Ouseburn Valley – Seven Stories
Just 10 minutes walk up the River Tyne from the Millennium Bridge, once the heart of Newcastle’s industry now lays the Ouse Burn tributary.
The old Victorian warehouses and mills that stood in the Ouseburn Valley are being given a new lease of life by new businesses, such as the Biscuit Factory that holds the title as Europe’s biggest commercial art space, The Cluny an innovative music bar and 36 Lime Street an artists group with studio space to harness creativity.
Lets not forget ‘Seven Stories’ on 30 Lime Street (open Monday to Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm, Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm, open a little later on Thursdays until 6:00pm, www.sevenstories.org.uk) a huge national centre dedicated to children’s literature that is built across seven floors of an old converted river mill. Here they showcase a huge collection of unique manuscripts, artwork and documents from authors such as Michael Rosen, Nina Bawden, Phillip Pullman, including unique illustrations from the famous Charlie and the chocolate factory.
Inside Seven Stories there are gallery display exhibitions that explore every area of children’s literature. The best part of the Seven Stories experience is the interaction with books one receives once inside the building, whether it’s hands on play, meet the writer sessions, workshops, the Storyboat, the multi media story lab and many more, it really has to be seen to be believed, it is very child orientated and one visit could create a life time love of reading for you little ones. It can be a wise idea to check the website before you visit as they do offer varied schedules and events, they also house a bookshop and café.