The White Swan Inn, Prestwick Road, Dinnington, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE13 7AG, Tel:01661 872869.

LEFT CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

The White Swan Inn was closed at 3.30pm when I last called, a week or so ago, but it looked so inviting I thought it was worth another go.

Although not what I'd call a real ale pub, just the one pump of Black Sheep on sale, I thought I'd mention the Swan because of its popularity as a good eatery. The place was really busy on the thursday lunchtime Cask Task called for the customary pint.

Very obviously a good place to eat.

The Kings Arms, Beech Street/Hanover Place, Ayres Key, Deptford, Sunderland,SR4 6BU. Tel: 0191 5679804

The Kings Arms looks like a real pub should look. It took me back...... now thats enough of that! I'll always enjoy Cask Task visits to places like this. Full of atmosphere and traditional looks. Inside and out. It even has 3 street names! Everybody wants it! Just look at the street signs!
Dating back probably 150 years, virtually on the old industrial part of the riverside, The Kings Arms is an old beauty.
The interior even has a couple of 'cosy corners' in the bar and a beer garden at the rear. But on to the beer which has gained it 3 Camra regional beer victories.
There are 9 wooden handles. Producing Durham Brewery's White Amarillo,Village Brewery White Boar Bitter, Bumble Bee from Wentworth, Lambtons, High House Farm beer and so on and so on which, for the main part, are ever changing. My pint was spot on, incidentally.
The Kings Arms must get a good crowd in on match days because The Stadium of Light (what an awful name for a football ground, but I'm an old traditionalist and loved Roker Park) is within its sights.
Good pub. 1st class beer. What more can you want.
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The Riverside, 3 Mill Dam, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 1EQ. Tel:08721 077 077.

The Riverside looks more inviting from the view I've shown than it does from the front. A pity because, once you're inside, its got a bit of character.
On two levels, with the bar on the lower with four or five steps up to the second (and also note, the toilets. Not good for yours truly).
Still, although I found it a bit dim for my liking, a good welcome was given by the governor and a selection of 5 real ales was on offer.
Opting for the Green King LBW, I got on chatting to Tony, the boss, and it turns out there are regular bands and entertainment at the Riverside and he also has The Alum Ale House, another good real ale place, just along the road. So, along the road we go!

The Rising Sun. Bank Top, Crawcrook, Ryton. NE40 4EE. Tel: 0191 4133316.

The Rising Sun was another pub to give me a sore head. Not the beer, I might add, but the rear entrance stairs, where the hand rail was on the wrong side for me! Of course I promptly fell down, luckily backwards, without injury. What an entrance!

It's marvelous what a pint of Deuchars IPA in exceedingly comfortable and pleasant surroundings can do for the aching cranium. A nice pub with a small library to boot!
I must point out that the other entance/exit was on the level and easily accessable.

Good pub. Good beer. Enjoyed it.

The Half Moon Inn. Grove Cottage, Ryton Old Village,Ryton, Tyne&Wear. NE40 3QJ.

The Half Moon Inn was the only pub open in Ryton Old Village on this hot, sunny, friday lunchtime, so I was a captive audience, so to speak. So what do you think I did?
Inside was tidy and welcoming with an open fire and 3 real ales on sale. I made my choice of Courage Directors and settled down.
The barman kindly explained the various opening times of the other pubs in the village and I decided, on supping off, to return on another day to try them out.
The Half Moon was friendly and enjoyable.

The Grey Horse, Front Street, East Boldon, NE36 OSJ. Tel: 0191 5364186.

The Grey Horse looks like, and probably was, an old country coaching inn.
The interior does its best to keep the look going with its oak beams, oak furnishings, huge fire places, false brickwork pillars and general olde world appearance. This gives it all a most welcoming and comfortable feel.

Originally two entirely separate rooms, each with its own separate entrance, The Grey Horse has become one enormous pub with the bar at its centre, but managing to retain its country atmosphere.

With Deuchers IPA, Wells Bombardier and Jennings Cumberland Ale available, I had no problem in settling down for a while. So much so, I had sausage and mash to eat as well.
Its a pity its so close to the busy road to Sunderland at the front, but there is a large car park to the rear.
Over all, a most enjoyable visit.

The Robin Hood, Primrose Hill, Jarrow, Tyne&Wear NE32 5UB. Tel:0191 4285454

The Robin Hood is probably just as well known locally for its association with The Jarrow Brewing Company since 2002. The pub itself though has been around for donkeys years but has been extended to include a restaurant and beer garden.

Brewing ceased at The Robin Hood in 2008 with better facilities now at South Shields but the pub is still going strong.

The beer selection, as you would expect, is excellent. Mainly of course from the Jarrow Brewery. Jarrow Bitter(3.8%), Rivet Catcher(4.0%), Joblings Swinging Gibbet(4.1%), Caulker(4.2%) and Weston's organic cider to blow your head off at 7.3% !!

I spent a very pleasant afternoon with the Jarrow Bitter by the stream, at the side of The Robin Hood, listening to my son's tales of ancient American cars from 1930 to 1960 (God some even older than me!!).

Contrary to rumour, 'Old Cornelius' Whalen, a Jarrow marcher and his pal, did not get punctures and leave their bikes outside on the march South. (see picture above)

The Potters Wheel, Sun Street, Sunniside, Tyne&Wear, NE16 5EE. Tel:0191 4883628

The Potters Wheel. As an experienced old sot starting in the sixties, I first rolled into this place in 1963 when it was a night club known as The Blue Parrot.
My employer at the time had won the local football league and chose to hire the Blue Parrot as our reward. I got a lift from a tee-totaller friend and felt at liberty to hit every boozer from Gateshead to Sunniside with my chosen tipple of the time Newcastle Broon Ale. As our strict night club would only serve half bottles I rounded the evening of with (so my t-t pal told me) a total of eleven and a half broons. He then left me as there was a couple or more buses hired to take the drunken footballers home.I got on the wrong bus of course and never got home that night!! I have never been back since.
The place is now called The Potters Wheel and a very pleasant pub its turned out to be. Although its passed through many hands and was in fact under new ownership when I called, it still had a pleasant feel to it. The beers on offer were Black Sheep, Marstons Pedigree, and Mordues Workie Ticket, the last mentioned of which I partook of a couple. Very nice!
The Potters Wheel also has a decent looking menu of grub.

The Chillingham. Chillingham Road, Heaton,Newcastle NE6 5XN

The Chillingham is an enormous pub at the Byker end of Chillingham Road. I used to motor past it regularly on my way to work many years ago. I must admit it looked a bit forbidding and I never stopped to go inside.
A few days ago my son was after a bit of business in Heaton so I cadged a lift and ventured inside. What a pleasant surprise.
The place was sumptiously decorated and had plenty of ornate wood at the bar. Also, it was reasonably quiet!
It turned out I was in the restaurant end. The bar had to be entered via the second outside door. As there was a selection of 4 real ales to choose from here, I had a swift half of Holden's (4.1%)Thigh Bones followed by a second half of Northumberland Brewery's Fog on the Tyne, both beautifully served up by the helpful young barmaid from Harrogate. Smashin'.
Off outside to the other door, to the bar. What a difference. Loud music and an outrageuosly noisy game of pool going on played by 4 inebriated blokes. Harmless enough though! Besides, the Mordue's Workie Ticket was spot on and the atmosphere good.
If your passing this way don't miss it (like I did for years). Sir John Fitzgerald, I'm sure, would give you a warm welcome.

Bowes Incline Hotel Northside Birtley Gateshead

The Bowes Incline. Now there's a pub that brings back some memories!
There's only one road in and out. A drinker's nightmare in my younger days when I had 2 or 3 pints and had to risk the chance of the law waiting on the only road out! What a gambler.
Older and wiser now with a taxi in and out. By, how the place has got posher. A good restaurant part and Black Sheep, Jennings Cumberland and Mordue's Five Bridges Bitter to wash it all down with.
Although this is not now a great boozer as such, it was worth a visit for old times sake.

















Bowes Incline Hotel
Northside
Birtley
Gateshead
Tyne & Wear
DH3 1RF

Tel: 0191 4102233
Fax: 0191 4104756

E-Mail: info@thebowesinclinehotel.co.uk

website

The Ship, Eighton Banks, Gateshead

At The Ship, Eighton Banks, the crowd used to meet some 25 or 30 years ago for a good social boys wednesday neet oot. Very convivial those neets were too! Alas no more.
Although I hadn't been in for years, I was greeted by an old black labrador in the bar after almost nose diving over the builders alterations at the entrance. So I settled down to sup a Spitfire Lancaster Amber. The place looked as busy as ever with drinkers and now has a reasonable restaurant as well.
Well worth a visit.
















The Ship,
The Mount, Eighton Banks, Gateshead, Tyne And Wear,
NE9 7YP
Telephone: 01914160273

Wetherspoons, The Metro Centre, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear

LEFT CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Wetherspoons in the Metro Centre had not been on my schedule but as my son was meeting a business acquaintance there I grabbed the chance of a lift with (I was about to say both hands but one of them's pretty useless) one hand.

It was well worth the visit with a superb range of real ales to choose from. Listen to this!
My nearby Northumberlannd Brewery's Bucking (I said bucking mind you) Fastard and Brown Ale, Marston's Pedigree, Abbot Ale, Ruddles Best and, exclusive to Wetherspoons, Leap Dogdales powerful Alan Hansen at 5.5%. All at reasonable prices. What a feast! And the place was full! Of both drinkers and diners. Just goes to show that if the price is right the people will troop in.
Good to see and, with a lift home to follow, did I have a belter of an evening.

The Mill House, Birtley, Tyne and Wear

http://www.themillhousepub.co.uk/
Blackfell, Birtley, Chester le Street, DH3 1RE Tel.0191 415 1313

The Mill House used to be one of my 'Biker' pubs many years ago(many, many years ago) and how its changed. More food than beer now, but still, it has 2 real ales to sup, so I had a pint of Courage Directors. It seemed a shame to leave the stuff so I drank it!

Ravensworth Arms Hotel, Lamesley, Gateshead

Gateshead, NE11 0ER - 0191 487 6023

The Ravensworth Arms has two literary claims to fame. It is alleged that Lewis Carroll wrote (or conceived) his immortal classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and it is also believed that Catherine Cookson was conceived here as her mother Kate worked behind the bar and occasionally took in guests, if you catch my drift.(I wasn't there as it was just before my time. Honest!)

I arrived on the scene in the sixties whilst working at the Team Valley and was entertained at the Ravensworth by quite a few salesmen selling their industrial wares. The food then was always good.

Today the service was on the duff side and a singular real ale tap of Wells Bombardier was eventually brought into action, after a shout of 'SHOP!' from your Cask Task representative.

Shame. I was still after the food and service of the sixties.

Mr Lynch (your neighbourhood bar Jesmond's Only 2am Licence) God help Jesmond's drinkers!!

Archbold Terrace, Jesmond, NE2 1DB.

It didn't exactly set my soul on fire to find only 1 real ale pump in the whole place. Old Speckled Hen. Managed to make myself heard above the musical din blasting out of the bar's speakers. This was a lunch time!
Sat at a table and promptly got tomato sauce all over my hand having picked up one of a multitude of assorted menus complete with two half finished plastic ketchup sachets attached.
I'M OFF.

The Ship Inn, Stepney Bank, Newcastle

The Ship Inn, Stepney Bank. Another of the 'Ouseburn Trail' of ancient 'proper' boozers.

I'm now convinced that the sun does shine on the righteous. Or is it the Ouseburn? Every time I come down here for a pint the sun is shining!

Although I couldn't quite get used to the 'circular' feel of the room which disappears behind the bar, the Hadrian Gladiator which I enjoyed in this pub was heartwarming. I had two just to make sure I could get round the full circle .

I did wonder, however, if the owner had done a deal with, or was the previous owner of, Swan Hunters. More than a modicum of Battleship Grey paint was in evidence in the gentlemens (and the ladies??) toilets. It took me so long to get in and out of the sticking doors for the umpteen coats of grey paint, I had to have another pint ! Another one of Baldrick's cunning plans no doubt.

Nevertheless, a most pleasurable visit and one I look forward to repeating.
A decent set of real ales to enjoy too.

The Cumberland Arms

The Cumberland Arms, James Place Street
(near top of Byker Bank) Ouseburn, Newcastle. Tel:0191 2656151.

It turned out to be a beautiful, but bloody cold, evening at 5pm when I called at the Cumberland Arms at the end of my day at the Free Trade's beer festival.


The Cumberland did not disappoint in atmosphere, mishap and incident.

Atmosphere.I limped in to a near full bar, a blazing fire, a lovely pint of Wylam's Rapper and my spare pair of shoes still in my coat pocket.(there on the sound advice of 'the Burglars Dog'). Someone, however, was not so lucky.(see incident).

Mishap. Having had my fair share of drink (beer festival), I decided to pay a visit to the gents. Now the Cumberland Arms bar is not the biggest in the north east by any means, so I decided to leave my visible means of support(aluminium crutch) and venture forth without it. No sod told me there was a downward step immediately on opening the loo door. The clever designer must have had a mate with similar disabilities as myself and built a green 6 foot fence at just the right distance to catch the staggerer just as the door closed behind. Otherwise the gents were perfectly satisfactory.

Incident. The view from the generously tabled and seated sun patio out front, is terrific. Right across the valley of the Tyne to Gateshead at the other side. The only thing to disturb the chat and the quoff of the throng out there was the sound of car window glass gently breaking. Yes, the local constabulary had to pay a visit to speak to the young lady whose transport home would unfortunately be considerably chillier. Whether anything had been taken , my nose was too far down the inside of my delicious Rapper to tell.

Cask Task can only say that if the entertainment upstairs(music, theatre, comedy, poetry etc) is as good as it promises to be then a further visit is a must.




To visit their website, click the link The Cumberland Arms Pub, Ouseburn

The Tanners

The Tanners , 1 Byker Bridge(top of Stepney Bank), Newcastle.

Tel:0191 2221817 Part of the Ouseburn Trail

The Cluny, Lime Street, Ouseburn

The Cluny Lime Street Ouseburn Newcastle
The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQTel. (public / office) 0191 2304474Te. / Fax. (office) 0191 2304475E mail cluny@theheadofsteam.co.uk
Manager Julian Ive

An ancient building the Cluny and the most unlikely of pubs to look at. I could have walked straight past it!
In a past life it was apparently a whisky distillery which fell into disuse and stood empty for umpteen years, before being discovered by the younger element as a super place to have 'raves'!!
It was refurbished some years ago and reopened as a pub, joining the 'Ouseburn pub trail'.

A simple but tasty meal can be be purchased and a fine selection of beers and lagers are on sale.

Four real ales are served, one of which I sampled (how unusual of I). A pint of Jarrow's Geordie Pride, however, quickly turned into another which was just as delicious as the first!
On my way to the loo, I passed a little door which turned out to be a dim but sizeable entertainment cavern. Music and live bands can be seen and heard on some nights I was told.

So! What turned out to be an unlikely pub had a few pleasant surprises.

The Tyne Bar, Newcastle uopn Tyne

The Tyne Bar (or Tyne.Com) used to be called the Ship Tavern, but was changed by its present owner, about 15 years ago. He came from the Egypt Cottage whose sign is on the wall in the Tyne Bar!

It is, naturally enough as the Ouseburn is at its front door, on the 'Ouseburn Trail' and I was introduced to it about a year ago by an attractive woman.

Although small, (the bar not the woman) it houses many a decent bit of entertainment whilst still retaining its ancient cosy character.

Four real ales are on tap so I thought I might as well try one. What a little tinker, eh! Wylam Brewery's Gold Tankard turned out to be an excellent choice.

To visit their website click this link The Tyne, Bar, Ouseburn