DEJA VU IN DURHAM

In December last year I tried to do some Xmas Shopping in Durham and ended up in a brewery beer festival .***

Time to do the same again. 

 

Saturday 19th March was St Cuthbert's Day in Durham City.
This was the feast day to commemorate the saint who is buried in Durham Cathedral. Various events took place , mostly at the Cathedral and the Market Place .  

To kick off the day there was an 8 mile walk from Chester Le Street St Cuthbert' s Church   to Durham ( so I got the bus). On  arrival the walkers would assemble in the Market Place then  march behind a banner of St Cuthbert up to the Cathedral.  And guess what, just like at Xmas, the city's Hill Island Brewery were having another  one day mini beer festival.

Arriving early, before the St Cuthbert's thing and the Beer Festival were due to happen at 2pm,   I headed up to the Cathedral to do some tourist stuff. In the cloisters was a farmers market, which included a Hadrian and Border Brewery stall. In the actual market place there was a stall with someone from Black Paw Brewery trying to sell bottles of beer and freezing his nuts off at the same time.  As all the beers being sold by both breweries were familiar, didnt bother buying any.  

By this time the walkers had arrived in the Market Place and I bumped into a pony tailed individual carrying a sign attached to a long pole.  At first I thought it was someone proclaiming "Jesus Saves" or "The End is Nigh" ; but no - it was Mike from Hill Island. He was marching round the square touting for business. Some of the walkers asked him where it was taking place. He explained it was just down the street, turn right after the Post Office.

One of the women declared  "Well we've walked  8 miles from Chester Le Street you know !" I still haven't figured out why she said it and what its cryptic meaning was.  It was obvious they didnt have a clue what a beer festival was. Their loss.

Soon the walkers , following the banner and two guys dressed in medieval costume, headed up to the cathedral. So I headed instead to the brewery. Now Mike only opens up for bank holidays and special days ( like this) and his bar is tiny. I was first in but it soon filled up and everyone was enjoying the beers and having a good chat. There were six beers on, see photo, so order all 6 as thirds

Now since my last visit here, a new micro pub has opened in Durham. Called the Station House , it claims  to be the first micro pub in the city, despite being 10 times the size of the brewery. Mike pointed out, his tiny bar has been going for a lot longer.

In between Hill Island and the Station House is a Wetherspoons. Their spring Beer Festival was on so I had a look in. It was heaving , 2 deep at the bar. Bugger that, off to the Station House.

This pub, having opened in December 2015 by 2 CAMRA members, serves 4 cask and 4 real ciders. There is no music, no TV, just a place for a chat ( like Hill Island). I had a cracking pint of Tyne Bank Farmhouse Saison, and enjoyed another good chat with a punter and the manageress.

Soon it was time to head off to the bus station and home. On the bus I reflected that Hill Island and the Station House were competing with the mighty Wetherspoons. So although I cant knock Spoons beers or prices,  for me that day , there was no contest. 

Good beer, simple surroundings and good crack.

***
XMAS VISIT TO HILL ISLAND BREWERY