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Cranberry & Apricot

A lifestyle and travel blog

Dining at Marco Pierre White, Hotel Indigo Newcastle

Although I’ve stayed at Hotel Indigo Edinburgh and Liverpool, I’d never actually stepped foot in the Newcastle branch despite it being on my long list of places to try for Afternoon Tea.

Located just two minutes away from Newcastle’s Central station, the boutique 4* hotel is in an ideal location for shopping at Intu Eldon Square or enjoying the many bars and attractions that Newcastle has to offer.

Situated within Hotel Indigo Newcastle is Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill. Famous for, but not limited to, their steaks, MPW’s restaurants also offer multiple menus that boast a range of tastes and textures.

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Newcastle at Night

Gateshead Millennium Bridge lit pink at nightIt wasn’t until the clocks went back in Autumn and it became dark when I left work that I realised just how brightly lit Newcastle was. Usually when it gets to Winter I don’t tend to enjoy the darker nights but this year I’ve been taking advantage of them. One good thing about less hours of daylight is that I can photograph light trails earlier!

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A visit to Edinburgh’s Christmas market

Light trails along Edinburgh's Princes StreetAlthough there isn’t much Newcastle doesn’t do well, it’s Christmas market is pretty minute compared to other UK cities. After reading about lots of festive markets around the country, we decided on Edinburgh and set off early last Sunday morning.

The European Christmas Market situated in Princes Street Gardens will light up the city centre from 18th November 2016 until 7th January 2017. Over 100 market stalls selling crafts, decorations, gifts and food transform the gardens into a winter Wonderland that can be enjoyed by all the family.

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Grainger Market Christmas Night, Newcastle

Newcastle Grainger market lit up for Christmas eventLast Thursday night I was invited to the Grainger market in Newcastle for it’s first ever late night shopping event.

Set in the heart of Newcastle’s city centre, the grade 1 listed building is home to 111 small independent businesses. From handcrafted goods to locally sourced produce, the Grainger market boasts a wide range of shops that make for a unique shopping experience.

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Photographing Birds of Prey at DLS Falconry

dls-falconry-6A few weeks ago I went on another of Neil Atkinson’s photography courses, this time photographing birds of prey!

I met up with the rest of the group at the Rising Sun Country Park where I discovered that the birds stayed there, I’d thought the birds were being brought to the park just for the course. DLS falconry is based in the Rising Sun and is actually open to the public and is free to enter with donation boxes at the entrance to show your appreciation.

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Hadrian’s Tipi launch night, Newcastle

Hadrian's tipi newcastle

Last Wednesday night I was invited along to the launch of Hadrian’s Tipi , a festive roman inspired tipi tent pitched just outside of Newcastle’s Central Station. Erected on the paved square between the glazed portico and taxi rank, the tipi has sparked a lot of excitement and certainly stands out against the contrasting and newly renovated station exterior.

The festive pop up is a creation of leisure entrepreneurs, Danieli Holdings and already looks to be a very welcome addition to Newcastle over the Christmas period. With a well stocked bar, wooden seating areas, fur throws, fairy lights and a log fire it certainly is the perfect place to escape the cold and warm up, be it day or night.

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9 hole mini golf, Lane 7 Newcastle

Lane 7Last week I was invited to Lane 7’s VIP Mini Golf launch to hard test it and of course (no pun intended!) spread the word to the people of Newcastle.

Located on St Jame’s Boulevard in Newcastle, Lane 7 brings a whole new experience to bowling. The boutique bowling alley is unlike any other in the area, with trendy decor, fantastic food and brilliant atmosphere, it really is the place to be.

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Afternoon Tea, Bonbar Newcastle

bonbar-2Over the last few years I’ve began thinking more about the kinds of presents I buy and instead I’ve started giving gifts that will give experiences and make memories such as theatre tickets and weekends away.

Last Christmas I bought my Mum and Gran vouchers for Afternoon Tea at The Great British Cupcakery. I used to think that vouchers looked like a last minute idea but I’ve found that Afternoon Tea vouchers have proved to be a huge success! What’s not to like about lots of miniature deserts and spending time with loved ones in a stately home or fancy bar?

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My favourite photographs of 2016

quayside-beamsThis year I’ve became really interested in photography. Despite having a DSLR for 3 years, I’d never actually ventured out of automatic as I was clueless about the other settings! It dawned on me that it was pointless having such a good camera if I wasn’t going to use it to it’s full potential so I began looking into photography courses around Newcastle.

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The High Line, New York City

high line new yorkBefore going to New York we made an itinerary to ensure we saw everything we wanted to. Whilst looking online we came across the High Line, a linear park elevated above the streets of New York City.

The disused New York central railroad has gradually been transformed into an aerial greenway that runs through the Lower West Side of Manhattan and has became a popular walkway for both New Yorkers and tourists.

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10 things to do in York

York-15Before visiting York in June, I looked online to see which attractions the walled city had to offer. When visiting other cities I like to have a few sights and attractions in mind to make sure we see everything we want to.

As York is rich in ancient history I discovered that a lot of the attractions focused on this. Haven’t ever really been interested in history, these didn’t appeal to me so instead we found other places and things of interest to see whilst we were there.

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Afternoon Tea, The Great British Cupcakery

The Great British CupcakeryAfter indulging in a ‘Geet Big Shake’ at The Great British Cupcakery in December, it quickly became one of my favourite places to catch up with friends and family over a slice of cake.

The bakehouse and parlour is situated on Queen Street of Newcastle Quayside and is the creation of mother and daughters; Carole, Leoni and Naomi.  In 2012 they decided to make their much loved hobby of baking into a full time career and have been tantalising the tastebuds of Northerners ever since.

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