There couldn't be a better day for the Strawberry to show off its new terrace.
The pub is set for a busy day for the start of the football season, with drinkers filling up before and after Newcastle United take on Arsenal a few yards over the road. Others will be watching the match in the pub, with groups of fans planning to boycott St James' Park to protest against Mike Ashley's ownership of the club.
Space can be at a premium inside the Strawberry on a match day, which makes its upstairs terrace a great spot to cool off.
And now, the terrace is even better. Owner Mike Hill and his team have spent part of the off-season getting the pub ready for the match day crowd.
The upstairs terrace has been renovated. It now has three retractable roofs to keep drinkers dry, artificial grass and new outdoor TVs so supporters can follow the day's sport before and after kick-off - or catch the game themselves if they are not going to St James' Park.
The new terrace couldn't be getting a better test than today, with rain forecast throughout the afternoon.
Mike told ChronicleLive he's looking forward to staying dry on the terrace, after years of braving the elements on match days.
"It's a new lease of life," he said.
The publican is even more thrilled about a new artwork created specially for the pub by Newcastle fan and artist Keith Christie.
Keith painstakingly made a giant strawberry out of bottle caps, which were collected from the pub itself.
"Everybody's contributed," laughed Mike
"It looks absolutely fantastic, I'm more excited about the big strawberry than the new terrace!"
Newcastle United and Arsenal will kick off at 2pm today.
