The Customs House in South Shields is a building by the riverside which is used for many cultural…read moreactivities such as stage performances as well as it being used as a cinema, though they only have one cinema screen and therefore do not show such wide a variety of films as some of the larger cinema chains screen. The seating facilities are also quite cramped. The ticket prices for the cinema are quite cheap though so it's good for entertaining kids in the holidays. They also hold smaller performances such as variety shows featuring dance troupes from around the South Tyneside borough, along with local comedians and some singing acts. Last year their Christmas pantomime was particularly popular. It featured ex-Scooch band member and Eurovision star David Ducasse. They also have a website so you can see what is currently being shown and you can request a brochure which outlines all the upcoming shows. It is: http://www.customshouse.co.uk/

The Customs House is where posh people in the north east go when they want to see theatre, and…read morerecital, and ballet and when it comes to it, pantomime at Christmas too. It's a nice place to be and they have a decent amount of shows on.

Excellent venue for various community events in the Bedlington area. Located mid-front street.read more

I had my wedding reception here 11 years ago! Wonderful friendly staff, nothing too much for them…read moreto handle. Upstairs room is huge with dance floor and space for seating, eating and DJ area, with a bar of course. Cental to the town, I would definately recommend it.

Great place for kids and adults. Plenty of educational and interest lectures…read more Outdoor ice rink in winter.

My first visit to this place was a few years back during my brief stint at Sunderland Uni aka my…read morelost weekend. On my last encounter I got to play with vials of nandrolone and learned how to drug test people/evade detection depending on your ethical leanings. It was forthright, educational and cool. I visited again at the weekend to see the Bodyworlds exhibition. Unlike my last visit which pertained to anatomical learnings, functions of the body, human performance and errr doping, this one did not. I admit, my visit was more out of some kind of fucking morbid curiosity following a documentary I watched about Gunther Von Hagens in 2010. I am not even going to bother masking this under the pretence of wishing to learn more about the motor functions of the human anatomy, which many will, and which is their right. So, got their lunchtime. The exhibition begins pretty mundanely. A few skeletons which is fairly standard 'anatomy class' shit, before Gunther begins to ease you towards a skeleton holding a relay baton, which stands upright behind the plasticised ligaments and tendons of what once presumably made up part of its outer shell. I was not entirely sure what I was meant to be making of this anatomically, and in all honesty - after some considerable thought - I'm still not sure. Nice plasticisation (?) of the patella. And the 'pose' really brings out the array of tendons surrounding the scapula I suppose. Thumbs up. The exhibition ultimately climaxes in several displays seemingly curated to pay homage to amongst others, Da Vinci's 'Vitruvian Man,' and Rembrandt's 'Autopsy of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp' but they subsequently have the affect of making you feel like you are caught up in a particularly grotesque episode of fucking Hannibal. Nonetheless, the part of the exhibition which summed the whole things up for me, was the several millimetre thin cross sections of the human anatomy which have ended up resembling something like prosciutto ham. And that's kind of what it all is. The cadavers have been 'processed' to the point where you don't feel like you are looking at human beings. At all. In the same way looking at a slice of bacon or ham, doesn't cause you to think of a pig. Because essentially, it isn't. Any kind of character, distinguishing feature, or anything identifiable as particularly sentient has been stripped, and bio-chemically altered beyond any recognition. Ultimately, any insights into anatomy are inevitably outweighed by what is seemingly part art-exhibition, part unintentional satire on human gastronomic habits played out on processed corpses. It's all very strange and leaves you wondering what you've witnessed for days afterwards. To be honest, I'm still not sure.

The National Glass centre has free entry and hosts the end of year show for Sunderland University…read moreGlass Students, they also operate a tour where you can watch the glass making process. There is a reasonably priced cafe and a shop where you can purchase items made by both the students and established artists. The building itself is impressive with a glass roof which you can walk on. There is a large free car park and it is situated a short walk away from the metro line. A great day out for all that family.

There is free entry to the glass centre You can watch the…read moreartists blow the glass and go look at the glass galleries There is free parking outside or it is a short walk from the metro station There are free talks and a gallery where you can see what glass is made from and loads of information about the history of glass There is a really nice resteraunt here and a shop where you can buy all sorts of things made from glass for good prices If you have a free afternoon it is worth a visit They do differen courses as well if you have ever been interested in making something from glass

At first I hated this place because it involved the demolition of my two favourite places, the…read moreDovecot arts centre and the Cannon Cinema. But it grew on me. It is big and yellow and was shut down for a year or so because of mis-management. A bit of the wall revolves because of 'art.' The outside is spoilt by metal walkways to save on cleaning costs. There is one big theatre, a smaller auditorium used for stand up gigs, a gym, a cinema and rehearsal rooms, as well as bars and restaurants. It is a little too big for the area but I think the guys have got their act together in terms of publicity so that people in the area who want to go know when stuff's on. It really comes alive during Stockton festival, when all the weird european street performers use it as a base. If you're in the area this is the best place to go for a night out.

I Love this show - its the last friday of every month and they do a couple of special gong shows…read moreeach year - watch out for those in the arc brochure. The setting up stairs is excellent you can either reserve seats for larger groups or just turn up on the night. You have a choice of sitting at a table or sitting in stadium seating up the side. Only complaint I have is that the breaks between acts where you have time to go to the bar are too long - they are supposed to be 15 mins but are always at least 30 mins as the staff try and get people in from the bar area - you can bring your drinks into the show with you. By the end of the night people are getting a little rowdy as a lot of alcohol is consumed. But very good fun.

Great if you dont mind the cows dont go in winter as to get…read morehere it is up and down lots of small roads and when it snows it really does this is at the bottom of a bank and it gets very icy in the winter Its much nicer in the summer - there is room for about 4 cars to park and an information post before you go across the two fields to the bastle For those that havent heard of them before a bastle was a fortified farmhouse - two storeys with the cows sheep and pigs downstairs and the people on the top floor Its just a quick visit place as the downstairs is closed and the upstairs has external steps to climb then a little of the upstairs left but you can see where the beams were and stuff

Very good free museum at the University of Newcastle. The Great North Museum focuses on natural…read morehistory for the most part, with interesting sections on world cultures as well. The exhibits are interesting and informative, but also interactive enough to keep everyone's attention. When we visited, there was a special exhibition on the amazing Gertrude Bell. It tells her life story, including her fascinating archaeological work in the middle east, and her efforts to establish a National Museum in Baghdad. A truly interesting woman. There is a good shop and a café on site, so you can definitely spend a few hours here and not get bored. Highly recommended in Newcastle.

Fantastic free museum for adults & children. Well worth a visit if there m the city. Some…read moreinteresting items on display. Shame about screaming kids during school holidays!

Journal Tyne Theatre - my favourite of the two theatres in Newcastle. Though its rival is seen to…read morebe the Theatre Royal, I can honestly say that I prefer the general atmosphere and architecture of the Journal Tyne Theatre. On my first visit I found it virtually impossible to locate despite having lived in the North East all of my life. When I did eventually find it, he staff were welcoming and cheerful. Last year I saw numerous pantomime performances throughout the North East, but I can honestly say that despite its lack of special effects and its very basic stage, the actors and actresses were more engaging than any of the celebrity endorsed pantomimes. I guess they have to be in order to keep up with the competition and pull in an audience over the christmas season. The actual inside of the theatre is lacking - it goes without saying that it is a very old building, which isn't particularly well maintained. However, it does have a certain charm and for this reason I look forward to the christmas pantomime every year.

This is a lovely old place to visit,The Theatre stands at the bottom of Westgate Road in the city…read morecentre,so is very easy to get to.It's a listed building so it has'nt lost its charm and has lots of original features.There is always a vast variety of acts available and even the annual pantomime so there really is something for every age. There's a good sized bar which is always a bonus. It's not a glitzy place but it's atmosphere more than makes up for anything it might lack in looks.Much nicer than a lot of the newer venues around.