Previous visits here have been followed by wins so we feel duty bound to pop in.The menu needs barely a glance as we opt for the mixed grill-style breakfast – it has all the usual suspects plus a lamb chop and liver. A true creme de la creme of breakfastery.
Despite the photographic evidence and Tony’s odd-expression we did enjoy it. He’s just not very good at showing emotion…
(left) Tony just can't be happy today
Next stop is nearby Brick Lane - once the place to go for some rough and ready curries when I was first a young lad in the big city.
Sadly today it's a bit on the touristy side with touts trying to drag you into their restaurants.
A very shabby practice and one which rarely works.
However at this time of day it's nice and quiet and we wander into one of the major Indian supermarkets.
I'm familiar with a lot of the wares on offer after 20-odd years living in the East End but we were taken aback by the sheer number and size of some of the fish in their freezers. The calves feet looked less enticing mind…
From Aldgate East we take the District Line a few stops to Plaistow and bump into Steve Duffy on the way to the Black Lion. Steve's not had his breakfast but he ignores his hunger and goes to the pub with us – that’s the DAFTS way.
Disappointingly the Black Lion has a bit of a mediocre choice of beers - Courage Best, Adnams Bitter & Explorer and Banks Original. We stick to the Banks as none of us are great fans of Adnams.(right) DAFTS in the Black Lion
It's not long before we're joined by John and Bev plus Bev's Chelsea mate, Dave, who also has a soft spot for the Daggers. We allow him to sit with us – we’re good like that.
Last weekend we were wondering who the new manager would be and today we know who it is - "Stan" Staunton, and assistant Kevin Richardson. It's fair to say Staunton's appearance is a bit of a surprise to all of us but we're slightly reassured that he's joined by Richardson who seems to be well regarded as a coach.
Another surprise is the signing of Noel Whelan, a former team-mate of Stan’s, in an effort to bolster our Goals For column.
Tony tells us Whelan last played a professional game for Dunfermline Athletic in 2006 and who has recently left Harrogate Town as apparently he was deemed unfit. I'm afraid it seems a desperate move but hold back the cynicism and wait to be proved wrong. It wouldn't be the first time in matters relating to Darlo.
Iain and Paul join us for the last hour or so and the debate goes on. The Irish landlord joins in – like many of his countrymen he was underwhelmed with Staunton's tenure as Ireland boss but wishes him and us luck for the day. Maybe we all need to be kissing the Blarney Stone as well?
As we pass 2pm, Iain and Paul leave to drive to Dagenham and give a lift to John, Bev and Dave. We three slowly finish our drinks and wander up to Plaistow tube where we miss catching a Barking train by seconds.
The next train is a bit of a wait and we have more of a wait at Barking for the replacement bus service. We've already missed kick-off by the time we arrive at Dagenham East and it’s 3:25pm by the time we arrive at the ground. Steve and Tony get updates on the phone and we hear we're already 2-0 down.
At the away end we find all the turnstiles are shut. A steward helpfully tells us we can't come in and we have to go to turnstile 1.
Iain and Paul join us for the last hour or so and the debate goes on. The Irish landlord joins in – like many of his countrymen he was underwhelmed with Staunton's tenure as Ireland boss but wishes him and us luck for the day. Maybe we all need to be kissing the Blarney Stone as well?
As we pass 2pm, Iain and Paul leave to drive to Dagenham and give a lift to John, Bev and Dave. We three slowly finish our drinks and wander up to Plaistow tube where we miss catching a Barking train by seconds.
The next train is a bit of a wait and we have more of a wait at Barking for the replacement bus service. We've already missed kick-off by the time we arrive at Dagenham East and it’s 3:25pm by the time we arrive at the ground. Steve and Tony get updates on the phone and we hear we're already 2-0 down.
At the away end we find all the turnstiles are shut. A steward helpfully tells us we can't come in and we have to go to turnstile 1. We duly wander back there where we told we can pay there but have to go back to the away end for entry.
(left) The new away end - the closest we got to the game
And then a rare piece of common sense kicks in and we realise that the chances of a Darlo comeback are slim to none and we should beat a sensible retreat to the local pub.
This also meant we missed seeing Howard who was cycling to the game and thus we were spared the sight of an elderly man in cycling lycra...
The Eastbroook is a fairly decent pub full of your average east-ender types – it’s a Greene King pub which normally puts me off but they had a small beer festival on with some barrels behind the bar. We had a pint of something-or-other and it was very tasty.
The Eastbroook is a fairly decent pub full of your average east-ender types – it’s a Greene King pub which normally puts me off but they had a small beer festival on with some barrels behind the bar. We had a pint of something-or-other and it was very tasty. (left) Tony and Steve outside the Eastbrook
Steve still hadn’t had any food other than pork scratchings so we opt to visit Brook Pie and Mash shop a few yards away. No joy – they’ve run out of pies! We couldn’t Adam and Eve it.
Obviously Dagenham has precious little to offer us today so we hightail it back to Barking – abd a quick stop at the local Wimpy for Steve to fuel up – before heading back into town.
We wander to our new find, the King Charles I, just a few minutes from Kings Cross. It’s very quiet but has some good beers from Brodies - today we have the choice of their English Best or the Californian.
And for Steve they have Brains SA – you can’t escape Cardiff totally!
We have a good chat with the landlord and catch up on the history of the pub. It’s got a decent jukebox so we play that for a while.
Tony and then Steve leave to catch their respective train and bus back home. I should really go too as I have to be up at 7am the next day for my flight to LA.
Instead I get chatting to Jamie Brodie, who brews the beers with his sister and who just happens to live round the corner, and discuss the merits of his California beer – the landlord and I like it but think it tastes a bit thin for a 5.3% beer. Not surprisingly Jamie disagrees.
I have a few pints of their bottled porters and then wander off to meet Liz at Kings Cross and finally head off home – a little worse for wear and apparently I kept repeating myself. Moi?
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