Halloween Post - The Old George

Another year, another box of pumpkins in the supermarket, another killer on the loose in a Scream sequel, and more dubious PropUptheBar Halloween nonsense.  Sticking in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, this post features a pub that doesn't look at all creepy and possibly isn't haunted.  Business as usual, then.
The Old George is a contender for oldest pub in the city, the historic coaching inn dating back to 1582.  It's set back from the street on its own cobbled yard accessed from Cloth Market or High Bridge.

The Old George (Old George Yard, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EZ)
This old inn is famously connected to Charles I, being as it is said to be where he sunk a few pints in 1646 whist imprisoned within the Newcastle city walls.  Charles surrendered in Newark and was brought to Newcastle which was under Scottish control at the time.  He was held at the New Place, a mansion owned by the Anderson family and allowed a fair bit of freedom to go and play golf and bowls, muse over the odd game of chess and pop out for a drink in the local.
His favourite chair - well, a replica of it - sits in the pub.

People have reported seeing the spectral outline of Charles appear in that very chair.
On one occasion, motion sensors were triggered in succession at night as though someone was walking through the rooms, CCTV revealing not a soul in sight, but a ghostly orb of light on the screen.

Charles I is also said to haunt Christ Church College and the Bodleian Library in Oxford, The Banqueting House in Whitehall, Dover Castle and Painswick Court House in Gloucestershire.
After all the hard work of being a monarch, he's certainly doing a lot of travelling and haunting and getting little rest in the afterlife.

Other than the one-time King, people have also seen a phantom man who appears with a dog at the bar then vanishes into thin air, as well as hearing mysterious footsteps and whispers and seeing ghostly faces appear at the windows.

I visited the George on a wet Thursday evening which had deterred anyone from sitting out on the cobbled yard.

There were enough people inside to make a racket (especially the groups sat closest to the bar, a fair number of pints and shots into the evening judging by the empties and the necessity to shout at one another). Not enough folk to call it busy but enough to deter any ghosts and mask any mysterious footsteps and noises.

Three cask ales on the bar: Anarchy 'Blonde Star', Consett 'Red Dust', and this...

I do much prefer that older pump clip.
Not that it guarantees better beer, mind - Bass of the 'rougher' variety.  Passable, not great.
After a stroll around the pub, I settled in the quieter lower section to one side.

I figured a rainy night was perfect to visit a haunted pub.
But in the case of the Old George, fans of the paranormal would probably be best to call in just after opening when the rooms are still quiet and perhaps Sky Sports News hasn't been switched on yet.
Another Halloween post and another pub that wasn't in the least bit spooky.

Tyneside Pub Explorations Part 2

I finished the last post striding down the hill from the Seven Stars to catch the Shields ferry.  Turned out I had lots of time to spare before the next crossing, so I could have drank my beer at leisure, could have listened to the whole of Telegraph Road and probably could have squeezed in Sultans of Swing whilst I was at it.

In my humble opinion, the £7.50 Day Pass becomes great value for money once you incorporate the ferry into your travel plans.  I spent ten minutes with a big grin being battered by wind on the upper deck.

On the other side of the Tyne, it was just a short walk from the jetty to the Steamboat.

The Steamboat (27 Mill Dam, South Shields NE33 1EQ)

It's a looker isn't it?

Narrowing to the front on the junction of cobbled streets, with striking ground floor panelled frontage and a decent hanging basket display.

Stepping inside, I found a sturdy cask selection: 'Abbott' for the purists, 'Double Maxim' for the brown ale fans, Castle Eden for anyone wanting a resurrected local brewery, Anarchy the 'craft ale' option with a silly name.

Why am I such a sucker for a silly name?!  My Anarchy 'Jaissle I Can Boogie' was disappointing.  Not in great condition (but not quite bad enough to confidently return) which shouldn't be the case for somewhere with a Telegraph Best Pubs sticker.

The chap at the jukebox entered a selection heavy on the Insipiral Carpets.
I grabbed a comfy seat and enjoyed the great surroundings more than I did my pale ale.

Moving on, I found my way past the considerable building works of central South Shields to the Metro station where I caught the first train in the direction of Newcastle.
Next stop: Felling.
The chapel-like original station is much more appealing than the new one - dating back to 1842 this is Tyneside's oldest surviving railway station.

Just a few minutes further down the road is sometime Beer Guide entry the Old Fox, picked by me because it was on the Gateshead Pub Month leaflet that I'd picked up the previous day.

The Old Fox (10-14 Carlisle St, Felling, NE10 0HQ)
The Old Fox started life as the Station Hotel, later becoming known affectionately as 'Herbie's' after 50s landlord Herbie Hardwick.  In more recent years it has become a respected local music venue which explains the spartan furniture and big open space in front of the window ready for the next live act to set up.
I guess you kinda get away with it when you're a music venue but, crikey, the Old Fox smelt!
Wet dog, years of beer spilt on the carpet, sweaty blokes (or was that just me?), vintage toilet aroma.  It's just as well Google doesn't offer an immersive experience to capture the sights, sounds and smells.

Of the five cask ales available (Plum Porter, Jarl, Ossett, Anarchy and Wylam) I picked the Wylam 'Magick'.  A pleasant Amarillo hopped pale ale in good condition.
The All American Rejects played from the speakers, the small dog raced around the floor in pursuit of a toy, the locals at the bar put the world to rights.

Nice pub in need of an airing and some shake n vac.
Just a couple of doors down the road is the Wheatsheaf.

The Wheatsheaf (26 Carlisle St, Felling, NE10 0HQ)

This end-of-terrace pub is most notable for the Edwardian Arts & Crafts frontage which was added in a 1907 refurb.  It looks great, especially the recessed doorway behind a pillar and tiled step.

Unfortunately the scaffolders have conspired to foil my pub picture.

And the interior doesn't jump out as a Heritage pub.

The Wheatsheaf couldn't be more different from the Old Fox.  With comfy cushioned bench seating it was bright, airy, and full of cheery folk and chatter.
Once I'd marvelled the CAMRA clock above the bar, I turned my attention to the handpumps: Ossett 'White Rat' and 'Silver King', Allendale Wagtail, Firebrick 'Propa Belta'.

I opted for the local Firebrick, whose tap room I'd hoped to make it to, but time didn't permit.  Just £4 a pint for a tasty session IPA, enjoyed in thoroughly comfortable surroundings.

Back on the Metro I headed straight to Newcastle Central, then under the bridge in search of a micro in a railway arch.

Beer Street (Arch 10 Forth St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3NZ)
Opened in 2018, I thought this was a cracking little bar.
On cask I found a Wiper & True pale ale, the Hadrian Border 'Oktoberfest' which I'd enjoyed in Gateshead the previous day, and some Sureshot murk.
The Sureshot 'Desperate Dan Appreciation Society' for me - on the pricey side, but quite superb.

Just two other customers who instantly struck up a conversation and wanted to know everywhere I'd been.  I don't think they were too impressed with me getting North and South Shields mixed up, but they did seem impressed at how much I'd squeezed in.  They warned me that Newcastle on a weekend night isn't for the faint hearted and has some sights to behold.  Can't be more eye-opening than our walk through Leeds on a Saturday night, surely.
I was recommended the Mosaic Bar (next time) and told to steer clear of the Victoria Comet ("unaffectionately known as the spit and vomit").

The soundtrack was dominated by indie blokes with guitars - The Kooks, The Libertines, The Stone Roses...
I liked it - a great micro that's well worth the short stroll from the central station.

Plus, if you're looking for Newcastle stickers in the WC, I reckon Beer Street is going to take some beating.

More central micro action?
I walked past the Victoria Comet, a Nicolson's that looked absolutely fine to me, then through the central streets to Eldon Square.

I could see the outdoor customers but the entrance to the Wobbly Duck wasn't immediately obvious.  I was in danger of ending up in Salon Sugar by mistake.
Ah-ha, that looks right...

The Wobbly Duck (4 Old Eldon Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7JG)

Wow - a rare PropUptheBar busy pub visit. 
Set down in the basement with wooden barrels as a ceiling, exposed brickwork, and a sepia rustic feel, this micro was full of customers and a hubbub of chatter.
Opened in the summer of 2021, it's actually run by the same folks as Beer Street and the Old Fox, so I was doing a good job of patronising their venues on this day.

The cask choice included beers from Two By Two, Tartarus, Black Jack and two that had come a long way: Verdant and Dorking Brewery.
The stout from Tartarus that I really wanted was declared finished mid-pour, so I ended up with a 'Leap Frog Pale' from Byker local Two By Two.
Which I drank pretty fast because I was wondering if there'd be a glorious sunset from the Free Trade and several people had beady eyes on the stools around a beer barrel where I'd fluked a seat.

One final trip on the Metro to Byker.
Dark clouds to the west and no sunset...

Free Trade Inn (12 St. Lawrence Rd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE6 1AP) 
The Free Trade is an ale-drinkers institution in a magnificent elevated spot above the Tyne. 
This was a Newcastle revisit for me, so no waffle about it.
Comfy, bustling, big choice of beers - from which I picked a great Left Handed Giant / Tileys collab green hopped ale.

Let's go and see where they brew that Two By Two murk, just five minutes on foot from the Free Trade.

Two By Two Brewery Taproom (Unit 8, Morley's Yard, Byker, NE6 1PQ)
Two By Two was founded by Rob MacLeod who began by borrowing brewing time at other local micros before setting up a 5-barrel plant of his own in Wallsend in 2014.  Those murky pale ales were popular enough to warrant a doubling in size of the kit in 2018, then a move to the current Byker site in 2022. 

Okay, so sitting on trestle tables in an industrial unit isn't for everyone.
And the beer list was a bit hazy pale heavy.
But - as I've said many a time - I'm a sucker for sitting in a shed by shiny brewing kit and enjoyed coming here for more 'Leap Frog Pale', Good value at £4.20 for cask ale here, with two to pick from alongside a longer keg list.

You'll also find current Good Beer Guide entry Brinkburn St Brewery just around the corner and the smart and stylish Full Circle Brewery tap room under 10-minutes walk away, making this a good bit of the city to visit for beers at source.
Both visited at other times during my stay in the city.

   

Well, that was a fair loop of the Tyne.
Social clubs, Spoons, micros, a spot of pub heritage, and brewery taps.
And I could do it all over again and pick a completely different set of venues.  Tyneside is great for pubs - pity it's so far away.

Tyneside Pub Explorations

More pub explorations in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as I set about using the Metro to visit a few areas of the city either side of the river.  My day began with grey skies and showers as I wandered from my hotel to Wetherspoon's The Mile Castle.  By the time I emerged 45-minutes later there was blue sky and sunshine.  Everything is better after a couple of Lavazza coffee refills and a Spoons breakfast.
 
I purchased a £7.50 Day Saver ticket from the machine in the Metro station and set out to make the most of it.

Fist stop: Wallsend.
Four miles from Newcastle, situated - as the name suggests - at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, and home to over 40,000 folk, Wallsend grew as mining and then shipbuilding became the big local employers.
It's also the birthplace of Sting, director Paul W. S. Anderson, and Michael Carrick, who may or may not be manager of Man United by the time I finish writing this post.  

Wallsend doesn't really stand out as a Pub Stop on the Metro, but I'm a sucker for a cinema conversion and The Ritz looked the business.
A double-JDW start to the day!

The Ritz (85-87 High St W, Wallsend NE28 8JD)
The Ritz opened as an ABC cinema in 1939 with seating for 1,636 movie-goers.  It closed in September 1962, the last film shown being  A Kind of Loving starring Alan Bates.  That gets 7.3 on IMDB so I don't think we can blame Alan Bates for the closure
The building then spent 49 years as a bingo hall before Wetherspoon's refurbished the site and opened the pub in 2011. 
Beyond that grand Art Deco frontage is a wind-tunnel patio area with the main entrance set back from the street.  Once inside, it doesn't feel much like an old cinema.

One big room, with a couple of separate sections to the back.  Plenty of customers pre-11am.
I visited whilst the October Beer Fest was in full swing, picking the oatmeal stout brewed by some folk from Oregon whilst they were on holiday in Southwold.  Not bad, but not the best of the festival ales that I got around to trying.
The visible ground floor 'cellar' is an interesting feature on the walk to the toilets...

But I hadn't come all this way to peer through windows at beer barrels or sit in one place ticking the beer festival booklet.
So it wasn't too long before I was back on the Metro, travelling a few stops eastward to Tynemouth.  The glass-roofed station is lovely; the tree-lined streets appealing; the local social club frontage stands out - not necessarily in a good way.

The Tynemouth Social Club (15-16 Front St, Tynemouth, NE30 4DX)
This club began life in a cottage in 1918, then purchased the old Co-Op shop building on the village High Street one year later for the sum of £2,500, where they've remained to this day.  It originally contained a piano, reading room, library and space for lectures.  In recent years the club has obtained a full pub licence, allowing me to wander in without having to mumble about possessing a CAMRA membership card or having to sign a visitor book.
As I expected before midday, the Club was quiet - just a couple of snooker players on one of the two tables at the back, confirming with a quick glance that I wasn't anyone noteworthy, as I bowled through the door.

I got a friendly welcome from the lady behind the bar as I perused the beer selection which included interesting options from Hadrian Border and North Pier breweries.  Did I really peruse them?  Or did I just arrive and say 'pint of Bass please'.  The latter I suspect.

£3.80 for a pint on top form.
I grabbed a seat out of the way of the snooker players, sat under the TV showing pub-fave channel Now 70s.  Abba's video for 'Chiquita' was showing as part of 'Essential Number 2's of the 70s'.

A few other folks arrived whilst I was settled there.
One regular staked his claim to the table next to me, came back from the bar with a Chardonnay and Bacon Fries, got the staff to put the second TV on with some Racing TV action, then did a little jig in his seat to 'In the Navy'.  Denied the top spot by Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', pop chart trivia fans.

The Tynemouth Social Club is great and well worth a visit.
As is Tynemouth in general, the castle and abbey on the headland and windswept beaches looking magnificent in the sunshine.

I followed the footpath around the northern end of the estuary with views across to South Shields, making the pleasant 15-minute walk to Fish Quay Sands.  Then a few strides up Tanner's Hill took me to my next pub, the Tyne Lodge.

The Tyne Lodge (Tynemouth Road, North Shields,NE30 4AA)
This historic inn has been trading continuously since 1799.  The Tynemouth house of correction used to stand next door, with the Lodge providing accommodation to the Judges and the kitchens providing meals to the prisoners.
By 1983 the pub had fallen into disrepair when it was brought by Hugh Price who refurbished it and turned it into a real ale destination.  No music, no TVs, no games machines, no hot meals.

Replace that green upholstery with a checked pattern fabric and stick Pig on the Wall on the bar and you could mistake this for a Black Country Ales expansion into the NE.
As it was, the cask choice was Bass, Black Sheep and two from Hadrian Borders: 'Grainger Ale' or 'Tyneside Blonde'.
A shock shunning of the Bass here from me, as I stuck with the local Tyneside Blonde because I liked the pump clip.

Served with patience as it took some time to settle; in excellent condition once it was ready.

Departing the Tyne Lodge, I walked straight along Tyne Road to North Shields, the Good Beer Guide-listed Seven Stars my target.
Open from 12:00 on a Friday said the CAMRA website.  Open from 14:00 said Google.  Google was right - meaning I arrived 45-minutes too early to find a locked door.
With the local micro also choosing to open later in the afternoon, a quick wander around town revealed few enticing alternatives.
Oh well, the North Star has a striking sky blue frontage...

The North Star (97-98 Bedford St, North Shields, NE29 6QH)
Previously known as the Pow Burn, this pub underwent a major refurbishment complete with name change in 2023.
I was absolutely certain that this would turn out to be a one-time Wetherspoon's.  

Right down to the signage, the (very respectable) toilets, and the carpet...

But no.  Never been a Spoons.  It's just a wet-led town pub, pool table at the rear, sports on TV, quiet music in the background, and an impressive number of lunchtime punters.
The three local ales from Cullercoats on cask were unexpected.

Expecting them to be on top form may have been a step too far, though.
The 'Polly Donkin' stout had a sharp tang to it which suggested it had been on for a fair while and was heading past best if not already there.

I think that a large chunk of the refurbishment money went to the local Curry's superstore.
Over here, over there, TVs, they're everywhere.
I could see two different channels showing horse racing, Androni Iraola's press conference on the screen directly in front of me, an F1 replay if I swivelled to the right.

Oh well, not a great beer, but the North Star is clearly a functional pub that is serving the folks of North Shields well with Carling, Guinness and ample sports coverage.
Five-to-two - back up the road to the Seven Stars, with a plan for a speedy visit - an eye on the clock as I wanted to catch the 2:30 ferry.

Seven Stars (7 Albion Rd, Tynemouth, North Shields NE30 2RJ)
Unsurprisingly I was the first customer of the day, the staff member still pottering around completing the opening routine.
Dire Straits 'Telegraph Road' playing in the background - a track long enough that I wasn't intending to stick around long enough to hear the end of it.

Prior to transforming into a 2020s real ale local, this pub used to be the Oddfellows Arms with the upstairs rooms operating as a late-night club with a bit of a notorious reputation in the '80s.  It really doesn't look like somewhere that would ever have had a notorious reputation.

The beer board showed five cask ales, seven keg, and three ciders on offer.
A half of Three Kings 'Ring of Fire' 4.5% American pale ale for me.
Finished in the time it took me to read the first page of the Canny Bevvy local CAMRA mag, Mark Knopfler just getting going when I returned my glass to the bar.
I felt a little bit guilty for the speedy visit, but I had a boat to catch.

More Tyneside explorations to follow shortly.