So this is the point where I take the scenic route back to the Travelodge with my NCSS 2.5 takeaway and attempt to draft a new post using what we IT experts call a “tethering & portable hotspot”.
Obviously, I didn’t make it that far.
Oh, look, the Museum Vaults.
Not only the best looking pub in town,
but a place to appeal to at least 0.5% of my readership.
I left my bag of Chinese behind the door, and was greeted by cheery locals, a photo of Barry Venison and Samson Smooth.
Really, I should have followed the JS Smooth with the Samson, but I panicked and had the Black IPA.
Sadly, I deleted my notes the next morning, but the next thing I remember is the dog at the bar starting to howl.
“Sorry, it’s my takeaway” I said, figuring it best to avoid the sort of incident escalation you get on Homeland.
Fido (I’m no good with dog names) was soon placated with what was mysteriously referred to as Guinness water.
The silky Black IPA had a similar effect on me.
As good as ever, though I suspect a rather quieter beast to the one I went to before the Stadium of Light once.
How many fans get a pre-match pint in pubs as homely as this ?
retiredmartin 
This member of the 0.5% club says “great looking pub with decent looking beer”.
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If the Vaults was in Newcastle it would have ended up like the Free Trade is now, with its carefully contrived tattiness and faux tobacco stained walls and ceilings complete with hipsters and expensive ‘Craft’. Sunderland, being stuck a constant 20 years back in time from Newcastle, has been pretty much unaffected by gentrification of its boozers.
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Another member of the 0.5% says what a great football pub 👍🍻 any Barry Venison piccys in pubs add to the kudos
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In most pubs “Barry” and “Venison” means somebody trying to get rid of the deer they hit with the works van.
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😉
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Last time we were in the Vaults was last October after the CAMRA beer festival. The landlady apologised for only having one (pretty damn good) beer available, but after some terrible beer next door due to having 6 or 8 on we were more than happy! The time before that they were charging to get in to see a band, so we didn’t bother…
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That pub next door was great when I visited the first time a couple of years ago. Sure I just read in branch magazine it had change of ownership recently.
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