The Classic Jazz Party takes place at the four-star Village Hotel & Leisure Centre, Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside NE27 0BY. This is about four miles from the coast, just off the A191 and accessed from the A19 or the A1058 Coast Road.

The Village has been home to the Whitley Bay International Jazz Festival/Classic Jazz Party for several years.

Opened in 2002, the Village has 157 very comfortable bedrooms, a restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop, a Health & Fitness centre and a 25-meter swimming pool with jacuzzi available to all guests staying in the hotel. There is ample free parking. Public spaces are excellent, the staff are extra-friendly and food and drink are reasonably priced. Public transport service is good between the hotel and the coast area, and East Coast Taxis are very reasonable. More information is available at www.village-hotels.co.uk/newcastle.

Staying at the Village is highly recommended, but of course not obligatory. There is also a Premier Inn and Travelodge within a short walk/drive of the Village Hotel. Please be aware if travelling from further afield that the Tyne Tunnel must be paid online by midnight the day after you travel through it.

To book accommodation, click this link to access rooms reserved for Classic Jazz Party attendees

Alternatively you can call reservations to book on 0191 270 6491 (this will put you through to the hotel directly).

OTHER THINGS TO SEE & DO (why not stay an extra day or two?)

Nearby tourist attractions include Durham Cathedral and Castle, Hadrian’s Wall and its attendant forts, Alnwick Castle & Gardens and the historic city centre of Newcastle itself, with the iconic Tyne Bridge and the modern attractions at the Quayside.

Further afield, the countryside between Tyneside and the Scottish Borders offers wonderful vistas, quaint villages and many a mediaeval castle.

East Coast Taxis (0191 253 3770) offer reasonably-priced tours of local attractions.