Looking at the map now, I could have walked to Acomb. But where’s the fun in that, when you can enjoy Mrs RM’s exemplary driving*.
We parked up, and Mrs RM saw her next car after the Picasso conks out.
I thought Acomb (pronounced “Yeckam”, of course) was familiar, but there’s one near York that’s nothing like this Acomb.
There’s two pubs in the village, both looking what you’d call “traditional” without fear of oversimplification, but the Miner’s Arms gets the Guide place.
This is another Northumberland pub to appeal to the American looking for an English pub with beams, mirrors, bench seating and old folk laughing about domestic matters.
Another exemplary welcome, both from the barman and the regulars who made way at the bar. Locals beers, including a cool and chewy Tankard that made me wish I’d gone for the Wylam before (NBSS 3.5).
A powerful, but not totally unpleasant smell of boiled cabbage** pervaded the air, as every villager over 70 tucked into their Sunday roasts at half the price they’d pay in Hexham. A 50/50 split between boozers and diners is ideal on a Sunday.
I stood at the bar and admired the sloping rack of CDs. Sadly, I can’t remember what was playing, so let’s pretend it was “Georgie Girl” by Keith Gustafson.
I could have found a seat, but sometimes standing at the bar irritating folk trying to get to the loo brings the most pleasure.
Best of all, some outdoor toilets down a little alleyway graced by coloured beer barrels.
Pleasingly, clear signage on the door. I have no idea why the man is headless (Ten points if you do).
I often look back and wonder why I took the photos I did. You may wonder too.
Mrs RM sat this one out too. She missed a gem, but may have struggled with the “cabbage”.
*(She’s reading this now so I have to say that).
**I hope it was boiled cabbage.
retiredmartin 
‘I have no idea why the man is headless (Ten points if you do).’
He’s not ….it’s because he’s looking down… nuff said (10 points in the bag!)
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Think we need the VAR on that one, but have the points. Would never have guessed that…
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Head down was obvious to me as well, but I would have added something along the lines of appendage size. 😉
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Oh. That’s tweaked a nerve. The Miners was run in the 90s by a character called Keith Millar and his missus. Beer was superb and she’d do you a nice lunch. Proper pub. He died quite a few years ago and I’ve never been back. He used to have the odd ‘day out’ which involved getting the train and metro to Tynemouth, a huge drink in the Tynemouth Lodge then back to the Crown Posada then the last train to Hexham.
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Sounds a top day out. When we were in Corbridge we noticed how many Geordies took the weekend train out to Corbridge pubs and curry houses.
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“but sometimes standing at the bar irritating folk trying to get to the loo brings the most pleasure.”
So, you’re saying the loo is right beside the bar? Is that they’re way of recycling? 🤔🤗
Cheers
PS – and yet more Ho’s. What the bloody hell is a ho? Is that like the ho-hos from some of Pratchett’s books regarding Bloody Stupid Johnson? 😎
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Have you heard of a Ha-Ha ? (posh word for a ditch). It’s a northern version of that.
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That rings a bell. Thanks Martin. 😎
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Great run of pubs of late. That interior does appeal to our sensibilities. They could use a more challenging beer on though. A porter or stout. It is winter after all. Let’s keep the pale stuff for summer.
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Interesting point about darker beers. I’m not sure I’ve even seen porters or stouts up here, perhaps Mordue apart.
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Aye, but you’re forgetting the golden rule: no-one in the north east drinks dark beer.
I mean, doesn’t seem to have hindered our sales of it- we’ve had one since the day we’ve opened (Not the same one…) but you definitely can’t sell dark beer up here.
Especially not if you never have it on the bar.
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Indeed.To be honest you won’t find many dark beers down South (i.e. below Darlo) either.
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That is a lovely interior, it cannot be denied. Out of your list of desired attributes, though, I must say I have no special affection for mirrors in a pub– am I wrong, or is it just an old school method of advertising from the brewers? Maybe I’ve seen too many such mirrors with “Bud Light” and “Coors” printed on them to regard them as very remarkable. Better than a bunch of flat screen TVs, though, I’ll give you that! 🙂
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There’s no right or wrong, of course, Mark. I’d agree that mirrors advertising Jack Daniels or Bud are a bit “job lot”, but a Bass mirror makes a pub, even in Vegas !
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That opening picture just leaps out as a fantastic pub! Burning questions….what constitutes ‘exemplary’ driving for Mrs RM? How satisfying is blocking the toilet run? Very I’d say😀😉👍
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Not driving into a ditch = exemplary driving. Actually I drove in a ditch in New Mills once (9am, stone sober), so I can’t talk. It was icy.
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“It was icy.”
I take it you mean the silence between you and Mrs RM after you “ditched” her? (LOL)
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That’s GOOD. I’ll use that Somewhere. Actually she loves it when I do stuff like that.
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There’s often “a powerful but not totally unpleasant smell of boiled cabbage” in old folks’ homes that has nothing to do with brassicas – and maybe in that pub it’s because the regulars can’t be arsed with the trek out to the outside toilets and back.
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You might very well think that…..
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Wylam have got to be one of the best breweries around at the minute. Jakehead is superb and they do some excellent dark beers. The Macciato Porter is sublime. Like people say, you generally won’t find many porters and stouts in NE.
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They always were good, particularly the pubs in the village itself.
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