Cheapest in newcastle

Today has seen my day spent in Newcastle. Starting at 11am myself and my teenage son set off along the A69 avoiding speeding tickets at Warwick Bridge towards the RVI.

We did great getting to the outskirts of newcastle then it sort of went wrong a little. Not a lot but enough to see us heading the wrong direction. But a quick turn around and we arrived back on track and car parked at the RVI. Pleased with our mornings work we walked to the toon for our lunch from Greggs. It was pleasant and we sat in the shop surrounded by university students.

After lunch we headed back to the RVI and were early for our appointment but that didn't matter and my son was seen early and all is good. Nothing serious and still a little growing to do.

After the aopointment we needed to travel 13 minutes in the car to the metro arena. This is where 'the exchange' was going to take place around 5pm. I was exchanging a son for my friend and 3 excited teenagers who were going to see the One Direction concert. AGAIN!

The 13 minutes turned out to be 1hour 13 minutes. HOW? I don't know. Well actually i do. I missed a turn right so ended up with the metro arena on my right and I was heading across the bridge away from it! That was the last we saw of it for over an hour. We went left, right, east, west, round in 3 cirles past the metro centre and twice round its carpark. We then found a sign so followed it and got to our destination. A garage for a carpark. Was handy, reasonably priced and we were pleased to see the metro arena.

We now had an hour or more before the exchange would take place. My teenage son and I had another walk into the toon. He got a subway for tea and we got the excited girls one too. I was saving myself for tea with my friend while the girls were at their concert.

The exchange took place just after 5. My teenage son went off with his dad and my friend and 3 teenage girls set off into the toon again because it was too soon for them to go and await their heros.

The girls ate then off they went and we trundled the toon looking for a place to eat. 5 hours to kill! What are we to do on a monday evening for 5 hours. Well! We found an italian. Very nice. We had 2 cokes, each, starter, main, pudding and 2 coffees. We dragged it out as long as we could then thought we may have overstayed our welcome. This seemed to reflect in the price when we were over charged a tenner, but we drew it to their attention and the bill was amended.

We left, where now. We still had over an hour, nearly two to kill and keep warm.we found a lounge bar. Football on telly, a lone lady dancing. Theres usually one where we are, bless her she didn't last long. We had a coke at £2.50 this was the cheapest in newcastle apparently! We dragged this out too but the bar tender was closing in 5 minutes! Out we went again. We managed to stretch it out a while and by the time we walked back to the car we could hear the boys winding down from the arena, the girls screaming and the boys issuing their "thankyou and goodnight", scream, silence and then the hoards of the crowd leaving the arena. It was over and so was our nightmare of finding somewhere to go.

Leaving the arena and the toon was much easier than getting their, we followed an Irvings bus all the way to Hexham. Then the second over charge of the evening, (third if you count the £2.50 coke) petrol, deisel to be exact. I put £20 in the tank and the gentleman tried to charge me £20.95. When I pointed out he told me "it's the till"! Of course it is.

Back on the road again and homeward bound. No more dramas, its late now, we were all tired, the girls had relived the concert and were now asleep.

We arrived home around 12.30am. Thirteen and a half hours since i left with my son, i've walked the length and breadth of newcastle - twice and been round the metro too. My pedometer on my phone app said i had walked 17,700 steps! A record for me and i think it will be a hard one to beat.

This day was not doomy and gloomy, quite the opposite. I got to spend time with my son, i got to see three teenage girls excited faces at the prospect of seeing 'their boys' and i got to spend time with a friend that we don't usually have time to do and we had some laughs too.

We must do it again soon, after all this coke is the cheapest in Newcastle.