I’ve been quiet lately, I know. Much of my time these past weeks has been spent in decorating and odd-job activities. These include renovating a flat, repairing chairs and bar stools, adjusting a door closer, removing a deceased dishwasher and making useful things. I’ve only changed two kegs, but I recently tapped my first cask (that might not be the correct term).

I’ve moved quite a few kegs and casks around, in and out of the cellar, and have occasionally served on the bar. Although I didn’t really know what I was doing. Anyway, enough of the routine of pub life. And a little more about the pub. The Schooner, originally the Ship Hotel, was built around 1880. I’ve not been able to learn much of the pub’s history, but it was the subject of a film in 1967, The Ship Hotel Tyne Main. This clip was taken from a compilation of pub-related films; I’ve not had a lot of luck in locating a copy of the full film. More recently, the pub featured in a TV commercial. The exterior is only very briefly visible, in the first few seconds, but the remainder was filmed in the bar. I’ll write more about the pub if I’ve time to look into its past. Meanwhile, some old pictures.