Mother and daughter weekend breaks: shopping in Newcastle

Whether you share a love of shopping, cooking or rural retreats, we’ve got weekend breaks to suit every taste

More mother and daughter breaks:

Cooking up a treat in Yorkshire

Weekend in the Welsh countryside

Shopping in Newcastle

The mother: Barbara Batten, a retired teacher from Shropshire

The daughter: SHE's travel writer Rhiannon Batten

Originally hailing from the north of England, my mother had often mentioned that she'd heard positive reports about the regeneration of Newcastle and would love to visit again. So we decided it was time
for a girls' weekend and a rare opportunity to hit the shops together.

What we did

After a brisk walk around the city, admiring its Georgian grandeur and iconic quayside, we hit Newcastle's shops and galleries. We started at Fenwick's flagship branch - built in 1882 and now one of the UK's biggest and best department stores (Northumberland Street; www.fenwick.co.uk). First stop was the jewellery counter to find Mum a necklace for Mother's Day. Jewellery was the find of the day for me too. At Skirt, a funky independent boutique (19 Highbridge; www.skirtboutique.co.uk), I found a fabulous Gothic bracelet for £38. Then, after a delicious sweet potato soup (£4) and little meringue-topped tarts (£2.50) at Café Royal (8 Nelson Street; www.sjf.co.uk), we spent the afternoon browsing Laing Art Gallery (New Bridge Street; www.twmuseums.org.uk).

Where we stayed

The Hotel du Vin occupies the former HQ of the Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company on the city's quayside. Our stylish room was huge, with a fabulous claw-foot bath. We ate there on our second night, enjoying shepherd's pie (£9.25), lemon sole (£17.25) and side orders of pease pudding (£2.95).

Top tip

The MetroCentre (www.metrocentre.uk.com) just outside Newcastle is one of Europe's largest indoor shopping centres, with more than 300 shops - we'll certainly plan a return visit.

Our verdict

Enjoying some quality time together was a real treat. But two days wasn't enough to see the whole city, so a longer stay is recommended. 

Getting there

Fares from London to Newcastle on the National Express East Coast cost from £105 return (www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com). Doubles at the Hotel du Vin start from £119 per night, room only (www.hotelduvin.com).

More great shopping breaks

Bristol

If you're looking for mainstream retailers, there's Cabot Circus (www.cabotcircus.com), the new shopping development, while the West End, Whiteladies Road and Clifton Village boast fabulous small boutiques. The Mercure Brigstow (www.mercure.com) has a waterside location and doubles are from £85 per night B&B.

Glasgow

The high street names are centred around Buchanan Street, but there are also plenty of boutiques. For central accommodation, Dreamhouse has one-bedroom apartments from £140 per night (www.dreamhouseapartments.com). 

More mother-and-daughter breaks:

Weekend in the Welsh countryside

Cooking up a treat in Yorkshire