Yesterday I took a trip to the recently opened Hancock Gallery. A gorgeously converted Georgian townhouse on Jesmond Road West (minutes away from the university, the museum of the same name – where we had planned to go see Dippy on tour, before realising it was half term – and Haymarket metro), it opened in April with an Alexander Millar retrospective.

Free to enter, it’s a pleasing new addition to the city’s art scene. I admit the Millar work was hit and miss for me. I find his work overly sentimental, though some of the landscapes were striking – I liked the images of a lone figure coming to or from work under a Northern sky – and Peaky Blinders fans will find much to love in the room dedicated to the show. The exhibit also featured some of Millar’s newer pieces, striking portraits of figures such as Quentin Crisp and Leigh Bowery.

There was also a guest collection from the Balman Gallery, which was more to my taste – I was particularly taken by the Milt Kobayashi pieces.

Chatting to a woman who worked there, she told me they plan to host 4-5 exhibitions a year, so add this to your art map of the city. It’s certainly a great place to have a quiet and contemplative wander just moments from the noise and bustle of the city.