Thursday 17 December 2009

The Victoria Inn, 86 Hallgarth, Durham, DH1 3AS. Tel: 0191 3865269

LEFT CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

In The Victoria Inn, an old pub in Durham itself, gave Cask Task its next major adventure.

The bar itself is fairly small, but as the snow was tossing it down outside, a roaring fire was ablaze inside. We took our pints and settled down beside the fire.

A knock came on the main door (see the corner door on the photo).
A customer left his seat opened the door, looked out, closed the door, took up the door mat, lifted a hatch, thereby revealing the sheer drop into the cellar below, and returned to his seat and pint.

If this had been a comedy, an incoming customer, in a rush to get out of the snow storm outside, would have opened the door and immediately strode into the cellar below.
Now, I kid you not, but I'm only lying to you about the last bit. Another older, and somewhat wiser, customer yelled a warning, leapt up, and managed to re-open and prop open the door, thus averting tomorrow's headlines in the Sunderland Echo. I had to laugh!

The little place was full and obviously popular with good real ale on hand. Our Durham Brewery Magus was drunk but a fine choice of Wylam Gold Tankard, Big Lamp Bitter and Nick Stafford Hambleton Ale Festive Folly was also there.
A lovely old pub.

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