Dry January, Veganuary and Brexit were not enough to dent the enthusiasm of food lovers of Newcastle and the North East, or perhaps they contributed to the unprecedented success of January’s NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week with tens of thousands of people encouraged to dine out for only £10 or £15 a head at some of the city’s top restaurants. This January’s event exceeded all expectations and smashed previous event records with a record turnout, and economic boost to the city’s economy.

Sunday 10 February will see Newcastle welcome in Chinese New Year 2019 with huge celebrations and a parade starting in the centre of Newcastle and finishing with firecracking fanfare on Bath Lane in the heart of Chinatown.

NE1 is using this week’s NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week event to appeal to local children’s charities with a focus on children’s health and nutrition to come forward to take advantage of grant pay-outs from another of its projects, NE1’s Geordie Jackpot.

The words of the unofficial anthem of Tyneside, The Blaydon Races have been engraved into the newly installed stone seating at the Bigg Market, as part of NE1 Ltd’s Heritage Lottery Funded regeneration of the area. Their presence has prompted debate about the lyrics and the difference between the engraved words and the words people sing on the terraces at St James’ Park.