Free May Half-Term Family Fun in North East England

Schools break up for the holidays this weekend and there is plenty of half-term fun to be had in North East England and best of all lots of it is free. Yes, free family fun for everyone from Tyneside to Teesside. So whether you are looking for family days out in Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Durham or along the North East coast we've found is a hot-air balloon festival, theatre, comedy, craft, food and carnival fun to choose from. Let hope this glorious weather we have been enjoying returns and stays long enough for us all to make the most of it.

And don't forget out A-Z of FREE family days out in North East England too.

The Vegetarian Set Menu at Chaophraya Thai Dining (REVIEW)

Chaophraya Thai Dining has launched a new menu which includes a Vegetarian Set Menu, so as it's National Vegetarian Week we went along to one of their restaurants in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to try it out. It's not the first time we've been invited to review the food at Chaophraya - we've eaten à la carte, tested the lunch menu and also tried out a Thai cookery class. So how would the vegetarian set menu fair?

20 Top Vegetarian Recipes to Tempt Meat Eaters

It’s National Vegetarian Week 2018 and today we are sharing some of our favourite veggie recipes, but also others that vegetarians and meat eaters alike think are so good that they would tempt the most carnivorous person they know, to give veggie food a try.

Check out our post from earlier this week highlighting our 16 favourites tried and tested places to eat vegetarian food in the North East, and also our top 5 family-friendly vegetarian meals – perfect for quick and easy meals after school or for a lunch.

16 Fab Places to Eat Out as a Veggie in North East England

I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years now and eating out as a vegetarian is so much easier now than it ever has been. Even opting for vegan food is getting slightly easier. And it's not just the big metropolitan cities that are offering such a range of choices. 

Newcastle and the whole of North East England have such a great range of places that it's now sometimes too difficult to choose. It's a far cry from when you were lucky if there was a vegetable lasagne on the menu, and once on our travels, we were even asked to leave a restaurant in Paris after we asked if they could offer vegetarian dishes. I'm so glad thing have improved!

30 Fantastic Real-Life Random Acts of Kindness

When was the last time you did a random act of kindness? A totally selfless act that brought you no benefit, other than, maybe, a really good sense of wellbeing. Or maybe you have been on the receiving end of another person’s unexpected but very welcome gesture of kindness - no matter how small. 

Northern Chords Music Festival Returns to Tyneside (AD)

The Northern Chords Festival is returning to Tyneside later this month. As part of my day job, I do get to work on some pretty cool projects, working alongside some very talented people. My current project is no exception. The Northern Chords Festival is one of the North East's most prominent and vibrant chamber music festivals and was founded by North East cellist and conductor Jonathan Bloxham. Find out more about this three-day festival returning to Newcastle later this month...

7 Things To Do In May

Well, it's May Bank Holiday Monday today, and what a scorcher of a weekend it has been. Hopefully, the rest of May will bring us, even more, warmer and longer sunny days to enjoy.

May is not only the fifth month of the year but also gives us two bank holidays plus a week of school holidays too and it really starts to get warmer, lighter and we all start feeling better. So here are seven things to do with and without the family, to eat, make and also enjoy in May.

Balloons InDurham – Everything You Need to Know for 2018 (AD)

This post is sponsored by DurhamBID

Hot air balloons will once again fill the Durham City skyline for the return of a free family-friendly festival at the end of this month. In three weeks’ time, when you look to the skies above Durham City, it will be awash with brightly coloured balloons. The horizon will be lit up with hot air balloons galore as a weekend of spectacular Spring Bank Holiday family fun, from Friday 25 May until Monday 28 May, comes to Durham. And we are working with Durham BID to bring you the low down on this year's event.

PENGUINPIG in Gateshead - Keeping our Children Safe Online (AD)

When I was a child I remember not having mobile phones, email, internet or social media. Like many of us, these were things we and our parents didn’t have to worry about. However, times change and technology has moved on. Now we have all kinds of information at our fingertips. And for those of us whose children have access to electronic devices, they too have lots of information at their fingertips. Internet safety has become as important a topic to teach our children as the Green Cross Code.

So as parents how do we ensure our children are safe online? It’s the subject of a live puppet show coming to Gateshead next month so ahead of seeing this performance next month I’ve been speaking to some parents about their thoughts and tips regarding e-safety.

What's On in May - Free Family Fun in North East England

Looking for family fun and days out in North East England this May? We've found lots of free events and activities taking place across Northumberland, Tyneside, Durham and Teesside offering free family fun this month. These include festivals such as Balloons InDurham, Stockton Stages and The Late Shows as well as special days at Locomotion, Kielder and the Stephenson Museum, and a special performance to re-open Middlesbrough Town Hall.

And don't forget out A-Z of FREE family days out in North East England too.