NORTH EAST Raise a glass to pubs, people and news from your local FREE ISSUE 32 www.cheersnortheast.co.uk // July/August 2013 POSITIVE BEER & WINE: GOSFORTH’S cheersGOT IT ALL CONFIDENT FOLLOW THE GOOD NEWS GUIDE TO PUBS COLOURFUL A BRUSH WITH THE PUB-MEN PAINTERS ADVENTUROUS RIO GRAND IDEA Two friends, a school bus, 14 countries, one World Cup Scan this code with your smart phone to access the latest news on our website INN-SIDE PUBS ! // NEWS // IDEAS // OPINION // NEW PUBS // OLD PUBS // BEER FOR LUNCH // BEER FOR TEA // BEER FOR DINNER // PUBS! Savour the moment Theakston Brewery Theakston1827 www.theakstons.co.uk will make a documentary and a good editor who will produce five-minute pieces for the internet.” the internet.” for pieces five-minute who will produce and a good editor a documentary will make who film-makers for looking on the bus. We’re come it happen will get to who helps us make “Anyone Editorial 01661 844115 Alastair Gilmour [email protected] This month we unashamedly deserve a coochie-coo, a little tickle under the chin Advertising and a wee hug. We’re three years old. Aw, 01661 844115 shucks, thank you. Gillian Corney An idea that had been inside one or two [email protected] heads for quite some time eventually came Philippa Gibson to light in July 2010 when Cheers North East Cover: Tom Henricksen and Simon Hall – heading for Rio. See p20 [email protected] hit the pubs in a fairly modest fashion (sub- Alastair Gilmour, editor editors, can you check my arithmetic?). Website: Our aim then was – as it is now – to INSIDE www.cheersnortheast.co.uk collectively demonstrate to the rest of the nation what we in the region can do We are tweeting. when we get together over a common purpose. This time it was about pubs. CLUB OFFERS Follow us @cheers_ne We’re passionate about pubs (some say obsessive), full stop. We’re all about 4 Great offers pubs and all that goes into them – and sometimes what gets thrown out Photography: of them at 11.30 on a Saturday night, but there you go, we can find positive NEWS Peter Skelton stories in every situation. 5 Crime pays. But only if I say “the rest of the nation” but I also mean ourselves. Sometimes we you’re an author and an Published by: forget exactly what we’ve got around our own doors – brilliant city-centre bars, Old Peculier drinker fabulous community pubs, wonderful country inns with terrific, terrific people 6 Pubs doing well have running them, ranging from hard-pressed tenants to carefree potmen/potgirls. it sussed. Is that true? Cheers North East is now well established, it’s a permanent fixture and Is there a big secret to Publishers: we’re going to be reporting on what you pub lovers do for… ever. success? Jane Pikett & Gary Ramsay In our three years, we’ve taken readers through music in pubs, pies in pubs 8 A pub movie-maker’s and dogs in pubs. We’ve stood up for naming rights and supported tax reforms. ideas are being copied. Unit One, Bearl Farm We’ve highlighted film-makers and label designers, reported from South Africa, Is this right? Stocksfield Greece, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Alnwick, and written about artists, 14 Jarrow Brewery is Northumberland microbrewers and ghost hunters. marching on. Share in NE43 7AJ As the man said, we’re all in this together, but this time it’s not the depth its success [email protected] of economic woes but the pub business – warts and all – and its incredibly positive people. FEATURES Website: 18 Pub people don’t just The last three years have been incredible. Thank you for your support, www.offstonepublishing.co.uk like their beer, they every single one of you. You’re my best friend… dabble in paint and twitter: @offstonepublish canvas Cheers, Alastair Gilmour, editor 22 Midsummer is celebrated abroad – FARES PLEASE time to raise a glass to When you have finished with Two young Hexham men this magazine please recycle it 20 the solstice? are arranging the trip of Whilst every effort has been made a lifetime – thought up in PUB WATCH to ensure accuracy, the publisher 32 The Manor Hose, cannot accept responsibility for a pub – where they’re omissions and errors. All material going to the World Cup Carterway Heads. in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Finals in Rio de Janeiro in an American school FUN STUFF 38 The Dirty Dozen, Photo OUR SPONSORS bus. They’ll go via pubs and microbreweries and Quiz, The Pickled Egg report back here. and Blues Adventures in beer Gigs ’N’ Festivals Pub crawls Huge plans We ask the questions Wylam Brewery What’s on regionwide A-Z pub guide Jarrow sees the future A hamster called Lunch The pub lives on Crime pays for Gosforth’s 06 and on 05 Old Peculier 28 got it all Despite what the This year’s Theakstons- Some of Tyneside’s doom-mongers say, sponsored Crime Writing best pubs are located in the majority of our Festival in Harrogate Gosforth – or at least its pubs are in very canny has been described as SIMON HALL loose boundaries. What health. We report on a “the best ever”. Now makes them so special? fairly random sample in its tenth year, we go How do they make their handful that are doing undercover to find out mark and keep their very well, thank you what it’s all about – apart individuality? We take the very much from crime tour to find out CHEERS CLUB OFFERS 2 MAIN COURSES FOR ONLY £10 Monday - Thursday KIDS EAT FREE 12 noon - 2pm • Monday - Thursday OAP SPECIALS Food Available 12 noon - 8pm Monday - Thursday 12 noon - 6.30pm Friday & Saturday 12 noon - 4pm Sunday KIDS EAT FREE The Anchor Inn at Whittonstall is offering a free child’s meal with every Ample Car Parking behind the Pub adult meal purchased. Families are always made welcome at this Beer Garden, Children Welcome, country pub where freshly prepared food using local produce is always 4 hand pulls, Accomodation available on offer. 6 rooms all en-suite Valid from Saturday July 20 until Sunday September 1, 2013 (inclusive) on production of this page or print out this offer from the Cheers club offer pages at www.cheersnortheast.co.uk THE SHIP INN - WYLAM Main Road, Wylam, NE41 8AQ - Tel: 01661 854 538 email: [email protected] FREE GLASS OF WINE The Anchor Inn is also offering a free glass of wine or a pint when two meals are purchased from the main menu Valid from July 9 until July 30, 2013 on production of this page or print out of this offer from the Cheers club offer pages at www.cheersnortheast.co.uk Delicious Food, Fine Ales and somewhere to sleep... Tel: 01207 255 268 Email: [email protected] The Manor House Inn, Carterway Heads, Shotley Bridge, Northumberland, DH8 9LX PINT FOR A £1 Sonnet 43 - the new and up -and-coming micro-brewery in Coxhoe - is offering Cheers readers a pint of their own real ale for a £1 at the following venues: The Lambton Worm, Chester le Street, The Italian Farmhouse, East Rainton and The R Bar at the Best Western Roker Hotel, Sunderland. To qualify, simply text keyword SONNET to 60777 + your email address to get a pint of Sonnet 43 beer for £1 (first pint only).Please only text on the day you’ll be redeeming the offer, valid from June 20 to September 15, 2013. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CHEERS CLUB OFFERS, VISIT THE OFFER PAGES AT WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK/OFFERS 4 cheers july/august 2013 A DREAM OF AN ALE Mithril Brewery has come up with a new beer to celebrate of The Bowes Museum, a Shakespearean delight. Barnard Castle (July Novel approach to beer Every year, brewery 9-13) – and this year’s Like the Glastonbury Festival Theakstons’ MD Simon Theakston. owner Pete Fenwick winner is Bottom’s Up, boast, the lineup at the “Crime the biggest genre in English conjures up something dreamed up by David Theakstons Old Peculier Crime literature and since 2004, people special for the Castle Bellow. Bottom, of Writing Festival this year is “the have been enjoying the symbiotic Players in Barnard course, is the character best yet”. And who could argue partnership between Old Peculier Castle – and runs a in the play who famously with a list of guests which includes and crime fiction.” competition to find a keeps getting his head Val McDermid, Kate Atkinson, While July’s promotional activity name for it. This month’s transformed into that of a Lee Child, Charlaine Harris, revolves around the legendary Old production is A Midsummer Night’s donkey by the mischievous Puck. Susan Hill, William McIlvanney, Peculier (5.6% abv), a relatively Dream performed in the grounds Bottoms up, we say. Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell, Sarah small batch of a new seasonal beer Millican and Jeanette Winterson? has been produced for this month. With Brenda Blethyn, star of “A Shot In The Dark (4.2% abv) the TV series Vera, and 60 years of is a Scandinavian lagered ale made QUOTE James Bond also being celebrated from a combination of Scandinavian with special events, the 10th Crime and European rye, wheat and barley “Boozing with Brendan Behan called for Writing Festival in Harrogate (Thurs with continental hops,” says Simon. the thirst of a camel, the stamina of an July 18-Sun July 21) is unmissable “It reflects the current enthrallment for fans of the genre.