The Jolly Sailor, Whitburn, Sunderland

Arriving early on a midweek afternoon, I was expecting this pub to have opened at midday. Both WhatPub and Google agreed that it was midday opening. There were no obvious open doors. So, I went round the pub trying all the doors which seemed to draw the attention of somebody who asked if he could help. He turned out to be the owner and revealed that they don't open until 4pm. I just wish pubs would update their opening times. Returning later in the afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. No sign of the guy who had challenged me earlier, but there was a friendly barmaid and a group of old boys settling in for a session in the tiny bar area. I joined them on the other table, leaving the pub's other two rooms empty. Having been disappointed with the beer choice in other local pubs, this one finally came up trumps with 3 real ales - White Rat, Blonde Star & Landlord. My Blonde Star was in good condition. With a lovely traditional interior and a good choice of ales, this one firmly exceeded my expectations. If only they could publish their opening times.