Shildon

Shildon AFC is a non-league football club that comes from the town of the same name in County Durham in the northeast of England, which is known for its railway industry. The club was formed in 1890 as Shildon Town, going on to join the Auckland and District League in 1892 before merging with Rangers & Heroes to become Shildon Athletic. 

The original club folded before reforming to become members of the Northern League in 1903-04 as replacements for  Stockton St John’s. In 1907, the club became semi-professional rather than following the traditional amateur route, playing in the North Eastern League. In 1923, ‘Athletic’ was dropped from the club name as they became Shildon AFC, as the grandstand was erected at their Dean Street home.

The 'Railwaymen’ rejoined the Northern League for the 1932-33 season. The following eight years proved to be an unparalleled success at Dean Street. Shildon reached the FA Cup for the first time in 1927-28 before falling to New Brighton. The team reached the same stage in 1929-30, where they were eliminated after a second replay at Bootham Crescent, York, against Doncaster Rovers.

Shildon were crowned Northern League champions in 1933-34, after finishing as runners-up in their second debut season. The team would go on to win the league for a further four consecutive campaigns; in 1934-35, 1935-36 and 1936-37.

In the 1936-37 campaign, the side went all season unbeaten in the league, with forward Jack Downing scoring an incredible 61 league and cup goals. The four consecutive league wins would remain a record until it was equalled by Blyth Spartans in the 1980s. The 1930s also saw Shildon continue to perform well in the FA Cup. 

The first round was completed in 1934-35, going out to Lincoln City, before going one round better in 1936-37 with an appearance in round two. Stalybridge Celtic were seen off to set up a home draw against Dartford, in which the team from Kent won 3-0. Shildon went on to become league runners-up in 1938-39 before regaining the Northern League title for a fifth time in 1939-40.

Following the golden era, Shildon settled into a team that traditionally finished in the top half of the Northern League table, with the occasional foray into the ‘proper’ rounds of the FA Cup. In 1955-56, Shildon battled through four qualifying rounds before going out in round one to Scunthorpe & Lindsey United at The Old Show Ground. 

In 1959-60, the Railwaymen held Oldham Athletic to a draw at home before going out in the replay at Boundary Park. Shildon made a return visit to Oldham in 1961-62 in round one of the FA Cup, with the game ending in a 5-2 defeat. The game would mark the club's last appearance at that stage of the competition for forty-one years.

The team hit a period of lower-table finishes in the 1970s before recovering for a spell. However, Shildon were relegated to the recently formed Division Two of the Northern League at the end of the 1984-85 season, a couple of years after new dressing rooms and a social club had been built beneath the stand.

Shildon regained their Division One status in 1986-87 before being relegated again in 1991-92. The Railwaymen put the disappointment behind them and won promotion at the end of the following season.

Shildon remained a Division One club until 1998-99 when the team finished bottom of the table and returned to the second tier. The 2001-02 campaign saw the club win the Division Two title and net 135 goals in the process.

A return to the first round of the FA Cup came in 2003-04 as Workington, Durham City, Frickley Athletic, Shirebrook Town, and Stocksbridge Park Steels were dismissed in the preliminary rounds before Shildon went out after a 7-2 defeat away to Notts County.

Tragedy struck the club in February 2004 when 26-year-old player Lee Hainsworth was killed in a road accident on his way to training. He had been with the club for six years. The Brown Street stand was renamed in his memory.

The future of Shildon AFC came under threat through financial difficulties at the end of the 2003-04 season as the chairman of the time resigned and cut all ties with the club. Brian Bunn came in as the new chairman, while Gary Forrest was appointed as team manager.

After a couple of difficult league seasons, Forrest put together a steady side that returned to top-half finishes in the league, before finishing as runners-up in 2009-10. The same season saw the side reach the quarter-finals of the FA Vase before going out to Northern League rivals Whitley Bay.

Shildon came even closer to a Wembley FA Vase final in 2012-13 as they went all the way to the semi-final by defeating South Shields and Consett along the way. The Railwaymen went out in the last four against Tunbridge Wells 4-3 on aggregate.

Consolation of sorts came with a third-place league finish in 2013-14, which was bettered by a runners-up spot the following year. Shildon were crowned Northern League champions for a sixth time in 2015-16.

In January 2017, the club's long-serving manager, Gary Forrest, resigned. Daniel Moore was appointed as his successor, with the team going to end the 2016-17 campaign in fourth position in the Northern League. Restructuring some non-league divisions after the Covid-19 pandemic allowed Shildon to move up to the fourth tier. 

They were given a place in Division One East of the Northern Premier League, where they ended in fifth place, with Marske United ending dreams of further promotion with victory in the semifinal of the playoffs, after which Moore departed. Facilities were constantly upgraded at Dean Street to match the new lofty status of the club. 

The team was relegated in 2022-23 under Jamie Tunstall, who lasted a few months, Ian Clark, whose spell consisted of five days, and then Chris Hughes, who was left to pick up the pieces. Shildon reached the playoffs in 2023-24 but lost their home semifinal to West Auckland Town. There was a similar outcome to the 2024-25 season, with Blyth Town winning their semifinal tie.

More playoff heartache was to follow in 2025-26, with the final being lost at home to West Auckland Town after a win against Boro Rangers.

Shildon AFC will play in the Northern League Division One in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Wednesday 25th January 2017

My visit to Shildon came as part of a jaunt around County Durham with the use of a one-day bus ticket to kick off a week of football on the road around the north of England and Germany. I arrived in the town from Darlington by the Max x1 bus, which dropped me at the Hippodrome stop.

The town was covered in a blanket of fog as I walked down Main Street before heading up Dean Street, where I was delighted to find the gates to the ground were open. Even in the gloom, I recognised a fine venue.

The magnificent Main Stand on the far side had raised seating behind a few steps of terracing. Opposite was a long, low cover with a few steps, set back from the pitch. The rest of the ground had hard standing all around, with a slight grass bank in places down the sides.

Once done with my photography, I headed back on my same route to the Hippodrome stop, just as the sun began to break through the fog. I was tempted to return and take some more snaps, but I continued on my way towards my next venue, which was to be Heritage Park, Bishop Auckland.

Heaton Stannington

Heaton Stannington FC is a non-league football club who were formed in 1910 and is based in the High Heaton area of Newcastle upon Tyne in England’s north east. The club initially joined the Tyneside Minor League in 1913, playing at Paddy Freeman's Park before moving to the Coast Road ground.

A year later, the 'Stan’ switched to Division Two of the Northern Amateur League, where they won promotion to Division One, moving into their Heaton Park home, before going on to lift the league title in 1936-37. The club progressed to the Tyneside League, where the team finished the 1938-39 season as runners-up.

Heaton Stannington were elected to the Northern League for the 1939-40 campaign. The step up proved to be severe for the team as they had five finishes in the bottom three. The club left the Northern League in 1952 to join the Northern Alliance.

A further swap came in 1956 as Stan opted to return to the Northern Amateur League. In 1959, Heaton Stannington joined the relaunched North Eastern League but left after just one season to join the Northern Combination.

The club settled for a relatively long period before moving to the Wearside League in the summer of 1973. After financial problems struck the club, they chose to move to the Tyneside Amateur League in 1982, where they appeared as Heaton United for their debut season before swapping back to their traditional title.

Stan were crowned as Tyneside Amateur League champions in 1983-84 and moved up to the Northern Amateur League, where they lifted the league title in 1985-86. The club progressed to the Northern Alliance.

Heaton Stannington were placed in the Premier Division in 1988 when the Northern Alliance gained extra clubs. However, they were relegated back to Division One in 1995-96 before regaining their top-flight status in 1998-99.

The team suffered relegation in 2000-01 before recovering to finish as Division One runners-up and winning promotion in 2002-04. Heaton Park was renamed Grounsell Park in 2007 in honour of Bob Grounsell, who had helped secure the future of the venue.

Stan went on to become Premier Division champions in 2011-12 before retaining the title the following campaign. The club was promoted to Division Two of the Northern League for the start of the 2013-14 season.

Heaton Stannington just missed out on the promotion places from Division Two in the 2016-17 season under manager Derek Thompson. Consistently good performances in the following two seasons were followed by a couple of abandoned campaigns owing to the pandemic.

After two decades in charge of the team, manager Thompson stepped aside in May 2021 to allow the new boss, Dean Nicholson, to be appointed, leading his charges to the runners-up spot in his first season in charge. Easington Colliery and then Tow Law Town were defeated in the playoffs to secure promotion to Division One.

After a season of consolidation, the playoffs were reached again in 2023-24. This time wins against Birtley Town and then a final victory over West Auckland Town, sent the Stan into Division One East of the Northern Premier League, consolidation over the following couple of seasons.

Heaton Stannington FC will play in the Northern Premier League Division One East in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Wednesday 2nd August 2017

It was a pleasant morning as I awoke at the Osbourne Hotel in Jesmond the night after attending a pre-season friendly between Blyth Spartans and Whitby Town. After breakfast, I had over two hours to kill, and I was ready for a good walk.

My first port of call was Jesmond Cricket Ground, a lovely venue from where I used to watch the Tyne Tees TV coverage of an annual match featuring top stars of the day taking on a combined Durham and Northumberland side.

Walking down the hill, I decided to forgo the quickest route on offer and instead take the bridge over the beautiful Jesmond Dene before walking through the wooded area. It really was like being in the middle of the countryside.

Continuing uphill, my imagination was on overdrive as I giggled at the name Jesmond Dene. Could it be the stage name of a 60’s entertainer, or a West Indian fast bowler? If I invented my own Subbuteo team again, then Jesmond Dene would most certainly be the name of one of my full-backs.

Back in the real world, I’d gone past Heaton Manor school and reached the Jesmond Park West junction with Newton Road, where I did a right turn, finding the open gates to Heaton Stannington FC further along between shops.

A couple of private contractor groundsmen were marking out the pitch ahead of that evening’s friendly against Washington. Chatting with one of them, we noted just what a huge playing surface it was. He also pointed out the rise in the far top corner.

Grounsell Park was a lovely enclosed venue. There was only a cover down the main side with offices and a clubhouse behind. I loved the fact that there were a couple of small allotments built at the rear of the shallow banking.

Behind the near goal from the gates had been concreted to allow parking every day; a handy bit of income for the club, no doubt? The changing rooms were in a large green metal hut in the corner.

Once I’d completed my photography, I took the number 52 bus to Haymarket while thinking what a great area it would be to live in. I wandered past St James’ Park and through the market area of the city centre.

There was time to enjoy an orange juice in the Mile Post, one of Dad’s favourite pubs, before crossing the road for a fine pint of Hickey the Rake from the local Wylam Brewery. This was the perfect medicine to allow me a much-needed nap on the train to Glasgow, ready for more adventure.

Blyth Spartans

Blyth Spartans AFC, formed in 1899, is a non-league football club from Northumberland, around thirteen miles north east of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. The town of Blyth is highly industrial, with trade in coal mining, fishing, and shipbuilding most predominant in its past, although the port still provides for the town.

The club was formed by Mr Fred Stoker, who named them after the Greek Spartan Army, in the hope it would inspire the team. The first couple of years were spent playing friendly games before they moved into the Northumberland League.

They won three league titles before progressing to the Northern Alliance, as well as moving into their Croft Park home in 1909. They went on to win that league twice. In 1913, Spartans turned semi-professional and joined the North Eastern League, where they remained until it folded in 1958.

The 1922-23 season saw the club play in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, with Spartans going out at Croft Park against Stoke. Victory against Hartlepools United in 1925-26 saw the team progress to round two, where they suffered defeat at the hands of Accrington Stanley.

In 1931-32, a win against Lancaster City saw Blyth advance to the second round of the cup once more. A trek to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic ended dreams of any further progression. FA Cup first round appearances in 1934-35, 1935-36, and 1936-37 saw defeats against Stockport County, Gainsborough Trinity, and Wrexham. 

Blyth were crowned as North Eastern League champions in 1936-37. In 1951-52, Spartans were eventually eliminated in the second round against Tranmere Rovers after a third replay at Goodison Park, before leaving the tournament in round one in 1953-54, after defeat to Accrington Stanley.

FA Cup second round defeats followed in 1954-55 against Torquay United and then in 1956-57 against Hartlepools United before the club joined the Midland League for the 1957-58 season, which also ended in second round defeat in the Cup to Stockport County.

In 1960-61, Spartans became members of the newly formed Northern Counties League, before moving to the re-formed North Eastern League a couple of years later. Blyth joined the Northern League for the 1964-65 season.

Further excursions in the FA Cup during the 1960s had seen first round defeats to Wrexham, Mansfield Town, Hartlepools United, Chester, and Bishop Auckland; along with a second round appearance against Carlisle United at Croft Park in 1962-63.

Blyth Spartans had proven to have a fine pedigree in the FA Cup over several decades, but their exploits in the 1970s would put previous adventures in the pale. In 1971-72, the team reached the third round, after defeating Football League sides Crewe Alexandra and Stockport County, before going down 6-1 at Reading. Spartans also ended that season as Northern League runners-up.

However, they weren’t to be denied the following season, as they ended up being crowned Northern League champions for the first time, as well as reaching the FA Cup second round, where the side went out to Lawrie McMenemy’s Grimsby Town.

After finishing runners-up twelve months later, Spartans won their second league title in 1974-75, as well as going out in the first round of the Cup to Preston North End, who were being led by local hero Bobby Charlton, after a replay at Deepdale. The club regained its Northern League crown in 1975-76.

It would be in the 1977-78 season, the club would become a household name all over the UK thanks to an incredible FA Cup run. The team went on a remarkable run, defeating Shildon, Crook Town, Consett, and Bishop Auckland to reach the First Round. Burscough, Chesterfield, and Enfield were seen off at Croft Park for Spartans to go into the hat for the Fourth Round draw.

The club was rewarded with a daunting trip to The Victoria Ground to take on First Division Stoke City. Blyth remarkably won 3-2 and were drawn away to Wrexham in the Fifth Round.

Spartans came within a minute of reaching the last eight of the competition. Terry Johnson had given them the lead to send the travelling masses into ecstasy. 

Time was nearly up when Wrexham were awarded a corner, which was collected by Dave Clarke. However, the referee ordered a retake as the corner flag had fallen over before the ball was delivered. From the resulting second attempt, Dixie McNeil scored a heartbreaking equaliser.

Blyth moved the replay to St James' Park, where a remarkable attendance of 42,167 saw the Welshmen go through 2-1. Despite the outcome, manager Brian Slane and his coach Jackie Marks, along with all the players, had done the club and the area proud. To see extended highlights of both halves of the away game at Wrexham from Match of the Day, click here and here:

Spartans also ended the 1977-78 season as league runners-up. Further FA Cup first-round exits came against York City and Mansfield Town as a remarkable decade came to an end. However, it would be in the 1980s that the club would bring in honours in league competition as Spartans set a record in the Northern League as they won the championship in five successive seasons from 1979-80 until 1983-84.

Further FA Cup tales came during the 1980-81 season, when it took Hull City three games to eventually see off Spartans at Elland Road after two replays in the Second Round. Blyth star forward Les Mutrie sealed a deal with The Tigers with his performances. A first-round home exit to Walsall came in the following season.

The decade of league dominance continued as Blyth were crowned as Northern League champions in 1986-87 and 1987-88, as well as finishing as runners-up in the 1984-85 season as they went for six titles in a row. Spartans collected a remarkable ten title wins in just fifteen years.

In 1993, the club took the promotion on offer to join the Northern Premier League after finishing as Northern League runners-up, as well as reaching the first round of the FA Cup, where they were eliminated by Southport. The team won the First Division title at the first attempt in 1994-95 to progress to the Premier Division.

Another FA Cup run during the 1996-97 campaign ended after a victory over Bury, but then a defeat to Stockport County in the second round. The following year, Spartans reached round one, but went out away to Blackpool. In 2004, experienced boss Harry Dunn, better known to Scarborough supporters as Harry 'A' Dunn, took over.

He led the club to a league and league cup double in 2005-06, resulting in promotion to the Conference North. The league proved to be difficult, but relief was found in 2008-09 in the way of another fine FA Cup run. Promotion-hunting Shrewsbury Town were defeated 3-1 at Croft Park in front of the live TV cameras.

Spartans followed that up by drawing away to AFC Bournemouth before seeing them off in the replay through a solitary Ged Dalton goal again in front of a live TV audience. Blackburn Rovers attracted more live TV coverage to Croft Park and left with a narrow 1-0 win.

Dunn left soon after, to be replaced by Mick Tate. He didn't find the league any easier, and neither did his replacement, Steve Cuggy. Spartans were relegated in 2011-12 under Tommy Cassidy, despite an FA Cup first round appearance against Gateshead raising morale, after star player Robbie Dale had moved on at the start of the season.

Cassidy was sacked early in the 2012-13 season. Paddy Atkinson’s reign lasted until March 2013, when Tommy Wade was appointed as the new manager at Croft Park. He led the side to another fantastic FA Cup run in the 2014-15 season.

After battling through four qualifying rounds and defeating Darlington along the way, the Spartans reached the first round to see off Altrincham at home. A win at Hartlepool United set up a tie against Birmingham City, which ended in a 3-2 defeat at Croft Park. Additional income arrived at the club after the two big Cup games were both shown live on national TV. 

In 2015-16, Spartans ended as Northern Premier League runners-up, but failed to secure promotion after being defeated by Workington in the semi-final of the play-offs. However, they won automatic promotion as league champions in 2016-17 after former Ipswich Town striker Alun Armstrong replaced Wade in September 2016. 

2018-19 saw Spartans reach the playoffs, where they lost to Altrincham on penalties. In June 2019, former Newcastle and Sunderland midfielder Lee Clark was named as manager, remaining in charge until August 2022 when Graham Fenton was appointed to the role. 

He was replaced in December 2023 by Jon Shaw. The club was sold to Irfan Liaquat in February 2024, which saw things quickly start to go wrong, with fans fearing the worst. The team was relegated before the owner appointed Norberto Solano as manager in the summer of 2024, lasting just a few games before David Stockdale was given the job.

Fans boycotted home games, and volunteers resigned. Local businessman, Martin Trinder, leading Blyth Spartans CIC 2024 to protect the club as a community asset, purchased it from Liaquat. Michael Connor was given the manager’s role with the task of trying to save a desperate situation. 

Colin Myers was appointed as manager in April 2025, as the team was relegated, before the appointment of Marc Nash in November 2025. 

Blyth Spartans will compete in the Northern Premier League Division One East in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Friday 2nd October 2008

My club, Scarborough Athletic, had been drawn away to Esh Winning in the FA Vase, and with me having a long weekend off work, I was not going to turn down the opportunity to have a good look around the clubs of the North East. I travelled up to Newcastle by train the previous day, straight after work, and stayed at the rather run-down resort of Whitley Bay. 

What it lacked in elegance, it certainly made up for with cheap bars full of drink promotions. I decided it would have been rude not to join in, so I was rather delicate the following morning when I first ventured to Bay's Hillheads Park home and then awaited a bus up the coast.

It was a cold and gloomy morning, but I loved the adventure of going to new places. I was particularly happy when the bus went within a couple of hundred metres of Croft Park on its way into the town. I was even more impressed when the gates were open, giving me a good photo opportunity.

Croft Park was a venue I liked immediately. It had the feel of a proper ground with plenty of good old-fashioned terracing and covers. Both ends had similar full-length roofs. The Main Stand was once a raised seating deck above some terracing, but it was now all seated to comply with ground requirements.

There was a flat standing at either side where different buildings housed facilities. Opposite the centre section had a roof over the terracing, with banking at either side of it.

I finished my task and walked to the town centre through many streets lined by terraced houses, which no doubt once housed the hard workers from the coalfields and the port. I found the people in the department store most friendly when I called in for a cuppa before catching a small bus for the interesting ride to my next port of call, Bedlington.

Blyth Spartans 0 Whitby Town 3 (Tuesday 1st August) Friendly (att: 358)

At last, I ticked off an iconic ground for a match following a week of night shifts at work. To save some money on the rail fare, I used the Grand Central service from King’s Cross, grabbing some valuable shut-eye on the journey.

I’d bought a one-day Metro rover for £7.20 when the trip was held up for thirty minutes just outside Sunderland station, as a poor bloke was threatening to jump off the Wearmouth Railway Bridge as he sat on the wide railings. 

After a short while, the police arrived on the scene. They took their time and gradually coaxed the man towards them and to safety. They were marvellous, while some of the passengers on the train were shocking, as they filmed the incident on their phones and craned their necks for a better view.

My hotel was a ten-minute walk away from Jesmond station in a lovely leafy part of town. Once I’d checked into the excellent, clean, tidy, and value-for-money Osbourne Hotel, I set out for the match, walking first to Jesmond West.

I’d probably made the wrong decision heading to Whitley Bay via Monument, but I wasn’t too worried. I had earlier pondered whether to break up my journey and take a look at the home of Percy Main Amateurs FC, but time was of the essence.

My research had alerted me to a new micro pub in the seaside resort. The Dog & Rabbit was just what the doctor ordered as I sampled the excellent Cascade from Brewsmith of Ramsbottom and a swift half of Dark Side of the Toon from the Three Kings Brewery of North Shields. The pork pie was also top-notch!

The Cobalt Clipper 309 bus from just around the corner took me to the top of Rotary Way in Blyth, just a few minutes away from Croft Park. It was the same journey I’d undertaken on my previous visit, which took around twenty minutes. A huge wind turbine stood in the distance down Plessey Road, while I was taken by the name of the barbers over the road from the ground. 

Surely plenty of football fans are attracted to “Blyth Smartens?” Admission into the ground was £6 with a thick programme covering all of the Spartans' pre-season activity costing an extra £3. The large clubhouse didn’t offer anything to tickle my fancy, so I enjoyed a home-made chicken curry and chips with a tea for the excellent price of £4.50.

I was wary of loose shots as the players warmed up while I sat on the steps at the back of the Town End terrace, which had been added since my previous visit, while enjoying my super feast and taking in the scene in a marvellous non-league venue, which remained otherwise unaltered since I’d popped in to take photos. The two team lists made interesting reading when I checked up on Twitter. 

There was plenty of A Trialist on show, particularly for the home side. Jeff Stelling, who loves it when such occurrences happen in the Scottish League’s would have been delighted. Spartans were to start their National League campaign the following Saturday, so I guess manager Alun Armstrong was just checking one or two last-minute possibilities. 

Whitby had an extra week before their opening league match. Regardless of who the players were, this turned out to be a match of excellent quality and not lacking in competitiveness. It was the visitors who should have taken the lead, but Andy Monkhouse fired over when well placed after four minutes.

Blyth’s David McTiernan responded with a shot from thirty yards, which Seasiders keeper Shane Bland pushed away in acrobatic fashion. Dale Hopson had moved north from Whitby in the summer and was keen to put in a performance.

He set up one of the trialists who had a shot blocked by Bland. Another trialist put the rebound wide. Whitby winger David Carson saw a shot blocked by Spartans keeper Shaun MacDonald just before the half-hour mark.

Hopson had pushed Bland into keeping out another stinging effort with the follow-up by a midfield trialist blocked by defender Callum Martin. Carson had another shot blocked by MacDonald as an entertaining first half came to a close.

I took up an elevated seat in the main Port of Blyth Stand for the second half as the sun began to drop, as a succession of home substitutions didn’t help with the flow of the game. With thirty minutes remaining, a trialist sub saw a shot hit the bar, with a fellow trialist unable to net as the ball came back.

Matthew Tymon went close for the visitors before they took the lead in the seventy-third minute. Tymon was played in and cut inside to set up Whitby’s trialist to take his time to slam home. Monkhouse came close with a shot that was expertly kept out by MacDonald.

Another Whitby trialist broke through with five minutes remaining before squaring to Kieran Weledji, who dodged a couple of challenges before scoring. The last action of the match saw Whitby’s trialist goalscorer have a shot blocked by MacDonald before Weledji followed up to net his second goal.

I’d been most impressed all evening with the way the home supporters had got behind their side and offered encouragement. The gaggle of away fans were naturally delighted, as was the Town manager, Chris Hardy.

Bus times weren’t ideal after the game. I could have gone for a drink in the clubhouse, but instead I opted to get some more yards in as I continued to try to shed some timber. I managed to get past the beach huts and along Links Road when I saw a bus approaching.

Although it meant paying for another single when I had a return with another company, I thought it was a price worth paying. I arrived at Whitley Bay Metro station in time for an earlier service into Newcastle, while police and revenue controllers snared unsuspecting fare dodgers. That really made my night as someone who suffers when working on the Tube.

I was looking forward to some more real ale in Bacchus, a superbly appointed pub just behind the Theatre Royal near Monument station. The helpful and friendly barman served me a pint of Jarl from Fyne Brewery, one of my favourite beers.

This was followed up by a locally brewed hoppy ale with a smoky aftertaste, which was only supplied to the pub. While it was all very nice, my taste buds were out; possibly after the earlier curry and the fact that I was worn out?

It doesn’t happen too often on my travels, but I headed home before the pub shut. I took the Metro back to Jesmond and walked to my hotel, tired but delighted with an absolute top day out.