Sunderland (10 miles south east of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a holiday resort with three blue flag fine golden beaches, a Yacht Marina, fine parks and superb museums.

Since gaining City status a huge £250 million transformation has taken place in the City Centre. The modern Shopping Mall has just been doubled in size and has attracted many national retailers to the fully enclosed modern shopping environment.

The main park has been completely revamped together with the National Art Gallery, Museum and the Winter Gardens, restored to Victorian precondition including a glass rotunda with exotic plants and water features. In the first six weeks of opening it attracted 270,000 visitors - the most popular FREE attraction outside London.

The National Glass Centre is a spectacular award winning modern building with a sweeping glass roof you can walk on, displays art design by seven EuropeanS nations. Watch the Glass Making Demonstration in the studio.

Our beautiful old Empire Theatre has undergone a £4.5 million refurbishment to make it the only premier theatre in the North of England, with a schedule of West End shows such as the Rod Stewart musical 'Tonight's the Night', 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, The Jungle Book, Magic of the Dance, CATS, Madame Butterfly and The Rocky Horror Show.

The 14th Century Lumley Castle, in Chester-le-Street, on most Friday nights celebrates with an Elizabethan Banquet. The evening commences with a drink in the dungeon, then on to the Banquet Hall for a medieval feast served by singers and musicians in Elizabethan costume, who between courses entertain all diners, who are designated tables according to nationality.

Visit Beamish Open Air Working Museum, which gained the top museum accolade for Europe in 1987 depicting life here at the turn of the century. Travel around in assorted trams and on a vintage bus to the 1825 steam railway, pat the pony down the drift mine, down a pint of beer and talk to the animals.

For Ornithologists there are also some splendid trips along the stunning coastline with bird colonies of kittiwakes, fulmars and cormorants. A short boat trip to the Farne Islands is a must. Of special interest are puffins, eider ducks, four species of tern and a large colony of seals. The birds are unafraid of visitors. This is close to Bamburgh Castle, one of the many historic castles in this area (more than any other county in England).

A visit to Washington Old Hall is a must, especially for American visitors, being a 17th century Manor House incorporating the 12th century remains of the home of George Washington's direct ancestors. It was from here that the surname 'Washington' was first adopted.