After reading ‘Store Wars’ in the Guardian, I decided that a more localised Newcastle version would be more appropriate within my life. So equipped with a few pennies and my best friend I took to Pink Lane last Thursday evening (September 22) to see what the following two delightful public houses had to offer.
THE FORTH HOTEL
Background: The now laid-back local was once famous for hosting Victorian boxing matches. And the location of the pub was rife with prositution only 50 years ago. However, the atmosphere now could not be more contrasting as the Forth is definitely somewhere to kick back and relax and is amongst the most amazing venues in the city.
First Impressions: It is 9pm and fairly busy for a Thursday. From the exterior the Forth isn’t particularly appealing, rather shabby paintwork and a small door. However, the inside is beautifully decorated. The walls are adorned with art, ranging from Newcastle college students to established local artists. Tastefully draped curtains and fairy lights complete the look of shabby chic between the large mirrors and beautiful fireplaces.
What’s on Offer: Ten speciality beers and ciders, five real ales and tremendous but a little bit pricey pub grub!
Best Buy: My favourite strawberry beer – Fruli. It’s quite expensive at £4 per pint but worth every single penny!
Service: Bar staff were chirpy and charismatic. (I did get ID’d, but took it as proof that my anti-wrinkle cream must be working wonders).
Regulars: Thursday nights are student nights if you know anything about Newcastle nightlife. The Forth offers a nice and sophisticated alternative to necking a treble or a pint of skittles. Mostly packed with stylish males or young professionals, The Forth is certainly a place to go if you’re not wanting to socialise with freshers. If you’re a regular to Newcastle, you might be interested to know that whilst consuming our drinks, we spotted none other than headphone guy (apologies if you have no prior knowledge of him).
Overall Rating: 8/10
An evening well spent, although the fairly pricey food lost the 9/10 that I had originally awarded the pub.
THE TOWN WALL
Background: New to Newcastle’s pub scene, The Town Wall boasts excellent food and a lively bar. A thorough renovation of what used to be ‘CoCo V’, this pub is truly unrecognisable.
First Impressions: Again from the exterior, you would not be blamed if you were to walk past this charming new venue. In a fairly quiet part of Newcastle, the pub is perfectly located away from the hustle and bustle of drunken students on the ‘diamond strip’. Quite dark inside but overall very pleasant and has lots of room for those wanting to sample the food on offer.
What’s on Offer: Wide selection of local Ales, cider, fruity beer and truly scrumptious food!
Best Buy: Both the house white and rose wine were really nice and well priced for both large or small glasses.
Service: There were some members of staff who were a lot more cheerful than others. Also our dirty plates were left on our table for over half an hour, something which I personally don’t enjoy!
Regulars: I noticed there were a great deal more men than there were women in the Town Wall. Again, it’s a perfect place to come for a casual drink and avoid drunken freshers as it’s well hidden. Regulars include a mixture of young professionals, mature students (if they exist?) and large proportion of people on first dates!
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
I couldn’t have a draw, so I have awarded the Town Wall as my winner this week due to the fabulous food which we experienced (the desserts are a MUST, my chocolate brownie was almost bigger than my face).
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Lib Dem Conference 2011- Some Conclusions
After a week of Nick Clegg’s face dominating our newspapers and televisions, it would be rude not to draw some conclusions from the Liberal Democrats’ Conference.
It is evident that Nick Clegg, despite much criticism from the public and even members of his own party, is here for the long haul. On The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Clegg firmly denied claims by the Daily Mail that he promised his wife Miriam that he would be leaving after one term. Clegg exclaimed that he is set to stay “well beyond” one term and will remain a firm part of the Coalition Government until May 2015 elections.
There has also been great confidence within the party that the Liberal Democrats exert real influence within the Coalition. Tory MP, Nadine Dorries, expressed that Clegg was becoming “too powerful” within the Government- some however, would beg to differ. The initial broken promise of scrapping tuition fees was enough to convince many that the Coalition was heading in the direction of the alleged "65 years of the same two parties making the same old mistakes" as Clegg explained in the Lib Dem Manifesto of 2010. To quote Vince Cable, Business Secretary: “The roads to Westminster are covered with the skidmarks of different political parties changing direction” – no party has fulfilled his words moreso than the Liberal Democrats themselves. The Health Bill has recently been re-written, with the Lib Dems taking praise for many of the changes, which suggests that perhaps the party have finally set about exercising more influence on important decisions to avoid criticism.
Finally, much talk has been of the “difficult” year that the party have had to deal with; coming bottom of opinion polls for months. However, the Lib Dems should be instead considering the difficult years ahead for Britain. Clegg explained that the further cuts that are to be implemented in the near future are the “right thing” for Britain’s economy. This goes against advice from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) suggesting that further cuts will take Britain back into a double dip recession. Good one Clegg, roll on 2015.
It is evident that Nick Clegg, despite much criticism from the public and even members of his own party, is here for the long haul. On The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Clegg firmly denied claims by the Daily Mail that he promised his wife Miriam that he would be leaving after one term. Clegg exclaimed that he is set to stay “well beyond” one term and will remain a firm part of the Coalition Government until May 2015 elections.
There has also been great confidence within the party that the Liberal Democrats exert real influence within the Coalition. Tory MP, Nadine Dorries, expressed that Clegg was becoming “too powerful” within the Government- some however, would beg to differ. The initial broken promise of scrapping tuition fees was enough to convince many that the Coalition was heading in the direction of the alleged "65 years of the same two parties making the same old mistakes" as Clegg explained in the Lib Dem Manifesto of 2010. To quote Vince Cable, Business Secretary: “The roads to Westminster are covered with the skidmarks of different political parties changing direction” – no party has fulfilled his words moreso than the Liberal Democrats themselves. The Health Bill has recently been re-written, with the Lib Dems taking praise for many of the changes, which suggests that perhaps the party have finally set about exercising more influence on important decisions to avoid criticism.
Finally, much talk has been of the “difficult” year that the party have had to deal with; coming bottom of opinion polls for months. However, the Lib Dems should be instead considering the difficult years ahead for Britain. Clegg explained that the further cuts that are to be implemented in the near future are the “right thing” for Britain’s economy. This goes against advice from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) suggesting that further cuts will take Britain back into a double dip recession. Good one Clegg, roll on 2015.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Darling's memoirs set to cause a stir
ugh Darling’s memoirs are not to be published until next Wednesday, a few extracts have been leaked today to the left-wing blog Labour Uncut. Alistair Darling rarely showed emotion to the public, which is why his memoirs should prove to be an extremely interesting read. Even Labour ministers are likely to pick up the revealing book as the reserved former chancellor rarely spoke out about grievances or concerns.
Back from the Brink: 1,000 days at No 11 is set to expose the supposed ‘brutal and volcanic’ behaviour of former PM, Gordon Brown. The memoirs go into great detail about the mutual disagreements between the two men; and set straight the rumour that Brown tried to sack the Chancellor in 2009.
The book exacerbates claims of deep divisions within the Labour party, with factions between Blairites (Blair supporters, mostly focused on New Labour) and Brownites (Brown supporters, mostly in favour of more traditional Labour policies) being discussed throughout the memoirs. Like Blair in A Journey, Darling alludes to apparent blackmailing by Brown. He is also reported to have singled out Ed Balls as a key ally of Brown, accusing him of running a parallel Treasury operation during their time in office.
Alas, Brown is not the only victim of Darling’s criticism with the book reportedly describing Mervyn King, Bank of England governor, as ‘amazingly stubborn and exasperating’ whilst discussing the financial crisis of 2008.
Darling’s memoirs will not only be excellent bedtime reading for Labour ministers but Conservative and Liberal Democrats alike. Sayeeda Warsi, Conservative party chairman, explains that the claims illustrate Labour’s tendancy to put internal divisions above the national interest. She also suggests that the memoirs “should give Ed Miliband some concerns about Ed Balls’ suitability to be Shadow Chancellor”. She exclaimed “no wonder Labour left the nation’s finances in such a mess when they put party political plotting above the national interest”.
Atlantic Books, the publishers of the memoirs, have yet to comment on the accuracy of the revelations as they have secured a deal with a Sunday newspaper.
Back from the Brink: 1,000 days at No 11 is set to expose the supposed ‘brutal and volcanic’ behaviour of former PM, Gordon Brown. The memoirs go into great detail about the mutual disagreements between the two men; and set straight the rumour that Brown tried to sack the Chancellor in 2009.
The book exacerbates claims of deep divisions within the Labour party, with factions between Blairites (Blair supporters, mostly focused on New Labour) and Brownites (Brown supporters, mostly in favour of more traditional Labour policies) being discussed throughout the memoirs. Like Blair in A Journey, Darling alludes to apparent blackmailing by Brown. He is also reported to have singled out Ed Balls as a key ally of Brown, accusing him of running a parallel Treasury operation during their time in office.
Alas, Brown is not the only victim of Darling’s criticism with the book reportedly describing Mervyn King, Bank of England governor, as ‘amazingly stubborn and exasperating’ whilst discussing the financial crisis of 2008.
Darling’s memoirs will not only be excellent bedtime reading for Labour ministers but Conservative and Liberal Democrats alike. Sayeeda Warsi, Conservative party chairman, explains that the claims illustrate Labour’s tendancy to put internal divisions above the national interest. She also suggests that the memoirs “should give Ed Miliband some concerns about Ed Balls’ suitability to be Shadow Chancellor”. She exclaimed “no wonder Labour left the nation’s finances in such a mess when they put party political plotting above the national interest”.
Atlantic Books, the publishers of the memoirs, have yet to comment on the accuracy of the revelations as they have secured a deal with a Sunday newspaper.
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