10:41AM, Mon Aug 13, 2012

Ouseburn Valley Celebration: Cumberland Arms Owner Marks 10th Anniversary

By Nisha Joshi Location: Ouseburn

Video: How to transform an ailing pub

The Cumberland Arms in the Ouseburn Valley has held a weekend of celebration to mark 10 years since it was taken over by manager Jo Hodson and her father.

Before they took charge, the Cumberland Arms was a pub where families would not venture.

On the fringes of Byker, its location was an in area with a bad reputation.

But since then it has transformed it into a busy, family-friendly watering hole and thriving business.

It has also formed part of the regeneration of the Ouseburn Valley.

Manager Jo Hodson said: “Ten years ago my dad bought the pub, and he fell in love with the Irish music session which has be going on here for the past 25 years.

“It needed just a bit of tender loving care to keep the music tradition going.”

She added that the regeneration of the Ouseburn Valley and development of cultural spaces such as the Toffee Factory and Seven Stories, has helped attract more people to the area.

Jo said: “I wouldn’t take any credit for the development of the Ouseburn.

“What I would say about all the pubs in the area is we draw people to the valley as well, so if we can all do things to make people want to come down here, so all the free music that we do, and all the stuff that The Tyne [Bar] do and all the amazing music The Cluny do, then that’s going to make people come down to the valley too.”