I've been asked by work to goto Gateshead and work there for three weeks at the end of the month to help with some training on one of the companies other projects. Work will be paying for me to stay up there, not sure where yet, they will also pay travelling expenses, train if I choose to travel that way (over 10 hours from Weston-super-Mare) or drive which is close to 6 hours, not sure if I will take the train or take the car yet. However just want general feeling of what its like, places to avoid and go when I've got some free time, thankfully there will be others I know from my company there who work in different offices.
I live in Gateshead... where about in Gateshead are you working? Most of Gateshead is a dump tbh, and whilst you're the wrong side of the river for the Train station... Train + public transport is the better choice imo... don't bring a car... just... don't...
I will be working in the new CAB call centre helping with training of the new staff that basically take over from me end of March. I'm not sure which part of it I'll be in, but I will take your warning of leave the car at home I'd have to leave here at 4am and I hate driving at that time of day as it is.
Call centre... 'Gateshead'... That means probably Team Valley or near the Metrocentre. The Gateshead CAB proper is essentially inaccessible by car atm due to roadworks [and there's nowhere to park even if you could get a car to it]. Gateshead [and Newcastle] is an utter **** to drive around because of traffic or retarded road layouts... But, since most of Gatehead isn't covered by the Metro [certainly not the areas of it where you're likely to be] so you'll be stuck in traffic driving or stuck in traffic on the bus. If you are driving up from down south, avoid the A1 and A19 if you can... pretty much if the day ends in Y there's a pile-up on one or both of them.
Car definatley stays where it is then. Would sooner be on a bus or taxi from where ever it is I will be staying. Glad I asked now
And whilst none of them are 'Gateshead', if you're at Cobalt or Quorum office parks or anywhere in Washington god help you... they're badly signed rabbit warrens and everything looks the fecking same...
In short don't come up North if you can help it ahahaha. I concur with Redflames, the A19 is deadly! I work in North Tyneside and go through the bleeding Tyne tunnel every day, if you hit the section of the a19 leading to it just before the Gateshead turn off at rush hour bring some good reading material, you'll be there a while! Edit: If you are on the Team Valley side as Redflame say's get yourself booked into the Marriott hotel next to the Metro centre, sure they'll pay for it It has free car parking don't you know
Cheers mate, it's a proper rip off too, £1.70 each way or save a whopping 10% with a prepaid pass. Delightful!
from the airport it'd be Metro into Newcastle/Gateshead then go from there, taxis to/from Newcastle airport are daft money. Flying would probably be cheaper than the train though... EDIT: According to a quick google... Flying Bristol -> Newcastle requires you to go via Amsterdam but it's still both quicker and cheaper than going by Train. EDIT 2: that was based on flying on a Saturday... it's even cheaper [with direct flights] during the week.
My work left it too late to book flights, so I've come up in a hire car. Safley comfortable in Premier Inn quayside. It does look rather tired and could do with an update though. Thought I was going to be working in a call centre in an industrial estate, but nope I shall be working in the civic centre.
lol well if nothing else its going to look good on my CV. From the very little I've seen of the town a bomb could go off and do a million pounds worth of improvements
