Alnwick Garden was first started by the Duke of Northumberland, he employed Capability Brown to landscape the garden in the late 18th century.

The current garden was created by the Duchess of Northumberland, Alnwick Garden is situated adjacent to Alnwick Castle.  The land was given by the Duchess, along with £9m to fund the project.

The stunning gardens surround a cascading fountain which is the centre piece, it is also home the the Poison garden.  The poison garden has many highly toxic plants, it has special permission from the Home Office to grow plants, like Tobacco, Opium Poppies, Magic Mushrooms and Wild Lettuce, which can be used as a tranquilliser.

An image of the Angel of the North stands proudly on a bus shelter in London, underneath the image reads “East England North”.

Now having lived in the North East of England all my life, I have become a bit wound up at the sight of East England North being posted all over several parts of the country.

Why on earth people would want to change the name of the region, North East England has a ring to it, East England North sounds like someone is just making it up.

I would suggest that everyone write to their MP and demand the area to be known as North East England.

Originally constructed by Richard Grainger (John Dobson was the architect) in 1824, Eldon Square now stands as the largest City Centre shopping mall in Great Britain.

It is a far cry from the early days before the demolition in the 1960’s, that paved the way for what is Eldon Square Shopping Centre now.

In 2008 money was spent by the owners on the revamp of the Eldon Square memorial, which is now landscaped and has access to the lower level of shops.

It is currently undergoing major regeneration which will see a large portion of the centre going to Debenhams, previously this space was allocated to the Green Market.

It covers 13 acres and is home to over 140 shops, all big brands, it also provides a leisure centre that is used by all ages. Newcastle City Council have a reported 40% share in Eldon Square.

Built between 1973 – 1978, the Byker Wall is recognised as one of the most recognisable buildings in the region.

Designed by the architect Ralph Erskine, it provides 620 maisonettes across 200 acres on site, all buildings are in an unbroken chain.

Designed by Antony Gormley, the Angel of the North stands proudly on the edge of Low Fell (overlooking the A1) following its completion in 1998.

Weighing 200 tonnes, the £1m structure is 66 feet tall and has a wing span of 178 feet, making the span larger than most buildings.

Antony Gormley wanted to create a piece that would be a place of hope for those who were lost in between the industrial and information ages, it sits on a mound that was created following the closure of the Lower Tyne Colliery.

An unknown fact is that the wings are not actually flat, but have a 3.5 degree angle, this is to give the feeling of an embrace to all those who see it, which is an estimated 90,000 people every day.

Following the unveiling, many people disliked the structure, but it is now classed as the major icon of the North East, overtaking the Tyne Bridge.

MetroCentre, located in Gateshead, is the largest shopping centre in the European Union.

It opened on the 14th October 1986, constructed with finance from the Church of England Commissioners, and was thought of by former Newcastle United Chairman and current President Sir John Hall, through his Cameron Hall developments.

It was also home to MetroLand, which was a indoor themepark (the largest in Europe), until its closure in 2008.

Team Valley is traditionally the heavy industrial area of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. More recently it has become home to ‘Retail World’, basically a retail park, however this makes up just a small percentage of the entirety of the Team Valley Trading Estate.

Many large international companies are based in the trading estate and it is rapidly developing as a business park rather than the heavily industrialised area it used to be. There are currently approximately 1400 companies on the estate.

Each day, approximately 25,000 people travel to Team Valley.In the 1930s the Government decided to spend nearly £2m on this part of Gateshead establishing the Team Valley Trading Estate as a well-planned industrial environment.This initiative resulted in a landscaped estate intended for 15,000 workers.

It included a central headquarters, now used by English Partnerships, a bank, a post office and, some modestly scaled industrial buildings as well as some smaller industrial units for start-up ventures.These facilities were laid out along a wide central artery, known as ‘Kingsway’, almost two miles long.

The construction, which was undertaken by Wimpey Construction, took several years and was completed in 1938. Many of the older residents of Gateshead were involved in the building of the original team valley.The southern end used to be the location of the National Coal Board’s regional headquarters but after the closure of the mines in the area this was replaced by a Safeway supermarket which is now owned by Sainsbury’s.

The connection remains today in that the junction with the A1 is often referred to as the coal house roundabout.The River Team runs directly through the centre of the trading estate, hidden in a culvert.Recently developments at the north end of the trading estate have seen a new hotel, shops, offices and a Regus virtual office building being built.Although the Team Valley Trading Estate predates the road by several decades, it is now bordered on the West by the A1 road, and has two junctions at both the north and south ends. A dual carriageway runs the length of the trading estate between the two A1 road junctions. The worsening congestion and the lack of scope for improving the A1 has led to the Highways Agency using the provisions of Article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 to restrict additional development taking place on Team Valley.

The North East Chamber of Commerce and two local newspapers (The Journal and Evening Chronicle) have launched a campaign against these restrictions, entitled “Go for Jobs”.

To the East it is bordered by the East Coast Main Line which is the main railway between London and Edinburgh via Newcastle. Many years ago there was a station situated in Team Valley however this has long since closed and the nearest station on the East Coast Main Line is now Central Station in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Located in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, Heaton is a popular area for students.

With many takeaways and pubs, the nightlife is second only to the city centre.

Linking most of the commercial areas such as Chillingham Road, Shields Road, Osbourne Road & Newcastle City Centre, Heaton is therefore the centre for many people in the City.

Heaton Park is the main park in Heaton, accessible from Heaton Park Road the park has a lot history. Linking to Armstrong park which was given to the people of the city by Lord Armstrong, it provides people with fantastic scenery and a lovely walk.

The name Heaton means High Settlement, probably referring to its position above the River Ouseburn, a tributary of the River Tyne.

Heaton first appears as Hactona in 1157 and then as Hoton in 1279. Hoton is referred to as Haugh-ton, meaning the village on the Haugh of the Ouseburn.

The township was included in the municipal boundaries of Newcastle in 1896.

The manor of Heaton was originally part of the barony of Robert de Gaugy, who was one of King John’s most trustworthy knights and who on a number of occasions entertained the king when he was in the North. Later it belonged to the Babbingtons of Harnham.

Henry Babbington was knighted by King James I for the loyal entertainment he had provided for the monarch at Heaton Hall on 1 May 1617. The Hall was a convenient home for the family as it was situated amongst the collieries they owned. Sir Matthew White Ridley added two towers to the original Hall, which had been just a plain, square, brick building. The Hall and grounds were bought by Addison Langhorn Potter in 1840.

Addison Langhorn Potter was so upset at its rundown dondition that he immediately set about a restoration programme. He also renovated the remains of the thirteenth-century chapel known as King John’s Tower. The Hall was eventually demolished in 1933 to make way for new housing, which became known as Heaton Hall Estate.

Heaton Road was a major access route leading from Shields Road to the new Coast Road. From 1880 to 1910 this road, along with the many terraces, avenues and places, became a popular residential area. Tramlines were laid along Heaton Road and Shields Road in 1901, which gives an indication just how important these routes had become. For many years coal mining was an important part of Heaton’s industrial heritage. On 30 April 1850 disaster struck High Heaton Colliery, which was in an area now known as Spinney Park. When miners broke through to old mine workings, water flooded the pit. One of the seventy-five miners who perished, thirty-four were mere boys. Seventy-five trees were planted on the site, one for each man and boy killed.

St James’ Park is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club, and the oldest football stadium in the North East of England.

The stadium has a football spectator capacity of 52,387, making it the third largest Premier League stadium, and seventh largest football stadium in the United Kingdom.

Located in the centre of Newcastle, its white cantilever roof is visible across the city, and is the largest cantilever in Europe.

Occupied by the Toon Army fan-base in the Milburn Stand, the East Stand, the Leazes End and the Gallowgate End, the ground has been the home ground of Premier League club Newcastle United since 1892, and been used for football since 1880.

Throughout its history, the desire for expansion has caused conflict with local residents and the local council. This has led to proposals to move at least twice in the late 1960s, and a controversial 1995 proposed move to nearby Leazes Park. Reluctance to move has led to the distinctive lop-sided appearance of the present day stadium, due to asymmetrical stands.

Besides club football, St James’ Park has also been used for international football, and will be used as a football venue for the 2012 Olympics.

In addition to professional football, the stadium has hosted charity football events, rock concerts, and been used as a film set and for reality television shows.

The site of St James’ Park was originally a patch of sloping grazing land, bordered by Georgian Leazes Terrace, and near the historic Town Moor, owned by the Freemen of the City, both factors that later affected development of the ground, with the local council being the landlord of the site. Leazes Terrace was built c1830 by notable Newcastle residents, architect Thomas Oliver and builder Richard Grainger. Once the residence of high society in Newcastle, it is now a Grade 1 listed building, and, recently refurbished, is currently being used as self-catering postgraduate student accommodation by Newcastle University. The site was also near the gallows of the city, last used in 1844, lending name to the Gallowgate End.

The stadium was first used by Newcastle United in 1892 after the unification of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, although football had been played there since 1880. Local residents opposition to football being played at St James’ dated back to the first games in the Football League following the building of the first small stand at the Gallowgate End. A redeveloped Gallowgate and further stands followed in 1899, bringing the first official capacity to 30,000 (standing).

While the stadium is now synonymous with the Black and Whites, Newcastle United actually played in red and white at St James’ Park until 1904. In 1905, a doubling of capacity to 60,000, with a main stand on the Barrack Road (now Milburn Stand), and major other stands, produced a state of the art facility, even boasting a swimming pool.

The current owner of Newcastle United has sold the naming rights of the stadium to a company that he part owns, so now the name of the stadium is Sports Direct @ James Park, next season it is hoped that a bigger company will come in and purchase the rights.

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear.

Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city owes its name to the Norman castle built in 1080, by Robert II of Normandy, the eldest son of William the Conqueror.

The area around Newcastle was historically a Roman settlement.

The medieval Latin name is Novum Castrum super Tynumm, a literal translation.

The city grew as an important centre for the wool trade and it later became a major coal mining area which continued into the late 20th century.

The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the shipyards lower down the river, was amongst the world’s largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. The Swan Hunters shipyard was only recently shutdown and disbanded, it was once a major employer in the Newcastle area.

These basic industries have now gone and the city is largely an administrative and cultural centre with two universities – Newcastle and Northumbria, and also a large Government buildings centre at Longbenton.

Newcastle airport is the 10th largets airport in the UK, which speaks volumes about Newcastle upon Tyne as a whole.

Nightlife in Newcastle is second to none, thousands visit the area each week on stag & hen parties to the Bigg Market & Quayside.

There are several major shopping areas in Newcastle city centre.

The largest of these is the Eldon Square Shopping Centre, which incorporates the first and largest Fenwick department store, and a John Lewis store, also known as Bainbridges, which is often cited as the first department store in the world.

Eldon Square is currently undergoing a full redevelopment. A new bus station, replacing the old underground bus station, was officially opened in March 2007.

The wing of the centre, including the undercover Green Market, near Grainger Street was demolished in 2007 so that the area can be redeveloped.

The main shopping street in the city is Northumberland Street. In a 2004 report, it was ranked as the most expensive shopping street in the UK for rent, outside of London. Other shopping centres in Newcastle include the relatively modern Eldon Garden and Monument Mall complexes, the Newgate Centre, Central Arcade and the traditional Grainger Market.

Outside the city, the largest suburban shopping areas are Gosforth and Byker. The largest indoor shopping centre in Europe, the MetroCentre, is located in Gateshead. The largest Tesco store in the United Kingdom is located in Kingston Park on the edge of Newcastle.

Famous people born in the city include

Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster (1976-1999) was born in the city in 1923.

Other notable people born in or associated with Newcastle include: engineer and industrialist Lord Armstrong, engineer Robert Stephenson, Lord Taylor, Eça de Queiróz, singers Sting, Cheryl Cole and Neil Tennant, entertainers Ant and Dec, and international footballers Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer