Category Archives: Beer

Kendal Calling

After a terrible start last Thursday, we eventually made it to Kendal Calling. In the (hastily packed) work van. We’re still waiting for a mobile mechanic to take a look at the T2 (that’s booked for Wednesday).

We’d not used the tent since 2022, but it was fine. Some other bits of old camping kit weren’t. But we managed fine. The stock for the bar, still in the van, helped quite a bit (we had an excellent choice of beer).

Quite a lot had changed since we were last at the festival; there were new stages, better beer and a better choice of places to eat.

It was great to see that the festival had evolved. It’s definitely up there now.

Tickets are on sale for next year. If I booked now, I’d get a Campervan ticket. And maybe the van wouldn’t break down next year, so I could actually use it.

But I think I’ll hang on and see if I can get Glastonbury tickets. I’d quite like to go one more time before I hang up my tent.

Obviously, I didn’t take many pictures. And I badly missed Harriet.

Stockton

I used to spend a lot of time in Stockton. A long time ago.

Between lockdowns, I went with a bunch of blokes for a Teesside micropub crawl and Stockton had a bit of a good beer scene back then.

There’ve been a couple of brief visits to the Golden Smog, more recently, but both were quick stop-offs.

I’d wanted to spend an afternoon in the town for a while, partly since a couple of guys who have bars there have been coming to our bar for at least a couple of years. The Kopper Keg was top of the list, and the first bar of yesterday.

Followed, of course, by the Smog.

And there were a couple more. It was definitely worth the trip and I’m sure I’ll do it again.

It was kind of cool that the dog was recognised in a couple of bars too.

Manchester/Liverpool

When I had a proper job, I used to go to both Manchester and Liverpool quite a lot. A long time ago.

Both cities now have a much better beer scene.

We started in Manchester on Sunday, so managed to catch a few brewery taprooms. And some other places, new (to me) and old.

We even found a T2 for the dog to pose with, although it was a more recent version with one of those weird radiators on the front.

Liverpool was pretty good, even though there were no taprooms open on the Monday. The hound had their first Photo Booth experience too.

The dog also had her visit to Bolton, after getting on the wrong train.

Radio

I don’t listen to the radio enough. Last week, Radio 5 Live were in the bar for a live broadcast. It was a two hour politics programme, with a focus on next month’s local elections.

This was one of four programmes, from Cardiff, Birmingham, Gateshead and Edinburgh. I didn’t think in advance to ask why Gateshead was included. There was something of a transport theme, so I could understand why they were interested in the bar. But Gateshead.

I was impressed with how well run the programme was. Yes, I know that the BBC’s been doing this a while, but there was a lot going on and it somehow fitted together seamlessly.

The dog made her radio debut too. It wasn’t planned, but we did learn that she either likes or dislikes tap dancing. Her reaction to this was very much the same as to cocktail shakers. She was pretty loud.

Matt Chorley, the presenter, proved to be a genuinely nice guy, as was Ian, the sound engineer. They stood out, but everyone was great.

Yesterday, a week later, a couple from Barnsley came in the bar. They stayed a while, longer than their one planned drink. They’re in the area for the beer scene; it happens regularly.

Weirdly, one does work for a beer related radio station. I’d never heard of it, and need to look it up, but she records short sections in bars and asked if it’d be ok to this.

They were really nice people too. Maybe the radio attracts nice people.

Miles

So, I went to see the Hold Steady at the Electric Ballroom the other day. I saw them play there a couple of years ago, but had to leave before the end because I had to work at the bar the next day. They were silly good and, not having to rush away, I enjoyed it more than the last time.

With some time off work, and a dog sitter, there was an opportunity to visit a couple of beer ‘miles’.

First was Bermondsey.

There were more taprooms, but I didn’t take pictures of all of them.

And then there was Blackhorse Road.

Hackney Church aren’t opening until next month, with a trade night, so they’re still at the arch in Hackney (there wasn’t enough time to go there).

I had a pretty good time, but missed the dog badly.

Retirement

For me, early retirement happened six and a bit years ago. It lasted just a few months.

Getting involved in a pub was an accident, one of those random things you do after a drink, in the heat of the moment, or in a moment of insanity.

But that pub led to a little cooperative opening a little bar in a sorely neglected part of Gateshead.

It’s hard work and my retirement went out the window (because, if you run a bar, you should be there – in my opinion, that is).

We’re a partnership. We agree mostly, but sometimes we don’t. And somehow it works.

It’s not the best paid job, sometimes it’s not paid at all. But we have a bar. In Gateshead. And it’s the best bar in Gateshead.

And the bestest ever moment, is sitting with a beer, waiting for the next bus after the bar’s closed for the day.

The bestest.

Krankenhaus

I’d never heard of Krankenhaus festival until someone told me about it a few months ago. It sounded good, so I bought tickets.

It’s very small, possibly the smallest festival I’ve been to. But it’s as cool as anything.

Dog friendly, gorgeous setting, good food and, unbelievably, great beer from Gan Yam. The music’s a bonus.

Technically, this is our third festival of the year; VW Festival was a couple of weeks ago.

That was a first too, followed by the last day of the beer festival at Twice Brewed. It’s a lovely place, but it was definitely the nicest beer festival I’ve been to.

I should probably say that the last couple of pictures were taken after closing time.

Elbow beer

Years and years ago, Robinsons brewed a beer that was badged for, and marketed by, Elbow. It was actually a decent pale ale, which I think was only available in bottles. Looking back now though, I’m not sure whether it was a bespoke brew or a white label beer. I still have a bottle.

I’ve learned a lot about beer in the last few years, although I’ve not managed to make time to brew my own. That’ll happen one day, maybe when I retire (again). However, I’ve had quite a bit of beer brewed for the bar, even been involved in a couple of brew days.

Last week, we had a brew day at Otherworld, in Dalkeith. It was a big batch of beer, way bigger than anything we’d done in the past. But this isn’t a beer for our bar; it’s a beer brewed for bars (and other businesses) in Gateshead. It’ll be coming soon.

We’ve told quite a few people about the beer, but have only hinted about it in the bar’s social media. There’ll be more soon, when we have a launch date. Meanwhile, the beer will be called Goat’s Head.

The beer wasn’t really beer when we left at the end of the day. It wasn’t alcoholic, it needed more hops and it was warm. All perfectly normal at that stage.

A few days earlier, we saw Elbow play at the Mouth of the Tyne festival.