Category Archives: Beer

Floorboards III

Rather than face more floorboard pain today, we opted for beer. A couple of nice examples:

Sensible

I might have to be sensible more often. After a few pints of Guinness after work, then a takeaway pizza, I retired much earlier than usual.

Which enabled an early start to my Saturday. This morning, at a time I’d usually be eating toast, I’ve already:

– Been to the bank to withdraw boiler funds

– Collected a prescription

– Bought (and consumed) a Greggs’ vegan sausage roll

– Bought my first beer of the day

For the latter, I chose a refreshing blood orange IPA, in the Mean Eyed Cat. Well, after all, I’d usually be drinking orange juice at this time of day.

The benefits of tooth extraction

What benefits could be derived from an aggressive, partially unsuccessful, tooth extraction, you may ask.

Well, I’m now wearing a pair of jeans I’ve not been able to fasten for a very long time.

So flares* might not exactly be fashionable right now, but the important thing is that the jeans fit once more.

There’s another benefit too. Yes, really. I’ve now scientifically proven that excessive beer consumption does not in fact result in a proportionate increase in the size of a man’s midriff. The reduction in my own middle area appears solely to be the result of my two week diet of soup.

While I recognise that a continued soup diet would enable me to maintain my new physique, I fear that this pair of jeans will soon return to the wardrobe.

*they’re not really flares

Weekend

Yesterday afternoon, we paid a visit to the second hand furniture shop in Ouseburn. Where we bought a rather nice mid-Victorian side table. It’s small, but solid mahogany and quite heavy. A bargain at £40.

This was followed by late lunch in the Ship Inn.

Although this picture might give the impression that the place was quiet, the opposite was the case. It’s great to see a vegan pub doing so well. The food was, as usual, really nice.

And I had a pretty good Oakham IPA, the first ever pint of an Oakham beer I’ve tried. And the first I’ve come across that didn’t contain fish.

Then there was tine for a pint in the Cluny before heading home.

Where I spotted a Lovely Eggs poster, for next Friday’s gig (top right).

And a Shiverin Sheiks poster, for next Sunday afternoon. We’ll be there too.

Today was largely spent plastering, which wasn’t as much fun as yesterday.

Frankenpole

Due to a minor oversight, I had a double-booking last night. So attempted both.

Frankenstein, a Gothic Tale, a surprisingly good play, was in the fitting setting of the Great Hall, in the castle keep.

The play was pretty slow to begin with and I was really beginning to think I’d made a huge mistake, particularly since I’d persuaded my second in command and youngest daughter to come along.

But things had picked up before the intermission and, thankfully, the second half was great.

Straight after, we jumped in a cab to Gateshead Fell cricket club, to meet up with some mates at the beer festival.

Where we caught most of Ed Tudor-Pole’s set.

Then there were nightcaps in our local.

A pleasant evening.

Architecture

I so love old buildings.

OK, I might love anywhere I can find nice beer.

Feck

The Worley Almshouses has apparently been closed for a few months. According to the bloke outside who said it was due to reopen a few days ago. He was meeting a mate from Malta there.Anyway, it hasn’t reopened yet. Even worse, a missed opportunity.