set to go and knock on the window to get his attention until they thought better of it. Phew! I know Ellie is a good kid but she does seem to sometimes get led astray by others which I have had more than a few words about.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one!

What I loved in September!

What a month September was! There was a lot of excitement with trips away, a birthday and a lot of nerves with my youngest starting college! I am glad all the busyness has calmed down a little and we are back into our normal, every day routine.

This is what I loved in September!

Improved GCSE results!

We got a phone call off Ellie's old maths teacher from school saying her maths GCSE papers had been sent off to be re-marked as she was so close to getting a pass. They came back and she got quite a few extra points and the pass that she wanted. Now she doesn't have to study maths at college and resit the exam. It was fantastic news!

Trips away! 

We had 2 little breaks away in September. We stayed by the sea in a cottage for a family wedding which was amazing and then a night away in a hotel, not too far from us for Becky's 21st birthday. It was brilliant to go away but it was so nice to come home and sleep in my own bed.

Amazon Prime!

It's been years since I subscribed to Amazon Prime and that was only by accident when I was rushing to buy something. This time I willingly subscribed. When we were up in the North East everyone was talking about a Newcastle United documentary, all about the football club being taken over by new owners and I wanted to watch it. Then I started watching Fear the Walking Dead, Clarkson's Farm, the latest Matrix movie and some others. I am coming to the end of my free 30 day trial as I have a list of other things that I want to watch, I think I am going to have to pay for another month.

Ellie settling into college.

I had so many worries about Ellie starting college but she has taken to it like a duck to water! She's loving all of the work and made a few new friends and found some old one's which went off to different high schools years ago but have ended up at the same college. The only thing she's not keen on is the buses, they are so unreliable but that's nothing new. One day she decided she was going to complain and sent an angry email to the bus company. I was so proud she was sticking up for herself.

A mini-heatwave!

At the start of September we finally had a bit of summer, typically just as the kids went back to school and college. It was lovely but I don't do well in the heat, it turns me into such a grump. At least our house is cool when it's hot out so it didn't cause much disruption but I got all the washing dried on the line quickly which worked out perfectly as I had a small mountain to do after being away on holiday and I spent time sitting in the garden on a morning before it got too hot!

Neighbours! 

The TV show, not my own! lol Last year I wrote about how gutted I was that Neighbours was ending but amazingly Amazon revived it and have started showing new episodes. A lot of the cast have left but all my favourites are still there. There was a 2 year time jump and so much has changed. In the trailers they hyped a big wedding and I was so shocked with who it was getting married. Toadie and Terese. As of writing this I have no idea how they got together and I don't like where it looks like it's heading with Harold, he's lost his memory once in the past, please not again!

Enjoying being in the kitchen!

Our kitchen gets so hot in the warmer months so it's always a real chore to spend time in there cooking and adding more heat from the oven or hob to an already hot room but at this time of year I always enjoy cooking and trying new recipes or even old one's that we haven't had in a while. The Coca Cola Chicken went down really well and the Curried carrot soup felt like a real winter warmer.

Getting cosy!

It's cooled down a lot, especially over the last week so I have enjoyed the things that Autumn brings. Fluffy socks, fleecy pj's, hot chocolate, burning candles, comfort food and blankets.

Blogging about our break away.

I had planned to write a couple of blog posts about our little break that we had at the end of August where we went to Newcastle and the 2nd leg of it at the start of September where we went to Amble in Norhtumberland but ended up writing much more. All about the Sleeperz Hotel we stayed in Newcastle which was a real hidden gem, the open top bus tour that we went on and had a great time seeing the city and learning all about the history of it, the cottage we stayed in by the sea which felt like a real home away from home and I still have a couple of more blog posts to come about things we did while we were away. 

What did you love in September?

I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for their Friday Favorites.

Wind Rose Cottage in Amble Northumberland.

We were invited to a family wedding in Amble, Northumberland and knew straight away that we were going to book a cottage as the hotels were practically triple the price for the stay that we wanted. I know how busy the summer months get in Amble so wanted to book as soon as we found out the date for the wedding, that was late December and I booked the cottage in January.

We booked Wind Rose Cottage which was right in the middle of Amble. This holiday home has 2 bedrooms, a bathroom upstairs, a large living room, kitchen and a dining area.

Shortly before we arrived we were sent the code for the key box/lock thingy and the WiFi code which was really helpful. We had no issues getting in at all. We walked in and were amazed, it looked just like a home away from home. It is the host's only holiday home so they have gone to a lot of effort. It is decorated with a lot of antique and period pieces, many of which have been in their family for generations. 

There was a little welcome pack with instructions with everything that we needed to know about the cottage including how to use the TV, how to adjust the heating, to use the shower and even how to make sure the doors are locked. In the fridge was milk and cheese and there were eggs, bread, biscuits, tea, coffee and sugar too which was a thoughtful touch and very helpful. There was a drawer full of tourist guides, takeaway menus which would be perfect for those who don't really know the area.

The living room was huge, a lot bigger than I thought it would be and it was light and airy. The sofas were very comfy and there was a huge flat screen TV with streaming services. There were plenty of coasters for cups to protect the beautiful coffee table and sideboards. We had a peek in the big sideboard below where the welcome pack was and it was full of board games, there must have been about 30 different one's at least which I thought would have been fantastic, especially if we were staying for longer and the weather wasn't great.

We were more than happy with the internet provided. It was WiFi and had a good speed of about 20mbps which seems to be average for standard broadband. That's what we used to get from Sky when we lived in Northumberland.

I am so gutted we were eating out when we were staying as the kitchen was so well equipped. There was everything you would need and more. Juicers, coffee machines, different sized baking trays, pans, plenty of cups, plates and cutlery. 

We were a little worried that the cottage would be too cold during our stay but shortly after we arrived the heating kicked in and it felt cosy and warm by the time we'd been out for something to eat and a bit of a wander. It was just the right temperature, not too warm but not too cold.

There was such a cute little snug area at the back of the house. I would love to have taken that part home with me. I could just imagine having blogging from that little armchair in front of the fire during the winter. There was a bookcase full of books and in the information pack it said if you started reading a book you were free to take it home with you if you hadn't finished it which I thought was so sweet. We didn't use the dining area at all but it looked nice.

Up the stairs to the left there was the bathroom which was actually bigger than Ellie's bedroom at home. lol It had everything you would expect from a bathroom along with plenty of loo rolls, a fantastic powerful shower and an amazing light over the sink and mirror. There were plenty of towels, all of different sizes, more than enough for the 4 of us and if we had have been here for longer we could have washed them in the washing machine in the kitchen.

There were two bedrooms. The main bedroom was massive and had a beautiful four poster bed. It was so comfortable too. I did worry about us being cold on the night as the duvet felt quite thin but we were actually too warm. There were extra duvets if they were needed. There was plenty of storage and I liked that there were bedside lights. It's the little things like that which make a stay somewhere less hassle. 

Along the corridor was the smaller bedroom and the room where the girls stayed. They were in bunk beds which they loved and of course fought over the top one. We were there for 2 nights so took it in turns to be on the top bunk. They were a little wobbly but they were still safe, Stu tried them out first.

The only thing that I wasn't keen on in the cottage was the outside area at the back. It is no fault of the owner of the cottage, it was covered in bird poo and feathers. They weren't even from seagulls which you expect near the coast they were from the pigeons which seem to have set up home.

We paid £330 for 3 nights, it works out £110 per night. Check in was anytime after 3pm but I am sure the host would let you in a little earlier to drop off luggage as she is such a nice lady. Check out is 10am, we did leave a little later than that as we had booked the extra night that we couldn't make use of.

The cottage has 4 beds and is suitable for four people, children are more than welcome but there isn't a cot provided. The only thing I would be wary of is there are quite a few ornaments around the cottage which little one's could get their hands on. One thing I would say is that all the ornaments and knick-nacks around I didn't notice any dust. 

We have already said we would be happy to go back next year but for longer than just a couple of nights.

Have you ever been to Amble before?

Our visit to Amble, Northumberland.

Amble is our happy place. I've mentioned it so much here on my blog over the years but not so much since we moved to North Lincolnshire. We were long overdue a visit!

We were invited to a family wedding and the reception was in Amble so it was obvious that we were going to stay there. We were so excited. We had planned to arrive on the Friday and come home on the Monday but it didn't work out like that. Planning the holiday was so stressful. We did arrive on the Friday but had to leave on the Sunday as Ellie had her first day at college.

We arrived at Amble at about 4pm after visiting my friend in Ashington where we used to live. She kindly drove us to Amble and we got into the cottage that we had rented for the weekend. We had a quick look around, we didn't bother to unpack and headed out. We had places to be and chips to buy. hehehe

Our first stop was the cemetery where Stu's parents and uncle are buried. It sounds strange but it was nice to visit their graves. We hadn't been in over 4 years so it was nice to see their graves are still looked after which means people still care.

I'd like to say nothing much has changed about Amble since we were last there but it's all aimed more at tourists. We noticed most of the houses and cottages now have key lock box things near the front doors so they must be rented out and a lot of the shops are now cafes. It's good for the little town money wise but I wouldn't say so for those who live there all year round. We can't complain, we were tourists.

We then headed into town to go to the chip shop! The Harbour Fish Bar in Amble is our favourite place to eat. It's probably in our top 5 of all time places to eat. lol They are the only place that I know that make and sell Beanies! A beanie is baked beans wrapped up inside sausage meat and then battered and deep fried, they are amazing!!

After eating we went for a walk around the harbour. It is such a peaceful place apart from the kids screaming and it wasn't even other people's kids it was my two. lol They were so excited to be there. Considering the weather forecast wasn't that good it was actually quite warm. Over the years we have been to Amble on some cold days so that Friday felt practically tropical.

I think out of all of the times that we have visited Amble this was the first time that the tide was in. The girls were gutted as they wanted to look in the rock pools but that would have to wait until the next day.

We had a lovely evening in the cottage and a little lie in and then the girls and Stu went to explore the rock pools. I really couldn't be bothered. After the past few days I just wanted to sit and stay in my pj's. They had a great time and so did I.

When it came to midday I rang them and told them to get back to the cottage, we were getting a taxi at half past one and they all needed to go in the shower and get ready. lol Half an hour later I rang again, they were on their way. Eesh! I am amazed that they all managed to get ready in less than an hour but they did. 

We had a lovely time at the wedding. It was so nice to catch up with Stu's family. I couldn't believe how much all the kids had grown up and everyone couldn't believe how much my two had grown up. lol

On Sunday it was time to head home, I wished we could have stayed for longer, especially since we started with a heatwave on the day we left. I would have liked to spend some time by the sea when it was sunny! 

Our weekly meal plan! 25th Sept - 1st October. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went really well, we ate everything! The Coca Cola chicken came out really well, the last time I made it in the slow cooker and it wasn't sticky but this time I made it in the pan and it came out perfectly! All of our meals worked out well with the weather not being so nice, they were warming and filling, just what we needed. 

I wasn't too happy with my food shop delivery on Friday as a lot of the things I ordered had short dates on them. The pizza had to be used on the same day, thankfully it was but other things had use by dates for over the weekend but I wasn't planning to use them until this week. I don't usually take much notice of use by dates but it's the principle of it, if I order something it shouldn't have a use by date for the same or next day. I have of course complained. Ugh!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken fajitas. A nice easy start to the week. Stu will do the cooking tonight, it's his day off and does like to cook although I will probably hover over him and make sure he doesn't make it too spicy.

Tuesday - A roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings. I know we only had one at the weekend but it was just Stu and I. The kids wanted one too.

Wednesday - Bubble & squeak with fried eggs. We haven't had Bubble & squeak in forever and it is a great way to use all the leftovers from a roast dinner. 

Thursday - Pizza Pasta Bake.

Friday - Fish and chips with mushy peas.

Saturday - Home made pizza. 

Sunday - A fry up! Sausage, eggs, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, baked beans, tomatoes hash browns and toast. We're having a rare weekend staying at home and we're having a lazy Sunday.  

What are you eating this week?

Conker season! #MySundaySnapshot

It's that time of year where all the horse chestnut trees around us drop their spiky cases to reveal their conkers. Ellie only went to the shop yesterday and came back with a handful. I will be expecting many more over the next few weeks, she does like collecting them.

A photo every day for a year! 16th - 22nd September. Week 38 of #Project365

Happy first day of Autumn. It has felt very autumnal over this past week, the temperatures have dropped and I have noticed how early it's getting dark. I have had a pretty quiet week with not much going on. It was one of those where I just plodded on with life quite happily. I had a sort out in the garden as it had taken such a battering with all the wind and rain that we have had, my little greenhouse is stored away in the shed until next year. I think the most exciting part of my week was going out for coffee with a friend which ended up turning into a couple of drinks in the pub, it felt very naughty. lol We had a good gossip and set the world to rights.

I did miss a photo this week, on Sunday. It was one of those times where I was just enjoying the day and not thinking about photos.

Now for a photo every day!

259/365 - 16th September

I was doing my meal planning and took a photo of a recipe to remind me that I was making it and to get the chicken out of the freezer.

260/365 - 17th September

I didn't take a photo on Sunday. We went out for lunch and then went to see my dad. I had plenty of things that I could have taken photos of but just forgot.

261/365 - 18th September

The new air freshener for the bathroom. Warm Apple Pie. If autumn had a smell this would be it.

262/365 - 19th September

Just me. Considering it was so grey and gloomy out it was quite warm, even with the rain. I was glad that I didn't wear my big coat.

263/365 - 20th September

I did a little shop from Lush and ordered some bath bombs from their Halloween range. They're all so cute.

264/365 - 21st September

I don't know why I always seem so shocked that at this time of year when it starts getting darker earlier and earlier. It won't be long until Stu won't be seeing much daylight. Going to work in the dark, spending the day in an office then coming home in the dark.

265/365 - 22nd September

I bought some flowers just to brighten the house up. These were 2 small bunches.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This week my Word of the Week is: Autumnal! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

I know it's not Autumn just yet, the first day of autumn is actually tomorrow but it has felt very Autumnal this week. It would be nice for Mother Nature to ease us into the colder weather but it always seems to come as a bit of a shock. Roasting hot outside one day and then cold the next and then a warm day like yesterday thrown in just to confuse us a little bit.

Not only has it been chillier it has been wet too. Ugh. I can put up with the cold as long as it's not chucking down every day. I've had to get the clothes airer's out and face up to the fact that I won't be getting much dried on the washing line from now on. On Monday after Ellie had gone to college I went back to bed as I had been awake from about 3am until almost 6am because of the thunder and lightening. It was so loud and bright, even Stu was woken up and he wears ear-plugs and an eye mask to sleep. My poor garden took a battering, my little greenhouse was blown over and plants and flowers were flattened with the rain.

Earlier on in the year we had some work done in the living room to make it warmer. Insulated plasterboard was put up and we have had to wait until now to see if it had actually worked. During the warmer months we have noticed it had been cooler in here, I guess the wall worked both ways, keeping the heat out but even when it was quite chilly out it was comfortable in here. I am sure in previous years living here we would have thought about putting the heating on. I got myself a blanket and then ended up being too hot. lol I think it is going to make a big difference when it gets really cold.

It's not all bad though, the autumnal weather means getting cosy under blankets, drinking more tea and hot chocolates, fluffy socks, fleecy pj's and comfort food. It also means the return of good TV. Strictly on a Saturday night and The Great British Bake Off starts on Tuesday. I must remember to buy cake for when we watch. hehehe

Now that the summer seems to be over thoughts have turned to Halloween and Christmas. Ellie is making plans with her friends from college for Halloween and I treated myself to some of the Halloween bath bombs from Lush. I've started asking the girls what they want for Christmas and so far they're getting boxes of "I don't know" and packages of "I'm not sure". lol I can't say much though, Stu asked me what I wanted for my birthday in November and I said I didn't know. I will have to get my thinking cap on.

Stu has been working hard, he works for a phone company and it was chaos on Friday when the new iPhone went on pre-sale. Of course the computer systems went down but he has been earning plenty of bonuses. The way his work does the bonuses is Stu gets points and then he can convert them to vouchers. He checked his balance and said he had £54 saved, I went on to have a look and it turns out he actually has £540. He doesn't usually check they point/voucher thing and didn't actually read how many points equal a pound. So now that will pay for most of what we want to buy over Christmas. It is one less thing to worry about.

I hope you have all had a good week?

My girls 16th and 21st Birthdays.

 It seems ages ago since my girls birthdays and I haven't had chance to write about them until now with blogging all about our little break away which turned into more blog posts than I had planned. I still wanted to write about their days, like I do every year.

This year was a big year for birthdays for my girls with it being Ellie's 16th and Becky's 21st.

Ellie turned 16 in the middle of August and picked what she wanted to do with her day ages before. Presents, go to the Arcade Warehouse and then a meal out to Wetherspoons. Perfect! Ellie mostly got clothes for her birthday this year, she picked everything herself so there weren't many surprises. She also got make up, money, Japanese candy and things for her computer. She was very happy and since she has got her new clothes every day has been like a fashion show, picking the perfect outfit! 

We had a fab time playing on all of the arcade games at the Arcade warehouse. I do like that you only pay £9 per person for 2 hours unlimited play on anything in there and since we were last there they have expanded so there's even more to do. There is everything from classic arcade games, air hockey, pool tables, VR games and everything inbetween.

We had a lovely meal at Wetherspoons. As much as people slate it the food is always good and it's always mostly clean and pretty quiet, well as long as you stay away from the bar area. We have got the hang of using the app to order our food and drinks now so we don't even order at the bar which takes the stress out of a visit.

After that we went and did a last bit of holiday shopping as we were leaving the next morning. Eek! Ellie had to finish off her packing and pick her outfits because of course she wanted to take most of what she got for her birthday away with her. I did feel a bit sad that the day wasn't all about her as some of it was taken over with the holiday preparation but she had the best time. She's became quite the little diva lately being obsessed with clothes and make up so she loved packing her suitcase.

Becky's birthday was always going to be a bigger deal this year with it being her 21st. Stu and I had planned that we would be going away for a night to Hull, yes it's just up the road from us but the latest we can get a bus home is 6.30pm (we don't like to get the last bus at 8.30pm as it's not reliable). We kept it a secret from Becky and her and I went off to Hull for a look around the shops and Stu and Ellie followed with the suitcase to surprise her. She was surprised and nearly cried. 

We just stayed at a Premier Inn and went to Wings, the all you can eat place. We have never been on an evening so it was a real treat as they have more and different food on offer. Yes it was about £10 more than we would pay to go on an afternoon but it was so worth it! There were so many more dishes, sushi, duck and you could even help yourself to a roast dinner if you wanted.

On the Sunday, Becky's actual birthday my dad was over in Hull, he was going to a car boot sale and said he would pick us up which was a real bonus. The way the buses are we wouldn't have got home for coming on to 3pm so even with looking around the car-boot we got home just after midday. It gave Becky more time to enjoy her birthday instead of sitting on a bus. 

Becky finally got to open her presents and she was so happy with everything. All but one of her presents was a surprise to her and she said I chose well. The big green bin did make her laugh, she knows I am sick of nagging her to put things in her bin and she always complains it's too small. Not anymore. lol Her favourite gift was the 6ft Harry Styles cardboard cut-out which is now living in her bedroom giving me a heart attack almost every time I go in there. I am always convinced it's a real person. 

So that's if for birthday's this year, well until November when it's mine and we don't have any plans at all but now we have been having little holidays and nights away I am fancying a night in a hotel. hehehe

The Toon Tour open top sightseeing bus in Newcastle.

When we lived in Northumberland and used to visit Newcastle we would always see the open top sightseeing bus driving around. We would always have to be somewhere or get home for something so we never really had the chance to go for a ride on it as much as we wanted to so when we had a little break away in Newcastle it was something we really wanted to do.

Explore the city on an open top bus with the Newcastle Gateshead Toon Tour! With the option to hop-on and hop-off at any stop along the route, it's the perfect way to sightsee in Newcastle and Gateshead!

Operated by Go North East the tour leaves from Newcastle's Central Station and takes a circular route that passes by some of the city's finest sights from the Quayside and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art to Newcastle Castle and St James' Park, plus many more!

The service runs from 10am until 5pm daily from late May until early September, then weekends only until October. There are 2 buses on the route so they come to each stop every 30 minutes. 

How much is a Newcastle Gateshead Toon Tour bus ticket?

Adult, 1 day: £12.50

Concession / Student, 1 day: £10

Children under 16, 1 day: £6

Group (any 4 people), 1 day: £30

Adult, 3 day: £25

Concession/ Student, 3 day: £20

Children under 16, 3 day: £12.50

Group (any 4 people), 3 day: £50

These tickets also allow unlimited travel on all Go North East buses on the same day, including the AD122 Hadrian's Wall Bus.

We got on at Gateshead Quayside and the driver was very helpful and explained what the bus was all about and how the best way to experience the tour is to stay on for one whole lap and then get off at whatever stop interests you and then you can get back on and travel somewhere else in the city.

When we got on the bus we were in the middle of the bus but after a few minutes some people got off and we could sit at the back which had the best views.

There are speakers which play on-board commentary telling you all about what sights you are seeing and a bit of history about the city. Those voices are Steve and Karen from Metro Radio which really made me smile. Even though you are in a loud city and on an open topped bus it is loud enough to hear every word. There is also free WiFi onboard all the ToonTour buses which meant we could share the beautiful sights of the city straight away if we wanted!

Attractions and sights across Newcastle and Gateshead that you see includes:

The Life Science Centre.

St James' Park - the home of Newcastle United.

Great North Museum: Hancock.

The Laing Art Gallery.

The Biscuit Factory.

Ouseburn.

The Quayside.

Baltic - The Baltic is a centre for contemporary art.

The Millennium Bridge.

Sage Gateshead.

The Tyne Bridge.

Grey's Monument.

Grey Street - the street is regarded as the finest street, not just in Newcastle, but in the North.

Newcastle Castle.

We all loved riding on the Toon Tour bus. There is a lot more to see and a lot to learn from this tour, you get a fantastic view of everything being higher up than the street and you see things that you have never noticed before if you have previously visited the city.

We had been walking a lot so it was nice to rest our legs a bit on the tour and it was such a gorgeous day so the breeze on top of the bus was lovely apart from that I ended up with a little sunburn on my forehead. 

My family loved it too. The girls were so excited and thought it was something really special to do. The last time they were at Newcastle they were only little so a lot of the sights were new to them.

The highlights for me were going over the Tyne Bridge. We don't drive so never get to experience that and visiting Ouseburn which I had never been to before. For some reason I thought it was miles away from Newcastle not just over the river and up the road. Stu of course loved seeing St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United.

It was well worth the money. We got on at Gateshead Quayside near the Baltic and did a full lap and got off at the central station. We did use it to get across the city later on in the day which was very useful. If we had have had more time we would have for sure gone to see the Angel of the North or visited the Metrocentre shopping centre.

Have you been on an open top bus tour before?