If you’re after a day-trip destination, we’ve got a couple of ideas. Sitting 17 miles away, Stanley is worth jumping in the car for. Among your first few stops here ought to be Beamish Open Air Museum, Angel of the North and Diggerland. The locals are also likely to point you toward Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 20 miles away. If you can only find time for one thing here, let it be Sage Gateshead. (But we’re also huge fans of Intu and O2 Academy Newcastle.)