By Tariq Albassam, Director of Operations at NE1 Ltd.
As we sail into August, we’ve just bid a fond farewell to the Nao Victoria, a stunning replica of a historic Spanish galleon.
A copy of the first ship to circumnavigate the world in the 16th century, the floating museum brought history to life and wowed the crowds during its two-week stay on the Quayside. The ship has now departed from NE1’s Newcastle City Marina to complete its European voyage.
Seeing the vessel moored on the river in the shadow of the Tyne Bridge created a real buzz in the city and attracted visitors from near and far who boarded the ship to experience a historical adventure without ever leaving Newcastle’s Quayside. Embarking on the boat from our famous riverside also evoked memories of Newcastle’s own historic shipbuilding and maritime past.
Our relationship with the team at Nao Victoria began last year when we welcomed her sister ship, the Galeon Andalucia, to Spillers Wharf. That visit laid the foundations for this year’s spectacular showcase in the very heart of the city. We were delighted to collaborate again, and although it took considerable effort to make it happen, the hard work was worthwhile and had the desired result, enlivening the river and attracting thousands of people to the Quayside.
At NE1, we’ve often said that bringing the River Tyne back to life with activity, events, and visitors will be a vital piece of the jigsaw for Newcastle city centre, and will help fulfil its potential as a European regional capital city.
It has been one of our consistent goals to make the Tyne and the Quayside a hub of activity, and it is one of the cornerstones of our Summer in the City events programme, which continues into September with more activity on the river.
We are fortunate to be a major European waterfront city boasting some of Newcastle’s most iconic architectural assets in the buildings and bridges that line the Quayside.
But what is still distinctly lacking is activity on the water.
What other European waterfront city has so little activity on its river?
Across the globe, in other cities lucky enough to have a river at their heart, there’s no end to the tours, trips, travel and activity options available to get people on or in the water. And that’s exactly what we want for Newcastle, and we are working hard behind the scenes to make our vision a reality.
We’ve made real strides in bringing life back to the Tyne. Over the years, every time we activate the river, whether through visiting ships, water sports, or major events, the response is overwhelming, proving just how much appetite there is for river-based experiences in Newcastle.
Building our Newcastle City Marina was a game-changer, allowing us to access the water from the heart of the city and enabling events to flourish and giving activities a home.
We are fortunate to work closely with CBK Adventures, a specialist water-based activity company that offers amazing kayaking tours on the Tyne. People can enjoy guided kayaking adventures on the river to see and experience the Quayside and its seven bridges from the water. These guided kayaking adventures use NE1’s Newcastle City Marina as their starting point, with kayakers paddling under the bridges and along the river, whilst enjoying expert and knowledgeable guidance from the CBK team. These tours give locals and visitors a fresh perspective on the Quayside from the river itself, a rare view we don’t get to enjoy often.
The marina is also home to one of our most popular annual events, NE1’s Newcastle Dragon Boat race. Returning this year on 27th September, it is a lively, hotly contested event that has become an annual staple in the NE1 Summer in the City activity programme. Over 10,000 spectators enjoyed last year’s event, together with a growing number of teams competing annually.
And, of course, the waterfront plays a crucial role over the weekend of the Great North Run. A series of races held on the Friday and Saturday attract tens of thousands of spectators to enjoy the festivities from the Quayside, the jewel in the city’s crown.
At NE1 we are committed to making the river a year-round destination, not just as a backdrop but as the focus of the action.
We actively look for inspiration from other UK and European cities, and we are in talks with a number of potential partners, whether that’s regarding river cruises, Lidos, a floating hotel, or luxury saunas. Ideas like this, and how other cities activate their waterfronts inspire us to think boldly and ambitiously about what is possible here in Newcastle.
It’s high time that the Tyne became a hive of activity once again and took centre stage as one of the great rivers of the UK, Europe, and the world.
www.newcastlene1ltd.com