The rather excellent butchers and beer shop the Block and Bottle have moved from their previous Gateshead home to  Heaton Road. A number of reasons were given for them upping sticks to the other side of the water- increased rents from Network Rail, fall in passing trade and  Gateshead being a bit average.

I was going to pop in for a nosey, but the socially distanced queue was halfway up the street.

Like the new beer cafe on Chillingham road, it makes the journey between St Theresa’s and the Tipsy Toad more manageable now you can pop in for a pint halfway down.