Dating back to the 16th century, The Old George on Newcastle’s Bigg Market is believed to be the city’s oldest pub.
In earlier days, King Charles I is said to have frequented the pub while in an open prison nearby and people claim to have seen his spirit grace the grounds of this still popular boozer.
But hundreds of years later, this traditional pub continues to draw in large crowds from all ages and walks of life with a tasty food menu, party atmosphere, quiz nights and karaoke.
Abigail Scott, 25, Elise Forster, 22, attend the parties in the courtyard of The Old George almost every weekend after they were introduced by Elise’s parents, who described the place as “jumping”.
The pair love the diverse mix of customers and the welcoming atmosphere, adding: “There are so many different types of people all loving the same thing.”
Abigail explains: “It’s nice to come to a proper pub and not feel like you have to be a certain way. If you dress up on a night out, or pop in for a casual drink after work or shopping, you know that you will always fit in.”
Reflecting on how the Bigg Market has changed over the years, since the start of its £3.2 million development project, the friends feel the regeneration is a positive move for the city centre.
Since 2013, the Bigg Market Project has been working to boost the economy in the area and has included developments such as transforming the old public toilets into a wine bar and hosting public events such as the food market.
Elise said: “I love the Bigg Market now, it’s not scary anymore. In the past it would be somewhere we would have avoided.
“Once in a while we did have a good time, like the under 18s nights at Blue Bamboo, but now it’s actually mint and so much better – it’s really up and coming.”
Abigail adds: “It’s like the new Quayside, but with a better mix of people.”
Henryk Gaszka, who has been a team leader at the pub for four months, echoes the views of Abigail and Elise.
The 35-year-old, who has spent 15 years working in bars in and around the Bigg Market, including Pop World and Flares, has witnessed the area change dramatically.
He explains: “When I started in 2005, the Bigg Market had a completely different energy, but long gone are the days of the nineties and noughties when Newcastle was a party bar city.
“The Bigg Market suffered when Diamond Strip opened, but it’s nice to see it coming back around with the help of some investment in the area.”
And manager Andrea Johnstone says business is doing so well that she has had to accommodate the demand by refurbishing the upstairs function room, which will operate as a new bar during the weekend.
The 46-year-old, who has worked at the pub for three years, said: “The Old George is a very traditional old pub, but it caters to modern needs such as the DJ at the weekend.
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“The company is good at recognising and keeping up with trends, like ordering in different gins, which has proven very popular and that brings in a range of customers.
“There’s people who have been drinking here for 50 years, but you also get new generations of customers in. The pub has a really nice atmosphere.”
