Percy Arms, Newcastle

The Percy Arms will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first pub I went to (with my parents' full knowledge) and it was a regular haunt of mine for many years afterwards. These days I go there less often and it has changed considerably from the days I first started drinking there (around 1988). On that first "permitted" visit, my father dropped me off outside the pub and seemed rather perturbed that there were dozens of huge, shiny motorbikes parked outside. It was a warm eevening and there were a couple of guys outside the pub admiring each other's bikes (and posing too) ... more

This, along with Trillians, is probably the best "biker" pub in Newcastle. It;'s situated on Percy Street (not surprisingly) and has an excellent atmosphere and clientele (can you say that about bikers & metal heads). There's a good selection of beers and spirits and you're alway served quickly and the bar staff are helpful and friendly. The juke box tends towards biker rock and metal , though I can't remember seeing Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" on there. The walls are decorated with bikes and guitars , and you don't get too many "suits" in there , they tend to go to places like the ... more

I would never have called the Percy my "local" but it was my most regular haunt in town, along with Trillians. Having seen that plenty of people have reviewed Newcastle itself I’m a bit disappointed that its fantastic pubs aren’t getting much coverage. So despite the fact that I now live in Glasgow, I’m going to call on my renowned memory skills to bring it all back… Well, the Percy used to have a slightly rough reputation, and it’s still the main haunt of bikers, rockers and metalheads from around the north east, which is pretty much what endeared the place to me ... more