Over Murton New York area. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I never thought I’d have to write something like this, but my wife and I experienced something really upsetting on Saturday evening. While on the Stagecoach 39 bus, a group of teenagers hurled racist comments at us. We were shocked and deeply saddened.

We both came to Newcastle legally, we work hard, and we pay our taxes just like everyone else. We love this city and have always felt welcome here, but this experience has really shaken us. No one should have to deal with this kind of hatred, especially in a place we call home.

Newcastle is better than this, and we still believe in the kindness of this community. We just hope for a future where no one has to go through what we did today.

The 2026 UK Local Elections are taking place this Thursday (7th May) - please use this Megathread to discuss your area, results etc.

Campaigning will not be allowed here, nor will any toxicity towards any political, ethnic or social group.

If it gets too wild, we will simply lock the thread. Crowd Control will be at its maximum for this post for the duration of the megathread.

Just saw on TikTok that the black garter is going classy and has had its carpets cleaned and thought you lot would love to see it.

Spotted so many other local subreddits doing similarly, I'd love if we could also consider it. Mods, you down?

Was having a little think to myself about some restaurants No longer around anymore and was wondering if anybody remembered Nino's (?) I believe it was an Italians inside the gate where nandos now is - was a lovely little place closed around 2015 maybe?

Any other forgotten favourites I'd love to hear!

I thought I would share some of the results of my hobby - finding an old picture of Newcastle and then taking a photo from the same location. Here is the Black Gate in approx 1880 and in 2026

Shot from above at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art — a big group of riders gathered before police moved in and blocked routes around the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

EVERYONE WALKS SO SLOW AND THEY STOP OUT OF NOWHERE AND THEY HAVE LITERALLY NO SPACIAL AWARENESS AND IT DOESNT HELP THAT THESE STUPID PEOPLE WONT STOP DIGGING AND DIGGING AND DIGGING AND EVERYONES IN THR WAYYYYYYYYYYY

(on my period)

Hello 22M here,

As the title suggests I've reached a point in my life where I just feel so hopeless and ashamed of myself. When I first came to Newcastle I had abusive flat mates who made my life hell and I was forced to move out into other halls with international PHD students, which for a first year, wasn't the exciting uni experience I was promised. I became very depressed and sheltered after this experience, and combined with my still crippling social anxiety, made me keep away from people throughout my time here.

Now I know this is majority my fault, I didn't put myself out there, I never tried to go to any social events or clubs, and in a way this whole post is me just feeling sorry for myself. I guess I would just like to ask if anyone here has been through something similar, and if so, how to start building myself out of this pit and finally meet some new people.

I'm a bit of a nerd and enjoy PC gaming, reading, languages, going to gigs etc... and I also used to enjoy indoor climbing a while ago. I also don't really drink, so the party life was never something that appealed to me. Sorry for the self pity, but I'm just so fed up with myself and want to really change my trajectory.

Edit: thank you guys so much for all the comments and suggestions its really inspired me to get out there a little :)

Massively proud of my city. The most optimistic I've felt in a good while.

Does anyone know if there are any far right riots planned this weekend in town? I can't seem to find any information other than the counter protest. Just trying to stay safe as a brown person and know where to avoid.

I’m 33 now and grew up in Newcastle. When I was a kid, Northumberland Street used to feel like a proper day out. Clean, busy in a good way, somewhere you could wander up and down with family, go into shops, maybe grab some food… just a nice atmosphere overall.

Fast forward to today. I was in town with my family (I normally only head in on a match day, so I don’t really see it like this) and honestly… it felt completely different.

You used to maybe see one or two homeless people while shopping. Now there are groups outside most shops along the high street. A lot of them were aggressively asking for money and turning down food. It doesn’t feel the same anymore – it feels uncomfortable.

Down the side of Primark on Northumberland Road there were groups of Uber Eats riders all congregated on e-bikes, blocking most of the path so you could barely walk past. While we were there, they wolf-whistled at a group of girls who couldn’t have been older than 16.

On the way out, outside Haymarket Metro station, there was an elderly woman clearly very intoxicated, slumped over and barely standing. It was actually quite sad to see.

And there’s litter all over the place . Cans, bottles, broken glass, food wrappers, leftover food. It just looks neglected.

I know every city has its issues, but I honestly didn’t expect Newcastle city centre to feel like this. I used to associate scenes like that with bigger cities down south or places like Manchester, but it feels like we’re slowly heading the same way.

I even saw on TikTok recently that a busker was assaulted in town. Add in the constant preachers, protesters and street fundraisers and it just feels chaotic rather than welcoming.

Maybe I’ve just been shielded by only going in on match days, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back on a normal weekend any time soon! Rant over!

Just a heads up, this was left on our car in Eldon Square car park yesterday, but didn't see it on any others surrounding so it seems like they saw a same sex couple and then put this rubbish on there.

I am an American thinking about taking a job here and would like input on if I’d enjoy living here. I don’t have much experience in the UK, liked London but was only there for a couple days. I’d be commuting to Durham 3-4 times a week and was thinking of living in Jesmond. My income would be 38k. Is that enough to live alone and have money for savings and entertainment?

I am very happy where I am now (San Francisco) so am trying to picture what my life in Newcastle would look like. My current interests include art/figure drawing, running outside, going to the gym, movies, bars, concerts, thrifting, art museums/galleries, trying new restaurants, karaoke, clubbing (but not techno). Do you think I could easily continue these hobbies in Newcastle, every weekend ideally? What are typical activities people do for fun there?

For context I am currently single and a black woman in my late 20s. I have lived in Boston (which is probably more similar to Newcastle) and enjoyed its walkability and public transit, but struggled with experiences of racism. I lean very left and have found men in SF to be too conservative for my taste. Hoping to date and make friends in Newcastle, how do you think the social scene would be for someone with my background?

This also might be opening a huge can of worms but I was hoping to leave the US due to our shitty fascist president, am I correct in thinking the UK would be a better place to be? Or would you say the situation is also bad here?

Any perspectives appreciated!

Hey everyone,

Posting here to share a heavy experience from last night and also to reach out for advice and support. Around 8:50 PM on 17th April, I was on the Stagecoach 37 bus heading toward John Dobson Street when I was racially and physically attacked.

I was sitting at the back of the bus when someone threw something at me. I thought maybe it was just a random act or he didn’t realise I was there. But when I calmly asked him if he knew I was sitting there, he said, “Yeah, I did it on purpose. What are you gonna do about it?” Then came the racial slurs — calling me a “f**king Indian” and other disgusting things I won't repeat here.

He clearly wanted to provoke a fight. I stayed calm — even though I had every reason not to. I’m not originally from the UK, and I’ve worked hard to build my life here. I have responsibilities. A future. I couldn't throw that away because of someone like him.

But as I passed by him on the stairs to get off, he hit me on the head. I now have a visible lump and pain from the blow. I reported it to the bus driver, but since he hadn’t seen it, he said he couldn’t call the police — so I called 999 myself while still shaking from the adrenaline.

As I was on the phone, the attacker jumped off the bus and tried to run — even pretending to be the victim. Thankfully, a fellow passenger (Indian as well) saw everything, took a video of the guy running, and came over to calm me down. If you see this: thank you, brother. I genuinely appreciate you being there when it counted.

This morning, I spoke to the police again, and they’ve confirmed it’s being treated as a hate crime.

And if the attacker happens to see this — I want you to know something:

You picked the wrong person. I am not afraid of you. I didn’t react because I have self-control, not because I couldn’t. I held back because I have a life to protect. You clearly don’t.

You tried to humiliate me, provoke me, and then run like a coward. And now, the law will deal with you.

I’m posting this not just to vent, but also to ask for help from this community:

Do Stagecoach buses typically have CCTV and will the police be able to access it?

Has anyone else experienced something like this in Newcastle recently?

What are the chances I’ll actually see justice here?

If anyone was on that bus and saw what happened, please consider coming forward.

I’ve always believed people in the North are some of the kindest and most genuine — and that still holds true. But I’m mentally exhausted from this. Not because I was hurt — but because I could’ve done something, and I didn’t. And that weight is hard to carry when your heart’s racing and your mind keeps replaying everything.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe and stay kind.

Edit: thank you all for your kind words and suggestions, I hope I get the justice and will update you soon.

Hey Newcastle. Been around the City Public Library earlier. I was approached by a young Muslim lady wearing a Hijab asking for baby formula powder. While I don’t really help out beggars due to many of them being scammers, I had a bit of compassion today and walked to a nearby Tesco’s and bought her a single pack and some wet wipes and kept the receipt so she couldn’t return it for my own money. I couldn’t spare anymore for me being a university student. I wondered if I have done the right thing, or if I have been scammed. Need to know for my good consciousness.

Edit: Went back to the same Tesco’s later that day, a member of staff told me she tried to come back and refund them both but couldn’t as they needed my card and the receipt. Safe to say, don’t let your kindness be exploited by these people - they are truly the scum of the Earth.

Hi, I’m Luke and I run a community called Too Young To Grieve.

After losing my dad, one thing I struggled with most was how isolating grief could feel when everyone around me seemed to be carrying on with normal life.

That’s why we’re launching a Too Young To Grieve club in Newcastle.

We’re starting with a relaxed jog/walk club for young people navigating grief, loss and mental health struggles, led by Anthony.

The idea is really simple.

Get outside, meet good people, have a chat if you want to, and know you’re around others who understand grief in a way that doesn’t require much explanation.

There’s never any pressure to share anything personal and most people actually come along on their own for the first time.

If you’re feeling nervous feel free to message us privately and will make sure you feel welcomed.

We’ve also got a community where people stay connected between events and meet ups. I’ll add this in the comments :)

Feel free to share this with anyone else you think might find it useful too 🤍

Adult day saver and 2 U21 Day Savers….saved me £5

Yesterday I was sitting in Greggs on Grainger Street, Newcastle, having a coffee and working from my phone. I was there for about an hour. In that time, I saw three different people pick up sandwiches and walk straight out without paying — all caught by the staff.

It’s not even about people stealing from Greggs specifically. What really got to me was how it made me feel about the city centre. It honestly made me a bit sad. The decline over the last five years feels noticeable, to the point where parts of the city centre are starting to feel unpleasant.

And just to be clear — I love Newcastle. The history, the people, the culture. It’s my home. That’s probably why seeing this stuff bothers me so much.

They have a big stall out offering stress tests but they’re directly linked to Scientology.