MICRO MURK-MAD MOUSE MAGS

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I’d better get a move on or I’ll never get to my monthly stocktake, and you won’t know how many pubs I beat BRAPA by in January.

My second new Newcastle micro may be my Pub of the Month.  Which is good, as it’s the local Pub of the Year already.

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Don’t look for it on your 6th pint, Si

I’d assumed the Town Mouse would be under a railway arch, which is a really condescending assumption.  Actually it’s in a basement in the heart of the shopping district (Eldon Square) next to the Spoons.

Town Mouse

So I had ten minutes to beat the shoppers if I was going to get there by 5pm, when I assumed it would be busy.

I’d have made it if I hadn’t dawdled to take photos on Grey Street.

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Gorgeous Grey Street

The Town Mouse has folk sitting at the bar, long tables and murky Almasty IPAs.

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Don’t complain, she’s American
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Symmetry
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Perfection

I know what you’re thinking, but I loved it.

Cheery, lived-in, unpretentious, inclusive.  And that’s before I get onto those sausage rolls, beautifully kept away from the fridge. I guess the Cambridge equivalent would be the Blue Moon, where you can order murk without hostility.

Almasty Breakfast IPA will divide opinion; I gave it the full 5 stars.  Go on your silly Untappd and get the tasting notes yourself.  Perfectly matched with the chorizo sausage.

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Take that, murk haters

Mainly students rather than United fans, an obscure (i.e. not Bob or the Clash) reggae soundtrack and properly defaced toilets.  “Very Bristol” I wrote (on my phone, not the toilet).

Somehow I had two hours to kill, so I popped in the Posada, which I’ll return to.

Central Newcastle manages the influx of 51,000 people rather well on matchday, with 49,000 of them in the Strawberry,

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Been there, done that
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Well done, Sir

and 1,200 in the Labour Club.  Sadly no Federation beers here, either.

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Great club

Rubbish beers at St James, but (to be fair) a rather unbeatable atmosphere as the Mags scored their winning penalty. If you look closely you can make out some players.

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“We lost last week and we lost today...”

My first City away trip of the season.  Oddly it’s always a doddle getting tickets to the North-East; and always a season highlight. And you get out about two hours quicker than at West Ham.

I walked the two miles back to my hotel over High Level Bridge, a song in my heart (the Z Cars theme).  It doesn’t get much better, does it ?

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

42 thoughts on “MICRO MURK-MAD MOUSE MAGS”

  1. “Go on your silly Untappd”
    Sod that but on RateBeer they speak of “soft green floral hop”, “soft sweet floral peach fruit” and “light chalky hop” , whatever that is?

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      1. I’m detecting strong notes of bullshit here 🙄

        Shouldn’t the song in your heart have been “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”?

        Liked by 2 people

  4. “Gorgeous Grey Street”

    Agreed.

    “Don’t complain, she’s American”

    The jacket gave it away. Not many know Type O Negative outside of the US. 😉

    “Symmetry”

    Do all four of them sip at the same time?

    ““Very Bristol” I wrote (on my phone, not the toilet).”

    And here was me thinking you were brave enough to write it on the front of that young lady’s jacket. 🙂

    “Well done, Sir”

    Agreed. 🙂

    “If you look closely you can make out some players.”

    Over here we call that the nose bleed section for seats.

    “It doesn’t get much better, does it ?”

    Agreed. 🙂

    Cheers

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  5. Nice post Martin, starting off with some nice lacings. That club though, just doesn’t appeal- what with its vinyl seats. Reminds me of a betting shop, even if my sole experiences of such places are limited to Grand National day.

    With everyone sitting there in their coats, it also looks cold. Strange as I thought everyone in Newcastle walked around on Saturday nights with next to nothing on. Perhaps that’s just the youngsters, and the ladies in particular.

    Typing this from our room at the Premier Inn, next to the Norfolk Showground, after managing to get away for a long weekend to see dad, amongst other things.

    Full report when I get back, and will also sort out some dates for a meet up.

    ps. The GBG App came up trumps for us, even though you can’t “pink it” in!

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    1. The Labour Club does have a betting shop feel. I only popped in out of curiosity rather than any expectation of interesting beer.

      I’m not sure Newcastle quite lives up to the bare-chested (men) stereotype of 20 years ago, except when the TV camera zooms in on Jimmy Five Bellies at away matches. 😉It’s a very modern city these days.

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      1. Thanks Martin. It was good to see dad and even though he’s not talking much sense, he’s looking OK for a man of 87.

        As for the roads, I think any ice will have long melted by the time Mrs PBT’s drags herself out of bed.

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    3. Paul,
      Yes, “I thought everyone in Newcastle walked around on Saturday nights with next to nothing on. Perhaps that’s just the youngsters, and the ladies in particular” is how I remember it.
      I was comparatively overdressed.

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  6. The Town Mouse is Newcastle Pub of the year. This year’s branch pub of the year is another bloody micro – the Dog and Rabbit in Whitley Bay. I can’t wait for the new micro in Blyth to hit the GBG next year. It never seems to open and you’ll be needing a lift from the Metro!

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    1. Town Mouse website says they’re Tyneside POTY, and I really loved it, and I don’t warm to micros. Dog & Rabbit had something about it. Hard to judge best pub as I did most entries a decade or so ago, but clearly Tynemouth Lodge is the clear winner in any rational world 😉

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  7. > It doesn’t get much better, does it ?

    Presumably a slight improvement would have been for City not to have lost and, in the process, to have handed the Premier League to their great rivals from the other end of the East Lancs Road ?

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      1. As your last chance of proper beer for a while did you manage a couple of London Prides in Tim’s new Barrel Vault before boarding your train ?

        Liked by 1 person

      1. The Otter Bright was £1.99 per pint in the Cowley branch in the week, as were all the other guest ales.

        What’s the pricing like at St Pancras ?

        The Otter Bright was very tasty in the week. Odd name for an ale though, as “bright” is – or at least was – often used to describe keg or tank beers.

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  10. Makes sense for ‘Spoons too. Creates interest and gets folks to visit the branches at a quiet time of year.

    Enjoy Paris. What is the French for “a cheese and onion cob and a pint of mild please” ?

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      1. It was about bout twelve minutes each way for me yesterday so I don’t need HS2 for Wolverhampton.
        I had two marvellous pints of Holdens Mild in the Great Western but didn’t have the Golden Glow in the Posada as I was with friends in the Lych Gate Tavern ( 3½ Lymestone Cherry Stone ) longer than I originally thought.

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