Author Archives: Lesley Tan

North Shields Fish Quay

23rd November, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsFood and DrinkLeisureMusicPubs & Bars

Down at the bottom of the North Shields banks of the River Tyne there is a very popular ‘place to be’, which has been transformed from a once, busy working Fish Quay with fishing boats, The Mission To Deep Sea Fishermen, fish related businesses and a ferry point, into  ‘the place to be’ in North Shields. Take scenic walks, relax with a drink in a pub, eat from one of a host of restaurants and cafes, or just gaze around the river scene.

My mother and grandmother both worked in factories and other places in the area and my uncle owned a kipper factory where my auntie used to work. The buildings are still there and with such a strong family connection, when I walk around the area it brings back loads of memories.

There is a great view of South Shields, the Mouth of The Tyne and up river towards Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Royal Quays Marina is in sight too, so there are lots of chances to watch giant cruise ships full of holiday makers sailing off to distant lands. It is a great sight to see them all on deck waving to anyone who happens to be watching. There are plenty of other giant-sized boats sailing up and down the Tyne too.

My friend and I especially love to go to The Quay Taphouse which is a great pub on the quayside with a special offer on certain days and times. A bottle of wine and three tapas for around 18 pounds is well worth it and enough for two people. It is delicious! You can see loads of river traffic through the windows and I spend my time running in and out with my camera phone.

We also frequently visit Sambuca. This Italian chain has two restaurants on the quayside, very reasonably priced and the staff and food are great!

A short walk up Tanners Bank and you come to another nice pub, The Lodge. Well worth a visit, very quaint and full of old world charm – NO FOOTBALL on the TV!

There is also a great traditional shop on the quayside called Wm. Wight Ltd. Famous for selling traditional sweets, food and all sorts with lovely friendly staff.

One of the older buildings on the quay is Old Low Light Heritage Centre (The Net), Clifford’s Fort. This has been turned into a great venue for talks, exhibits, having coffee and cake and has great views of the Tyne from the viewing platform upstairs. Many local artists perform there to entertain the visitors with their music. Two favourites of mine are Geordie George (George Sturrock) and Lindsay O’Neill-Brown. There is an outside area where you may relax and enjoy fabulous views. Recently my friend Steve Willis has set up his recording studios there. Steve’s Timmerman Recordings is aiming to reach out to all the young hopeful musicians in the Tyneside area and help them make an impact in the music industry.

A little further up the river is the ‘new’ ferry point which was recently the focus of our Crossing The Tyne Buskers Festival held for the first time this year. Next year’s festival is being planned at this moment. Get on the ferry and enjoy a trip to the other side of the river, South Shields.

There are lots of walks to enjoy in the area. You can walk along the newly landscaped slopes up to the marina, or up the stairs along the riverbanks for even more spectacular views of the fish quay and river. Also popular is the Stan Laurel Park (he is from the area too) which is situated where the old Dockwray Square was, in itself, a place steeped in local history. You can walk further into North Shields town, which is a bustling community full of character.

If you choose to walk towards the river mouth the views are equally as good and you will find the imposing, massive, grey Sir James Knott Memorial Flats (Knotts Flats) with some of the best views of the river and South Shields. My mum and Nana and Granda used to live in Knotts Flats and I spent many an evening there when my mum and dad had a night out. The flats are on the left and the river mouth straight ahead with the famous two piers guarding the entrance to The Tyne in sight.

You can see the Black Middens below the flats, an unfortunately positioned mass of rocks in the River Tyne, which have been responsible for many a ship wreck in the past. You are now into the Tynemouth area and can, in fact, walk right around the headland into the picturesque village of Tynemouth.

If you are in the area, take a look at The North Shields Fish Quay, full of history, character and charm. You won’t regret it!

Borneo International Kite Festival Spectacular

17th November, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

ActivitiesAttractionsEntertainmentEventsFestivals

The Bintulu Kite Festival is a magnificent yearly event created and headed by “Sia” and held in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).

Now into its 11th year, this colourful extravaganza is held for 5 days in mid September at the old Bintulu airport and draws in big crowds!

The wonderful photos in this post are taken by local, award-winning photographer Tong Teck Ping, from the neighbouring town of Sibu, who travels up to Bintulu specially to take photos of this spectacular festival.

If you are ever in the area it is well worth making the journey to witness the fabulous and diverse creations, which are made especially for the festival.

Participants are from all over Malaysia and the world!

It is an amazing experience for the whole family, regardless of age.

Photos by Tong Teck Ping

Sunset Steamboat Sublime

10th November, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

CafesFood and DrinkRestaurants

One of our favourite places to eat right here in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, is Sunset Steamboat Bar-B-Q and Grill. It is located in an area named Mors Jaya, which is minutes away from Miri International Airport. We went there last night and had a fabulous time eating and drinking.

This great place is run by Henry and Josephine and they do their best to make everyone feel at home. Sunset Steamboat Bar-B-Q and Grill is not just a SteamBoat restaurant, it also serves ‘western’ and other local food as well, so they cater for all tastes!

For those of you who have never tried a SteamBoat, it is basically a pot of deliciously tasting soup in the middle with a grill around the outside which is the BBQ part. At Sunset the price is set and you just go up and choose however much food you like from the wide selection available. Then, take it back to your SteamBoat and either cook it in your soup, or grill it around the side. Basically, you take all you can eat (best not to over do it). The more you cook the more delicious the soup becomes! There is always a friendly member of staff to top up the level of the soup if it gets too low. There are choices of all kinds of raw vegetables, salad, raw meats and fish not to mention, mushrooms, beancurds, noodles and a whole lot more. Take it back to your SteamBoat, cook it and eat it!

There are many condiments to go with this great meal, my favourites are chopped fresh garlic and a mix of garlic, vinegar and chopped chillies – very nice. I love to scoop out loads of veg, mushrooms, beancurd and fishballs and a few scoops of the lovely soup, then add the garlic and chilly mix. My husband loves the Grill around the side and usually has the prawns, crab, fish, beef, chicken, lamb or pork nicely sizzling away on it. You cook your own food and can replenish your plates as much as you like. Topped with refreshing cans of ice-cold Tiger beer, you are sure to return again and again!

To finish off your meal there is a choice of different flavoured ice-creams.

This is a totally different way of cooking, and in a way, closely related to the Fondue.

Sunset SteamBoat has recently added to their menu, so you can now have a BBQ and other Grill items to vary your meals. Their bar is well stocked and the beer always comes out in a ‘Beer Bucket’ very well chilled, which is just what the doctor ordered.

If you are in Miri, pay Sunset Steamboat Bar-B-Q and Grill a visit, I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Photos by Lesley Tan and Henry Bansberg

Medway Meanderings

9th November, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsHotelsLeisurePubs & BarsRestaurants

Earlier this year my lovely friends took me on a surprise stopover tour and one of my favourite stops was the Ship & Trades Hotel, Maritime Way, Chatham Maritime in Kent. It is a super maritime themed hotel, bar and restaurant with lovely well equipped rooms, interesting decor and good food. The stylish bar is at ground level and the large first floor restaurant has excellent views of the nearby Chatham Maritime Marina, one of the fabulous attractions in the area. The hotel staff were friendly and made us feel very welcome. This hotel only has 11 rooms so it is essential to book early to avoid disappointment.

The whole area has been rejuvenated and has a great feel about it. Close by is a popular Factory Outlet Shopping Centre and there is a Dickensian themed area which we did not have time to visit. We did eat at one of the many restaurants and had a nice walk around the marina to look at some of the beautiful luxury yachts and boats.

I would love to return one day.

Bubblecar Museum

3rd November, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsCafesGood ValueLeisureMuseums

Small is beautiful so they say! Well our friends drove us down to the UK’s most unusual Motor Museum which is located at Clover Farm, Main Road, Langrick, Boston, Lincolnshire PE22 7AW.

It is open for bookings for rally venues, and we noticed some caravans in the attached field.

Inside there is a very reasonably priced tea room, a gift shop with reasonably priced local produce, AND over 50 microcars on display.

There is also a mini museum with shop and memorabilia of the past.

Our visit was very interesting and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with any interest in cars.

You can find out more at www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk and they are on Facebook too!

Bay and Beer Watch

26th October, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsBeachesFood and DrinkPubs & BarsViews

This cute little bay lies between Tynemouth Castle and Priory and Tynemouth Long Sands, therefore it is in Tynemouth!

This is King Edward’s Bay! Yet another tourist attraction for Tynemouth and I never tire of taking photos of it. It is situated deep down a well washed cliff, in fact, it is so well-washed that a storm in the early 1900’s ripped down part of the cliffs, so a very strong support system was erected and is now part of the scenery. It is accessed by a series of steps and a banked roadway for ice-cream vans, garbage trucks, the Life Guards and other vehicles which frequent the bay.

The beach is cleaned regularly and there is now a new fish restaurant which is open in the summer months. Riley’s Fish Shack is on my bucket list as friends have told me that it is very nice.

King Edward’s Bay is a popular destination for holiday makers and for people who use it to exercise and the usual beach walkers. There is a magnificent view of Tynemouth Castle and Priory from most parts of the area and at the top of this bay is The Gibraltar Rock, a nice pub commonly known as The Gib!

The ‘Gib’, 2 East Street, Tynemouth is a very old pub which draws me back time after time. It serves inexpensive delicious snacks and Sunday lunches as well as an array of other dishes. The drinks are reasonably priced and there is a lovely little bar on the upper floor with excellent views of The Priory and King Edward’s Bay. I frequently use The Priory Bar for reunions with old school mates when I go home. We often just drop in for a drink if we are in the area. The staff always make you feel very welcome. This is one of the many old world pubs in Tynemouth and well worth a visit.

So, next time you are in the area, take a lovely walk down to King Edward’s Bay and then have a relaxing drink with fabulous views in The Gib!

Photos by Larry Bedigan and Lesley Tan.

Lincolnshire’s Best Beer

22nd October, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

Food and DrinkPubs & BarsThings to doTours

This year I was taken to a very interesting place called Batemans Brewery.  A unique place belonging to Batemans who are a family owned craft brewers and have been in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire since 1874.

Batemans Brewery Visitors Centre is situated in an old windmill near the River Steeping. It is a very pretty place and has a lovely beer garden for sunny days. It is perfect for the whole family with all kinds of giant games. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, it was raining so we had a nice drink in Mr George’s Windmill Bar. Apparently it is named after the grandson of the original owner. As the bar is also inside the windmill, it has a very funky curved shape! The bar is lined with all kinds of bottles and mementos of past functions. They also have displays of the biggest bottled beer collection in the world!

Other features include function rooms and a Brewery Shop, which sells all kinds of locally produced merchandise. There is also a Brewery Tour, which we missed this trip but hope to join next time round.

This is a very worthwhile place to visit and I am looking forward to revisiting with our great friends who took us there.

Lovely Long Sands

15th October, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

BeachesCafesFood and DrinkHotelsSurfing

Tynemouth is my home village, I live just five minutes walk away from the seaside and I love it! The beaches are clean, well looked after and a haven for surfers, picnickers, dog walkers and just anyone who loves beach walks and looking at the sea, in any weather or at any time of year. Tynemouth Long Sands is the nearest and I mostly choose to walk the slightly longer route to the village via the coast, so I can soak up the atmosphere and recharge my batteries.

Lately, surfing has become a very popular activity in our area because, I think, of the great surf that is often present and perfect for surfing. A common sight is to see is budding surfers having lessons on the beach with their colourful surfboards.

Crusoe’s is a lovely café at one end of the beach and a branch is currently being built for the other end of the beach. Crusoe’s is a magnet for people searching for breakfast, ice-cream, coffee and cake etc and it can be booked for special occasions; being down on the beach makes it a lovely venue. Toilets are available too.

Life Guards patrol the beach in an effort to keep everyone safe and there are strict rules and regulations on when and where dogs can be exercised on the beach.

There are two large hotels nearby, the best being The Grand Hotel and there is also The Park Hotel and there are loads of small B & B’s around the area for holiday-makers.

Meeting up for breakfast is the latest ‘in thing’ that my friends in the area like doing, and there are many places which serve filling and delicious breakfasts. My friends and I love to meet at Crusoe’s for breakfast but there is also Tynemouth Lake close to the beach and breakfasts are good there too. Tynemouth village, 15 minutes walk away, has a host of cafes and pubs which also serve great food.

I feel very lucky to have such easy access to such a great beach and it is just one of many in the area. Easily accessible via Cullercoats Metro Station and a slightly longer walk from Tynemouth Metro Station; it is a great day out for those who live further inland.

Newlands Corner with Tilly

13th October, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

CafesFood and DrinkSceneryViewsWalking

Tilly was out for ‘walkies’ again! This time at Newlands Corner, which is not far from Guildford in Surrey. This proved to be a very good decision as my son and daughter in law had not been there before.

It was an extremely sunny and hot day and as we walked up and down the hills and let Tilly enjoy herself, we were glad to see that there were benches located around the area. Some of these benches had been dedicated to loved ones who had passed on, obviously they too had enjoyed the stunning views on many an occasion. We had a picnic sitting on one of these well-placed benches and enjoyed the view at the same time.

After our picnic we walked slowly around and we came across many others walking their dogs, or just simply walking. Although there were plenty of people around, it was certainly not overcrowded or obviously populated, indeed, the area is so large it frequently looked empty.

After a good long walk/run, we went back up to the car park and noticed ice cream for sale. We had been informed that the food served at the café there was excellent but it was so hot, we just needed ice cream! It was large, reasonably priced, cold and delicious. We sat outside the café in the sunshine and enjoyed the ice cream. We were very pleased to notice that there were bowls of water for the dogs dotted around too as well as toilets, picnic tables and ample parking around the area.

A lovely afternoon indeed.

Canny Cullercoats

7th October, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

BeachesLeisurePubs & BarsScenerySightseeing

I cannot say enough about this small seaside village. It is quaint, has a beach, cafés, pubs, Lifeboat Station and it is in my postal address! This is where I went to school and I love it. It is also a very popular destination for Geordies wanting a day out!

Cullercoats is a quaint old fishing (and mining in the past) village which is situated within walking distance of Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. Unfortunately most of the old fishermen’s cottages have been pulled down, but there is still a little bit of the old Cullercoats left.

In the old days it was an important part of the local fishing industry and still has a very active RNLI Lifeboat Station operating today. This is also home to the Dove Marine Laboratory built in 1897 which is still regularly used by Newcastle University.

Many people travel down to Cullercoats in the summer and on an especially hot or sunny day the Cullercoats Metro Station is alive with holiday makers seeking to have a great day on the beach. And the beach is just five minutes walk from the Metro station. There are souvenir shops, ice-cream parlours and fish and chip shops. There is also the local pub, the Queen’s Head. The beach is a lovely little cove with two piers and a few caves and loads of little boats bobbing about. Lovely, and what a great place to spend your time on a day out.

Cullercoats is a beautiful village summer or winter, I live away from my old home now but often fantasize about retiring there one day. In the meantime, I travel home as often as possible, usually once a year (my son still lives there). I feel so lucky to have been brought up in such a lovely, picturesque area.