I am pleased to report that the Cross Keys in Washington Village - that would be the original Washington , has been refurbished, or as we say up here, done out , and now sells real ale. There are 2 handpulls featuring a house ale called Cross Keys Pale Ale, from Camerons Brewery, and a guest. A recent guest was the omnipresent Doom Bar
I am also pleased to report it was served in a dimpled glass !
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| Cross Keys Pale Ale |
Now the pub itself is nearly 200 years old, making it one of the oldest in the area. I have many happy memories of the place , as I used to frequent the pub in the 1970s sometimes as often as four times a week. In those days there was no real ale and so, not knowing any better, used to drink McEwans Best Scotch in copious quantities. Back then I used to work shifts in Sunderland and recall leaving work every third Friday evening at 945pm and dashing to the pub before last orders. I usually asked for 2 pints at once, the first of which never touched the sides.
The pub is now open plan and tastefully decorated, adorned with pictures showing scenes from Washington in days gone by. Back in the 70s there was a separate bar and lounge. The manager, George, ran the bar, and his wife, Molly, ran the lounge. There was usually a group of up to 10 of us and we drank in the lounge. We caused a riot most sessions with jokes and raucous behaviour. But we spent that much money Molly tolerated us.
As we got older and had families we drifted off to other places ( and in one case another country) so our visits became few and far between. I am pleased to say I sat in the same seat today as I did 45 years ago. OK, it was a different seat and had new covers , but it was in the same place, so I'm happy with that.
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