(OVER)DUE A DEUCHARS

I was pleased to find the Grapes full, after reading that there hasn’t always been the rush back to pubs they might have hoped since the Heaventeenth (Simon’s Surrey pubs looked a bit quiet, too).

I would have popped in the Tap & Spile for old time’s sake; there’s not many survivors from the mid-90s cluster of Taps left (Morpeth, Durham, Scarbs, Bangor, anywhere else ?).

But that was closed as well, and after admiring the street art on the corner I just popped in the first open door.

Which was a good move, as the Globe was exactly what I wanted.

Proper seats (I took the only free table as an Old Boy drained his pint and left), horse racing, “The Joshua Tree” as soundtrack, one hand pump. Yes, a blokey pub, but a clean and well-managed one (with a notable lack of swearing).

As BRAPA knows well, Hadrian’s Wall marks the English/Scottish border, so it’s no surprise to see Deuchars IPA in the Globe.

Looks good, doesn’t it ?

And it was; cool and crisp and tasty (NBSS 3), if not quite as full-bodied as I remember from the Oxford Bar.

I feel sorry for the sole Landlord, pushed into table service, rule enforcement and glass collection. But at least he gets to listen to banter about Prince Harry’s father and the “ee bah gum” Yorkshire Covid variant ALL DAY LONG.

Lovely stuff, and as I skipped down Priestpopple the hidden joys of Hexham revealed themselves.

Then I headed back to our hotel, where Mrs RM was studying the locomotive wall art.

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.

14 thoughts on “(OVER)DUE A DEUCHARS”

  1. “if not quite as full-bodied as I remember from the Oxford Bar” – through an Autovac and still “full-bodied”.
    Yes, Edinburgh has some remarkable pubs as we were reminded two and a bit years ago.

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      1. Yes, and we MUST invite Colin V if we’re going to Staggs.
        And hope Tim’s got some Moonraker on above Waverley railway station for us.

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  2. Seems like only yesterday I was at the opening do at the Hexham Tap & Spile. Back then I was working for Camerons who opened the chain. The North Shields T&S is now three houses and the original, Byker, was where Morrisons is now.

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      2. Phil moved up from Staffordshire nearly thirty years ago after W & D took over Camerons and I think he worked in sales and lived with his family in Marton. He liked a pint or few.

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  3. A fine session beer 3.8 % (but 4.4 abv in bottles and also imo tainted with glucose syrup )and for many years my go to pint.
    I meant to ask Martin if you got to Acomb village just north of Hexham .On a visit last year found .3 pubs !!
    1 Queens Arms _ no real ale but very nice inn to stay and friendly locals 2 Sun Inn 2 real ale nicely kept
    3 Miners Arms in GBG ( I think ) Enjoyed all visits but the Miners clearly the serious Real Ale place Tyneside Blond the regular beer

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    1. I used to go to the Miners when it was a fairly ramshackle place but with amazing beer and proper home made food. I think it’s gone a little more upmarket now. The sadly now passed on owner at the time, Keith, was a legend, and used to go on monster pub crawls from Hexham, to Newcastle and down to North Shields where I’d inevitably bump into him somewhere. Happy days.

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  5. The only pub I’ve been to where the electric bell pushes on the walls still worked was in Hexham (1983) Would be useful in these strange days of table service.

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