English radio DJ and television presenter Stuart Maconie is also a writer, journalist and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. His book 'The Full English' is an enlightening,
entertaining journey through England, subtitled: 'A Journey in Search of a country and its People'. In the book Maconie describes North Shields as: 'A drinking town with a fishing problem' and goes on
to introduce The Low Lights Tavern:
'The Low Lights Tavern is the oldest pub in the area and an alehouse for 400 years. It styles itself as a traditional pub with a real community of friends, many of them real ale lovers, who have joined
a long list of fishermen, career sailors, travellers, merchants and ne'er do wells who have populated the cosy, low ceiling bar of the Grade II-Listed tavern in its history.'
This hugely popular pub has earned itself a fine reputation for its pies as well as its famous rock star customers. Hometown hero Sam Fender, songwriter and musician, initially worked behind the bar in
this beloved pub and remains a frequent patron to this day. Fender is known for his high tenor voice and Geordie accent. Recognised for his song writing style he is the recipient of five Brit Awards.
Author Betsy Baskerville (aka Faye Allman) is also appreciative of this famous venue. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne and now residing in North Shields, Allman started putting pen to paper just before lockdown.
A taekwondo coach and self-confessed UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) addict - she decided to combine her two passions in her very first crime fiction novel 'The Only Weapon in the Room'. The lead
character in the story, Athena Fox, is a martial arts fanatic whose local happens to be The Low Lights Tavern. Betsy has since written 7 novels in the same genre, all set around the Northeast of England.
The stories feature DCI Cooper and include titles such as 'Rock, Paper, Scissors','Roll the Dice' and 'Northern Roulette', all inspired by her experiences and observations in the North East of England.
'The Only Weapon in the Room' is a highly praised gripping crime thriller that follows Athena Fox, who, after her sister's suicide, suspects that grief is not the sole reason behind her sister's death.
The book is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the end.
Location : Grid Ref : NZ362686 - What3Words : ozone.waters.nights - Post Code : NE30 1LL
NE30 1LL
Copyright T.W. Townsend - the opinions expressed herein are those of the author and any observations were correct at the time of the review.