Who needs France? Northern England's beaches rival the Côte d'Azur (seriously)
Who needs Ibiza or Tenerife when there’s a bit of Spain right here on the north-east coast of England? The white-domed Spanish City (spanishcity.co.uk) in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle, has been a landmark of this Victorian seaside resort since it opened in 1910. At the time of construction, the entertainment building – including theatre, fairground and menagerie – boasted the largest dome in Britain after London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.
Post-war things did not go so well – bingo hall and bars, false ceilings and failed plans led to a dismal closure in 2002. That was until 2018 when it reopened after a £10million investment to a fanfare of eating places and magnificently restored features. Browsing the menu in its Champagne Bar (choices include Louis Roederer Crystal, £250) before tucking into a handsome fish pie in Trencher’s – fish and chip restaurant of the year – while gazing up at the white and gilded dome, easily made up for a damp-ish day on the sands.
Not that you can dampen seaside spirits here. Even on a mizzling grey afternoon, the sea off the aptly named Longsands at Tynemouth (Whitley Bay’s neighbouring – and, some would argue, smarter – resort, two miles south) was bobbing with surfers and swimmers. “It’s been really manic, the whole world wants to get in the water,” said Angela Hudson of Tynemouth Surf Co (tynemouthsurf.co.uk).
Across the road from the surf shop, Tynemouth Aquarium (tynemouthaquarium.co.uk), a small and friendly, if rather dated, attraction, was bustling with buggies and toddlers – the seal pool and the ‘walk-through’ tank proved to be the most popular – generally socially-distanced.
At the next-door Tynemouth Park (tynemouthpark.com), there was a queue for the Lost World Adventure Golf – prehistoric creatures as obstacles – while Jungle Wipeout (inflatable slides and assault course) was doing a healthy pre-booked trade. “It’s a one-hour session with half-an-hour for us to clean in-between”, explained one of the attendants. “The kids love it when it’s a bit damp as it’s less busy and they can go on as often as they want.”
Next morning, over breakfast at No 61, a smart, Georgian townhouse B&B (no61.co.uk) with a pretty, hidden tea-garden and sea-views over the mouth of the Tyne and down the coast, plans were being made for the day. Andrea Kellett and Paul Ferrier from Dewsbury, who should have been in Sorrento, Italy, to celebrate his 50th birthday, were opting for a walk to St Mary’s Lighthouse while sisters Jacqueline Dalton from Harrogate and Jeannie Stephenson from London were combining family visits with a chance to get away. “All we’ve done is eat and drink,” confessed Jeannie. “But we’ll do a beach walk today. People don’t realise how beautiful the UK is. I think it (Covd-19) has done us a service, really.”
I, too, headed for St Mary’s Lighthouse, non-operational since 1984 and now a visitor centre, set on a rocky islet reached by a tidal causeway. Despite it being a ‘closed’ day (opening hours are now complicated by restricted numbers plus tide times), plenty of people were enjoying the sea-views, wildlife-watching (conservation group volunteer, Fred Short, helped me spot seals, eider ducks and golden plovers) and rock-pooling.
Brandishing bright pink and green nets, Adie and Kerry Farmer’s two young children were squealing with delight at the sea-snails they’d found. The family from Nottingham, who were staying in the nearby caravan park, felt they’d made the best staycation choice. “Friends who’ve been to Tenby or the south coast have struggled to find a beach with space,” said Kerry, an NHS key worker. “Here it is so unspoilt. We’ve had a week off from worrying about social-distancing. The kids can play on the beach and we’ve not had to worry.”
It’s true. Between the two resorts there are four beaches from which to choose and even in Whitley Bay’s two amusement arcades, sprinkled with hand sanitiser, people were masked and careful of others – though I completely missed the one-way arrows on the floor due to rising hysteria that I was 20 pence up on the roll-a-penny machines.
Back at Tynemouth Market – where I did follow the arrows – a joyous all-sorts market offering everything from wooden tennis racquets to cupcakes, and old copies of ‘Railway World’ to crystal healing pyramids, was laid out beneath the striking green-and-cream Victorian ironwork canopy of the station. I spent far too long flicking through the vinyls before I realised that I had temporarily forgotten about ‘the situation’, and then felt compelled to spend ages hand-sanitising.
I had a late afternoon booking at Riley’s Fish Shack (rileysfishshack.com) – the only slot available at this legendary fish grill, fashionably housed in two converted containers in King Edward’s Bay – so assuaged hunger pangs with a visit to Tynemouth Priory and Castle (english-heritage.org.uk) on the bay’s south side. The remains of the 11th-century Benedictine priory, later a royal castle, are few, though striking. But it’s the peace inside its ramparts and the views of the coast and the Tyne from its headland location that really impress.
On arrival at Riley’s, it was buzzing, with people scattered across the beach in navy-blue deckchairs set around cable-drum tables beneath blue or white parasols. Menus change daily depending on the local catch, which is often cooked over a charcoal grill or in a wood oven, devilishly spiced and served in cardboard trays. Delights such as Goan cod curry, spiced lemon sole with sumac yogurt or the popular teriyaki monkfish kebabs may all grace the menu if you are lucky. It’s deliciously messy and a decidedly upmarket version of eating fish and chips out of a newspaper on a harbour wall.
Waiters, with trays held aloft, shimmied through the sand and with just a paintbrush-stroke of cerulean-blue added to the sea and a ramp-up in temperature, we could easily have been on the Côte d’Azur. The fact that a couple were ordering a second bottle of Cava at 4pm seemed entirely natural.
Further information: visitnorthtyneside.com
