Newbiggin Maritime Centre, Northumberland

Punch and Judy on the beach at Newbiggin, Northumberland

Punch and Judy Show

A brand new maritime centre was opened to the public at the weekend.The new purpose built facility cellebrates the history of Newbiggin as a traditional seaside resort. The quaint little seaside town is close to Ashington and is also easily reached from Newcastle and surrounding areas. It has long since been a popular place to visit for fresh air and fun. The centre houses interesting displays and exhibits relating to local culture and history.

Lifeboat “The Mary Joicey”

One of the main exhibits is the fully restored lifeboat the RNLB Mary Joicey, a fine example of this type of lifeboat which was designed to be able to go out to sea in all weathers and perform rescues well away from shore. Today these vessels are obsolete as nearly all modern lifeboats are of the inflatable type because most rescue work is carried out in inshore waters. The inflatables are also much faster and more manouverable. They are also able to get into shallow water and to get close to cliff faces when people get trapped by incoming tides.

The Mary Joicey is a proud reminder of the courage and fortitude of the brave lifeboat crews past and present who put

The Mary Joicey

their own lives at risk saving others.

Seafront Cafe

As well as the exhibition area the new centre also has an excellent cafe with a very good menu including delicious snacks

and some very nice seafood specialities too. The cafe has a large glass front offering good views across the bay. It’s an ideal place to relax and enjoy the comings and goings of the fishing boats to watch people out to enjoy the pleasures of the seaside.

Seaside Fun

The opening of the centre was marked by a ” Seaside Day ” with entertainment of all kinds on the beach and along the promenade. There was Face Painting, , costume characters, Punch and Judy, a steel band, sand castle building competitions, stilt walkers, victorian people ( actors ), chuggy boats ( swing boats ), fairground rides, pony rides, ice cream and refreshments too. The sunshine brought the crowds out and by the afternoon the prom was packed and everyone, young and old was having a great time.

Great place for a day out!

If you are looking for a nice place to go for a day out in Northumberland then do add Newbiggin to your itinerary. The

Seagull characters and Stilt Walkers at the Newbiggin Maritime Centre Seaside Day

Seagulls and Girl Pirate Stilt Walkers

Maritime Centre is an interesting place to visit, the beach is perfect for the children and I heartily recommend the local fish and chips.

Report suggests we do like to be beside the seaside (staveleyhead.co.uk)
Newbiggin Maritime Centre

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The tranquility of a beautiful Northumberland village was disturbed yesterday with the arrival of Mr Punch and his entourage.

The picturesque and historic medieval village of Blanchland nestles in the Northumbrian countryside and is popular with tourists. The peace and quiet was disturbed for a while yesterday when Punch and Judy were called on to perform at the Lord Crewe Arms Hotel to entertain wedding guests.

Mr Punch said ” We was a little concerned about doing the show at this venue because the hotel is supposed to be haunted and as we already have a ghost we thought it might cause trouble. The resident ghost might not be happy with an outsider putting the frighteners on people on his turf so to speak”

Fortunately all was well and the Punch and Judy Show went ahead to the delight of the guests.

After the show there was time for a quick look round before heading back to North Yorkshire.

Mr Punch recommends a visit to Blanchland if you are ever up that way. It is a lovely place as you can see from the photos below.