FTLOTN Blog

We’ve been to the Lake District many times and always headed for the lakes and the main tourist spots so this time we wanted to see what was beyond the lakes…

A new blog from our guest writer - Claire from @bay.and.beyond

We appreciate that not everyone is a city person, I personally love the city but I agree that sometimes it's lovely to get away somewhere a little more...calm!  And the North East is brimming with quaint little villages - so whether you're looking for an adventure or simply someplace to relax for the weekend, here are a few of our top picks of villages to visit in the North East!

Apart from not putting the handbrake on tight enough and the caravan rolling with Lily inside there wasn’t too much drama. Disaster averted and so we started our next summer 2021 holiday at The Quiet Site on Ullswater.

One of the best things about working at For The Love of The North is getting to know all of the amazing, independent artists that we work with. I got the chance to chat with Sofia Barton this week - the brilliant illustrator behind our infamous ‘Matchbox’ Print collection! If you want to know more about Sofia and her work, keep reading…

We absolutely love what we do and many of you have asked us exactly what was the reason we set up FTLOTN back in 2017? It's very much a story of turning adversity into opportunity.

Another day, another dreamy North East location. Today we’re giving you a little guide on what to do in Corbridge, a cute little village in the heart of Northumberland. It’s surrounded by stunning, countryside views and still just 16 miles from Newcastle City Centre, it’s a great place for a day-trip or weekend getaway. Keep on reading to discover all the best things to do there!

Can we believe that it’s back to school season already?! This year is just flying by. It’s been a while since I’ve experienced the back to school season personally, and we all have different feelings when reminiscing about past school days but one thing I remember loving is shopping for new stationery and supplies!

Growing up I always found beach days To be the best days; walking on the hot sand, eating ice-cream and having a little paddle in the ocean...who doesn’t love that? And we have one of the most beautiful coastlines here in the North east. Today I’m sharing with you the top 5 best beaches to visit in the North East - better get packing those beach towels! 

Lisa Kirkbride is a graphic designer, illustrator and surface pattern designer living in sunny Whitley Bay - she’s also one of the brilliant artists that we work with here at For The Love of The North!

Her illustration and surface pattern style is heavily influenced by her background in graphic design and this is reflected in her designs which are bold, vibrant and fun...

A couple of nights away always does us the power of good and with a busy summer ahead with it once again a year of staycationing we needed a mini break to recharge ourselves. Now as you all know we love a quirky getaway around our wonderful region. We've stayed in Shepherd's Huts to narrowboats in a field but a horse box? That's certainly something we were never expecting....

I know what your thinking, I create drama just for these blogs!

I’m hoping this will be the last one with any drama for a while.  I might start from the end and work backwards, but the major difference this time was that I had my girls with me and not the dog.  I’ll let you work out which set is the most peaceful! 

We absolutely love where we live and if we're honest we definitely think some of the best places to visit during summer are right here on our very own doorstep. We’re starting a new series where we go through different locations within the North East and tell you all there is to do there. So whether you’re a local or a visitor looking for a weekend trip away, here’s some tips on what to do and where to go - starting with: Tynemouth!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of England one of the first things that comes to mind are our castles surrounded by stunning countryside views. We may be a small island, but we’re rich in history...the kings and queens of our past, the battles they fought, it’s all encapsulated in our fairytale-like castles and fearsome fortresses...

We work with a huge range of talented artists here at For The Love of The North, one of them being Sarah Farooqi. We’ve worked with Sarah on many occasions and she’s produced some of our most popular pieces. She has a very intricate style of work which both ourselves and our customers love.

We love to support independents and actively ensure that wherever we go either on a day out or a little escape we are giving something to them, even if it is 'Just A Card'. There are so many wonderful small independent’s out there so let’s have a look at a few of our favourites...

Thanks to three Lockdowns, gyms and workplaces being shut and insatiable boredom, I've spent the last year scavenging Whitley Bay for new Lockdown-friendly hobbies. It all started with long dog walks-turned-hikes and finished with open water swimming. But now that we FINALLY see an end in sight, I've been trying out some more out-of-the-box activities...

 

It’s the morning after my latest trip in the caravan and feel the need to write it now as I’m a bit war weary but in a warm fuzzy way.  To say the weather was wild would be an understatement.  Over the 2 nights I’d be lucky to have got 8 hours sleep...