What am I missing this festive season?

December 17, 2014 by Rachel Kershaw in Festivals and Events 1

For the last ten days I have swapped my ham and pease pudding sandwiches for papaya salad, instead of hopping on a Go North East bus, I’ve been travelling by tuk tuk and while I’ve been feeding baby elephants, kayaking in caves and sipping on cocktails in Thailand, I couldn’t have felt further from my beloved Geordieland!

Right now i’m sat on a beach basking in the sunshine, wondering what I’d be doing if I was at home in Newcastle. You may have come across this blog hoping to find ideas about what to do in NewcastleGateshead over the festive season, so instead of babbling on about my winter holiday let me share with you a little list of some of the things I’d probably be doing if I wasn’t working on my tan in Thailand!

Christmas shopping

I love the whole palava of Christmas shopping, from writing a list and going on a mission to the Metrocentre or picking up quirky little stocking fillers at the local festive markets. I even love wrapping all the presents while sipping on mulled wine and watching a cheesy Christmas film. This year I bought all my wrapping paper and ribbon from Cath Kidston, the gifts will look so kitsch under the tree!

The Staff Christmas Party

The team at Metro Radio really know how to let their hair down so I’m gutted to be missing this years staff night out. Especially as they are heading to one of Newcastle’s best pubs, The Bridge Tavern, it’s a firm favourite of mine.

Fenwick Christmas window

I wrote about this Geordie tradition last year and it’s always something I look forward to. Luckily I caught a glimpse of this year’s Alice in Wonderland theme before I left for holiday, it’s definitely one of the best yet!

It’s a Wonderful Life

In the last few days before Christmas, James and I usually make a beeline for the Tyneside, our favourite cinema. Not only is it a tranquil retreat from the busy shops and the cold weather but there’s also been bit of a festive tradition created here by the annual screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life, the most heart-warming Christmas film of all time. Last year we went to see it on Christmas Eve and it was so magical, the audience even gave it a round of applause.

Enchanted Parks

This was one of my highlights of 2013 and it’s such a shame I can’t introduce it to James this year! If you’ve got tickets you’re in for a real treat, check out my post from last year here for a bit of an insight.

I still have a week of my holiday left and there’s also loads to look forward to when I get back like catching up with the family, Christmas drinks in town and the amazing New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival (so glad I’m not missing that!)

What are your festive highlights? Let me know in the comments below.

By Rachel Kershaw