A HORSE WALKS INTO A BAR ( EXTENDED VERSION) **

Just recently I found out about a pub that had reopened in South Shields. As I was passing the other day I decided to call in. CAMRA has an online pub database called Whatpub so thought it would be an idea to suss the place out and get it onto Whatpub.

Called The White Horse , its at the end of Quarry Lane next to the bus terminus. Note book in hand I went in. There were 4 other punters and a barmaid. Two handpulls offered Black Sheep Bitter and Fullers London Pride, so I ordered a pint of the former. She then passed my number 1 real ale test. She pulled a half through before filling my pint glass. It was the perfect temperature, so full marks there then.

Taking notes I asked about opening hours, meals, live music etc then she chirped up " we are dog friendly"

I wrote that down.

"We are also horse friendly!"

Pencil went to paper then I paused, looking round . "What, you let horses in here ?"

She must have thought I was a right idiot ( not far wrong).

"No, there are 2 hay baskets in the car park for local riders, you can see them outside with the small pile one of them has just left."

Sure enough, when  I got outside, 2 hay baskets, a pile of horse shit and a long trail of what can only be described as horse piss. 

  

**Since posting this, I was sent an update of an actual horse in a pub story so have a read of this horse-banned-from-jarrow-pub

CAMRA ANGLE SUMMER 2016

The Summer edition of CAMRA Angle , the quarterly magazine of the Sunderland and South Tyneside branch of CAMRA, has  just been published. Copies will soon be distributed to real ale pubs throughout the area , and beyond . 

This is a packed issue and well worth a read.

A regular section is a news update on pubs and breweries in the branch. Our featured pub is The Steps in Washington.

An update is reported on the CAMRA Revitalisation Project which is currently underway. 



The success of The Dun Cow,  Sunderland in the National Pub Design Awards is celebrated. Another celebration was an award to Roosters Brewery... but you need to read the magazine for more details.

The Branch Chairman gives his thoughts on his favourite 5 pubs , and there is a report about Casque Mark. Three local micro pubs feature and there is a fascinating article on gluten free ales. 



There is even an article by our roving reporters looking at breweries  in Florida ;  CAMRA Angle travels the world.  


The second pub walk features, this time between Marsden and South Shields, ideal for a summer stroll.

Issue 44 is rounded off by a  pub quiz and where am I.

If you cant find a copy, follow this link to download your own,  and for more branch news. .http://sst.camra.org.uk/

 

And remember, accept no imitations.  

A DAY TRIP TO BEDALE- OLD PECULIER, FISH AND CHIPS AND A KARAOKE

A group of us go to a quiz every week and pool any winnings we get and save up for a boozy trip away somewhere. We can usually manage 4 trips a year and just recently we decided on Bedale. 

This is a small market town in North Yorkshire. I have been through the place several times, on the way to Masham and the Black Sheep and Theakstons Breweries , but never stopped.

On a gloomy and cloudy day ( first weekend in June) we caught the train south to Northallerton then hopped on a bus for the 30 minute ride through the countryside to our destination. The plan was to make a day of it so arrived early for leisurely breakfast in  The Whistle Stop Cafe in Bedale Station, on the Wensleydale Railway. I confess  I am a train buff so there was some bias in choosing this place. The breakfast was excellent and set us up for most of the day.

 
Before we left I had already sussed out which pubs to try from Whatpub.com. As The Old Black Swan opened at 11am , this was our first choice and I was ecstatic as that they had on my favourite UK beer, Theakstons Old Peculier -  at 11 o clock in the morning. Some pubs fall into the trap of serving the first pint of the day without pulling a least a pint through first to clear any warm beer from the lines, but this was the perfect temperature. Best beer of the day ( but not the best pub !). 

To continue the quiz theme, one of the guys had compiled one which we started in the Black Swan, and continued throughout the day. It kept us out of mischief , till we got to the last pub that is !

Next was a Jennings pub ( ie Marstons) , the Three Coopers. The place was devoid of punters when we entered, only several fish tanks full of oversized tropical fish.. Just as well because they looked friendlier than the landlord, who needs a serious crash course in customer service. Barely said a word and didnt smile once. Still, had a nice pint of Hobgoblin.

Underwhelmed by Mr Charisma we left after one, leaving him to his fish and no more customers.

The spilt half of Razorback

Crossing the Market Place we tried The Green Dragon. This pub is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Another Marstons pub, this time I tried to have a pint of Ringwood Razorback, a bit on the weak side. When I say, "tried to have"  I didnt manage to drink all of it as our quiz-master knocked my half full glass over ; with some justification most of it went over him !

   

Two doors down was The Waggon and Horses, which did a nice pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord. By now the overcast skies were clearing so into the beer garden at the back we headed. Then someone mentioned the words "Fish and Chips". 

So I pointed out we still had one more pub to try, in my opinion the most interesting -  Tullulahs Cocktail Bar. Ordinarily we wouldn't have bothered but they sold real ale and it looked different to any typical market town pub. 

Tullulahs

Hidden up any alley way behind some shops, it wasn't open when we arrived but the manager inside had the sense to see that 7 guys were going to buy a few drinks so he let us in. 

 
There was only one handpull, serving  Pennine Brewery Hair of the Dog. Brewed in the village of Well only 4 miles away, this was the only micro brewery drink of the day, and it did not disappoint. 

In the main bar we spotted a small stage with a karaoke machine. Up some stairs to a comfortable lounge was a white piano. Someone remarked it was just like the John Lennon video for Imagine, and he then proceeded to sit at the piano and murder the aforesaid song.

Soon, back downstairs Elvis Presley was booming out on the stage and eventually a full blown karaoke session with all 7 of us " performing"was on the go. It was just as well we had the place to ourselves and the least said about the quality of the singing the better. Mine host remarked " I see Showaddywaddy have let themselves go a bit"  Cheeky sod.

Exhausted and hungry from the pressures of performing,  two of us took off to find the chippy, so we could sit outside Tallulahs for the last pint of the day before our last bus back to Northallerton

It was a long day but a great trip out. Apart from the last one, all pubs stuck to "national brands" eg Theakstons, Marstons, Timothy Taylors.  Although the beer from the Theakstons pub was brewed just down the road there was no sign of any Black Sheep.

   

Bedale is worth a visit, if just to have the Old Peculier and experience Tullulahs ( except we wont be there !) 

WHATS WITH ALL THESE BLONDE BEERS ?

I was thinking about what my favourite beer  for May would be when a recent post in Inside Beer * triggered this off this preamble.

* Online newsletter from beer writer Jeff Evans :- Click here to read

Every year a group of us go to the pub to watch the FA Cup Final. Now, given that we turn up over 3 hours before kick off, you can work out that the ulterior motive is to have a few ( well several) beers. More often than not the match is forgotten.

Anyhow, this year, as in the past few years, we met in The Barley Mow, Birtley. This pub used to have 13 handpulls but is now down to 5. Nevertheless, they are all well kept but I noticed the choice was limited to light coloured beers.

Marstons New World ( Pale Ale)

Copper Dragon Golden Pippin ( Golden Ale)

Osset Silver King ( Golden Premium Bitter)

Purity Gold ( Golden Ale)

Robinson's Beerdo ( Golden Ale)

Now don't get me wrong, these are all fine beers-I know tried them all ! ;   but they all looked the same !!

I was chatting to the manager of my local Wetherspoons the other week about his choice and he said most of his customers prefer light coloured beers. Seems like a worrying trend.  Having said that, over the weekend they had on a wonderful Ithaca Nut Brown Ale. Recommended.  

So , back to "Inside Beer" . The latest online edition stated that in a recent report by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA)  94.7% of British Breweries produce a golden ale. This backs up the Barley Mow and Spoons observation then.

Jeff Evans also states he is finding it harder to experience darker beers, and like me, is tiring of seeing light, citrus flavoured ales. Here here !

So at last, onto my beer of the month.  

Well the other day I popped into an M&S food store to use the gents, and ended up spending £4.50 ! This wasn't in the loo, but  on a couple of dark beers in a conscious decision to counter recent light coloured beers. They were Cheshire Chocolate Porter and a Salted Caramel Porter. I have not  had the former yet but during the recent England V Australia footy friendly match I opened the Caramel Porter. 

 

Wow !! This immediately took my mind off the crappy game

This beer is brewed for M&S by Meantime Brewery and has a nice ruby red colour ( see picture left) but not an overwhelming smell. It was only when I tasted it that the sweetest of the caramel filled my mouth. Mrs Ken had a sip and could taste the salt which I couldn't. This didnt matter ; it was a bit like drinking Maxim Coffee Porter, Batemans Mocha or Saltaire Triple Chocoholic, all of which are fantastic beers. 

I regret only buying 1 bottle, so much so that I can already feel another dash to use their  loo soon.

MAKE YOU OWN PUB LUNCH

l was flicking through an old copy of Alesman, the CAMRA magazine for the Keithley and Craven ( North Yorks) branch, when I spotted an ad for The Hare and Hounds, Lothersdale. 

"I've been there" I thought, and I recall with great fondness what happened during my one and only visit.

This is a TRUE tale of exemplary customer service by a pub landlord.

In the summer of 1973 3 friends and myself set off to walk the southern half of the Pennine Way, starting at Edale in The Peak District, and ending in Keld, North Yorkshire. Day 5 saw us heading north towards the village of Lothersdale, near Skipton, for a lunchtime pint. About half a mile outside the village we walked passed a farmhouse. At an upstairs window we could clearly see a girl of about our age ( early 20s) finishing off getting dressed. We stood transfixed for several moments  , then carried on down to the village

The pub had just opened so we were first in . Ordering our drinks, we asked about food.

"Sorry lads, too early", said the landlord. We were starving and had a moan. After a pause, he disappeared into the back of the pub, and came back with a loaf of uncut bread, a lump of butter, a block of cheese, a bread knife and 4 plates.

 
" Here you go, you can make your own".

Impressed by this major first in  customer service, we set about making thick sliced cheese sandwiches on the bar.

Now for what happened next, you have to think of a word that rhymes with that Kenny Everett character Cupid Stunt.

We were enjoying our self made meal, when mine host looked out through the bar window and declared,

" Watch your language lads, here comes a bit of ----"

During our laughter, the door of the pub opened and in walked the girl at the farmhouse window ! She was the barmaid !

I can't see anything like this happening these days. The guy would probably be brought up on a sexual harassment charge. Now of course in those days there was no such thing as Trip Advisor. If there was, I can imagine a comment like this :-

The Hare and Hounds pub can be found in the North Yorkshire village of Lothersdale. Run by a friendly, if slightly eccentric , landlord who specialises in allowing customers to prepare their own meals. However his attitude to female staff leaves a lot to be desired. 

5 out of 5 for customer service, but 0 out if 5 for subtlety.

PS we still had to pay for our food .

A CLUB FOR OLD MEN WITH BEARDS ?

A mate of mine once said that he could spot a male CAMRA member a mile off; going bald, beer belly and a beard. I have to say that is an apt description of myself.

Anyhow,  CAMRA have started a long consultation process to determine the future direction of the organisation. So Saturday just gone finds me in the Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle. Its a venue I've never been in before. It consists of a cafe bar at street level, with 2 handpulls ( Hadrian & Border and Allendale beers) and a basement with another bar ( same beers) and a tiny stage for comics to perform on.  

The beers were spot on , albeit expensive at £3.90 a pint. No sign of any CAMRA discount on offer this time !

At sign - in  we were each handed a small pendant with a keypad and visual display. Called a Clickapad , like they use of TV voting shows , this was to enable us to vote in real time on various aspects of the presentation give by the CAMRA top men. So for example, a list was given asking why members had joined CAMRA ; press 1 for for the the real ale,  2 for reduced entry into beer festivals or 3 for  the Wetherspoons vouchers and so on up to 10. Can't recall the results of  each vote but it was a useful exercise to show the CAMRA top men how we felt. ( Let's hope the data was saved.) 

It was actually stated during the discussion that CAMRA is sometimes seen as a club for old men with beards. Looking round the room, I can see where this came from. One guy quipped it was something to do upon retirement, although Ive had mine since Sunderland won the FA Cup in 1973.

I hate to bring the term craft up , but it was interesting that those members who mentioned it all accepted  that craft isn't real ale. At last.

The show was well run but towards the end the presenter made the classic mistake of standing between the words on the screen and the projector. On the screen could be seen ;

Pubs and other places we drink

The h and e of the word "other"  appeared on his forehead and the n of drink was on his upper lip, looking for all the world like he had grown a droopy moustache. I think only a couple of us noticed, I guess we were sitting at just the right angle. Very amusing.

One concern in the organisation is that less young people are joining.Now over the last ten years I've encouraged my ex student daughter to drink real ale. Every time we meet up she has a pint ( or more). In fact at one point she was visiting more beer festivals than I did which really pissed me off at time..  Although not a member, there's time yet.

The adverse to this was evident after I left. I had to get home to go back out again to see a U2 tribute band at our local arts centre. One of the 8 handpulls in the bar was a wonderful porter from Empire Brewery called Big Brother . One young guy had just bought a pint of Lager but then asked to sample the Porter. On tasting it he pulled a face , saying he had tried Hobgoblin and Bombardier before, but said he preferred lager. I think some people like that could never be persuaded.

So I thought the day was worthwhile. A chance to see the CAMRA top brass and local members, have a couple of good local beers in a new venue for me.

PS - the U2 tribute band were OK; the sound was a bit distorted but the guitarist, called "The Hedge", was excellent.   

A COFFEE PORTER WEEKEND

About this time last year Maxim Brewery released a seasonal brew, Coffee Porter. Fellow CAMRA members were going on about it at the time but I didnt manage to find any to try ; - sold out. Determined that was not going to happen in 2016, I first broached the subject when I spent a day at the brewery last year. *

"April / May " I was told.

Further updates were extracted from the brewery until at the time of the brew in April I managed to reserve myself a minicask to drink at home. I wasn't going to risk missing out in a pub again.

Now coffee flavoured beers are not that common but most of the ones I have tried have been at beer festivals. Batemans Mocha and Dark Star Espresso Coffee Beer spring to mind. At this years Newcastle Beer Festival recently there was Bandwagon Coffee Porter from Hadrian and Border. The guy who pulled the drink said he thought it just tasted of cold coffee. Nevertheless, yours truly enjoyed it, as I do most dark speciality beers.

Anyhow, back to the Maxim. Picking up the minicask last month, I stored it in the garage to settle then jetted off to Majorca for a week, to suffer some crappy Spanish drinks **. On return, I thought that this May Day Bank Holiday I would have a Coffee Porter Weekend.  

Filling up a jug in the garage and carefully carrying it indoors, I poured some , and a generous sip for Mrs Ken. Obviously there was a hint of coffee in the aroma ( I'm crap with smells, but got this one) Perhaps Mrs Ken can sum up the tasting experience :-

"It tastes like cold coffee ( see above) but soon it wraps itself around your tongue and lingers there for a while."

This beer is dangerously drinkable ( its 4.5%). So far Ive had between 5 and 6 pints ( the minicask holds just under 9) , so more to look forward to today then. I just wish there was  some sort of indicator to tell you how much is left. We shall see tonight  !!

There may be still some out there in a pub somewhere; give it a try

*A day in Maxim Brewery

** Follow the link to read about Majorca beer