Miners would probably say the opposite, but drinking and
assaulting police officers was said to be their favoured pastime. On Sunday 14th
February 1873, George Tarry and a friend decided to go on a drinking spree. The
two miners went from Durham to Sunderland not missing a single pub on route,
they ended up at the Ship Inn, in Sunderland High Street.
Though tired the two
friends considered themselves well travelled and well and truly drunk. The
landlord of the Ship Inn however would not allow the men in, at which time
George Tarry fell into the gutter. A passing policeman went to help him up.
Tarry thanked the policeman by swinging at him with his fists and pulling the
buttons from his uniform. Tarry's friend had enough sense to leave the scene and
as Tarry would not name him, he spent a sober month in prison on his own.
