Most people who live in the North East will tell you that there's nowhere better than their town or village.
But last weekend, Northumberland's county town Morpeth had it made official, when it was named as one of 70 of the best places to live in the UK in the Times's annual Best Places to Live Guide. The judges listed its convenience, countryside and cut-price trains to the capital as three of the main draws, but having visited on several occasions I knew there was more to it than that.
In my experience it's been a lovely place for a day trip, whether that's for perusing the independent and charity shops, wandering through the park along the river, or sampling traditional Greek food at Niko's Taberna. All of which makes for a perfect lazy weekend afternoon for those looking for an easy train trip from Newcastle.
