Newcastle - Banter, Beers & Battles

Your weekend, day by day

1. 2

   Day 2

   

   Go-karting

   From about 10:30 · 1.5 hours

   Karting first and sober, before the night out.

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   Newcastle has two very different tracks. The indoor option is a 950-metre multi-level circuit with a flyover and twelve bends, where a grand prix format takes about two hours. The outdoor option is a 1,200-metre championship circuit a short drive out of the city, with 390cc karts that reach around 60mph and lap-time printouts at the end. There is also a combat-kart format with gaming-style power-ups for groups of eight or more. Wear closed shoes and active clothing, and tie back long hair. Outdoor sessions run all year, so pack a waterproof in winter.

   You get a briefing, race suit, helmet and gloves, then a session that usually runs about an hour: practice laps, a qualifying run and a scored final. Timing is automatic and the results go on a board, which is where the arguments start.

   Indoor circuits run all year; outdoor ones are longer, faster and at the mercy of the weather. Both put a podium and a bottle of something at the end.

   Wear trousers rather than shorts, and trainers. There are height, weight and footwear limits at most tracks, and you have to be sober.

   

   Club entry, VIP & booths

   From about 23:00 · 3.5 hours

   Club entry on the main night.

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   Newcastle's guest-list and reserved-area deals are spread across the Bigg Market, the Diamond Strip, the Cloth Market and Pilgrim Street, all within a short walk of each other. Packages typically combine queue-jump entry with a reserved area and a set drinks bundle, such as a bottle of spirits with prosecco, or a round of cocktails and shots. Smart casual is the standard, and some guest-list entry only applies before 10pm, so arrive in good time. A Bavarian-style beer cellar in the Bigg Market, with long benches and steins, is a popular first stop before the clubs.

   Standard entry gets the group past the queue on a guest list, which matters because large male groups are the first ones a door turns away. A booth adds a reserved table, a set number of bottles with mixers and a host who looks after the table.

   Booths are sold on a minimum spend rather than a flat fee at many clubs, so the bottles you order count towards it. Ask what the minimum is and what it includes before you agree to anything.

   Dress code is enforced hard on stag groups. No sportswear, no trainers at some doors, no matching shirts, and nobody visibly drunk gets in regardless of the booking.