Delavel Arms, Old Hartley, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE26 4RL. Tel:0191 2370489.

LEFT CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

The Delavel Arms is a lovely old boozer on the northern outskirts of Whitley Bay.

The lads from Cavendish Kitchens used to have their Christmas do's here, in the side room, on the right as you go in. Good nights they were too. Unfortunately, for gronks like, me there are two stairs down to the bar. Don't let that put you off as it's a good atmosphere in there.

4 real ale pumps are in working order and one of my favourites, Mordues Workie Ticket, is generally one of them.

A good real ale pub.

The Badger, Street Houses, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne, HE20 9BT. Tel:01661 871037.

The Badger, now a super pub and restaurant, was three houses in about 1700, in the original village of Street Houses just outside of Ponteland. Now a super pub and restaurant in which I have had many a good meal not to mention quite a few gluggable vinos and various real ales over the last 6 or 7 years or more.

I love the atmosphere, the garden in the summer, and the open fires in the winter. Some happy memories there. Oh dear, pass the hankie.

The Badger has always tried really hard, and sometimes failed, as most of these type of places do, to offer a decent selection of real ales. On offer this time was Sharps Doombar(a Cornish beer), Brakspear Oxford Gold, Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted(which I had), Black Sheep and last but not least the Badgers ever present Bass.I always used to have a Bass and sent a few back in my time. Don't let me be too harsh as they are trying.

Worth a visit.

Cumberland Arms, 17 Front Street, Tynemouth, NE30 4DX. Tel:0191 2571820.

The Cumberland Arms in Tynemouth fell on to my travels for Cask Task by accident, I'm so happy to say.
Every month or so a small gang of my friends have a little jaunt out for Sunday lunch. 'Il Forno' was chosen this time. A good restaurant placed handily in the Tynemouth Metro station. Just fall off the train and 'Bingo' your in. And very nice it was too. But I digress.
Only 2 minutes walk around the corner is Front Street and the Cumberland Arms, so after the meal, in we trooped.
Some 15 years or so ago, the lads from my place of work at the time met on a number of occasions right here. What a good real ale place it was too and still is.
Rather narrow, but quite long inside and on three different levels. No good to me now of course, because of my stroke, but a good ale house it certainly is. With a bit of a nautical feel to it too. The gents is, believe it or not, labeled the 'Bhoys'. The 'Gulls', being the other variety!
Tetleys Cask, Cumberland Ale, Directors, Whitehorse Giant, Brunswick Most Wanted, and Mordue's Workie Ticket were all there, amongst the ten or so hand pumps on two levels, but I could only have one 'Most Wanted'. Too much of a climb to the toilets for me.

Don't let me put you off though 'cos this is a good real ale house. I only wish I could have stayed longer.

The Turks Head Hotel, 41 Front Sstreet, Tynemouth, NE30 4DZ. Tel:0191 2576547.

The Turks Head (By the way, not a lot of people know this, as Michael said), is a seaman's knot in the shape of a turban on a turk's head.
A crowd of us fell in here and it was packed. Another Ist class real ale pub in Front Street. Two with a nautical feel in the space of 100 yards. Marvlious, as Wrighty used to say.
Built around 1850, The Turks Head Hotel comes complete with its own sheep dog,'Wandering Willie', alas dead since 1880 and now in a glass case in the bar.
Having 8 pumps the real ale fans like those of my ilk are well looked after. 2 Wells Bombardier taps, 2 Courage Directors, a Deuchars IPA and 80/- and 2 Mordue's Workie Ticket. What a superb colletion.
A good feel to it, The Turks Head certainly is a superb real ale pub. The Directors and the Workie Ticket were spot on.
I hope it's not too long before I'm back.
Get yourself up there.

The Three Horse Shoes, Hatherley Lane, Horton, Blyth, Northumberland.NE24 4HF. Tel:01670 530241

The Three Horse Shoes has some extremely happy memories for me. An appealing appearance, spotted just off the A189 between Blyth and Bedlington, it was one of my first real ale pubs.

Originally a very old traditional boozer it used to be a once a week meeting place for a gang of us. It was always used for Xmas or any party for that matter. On quite a few, getting home was a bit of a mystery.

My recent visit found the place pleasantly extended to include a much improved eating area without spoiling the bar for the drinker. A good selection of real ales including Wentworth Rampant Gryphon, Thwaites Lancaster Bomber and Black Sheep among the choices which were changed regularly. Again nothing changed there as the beer I had, the Lancaster Bomber , was excellent. Another visit is on the menu and highly recommended.

The Boathouse. Station Road, Wylam, Northumberland, NE41 8HR. Tel:01661 853431

The Boathouse was recommended to me as I was having a quiet pint in Ryton Old Village on a sunny afternoon. It sounded wonderful, so I decided to investigate The sunny afternoon just got better!
Right next to Wylam rail station, The Boathouse turned out to be a real ale officionado's paradise, with 14 pumps on the go! Obviously quite a number were Wylam Brewery's own, so I decided to have a Wylam's Haugh. A beautiful porter.

Prince Bishop, Avalanche, Byker Wit, Northern Star, Tiger, Highlander, Steel Town........at this point I fell of my stool!
A CAMRA Pub of the Year on umpteen occasions and now one of mine. Super drinker's atmoshere. No music, just conversation and a loverly old fireplace to add to the ambience in the winter months.
Food can be had and there is a small beer garden.

The beer's the thing here though and another visit later in the year is on the cards!
I wish it didn't have the stairs to negotiate though.

My 2nd visit to the Boathouse was just as pleasurable as the first. A pint of High House Matfen Magic only added to the pleasure of the quiet atmosphere.

Super pub. Super beer.

The Plough Ellington, Nr. Morpeth, Northumberand

The Plough at Ellington.
At last a return visit to my local, as it was for ten years, and I'm pleased to say it hasn't changed a bit. Still got Abbot Ale, powerful stuff, and Black Sheep (or 'sheep dip', as my pal up there used to call it).
I started on the Abbot some twelve years ago. Having watched the 'Toon' play when they were Keegan's team, I could rarely remember stumbling home in the village at closing time. Happy, happy days.
I did move on to the Black Sheep eventually and became a slightly more sober client of the Plough as a result. But I must admit to being a Plough fan still, with a glorious coastline just a mile or so down the road at the little village of Cresswell.
A visit here is highly recommended and its worth mentioning that its a great jump off point for visits to the most glorious coast, all the way up to Seahouses, Bamburgh and of course Lindisfarne.

I watched from my home as the 'Big E', the north-east's last deep pit, was closed down and demolished.

The Blackbird Inn, North road, Ponteland, Northumberland NE20 9UH Tel: 01661 823200

The Blackbird Inn was a favourite pub of mine when I didn't drink!














Yes, I was 17 and a motorbike nut often calling at the Blackbird to meet the other nutcases before roaring off for a spin! God, that was a long time ago.

A mere blinking of an eye in relation to the Blackbird. Parts of whose life go back to the 1300's (Left click on the sign).

Now, from being an out and out pub, it seems to have made various attempts at becoming an eating place. What a lovely Sunday lunch I had about 5 or 6 weeks ago. If the chef has remained the same then I've got to say your food will be very good.

But boy has the real ale suffered. My beer was cloudy as hell and the staff and manager had no idea why or what to do about it!
Spoilt my day.

What a pity.Don't go for the real ale.