Alum Ale House, South Shields

Well-appointed pub by the waterside (beside the South Shields ferry with views across to North Shields) which the front patio takes advantage of. Inside is a main bar with double bow fronted windows, coffee coloured leather banquettes and a wall-sized mural of the docks and Shields ferry. There’s a quieter carpeted and wood panelled room to the right. 13 pumps with 10 on and a cider - all ales were from the Marstons stable though sadly there were no real surprises to a professional ale drinker – pretty much all staples. My Marstons New World was in good shape and didn't take long to sink. It's a pleasant stop en route to the Steamboat but for most pub baggers the selection won't hold you beyond a couple. 7.5

Located next to the Sheilds Ferry landing, this is a classy two room locals pub which was hosting a group of around 30 musicians, all playing ad-libbed folk/Gaelic tunes on traditional instruments. This unexpected congregation meant that the main bar to which you enter, was completely full when I arrived. This seemed like quite a cosy area, with the servery located on the rear wall and a surprising amount of seating arranged economically around the compact space. This was mainly in the form of fixed benches and low stools, many of which had been arranged to form a circle for the musicians towards the front of the room, although other customers found nice positions in the bay windows which look out towards the river and ferry. I was forced to take a seat in the smaller right hand room - a lounge with tartan carpeting and some fine floor-to-ceiling panelling. Seating here is a mix of comfy armchairs and padded banquettes all arranged around the perimeter, breaking only for the large iron fireplace on the right hand wall. A dartboard hangs to the left of the fire and there is a large collection of whiskey boxes which run along the top of the panelling. As you might expect, numerous pictures and other such memorabilia relating to the Sheilds Ferry can be found throughout. There is a small walled-in seating area to the front of the pub where you can enjoy a pint at one of the picnic benches, should the weather permit. I had difficulties leaving the pub, as one of the musicians fell backwards off his stool, completely blocking the exit as I was approaching and requiring three of us to help him back to his feet whilst his bandmates mercilessly struck up 'What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor'! Given the pub's name, I was looking forward to a good ale range here, so I was rather surprised to find out that the pub is actually tied to Marstons and that their brews were dominated the admittedly long row of handpulls. Options on this visit were Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold, Marstons Pedigree New World Pale and EPA, Banks Sunbeam, Brakspear Oxford Gold, Ringwood Boondoggle, Jennings Sneck Lifter and a guest of Thwaites Wainwright. Weston's Old Rosie cider occupied another pump and there were a few more that were unclipped. The bar staff were very friendly and helpful and I enjoyed a very good pint of the New World Pale, which made up for the slightly anti-climatic beer selection. Putting my disappointment with the ale range aside, this is still a very good pub and clearly a very popular spot for locals. I enjoyed the relaxed and welcoming ambiance of this place and was pleased that my pint was in excellent condition. I'd be interested to try the place again at a slightly less chaotic time and would suggest that this has to be one of the essential ports of call for anyone visiting South Sheilds.