WE CAME, we saw, we ate delicious feta cheese dishes. But did the few regional journalists tagging along on a fact- finding trip to this year's European Capital of Culture of Rotterdam in Holland help further the cause of Newcastle and Gateshead?

Was the North-East conurbation's attempt to become the European cultural capital for 2008 worth the candle in any case? And, crucially, could we afford to buy the local beer?

We went looking for answers in the pleasant, wide-open streets, art houses and cafes at the little-visited but highly attractive city of Rotterdam. A hard-working city which, just like Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside, has always depended on its river for its livelihood.

There were other similarities with the North-East. Rotterdam has always been culturally overshadowed by its far bigger neighbour, the dope smoke-filled Amsterdam, which attracts tourists by the million. Just as the North-East has never come close to taking on Edinburgh, Scotland or the Lake District for the mighty tourist dollar.

But there were important differences between Rotterdam and the North-East too. The Dutch city is expected to take more trade than Singapore this year, making it the world's busiest port. A very wealthy place indeed.

The stakes of investing in a successful capital of culture just weren't as high for Rotterdam as they would be for Tyneside, for whom the title could lead, at least in part, to a new identity, a new future. The same goes for Liverpool, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford and, even Milton Keynes, who are also searching for a new, post-industrial definition and are also vying to be named as the British culture capital in the coming year. The decision is so important, it is expected to go right up the Prime Minister.

But what did the tourist businessmen, cultural impresarios and ordinary members of the Rotterdam public think of the worth of becoming cultural capital? The ones we met typically gave faintly encouraging, if refreshingly truthful answers.

"It's good for us. There are things to do, but I don't think anybody really comes in from outside," said Loes Van Duikeren, a 19-year-old office worker. "If you get it in your city in England you must advertise it more."

It was an opinion echoed by people who had helped organise the event. People like the financial director of Capital of Culture 2001, Han De Bruyne, who could not be found in his office at first. He was eventually located selling a few tickets for events to members of the public on the shop floor, trying for a few more sales.

"One thing you need is time, you must organise," he says. "For us, it was rushed and we have missed out on opportunities, although there were benefits too. You must know what you want well in advance and advertise."

He had a budget of 51 million guilders, but private investment worth an extra 75 million guilders had been poured into the venture. At this stage he was vague about how much money it would generate, or how many visitors could be expected. His advice was listened to closely by Bill McNaught, the man charged with winning the bid for the North-East. But it was nothing he didn't know already. McNaught is several steps ahead of the game in his plans to use the bid to help Gateshead, Newcastle and the rest of the region for decades to come.

"Of course, we could just have a great big party instead," he says. "Others have done that and we fully intend people to have a good time. But we also want long-term benefits for our place and the whole of the region. One thing is changing the image of the place and remaining true to our own culture. Another thing we are looking at is business tourism. After Glasgow was capital of culture, it attracted more conferences and so on and it has held on to that. That alone could be of huge benefit, worth a lot of money, that's why so many places go for it. The potential is enormous."

And if the bid fails? "We'll go ahead and execute most of our plans anyway," he adds.

By the second day of our trip it was beginning to become apparent what becoming European Capital of Culture could do for us. The role of the local press, traditionally the most critical of all media as local taxpayers' money begins to be used (although only a nominal amount of taxpayers' cash was used on funding this trip) was also clear.

If Gateshead and Newcastle win the bid, the image of the hard-drinking, uncultured and flat-cap wearing North-Easterner might finally be put to rest. Will Brown Ale be poured down the sink and meat pies thrown in the dustbin to be replaced by feta cheese sandwiches and chilled, small glasses of light beer? Well, possibly.

But, more likely, the region, particularly Tyneside where it would be largely based, might just give something itself to the concept of cultural capital. You simply couldn't imagine Newcastle, Sunderland or Middlesborough being as quiet on a Friday night as Rotterdam was as we searched, unsuccessfully, for nightlife worthy of the name. As we did so, we appreciated that North-East culture, in all its guises, is itself worth celebrating. So, why not us