Review: 40+ Mum’s Budget-Friendly NE1 Newcastle Motor Show

We took a family day out at the NE1 motor show to celebrate two very special birthdays. With milestone birthdays being so important in British culture, I wanted to ensure that my boys felt loved and appreciated.

Special Birthday Gifts

But with weeks to go until H’s 40th and little C’s first birthday, I started worrying about special gifts. Having just paid out thousands of pounds in nursery fees, the purse-strings had been stretched to their limit and another splurge was not on the cards.

Perfect Solution

Despite my best efforts, I failed to secure a trip away or even a meal out via the blog because my Domain Authority (DA) wasn’t high. I knew I had to race to find the perfect solution. Now I’d been told by my better and ‘more sensible half’ NOT to spend anything. He meant it.

Miniscule Budget

So with a miniscule budget and constrained timescale, what was a new mum over 40 to do? As 40th and first birthday presents go for boys, they don’t get much better than getting up close to some of the world’s most expensive supercars.

So with that in mind, I made a diary date for the free open-air NE1 Newcastle Motor Show in Grey Street, Newcastle in July. It proved to be the perfect present for everyone. There was power, grunt and a host of satin paint finishes as Lamborghini, Porsche and Lexus models rolled up one by one.

A Fine Display

There was a fine display and while usually it’s the biggies that steal the limelight, the real showstopper for us was when Little C got behind the wheel. It’s fair to say we had a job getting our young rookie racer out of his vehicle. I’m sure it won’t be long before we’ll have the Disney Pixar film, Cars on the box every weekend too. Now we’re big fans of Rolls Royce in our household.

All About Engineering

We chose a silver Phantom for our wedding limo and I love the Celestial Phantom model that has 1,000 fibre-optic lights in its roof lining. For H however, it’s all about the engineering and this blue model, pictured below, certainly had the crowds in awe.

Adrenaline Pumping

The adrenaline was pumping as we made our way down Grey Street. We weaved our way through the crowds, taking in the sights and capturing as many memories on camera as we could. For H, the fun really did start at 40. We didn’t have the money for H to race around a real race track or even indulge in a spot of pampering at a luxury spa. I had zero cash to wow either of them with – but working in PR, I’d put my ideas cap on.

Living Life To The Full

We were living life to the full as a family. The NE1 Newcastle Motor Show proved the perfect spot to toast the future followed by a delicious dinner at home. The motor show, sponsored by DFDS, attracted 100,000 visitors over the course of two days in the city centre. There was live stunt action and cars from across the decades appearing on Dean Street, Grey Street and Northumberland Street. This included H’s favourite, a BMW 2002 model which he remembered from his childhood. Lloyd BMW were Dealer Partner at the event and showcased some of its collection.

Goodwood Of The North

Dubbed locally as the ‘Goodwood of the North’, there was even a red Porsche with the perfect numberplate for our family. The organisers NE1 Ltd pulled out all the stops to make the show a success with supercar thrills covering two square miles of the city.

Exclusive Vehicles

While motor enthusiast H was explaining about his rare access to vehicles on the phone to the in-laws, it was clear to see that little C loved anything shiny. The boys got to talk to owners and experts at stands including McLaren, Bentley, Tesla, Infiniti and Lexus and they loved every minute of it.

Mercedes AMG Simulator

It was also great to see the Mercedes AMG simulator attracted plenty of attention at the Monument too. Little C was of course too small to test this out – although he was fascinated by it.

Back At Home

Back at home, we started our little birthday boy off in style with a Vtech Toot Toot Garage, featuring three floors of fun. He was elated and squealed with delight. The fun didn’t stop there either as we also bought him an interactive Vtech Playtime Bus.

Vtech Toot Toot Garage

With its red headlights, Little C can now play music, learn numbers and the alphabet at the touch of a button. It’s easy to push along which enables Little C to give his bus enough momentum to speed along. The batteries go forever. So be prepared for horns beeping, engine revving and the feeling you haven’t quite left the NE1 Newcastle Motor Show.

More Family Days Out

Until next time, may your budgets be flexible and your motor shows be as exhilarating as a Persian family outing! Khoda hafez! Check out our other family days out for more adventures here.