One of the things I have enjoyed most since getting my PPL last year (written in 1996) was an afternoon out from Newcastle where we didn't get any more than 35 nm or so from the field.
I had found that despite doing so called "short-field" landings during my PPL training, landing short on a runway of over 2,300m is not quite the same as landing on one that really is only 600m long. For that reason I had been a little nervous about going to Fishburn, just south of Durham, which is 600m, with a noticeable hill. Early in June this year, grabbing courage in both hands, and with a friend in the right hand seat (Richard Dixon, who runs the Newcastle Aero Club Web Site) I started my shorter field career!
Flying south from Newcastle over the diminishing Stella Power
Stations (no longer a VRP due to demolition), the Team Valley Estate
soon comes into view. Keeping an eye on two tall masts north west of
Durham, Chester-le-Street with the new County Durham Cricket ground
is next, followed by Durham which is about 17nm from the Newcastle
VOR (114.25mhz.) Just to the North is Finchale Priory where the monks
from Durham Cathedral took their holidays, and then Frankland high
security prison - a prohibited area to helicopters, strangely enough.
Finally 
with its Norman Castle and Cathedral, surrounded by the River Wear
and containing the University. This is a popular excursion for pilots
in the area, so keep a good look out, especially at weekends. For
those with radio Newcastle Approach are on 124.37 and Teesside
Approach on 118.50 (I think.)
South of Durham are two enormous quarries, and Fishburn Airfield is south of the east most quarry on a hill top. Hangars are to the north of the field, and the A1 is about 3 miles west. Avoid overflying villages and houses, and note that all circuits are to the north. Their frequency (Fishburn Radio) is 118.27MHz.
Landing was easier than I thought, having got the approach speed set up right. Landing west is up hill, and so deceleration was not a problem. We were offered tea, coffee, cold drinks, fuel, a look at a nearly completed Europa and the take off of a Wilga (tractors really can fly.) All in all a tremendously friendly welcome.
Then, feeling newly confident in my abilities, we went on to Yearby (see back of Pooley's.) Yearby is strictly PPR by phone and the home of Acro Engines and Airframes. They maintain and build mostly VW related aero engines, and a few planes are hangared at the field. The best instructions are these - find Redcar racecourse, there a power lines going south. At the third one south of the racecourse, turn right. You are now on finals for Yearby.
I landed the PA-28 I was flying with room to spare, and we were greeted by people, dogs, and a wind-sock specially put out for us.
After a conversation which took in aero engines, kit and permit aircraft and a host of other things, we took off again for Newcastle. Having cleared the murk around Teesside visibilty was again back to 50kms, and we were soon in touch with Newcastle's Tower (119.70) and landing quite precisely on what seemed luck an eternity of runway.
A great afternoon out, and just 75 minutes of flying.