A trip down memory lane starting at a very busy Maries on Lower Marsh, near Waterloo station. An excellent breakfast but I was a bit jealous of the blokes opposite us who had a wait for their food but it turned out to be liver, onions, chips and gravy. What a top breakfast!
And then there is the obligatory visit to Ian Allan bookshop opposite - a one-stop shop for all your transport and military reading. It looks like train-themed Christmas cards for everyone this year!
We meet up with Jenny and Julia on the concourse of Waterloo station - a busy one too with a mixture of travellers, some gathering for the march on Downing Street and others decked out in their finery on their way to Ascot for the racing. I'm sure there is something ironic in that but I can't be arsed to give it much thought.
Chris T joined us at Clapham and we arrived in Aldershot just before midday. It is a good 15 min walk to the White Lion dodging various road works on the way but it remains the best pub in the town and is worth the effort.
On offer at the bar was the usual offerings from the local Triple F (fff) brewery - Pressed Rat and Warthog. Alton's Pride, Moondance plus a guest beer from somewhere else.
My lack of interest in the guest was due to the fact it was in a barrel on the bar and would be far too warm to drink. It turned out to be free as they wanted punters to try it so they could decide if they wanted to add it to the regulars.
We got chatting to an ex-pat Blackpool fan who watches Aldershot when not following the Tangerines. He was keen to know how their on-loan player was faring with the Millers.
I was pleased to meet up with another Aldershot fan, Quentin, who I've got to know over the years. As well as football, we also share an interest in beer and Hawkwind. What a winning combination.
Pub dog Millie was still in attendance but was giving us the cold shoulder, preferring the company of those watching the Spurs-Chelsea game on the TV, barking madly as various punters celebrated the goals.
Triple f brewery now produce their beers in bottles - all bottle conditioned - and I tried the Moondance (for me the best of their wares). It turned out to be even better in bottles although extremely lively but with a wonderful almost-saison taste.
The Millers left for the game whilst I finished yet another bottle of the Moondance. Eventually Quentin and I departed for the ground about 20 mins before kick-off and got into the ground seconds before kick-off.
My early shouts about Steve Evans and his short-comings were not appreciated by the more neandethal of the away contingent. I certainly know I would be disgusted if Darlo had hired him as manager - some Millers' fans feel the same but a surprising number are prepared to gloss over his illustrious past in pursuit of future glory.
I've always liked the Recreation Ground and what would Darlo give for a home like that now? It still has three sides but it looked quite busy even with a sub-2000 crowd. The home fans seemed very quiet - no drummer today to buoy their singing.
It isn't surprising the home fans are not attending in numbers as Aldershot have been doing badly and today they were rubbish. Rotherham took an early lead and from that moment the Shots seemed to give up. They went through the motions but a 3-0 defeat flattered them.
After the game we had a quick pint - Fullers Pride - at the nearby Royal Staff where we were able to digest all the day's results. Nice to see Darlo's winning streak continue with a 3-1 home victory over Bedlington Terriers.
And then the train back to Waterloo - Liz went home to feed the cats whilst Jenny, Chris and I took the Northern Line to Euston and a few bevvies at the Euston Tap. The colder weather means that it those who normally drink outside are cowering indoors.
For once I don't spend the rest of the night in there and head home at a reasonable hour to catch a curry before they all close.
As I head towards Euston Square tube I come across what must have been a nasty smash on the Euston Road. A large tanker has collided with a car, ripping the roof off as it almost squashed it.
It looked like all the action is over - no ambulances or fire engines in attendance with just a few uniforms in place, presumably checking what happened. You'd imagine no one would have got out alive but one of the police told me that there were no serious injuries. Amazing.
Showing posts with label London Millers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London Millers. Show all posts
Monday, 22 October 2012
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
London Millers Treasure Hunt 2010
It's the middle of July and absolutely roasting hot so it must be about time for the London Millers Treasure Hunt.
Liz and I worked on this last year and this time around we enlisted the help of one of the other LMs, Chris, as he has an abundance of pub knowledge.
The task mainly involved wandering round north-east London to find pubs which had good beer but which also had items of interest that we could turn into questions.
Pickings were quite surprisingly slim - quite a few pubs with decent beer but too few had much of interest on the walls.
And some that did were just a bit too up their own arse - The Scolt Head in De Beauvior town being one example. They were not keen to let us sit drinking in their dining area - "it's for diners only" - but apparently it was OK for diners to sit and eat their food at the bar - wankers.
The Treasure Hunt started at the Wenlock Arms once the LM AGM in the upstairs function room has finished. Teams of two set out with maps, questions, a list of bus routes and a spring in their step.
Liz was happy to stay behind with the entry money and go get some prizes from the Pound shop in nearby Hoxton and then just sit in the pub reading her book. So easily pleased...
The first pub was in Hackney - the Globe in Morning Lane - which had Youngs beers. The landlord of the pub has a connection to Rotherham comedian, Sandy "Can You Hear Me Mother?" Powell, which is very appropriate.
(left) The Pembury Tavern
I never actually made it there as Argyle chum, Geoff, and I headed straight for the second pub, the Pembury Tavern.
We know this place very well and it always has an excellent range, especially from Milton Brewery.
It was here that the front runners caught up with us, found the answers to the clues and then wandered onto pub number 3. Very professional.
Meanwhile we just had another beer and waited for the stragglers to arrive and do their bit before we all followed Jenny & co. to the wilds of Stoke Newington via the 276 bus.
The pub here is the Daniel Defoe - quite a nice pub but with an average choice of beers, St Austell Tribute being the pick of the bunch.
(right) The Uncivil Civil Servant in the Jolly Butchers
Whilst the front-runners did their stuff and then headed off to the Angel for the remaining pubs, a number of us took a detour to the Jolly Butchers on the High Street.
This has recently been done up and whilst it has a good range of beers and ciders - Dark Star American IPA and Thornbridge Hopton the pick of the beers - it was bereft of clues which is why we couldn't include it in the treasure hunt.
The pub itself has a decidedly yummy mummy feel to it, quite reminiscent of the Greenwich Union which often resembled a creche.
It also serves pints in those heavy old dimple glasses which I regard as affectation (much like the Southampton Arms and we wonder if they are indeed connected).
It is at this point that some of those teams that are lagging behind - the usual suspects from south of the river - realise that they don't stand a hope of winning.
Wisely they decide to call it a day and simply enjoy the booze. So we savour a few more beers and then we take the 73 back to the Wenlock.
Those teams that nobly carried on with the quiz had the luxury of three pubs in a short stretch just south of the Angel.
Two of these pubs were on Arlington Street - the Shakespeare's Head and the Harlequin.
The Shakespeare's Head is a modern estate-style pub just a few yards from Sadlers Well theatre - in fact it is close to the stage door and s a result the walls are covered in posters and autographed photos. The beer is Courage Best and Directors which is no more than OK.
There are two Darlington connections as part of the questions - an autographed picture of Wendy Craig on the wall plus a newspaper mock-up to celebrate one of the regulars being a great grandad. His name? George Reynolds...
(left) The Harlequin
The Harlequin is just a short walk away - a small pretty pub which is also full of acting memorabilia but this is all much older, much of it concerned with Joseph Grimaldi who trod the boards in the 19th century.
The beer is again OK but nothing fantastic - Landlord and Black Sheep.
The Old Red Lion is the last port of call on the treasure hunt -a pub has been on this site for 595 years and the current incarnation incorporates a small theatre upstairs. Photos of many of the up-and-coming stars who started out here - such as local actress Kathy Burke - festoon the walls and made perfect clues.
It's quite a nice pub - five beers on offer usually with regulars including Harvey's Best, Landlord and London Pride and the odd guest. Chris Turner and I were here a year ago on one of our close-season rambles and the Landlord was about the best we'd had in London but in more recent visits though the beer hasn't been brilliant.
As well as answering questions, there were initiative and bonus rounds to sort out the winners from the losers.
These included finding the best mis-shapen vegetable or fruit during the crawl (a huge misshapen cassava) and coming up with the best celebrity story (which involved John Inman on the Edgware Road - you don't need to know anymore).
By 7:30pm or so, everyone was back at the Wenlock Arms - Liz totted up the scores and declared the winners to be Alice and Tess - champagne for them - with Jenny and Jim close behind in second place.
Some beer folk regard the place as dirty and run-down and to a degree they're right but it is a pub where everyone is welcome and left alone to enjoy their beer or have a chat. Long may it continue to be so...
Liz and I worked on this last year and this time around we enlisted the help of one of the other LMs, Chris, as he has an abundance of pub knowledge.
The task mainly involved wandering round north-east London to find pubs which had good beer but which also had items of interest that we could turn into questions.
Pickings were quite surprisingly slim - quite a few pubs with decent beer but too few had much of interest on the walls.
And some that did were just a bit too up their own arse - The Scolt Head in De Beauvior town being one example. They were not keen to let us sit drinking in their dining area - "it's for diners only" - but apparently it was OK for diners to sit and eat their food at the bar - wankers.
The Treasure Hunt started at the Wenlock Arms once the LM AGM in the upstairs function room has finished. Teams of two set out with maps, questions, a list of bus routes and a spring in their step.
Liz was happy to stay behind with the entry money and go get some prizes from the Pound shop in nearby Hoxton and then just sit in the pub reading her book. So easily pleased...The first pub was in Hackney - the Globe in Morning Lane - which had Youngs beers. The landlord of the pub has a connection to Rotherham comedian, Sandy "Can You Hear Me Mother?" Powell, which is very appropriate.
(left) The Pembury Tavern
I never actually made it there as Argyle chum, Geoff, and I headed straight for the second pub, the Pembury Tavern.
We know this place very well and it always has an excellent range, especially from Milton Brewery.
It was here that the front runners caught up with us, found the answers to the clues and then wandered onto pub number 3. Very professional.
Meanwhile we just had another beer and waited for the stragglers to arrive and do their bit before we all followed Jenny & co. to the wilds of Stoke Newington via the 276 bus.The pub here is the Daniel Defoe - quite a nice pub but with an average choice of beers, St Austell Tribute being the pick of the bunch.
(right) The Uncivil Civil Servant in the Jolly Butchers
Whilst the front-runners did their stuff and then headed off to the Angel for the remaining pubs, a number of us took a detour to the Jolly Butchers on the High Street.
This has recently been done up and whilst it has a good range of beers and ciders - Dark Star American IPA and Thornbridge Hopton the pick of the beers - it was bereft of clues which is why we couldn't include it in the treasure hunt.
The pub itself has a decidedly yummy mummy feel to it, quite reminiscent of the Greenwich Union which often resembled a creche.
It also serves pints in those heavy old dimple glasses which I regard as affectation (much like the Southampton Arms and we wonder if they are indeed connected).
It is at this point that some of those teams that are lagging behind - the usual suspects from south of the river - realise that they don't stand a hope of winning.
Wisely they decide to call it a day and simply enjoy the booze. So we savour a few more beers and then we take the 73 back to the Wenlock.
Those teams that nobly carried on with the quiz had the luxury of three pubs in a short stretch just south of the Angel.
Two of these pubs were on Arlington Street - the Shakespeare's Head and the Harlequin.The Shakespeare's Head is a modern estate-style pub just a few yards from Sadlers Well theatre - in fact it is close to the stage door and s a result the walls are covered in posters and autographed photos. The beer is Courage Best and Directors which is no more than OK.
There are two Darlington connections as part of the questions - an autographed picture of Wendy Craig on the wall plus a newspaper mock-up to celebrate one of the regulars being a great grandad. His name? George Reynolds...
(left) The Harlequin
The Harlequin is just a short walk away - a small pretty pub which is also full of acting memorabilia but this is all much older, much of it concerned with Joseph Grimaldi who trod the boards in the 19th century.
The beer is again OK but nothing fantastic - Landlord and Black Sheep.
The Old Red Lion is the last port of call on the treasure hunt -a pub has been on this site for 595 years and the current incarnation incorporates a small theatre upstairs. Photos of many of the up-and-coming stars who started out here - such as local actress Kathy Burke - festoon the walls and made perfect clues.
It's quite a nice pub - five beers on offer usually with regulars including Harvey's Best, Landlord and London Pride and the odd guest. Chris Turner and I were here a year ago on one of our close-season rambles and the Landlord was about the best we'd had in London but in more recent visits though the beer hasn't been brilliant.
As well as answering questions, there were initiative and bonus rounds to sort out the winners from the losers.
These included finding the best mis-shapen vegetable or fruit during the crawl (a huge misshapen cassava) and coming up with the best celebrity story (which involved John Inman on the Edgware Road - you don't need to know anymore).By 7:30pm or so, everyone was back at the Wenlock Arms - Liz totted up the scores and declared the winners to be Alice and Tess - champagne for them - with Jenny and Jim close behind in second place.
Katie and Robert, Liz's niece and brother respectively, were unable to take part fully as Rob took Katie off for a ride on the tube. They still got a classy prize though...
(right) Liz presents a prize to Robert and Katie
There were cheap runner-up prizes for all the other teams - piggy banks, gardening gloves and scented candles - so everyone was a winner on the day!
It goes without saying that the Wenlock Arms provided the best beer choice of the day so it is slightly worrying that the place is up for sale and there is talk of redeveloping this area. There were cheap runner-up prizes for all the other teams - piggy banks, gardening gloves and scented candles - so everyone was a winner on the day!
Some beer folk regard the place as dirty and run-down and to a degree they're right but it is a pub where everyone is welcome and left alone to enjoy their beer or have a chat. Long may it continue to be so...
(above) Alice and Tess - winners of the 2010 London Millers Treasure Hunt thingy
Monday, 29 March 2010
Get Nott-ed
The original plan was to have a quiet relaxing day at home with the cats - the thought of visiting Shrewsbury's new stadium and the prospect of yet another defeat was not something I really fancied - but when I learnt that Rotherham were playing Notts County a plot started to hatch.
Even at short notice, I still managed to get cheap rail tickets (£30 first-class return) - Colin and Brian found out about my plans and said they'd be happy to join me - Lance was game too - and in the end it turned into a mini-DAFTS away day without the hassle of actually watching a game.
(left) Lance and London Miller rudeboy Roberto in the VAT & Fiddle
I left St Pancras nice and early as I quite like a wander around the shops in Nottingham but unfortunately my main retail target, independent record store Selectadisc, was closed. I made do with a much poorer choice at HMV and then headed off to the pub.
It was no surprise at all to find Lance sitting outside the VAT & Fiddle as opening time approached - the pub cat also waiting with him.
The VAT has been the DAFTS pub of choice in the city for quite a few years now - good beer, decent snacks, friendly locals and welcoming to away fans - although the pub cat did prove resistant to our combined charms and sat elsewhere.
DAFTS had missed out on our annual visit to Nottingham this season since the game was midweek so this presented the perfect opportunity to put this right.
Even at short notice, I still managed to get cheap rail tickets (£30 first-class return) - Colin and Brian found out about my plans and said they'd be happy to join me - Lance was game too - and in the end it turned into a mini-DAFTS away day without the hassle of actually watching a game.(left) Lance and London Miller rudeboy Roberto in the VAT & Fiddle
I left St Pancras nice and early as I quite like a wander around the shops in Nottingham but unfortunately my main retail target, independent record store Selectadisc, was closed. I made do with a much poorer choice at HMV and then headed off to the pub.
It was no surprise at all to find Lance sitting outside the VAT & Fiddle as opening time approached - the pub cat also waiting with him.
The VAT has been the DAFTS pub of choice in the city for quite a few years now - good beer, decent snacks, friendly locals and welcoming to away fans - although the pub cat did prove resistant to our combined charms and sat elsewhere.
The landlord asked if we were here for the football as he'd heard that there could be up to a couple of thousand Rotherham fans coming through. It was nice to say that f0r once we were only here for the beer.
Castle Rock have added one of my favourite beers, Screech Owl, to their line-up of permanent brews after winning quite a few awards. Their seasonal ale, Raptor, was also very good - a 6% stout that was packed with flavour.
In addition they had a couple of decent guests, including the Salopian Hop Twister - a golden ale - this one having more taste to it than many of the bland exponents of this style.
An interesting pub on the top of a bank, formerly belonging to Batemans, it has a very deep cellar which you can peer down into through glass portholes from the main bar.
This now looks to have been turned into a business park so it still looks very much intact, much as it probably did when it closed in 1991 after almost 140 years of brewing.
At one corner of the site we found the Horse & Groom which was once the Shipstones brewery tap but is now a free house.
(left) Horse and Groom
Colin and I continued with the dark beer theme of the last few beers and tried Guerrilla, a stout from the Blue Monkey brewery whose wares I'd first tried in Crewe earlier this year - very nice - as well as the Ruby Mild from Rudgate.
Up to this point we had been blissfully unaware of any football scores and it rather a shock to discover that the Quakers were currently winning at Shrewsbury with about 20 mins to go!
Suddenly all the match-day tension we'd avoided started to set in and we started to fret until Sky Sports reported that Diop had made it safe with a second goal.
(right) Fox and Crown and the Sherwood Forest mural
After a brief chant of "Two nil to the Darlington" - somewhat confusing the locals in the process - we supped off and headed back into the centre of Nottingham and onto the Newshouse.
The pub was already full of some Rotherham fans who were not well pleased as the Millers had lost to a late, late goal scored by bad boy Luke Rodgers.
Colin did his best to try and comfort them by saying Darlo had taken some points from their play-off rivals but I'm afraid they weren't very impressed - not even when he got his little team out.
In addition they had a couple of decent guests, including the Salopian Hop Twister - a golden ale - this one having more taste to it than many of the bland exponents of this style.
Brian joined us - followed soon after by Liz and the combined hordes of the London Millers - Lance and I moved to join them all as they'd settled at the other side of the pub. Colin wasn't far behind in joining us.
An interesting pub on the top of a bank, formerly belonging to Batemans, it has a very deep cellar which you can peer down into through glass portholes from the main bar.
It has a very good selection of ales: Mallard Webbed Wheat, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Titanic Stout, Batemans XB, Bottlebrook Obsession, Slaters Top Totty, Messrs Maguire Haus Lager, Crouch End Fallen Angel and Thornbridge Lord Marples.
We had the Obsession, a 5.4% porter and the Fallen Angel - both in excellent condition.At this point Colin suddenly remembered that there was another good pub nearby so we moved on and took a short walk past the old Star brewery.
At one corner of the site we found the Horse & Groom which was once the Shipstones brewery tap but is now a free house.This is a beautifully maintained pub both inside and out - again with a great range on tap - and it was a delight to visit it.
Colin and I continued with the dark beer theme of the last few beers and tried Guerrilla, a stout from the Blue Monkey brewery whose wares I'd first tried in Crewe earlier this year - very nice - as well as the Ruby Mild from Rudgate.
We sat in the empty snug where Colin took the opportunity to show us his latest pride and joy - a new Darlo table soccer team, resplendent in a silver attache case.
After taking a few snaps of these, we drank up and headed to our final destination at this end of the city.
The exterior of the pub has a splendid mural depicting Sherwood Forest and local hero, Robin Hood.
There were several of their own beers available - Brush Bitter and Windjammer - plus a range of guests beers. I had another stout but can't remember what it was.
Up to this point we had been blissfully unaware of any football scores and it rather a shock to discover that the Quakers were currently winning at Shrewsbury with about 20 mins to go!
Suddenly all the match-day tension we'd avoided started to set in and we started to fret until Sky Sports reported that Diop had made it safe with a second goal.(right) Fox and Crown and the Sherwood Forest mural
After a brief chant of "Two nil to the Darlington" - somewhat confusing the locals in the process - we supped off and headed back into the centre of Nottingham and onto the Newshouse.
This is another Castle Rock establishment but one I'd never got the chance to try before now - it is one of those annoying pubs that opens at noon instead of 11am.
The pub was already full of some Rotherham fans who were not well pleased as the Millers had lost to a late, late goal scored by bad boy Luke Rodgers.
Colin did his best to try and comfort them by saying Darlo had taken some points from their play-off rivals but I'm afraid they weren't very impressed - not even when he got his little team out.
Whilst we were chatting to these lads the London Millers arrived and proceeded to have a collective moan about the result - I left them to it as I didn't want to intrude on their personal grief.
I was on a set train home and so wandered off to the station - closely followed by Liz and fellow Millers Clarkey and John K who were on flexi-tickets but were keen to be home too. Rather than sit on my own in first class I deigned to join them and the time soon passed.
All in all, another good day out - good company, good pubs, good beers and a good result even if we weren't there to fully appreciate it.
(above) Colin's First Team
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Trouble and Strife?
For those that are interested, here is the DAFTS programme article from the Rotherham home game which suggested that I now have a wife...
Monday, 11 January 2010
Shiver Me Timbers
And so another weekend without our regulation quota of trains, pubs and football. Obviously not a surprise given that there had been no let-up with the wintry conditions and so it was almost a complete white-out across the country with a handful of games actually going ahead.
Arments have been plying their trade around here since the First World War but the premises at Westmoreland Road are relatively modern and probably the largest I've seen for a pie and mash shop.
It's quite a small-ish pub with a couple of tight bars, one of which seems to be set up for TV viewing rather than anything else and another with more comfy seating. It's a bit dark inside and rather quiet for a Staurday lunchtime but I suppose it is still quite early.
There's a decent selection of beers with three from Brodies (Mild, Red and IPA) plus Gravesend Shrimpers Bitter from Loddon Brewery. There were also two ciders on tap.
I tried a pint of Shrimpers Bitter whilst Chris had the IPA - both were OK but nothing special so we moved on.
We popped into what was the Grove pub and is now in the final stages of being revamped as the Grand Union. Three handpumps for Youngs Ordinary and Well's Bombardier on the bar but no beer available from any of them.
We continued on and headed to Hooper's Bar and weren't totally surprised to find we were the first customers of the day. Two beers on offer - Adnam's Yuletide and Keltek Arthur's Ale. There was a third pump with Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew but this appeared to be off.
Inside the pub, we were warmly welcomed by the manager who sensed we were on a crawl - not quite sure what radar he has but it was spot on.
It's a big airy pub which seems heavily focussed to food with few people at the bar. We tried a pint of their own brew, Weasel, which was quite hoppy but a bit flat. Probably not surprising as it turned out to be the last of the barrel.
They also brew a wheat beer, Beaver, but this unfortunately wasn't on tap but our friendly manager managed to get us a small sample. Quite nice too with spicing more akin to Hoegaarden than Schneider Weisse but enjoyable all the same.
The manager said they were thinking about brewing a mild as well - they'd then have to try and come up with some ploy to market it to the younger crowd they serve so that it won't simply be regarded as an old man's drink.
From the pub it's a very short walk to Herne Hill station where we catch the train to Beckenham and then take the tram to Addiscombe.
It is here that you find Clarets Free House which is the oft-visited pub for those three gentlemen of South Norwood - Chris, Andy and Paul. It is my first visit so I was keen to see what the fuss was all about.
(left) London Millers found here - beware...
There was a great range of beers - apparently there is always a Palmers beer on sale (and it is Palmer's biggest selling outlet in London and has the certificate to prove it) but their beers don't do it for me.
There were also a few beers from the Westerham brewery - we were all on their William Wilberforce Freedom at some point which was another golden ale with a nice dash of hops - a Fairtrade beer originally brewed to celebrate the abolition of slavery.
The best beer of the day for me was the last one - the Sussex Stout from the Dark Star brewery which I almost overlooked as the pump clip looked like an old-fashioned Guinness clip. Dark Star is one of those breweries from which I've never had a poor beer and this pint wasn't about to start a trend - a nice full-bodied dry stout without any overwhelming bitterness. A perfect final beer.
Paul started the exodus as there was a stew with his name on it back at home - with borlotti beans - and it's then that hunger got the better of the rest of us.
Since the match was called off on the Thursday, this gave me plenty of time to come up with some alternative plans for the Saturday. Thankfully Chris T was more than willing to throw in his lot and join me.
And since he'd had ventured over to my side of town for a crawl before Xmas, it was now my turn to head to south London for the start of our little wander.
I arrived at Elephant & Castle tube and finally found the Walworth Road through the maze of underpasses - not a particularly salubrious stretch of road but it wasn't long before I found our rendezvous point, Arments Pie, Mash & Eel shop.
I arrived at Elephant & Castle tube and finally found the Walworth Road through the maze of underpasses - not a particularly salubrious stretch of road but it wasn't long before I found our rendezvous point, Arments Pie, Mash & Eel shop.
Arments have been plying their trade around here since the First World War but the premises at Westmoreland Road are relatively modern and probably the largest I've seen for a pie and mash shop.(left) Luvly Jubbly!!
Unusually they offer a steak and kidney pie in addition to the standard issue and it's not too bad - quite a decent bit of kidney and quite flavoursome. The mash is OK - a few too many eyes in it for me which for some reason reminds me of school mashed potato - whilst the liquor is positively glowing (reminding me of Percy's purest green).
Following this we meandered towards Camberwell taking a slight deviation via the very impressive Addington Square - just about 100 yards from Walworth Road but seemingly from a different time - impressive regency-type houses with a central communal garden - very grand.
From here we went through slightly grimmer housing estates until we reached the first pub of the day - the Hermit's Cave - which is on of the corner of Grove Road on Camberwell Church Road.
It's quite a small-ish pub with a couple of tight bars, one of which seems to be set up for TV viewing rather than anything else and another with more comfy seating. It's a bit dark inside and rather quiet for a Staurday lunchtime but I suppose it is still quite early.
There's a decent selection of beers with three from Brodies (Mild, Red and IPA) plus Gravesend Shrimpers Bitter from Loddon Brewery. There were also two ciders on tap.(right) The Hermits Cave
I tried a pint of Shrimpers Bitter whilst Chris had the IPA - both were OK but nothing special so we moved on.
We walked along Camberwell Grove which is also in marked contrast to the Walworth Road - very large and elegant houses - and as Chris commented, some wouldn't look out of place on a well-to-do seafront.
We popped into what was the Grove pub and is now in the final stages of being revamped as the Grand Union. Three handpumps for Youngs Ordinary and Well's Bombardier on the bar but no beer available from any of them.
We continued on and headed to Hooper's Bar and weren't totally surprised to find we were the first customers of the day. Two beers on offer - Adnam's Yuletide and Keltek Arthur's Ale. There was a third pump with Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew but this appeared to be off.
The Keltek is a new brewery to us - the pump clip was a rough and ready homemade affair which offered no clues but subsequent googling shows the brewery to be based down in Redruth - and the Arthur's Ale was quite tasty given it was only 3.5% but it didn't warrant a second pint.
It was also nice to see they use oversize glasses here too - I hadn't noticed this on previous visits. And no sign of our chum, landlord Jamie, as he's sunning it up in the Caribbean.
We'd originally intended to move onto the nearby Gowlett but after a flurry of texts with some other London Millers, we decided on a change of plan that saw us go to Herne Hill instead.
On the way there we popped into the latest branch of William Rose on East Dulwich Road - a butcher with a fine array of game birds as well as some enticing sausages and pork pies - and enticed we certainly were.
On the way there we popped into the latest branch of William Rose on East Dulwich Road - a butcher with a fine array of game birds as well as some enticing sausages and pork pies - and enticed we certainly were.
From here it was a bus ride to Herne Hill and the Florence pub. I'd been meaning to come here for a few years following good reports. On the slopes of Brockwell Park opposite there were lots of families out sledging as the snow started to come down quite thickly.
Inside the pub, we were warmly welcomed by the manager who sensed we were on a crawl - not quite sure what radar he has but it was spot on.
It's a big airy pub which seems heavily focussed to food with few people at the bar. We tried a pint of their own brew, Weasel, which was quite hoppy but a bit flat. Probably not surprising as it turned out to be the last of the barrel.
They also brew a wheat beer, Beaver, but this unfortunately wasn't on tap but our friendly manager managed to get us a small sample. Quite nice too with spicing more akin to Hoegaarden than Schneider Weisse but enjoyable all the same.
The manager said they were thinking about brewing a mild as well - they'd then have to try and come up with some ploy to market it to the younger crowd they serve so that it won't simply be regarded as an old man's drink.
I had a pint of Adnams Old before we left - very more-ish but served a tad too cold for my liking. Chris went for a bottle of the Coopers Sparkling, rolled before poring to disturb the sediment as is traditional with our antipodean cousins.
From the pub it's a very short walk to Herne Hill station where we catch the train to Beckenham and then take the tram to Addiscombe.
It is here that you find Clarets Free House which is the oft-visited pub for those three gentlemen of South Norwood - Chris, Andy and Paul. It is my first visit so I was keen to see what the fuss was all about.(left) London Millers found here - beware...
A large-ish one room bar - quite gloomy and populated by what is probably fair to describe as an older clientele. Few pretty young things in here but sometimes that doesn't matter.
There was a great range of beers - apparently there is always a Palmers beer on sale (and it is Palmer's biggest selling outlet in London and has the certificate to prove it) but their beers don't do it for me.
I opted for an opening pint of Celtica from the Great Orme Brewery - a golden ale, quite light but nothing challenging.
There were also a few beers from the Westerham brewery - we were all on their William Wilberforce Freedom at some point which was another golden ale with a nice dash of hops - a Fairtrade beer originally brewed to celebrate the abolition of slavery.
Paul was in residence when we arrived and Andy arrived shortly afterwards - the chat was the usual male stuff and varied from how much we all spend on our weekly shop, which Sainsburys is best around that neck of the woods and do borlotti beans belong in a stew. Heady stuff.
The best beer of the day for me was the last one - the Sussex Stout from the Dark Star brewery which I almost overlooked as the pump clip looked like an old-fashioned Guinness clip. Dark Star is one of those breweries from which I've never had a poor beer and this pint wasn't about to start a trend - a nice full-bodied dry stout without any overwhelming bitterness. A perfect final beer.
Paul started the exodus as there was a stew with his name on it back at home - with borlotti beans - and it's then that hunger got the better of the rest of us.
I had the longest traipse back to east London where I popped into my local kebabish where I had a very interesting chat about brain and lambs foot curries.
It seems they no longer make a brain curry but they do still have the lambs foot curry - check out the recipe here - I have to admit I chickened out and went for boring old tikka instead. Maybe next time when I've had more Dutch courage...
It seems they no longer make a brain curry but they do still have the lambs foot curry - check out the recipe here - I have to admit I chickened out and went for boring old tikka instead. Maybe next time when I've had more Dutch courage...
Monday, 6 July 2009
Eastern Promise
What a glorious day for a pub crawl - warm weather but not as stupidly hot as earlier in the week. Liz and I had got to the Wenlock Arms a little before opening so we had a pleasant sit down in the small park next door.
Following the machinations of the AGM, it was time to sort out the teams for the Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt Quiz Thingy - only four teams in all to take on the course but all as keen as mustard to get started.
Our Plymouth-supporting chum, Geoff, accompanied me as we aimed to wander around behind the teams and check all the clues were still intact. Liz meanwhile went off to buy some prizes from the nearest Pound Shop.
(left) The Marksman
The first point of call for the teams was the Marksman on Hackney Road - a healthy little schlep from the Wenlock via Columbia Road Market - just enough of a hike to generate a thirst.
Geoff and I had wandered there via the nearby Royal Oak to try the cask-conditioned Meantime London Pale Ale but alas it was off.
The Marksman commemorates the death of Nelson and it sits of the corner of Horatio Road and Hackney Road and it currently offers just one cask beer, Landlord. The landlord reckons they can't really run to another handpump but they're doing their best and the menus look extremely tasty. They're also offering the chance to barter for a pint. I'm not sure that will catch on somehow.
When I first came to London this place was an Everards house, one of the few decent places in East London for real ale in those days.
From here it was a short walk to the second pub, the Albion, which is certainly a football pub. The place is a homage to West Bromich Albion and the walls are covered in pennants and photographs from their dim and distant past.
It's just such a shame then that the beer was so lousy. The Pitfield Organic was positively vinegrescent and the Landlord little better.
However it did allow most teams to check out the final quarter of the British Lions victory against SA on the big screen - and even the beer garden had it's own screen - but no one hung around after that once they got the required answers.
Another short-walk then took everyone to Broadway Market with two opportunities for point scoring by the teams.
The Dove a very popular pub - and is the sister pub to the Dovetail in Clerkenwell - and the place was overrun with trendy young things (which is generally everyone younger than me).
(left) Get yer eels here!
A fairly decent selection of 6-8 cask beers with the likes of Maldon Gold and Golden Duck from Crouch Vale, Speckled Hen, Landlord (again), Flowers IPA, Pedigree and Abbot.
There was also a variety of Belgian beers on draught - I opted for the Brugse Zot which is always drinkable - plus a good choice of bottles.
The other place for teams to score points was at Cooke's pie and mash shop just a few yards down the road. Most teams tried the pie and mash but only one team tried the jellied eels as well. Brave boys!
Liz and I had tried out their pie and mash a couple of weeks earlier when checking out the route and the current owner is a real friendly chap and was proud of what's probably the most verdant liquor I've yet seen. However his mash had too many eyes in it for my high exacting standards and the pies were only so-so.
From the bustle of the market, it was nice to get down to the relative calm of Regents Canal towpath and walk to the next pub. Well, it would be if it wasn't for 99% of cyclists bombing along the route as well. Bastards!
The towpath is a great route to take to miss out some of the more miserable roads around here but a pain as you have to have eyes in the back of your head to see these proto-Lance Armstrongs.
From the towpath Geoff and I had to scale the fence into neighbouring Victoria Park in order to get to the fourth pub, the Approach Tavern.
The Approach is another old haunt of mine from the mid 1980s - it has changed a little internally but offer a decent selection of beers, mainly Fullers but also an Adnams beer. Some decent foreign beers on draught too. Liz and I have been here a couple of other times recently and the place is always busy - the beer is kept well and the food is excellent. And most people sit outside on the terrace so it's nice and quiet indoors.
Whilt Robert, Clarkey and Peter went off to find more answers at the Crown, found at the corner of Grove Road and Old Ford Road, Geoff and I rejoined the towpath and wandered off to the final pub of the crawl, the Palm Tree.
Now the Palm Tree is very well known to Darlo and Rotherham fans as an after-venue for Dagenham and Redbridge games and quite a few on the crawl had been there before but probably not via this route.
The pub occupies an eco-park next to the canal and so can get quite busy with passing walkers and local students - that we have only one person serving a busy bar is not a surprise but which does mean the wait for a beer was longer than we'd want.
John and Bev had managed to join us at this point - unfortunately the lure of domestic duties had meant they couldn't start the crawl but they'd eventually tired of carpet shops and made it in time for the last leg of the crawl.
As ever two cask beers were on offer - the very drinkable Roy Rogers (3.8%) from the Brentwood Brewery and Jake the Snake (4.0%) from Mighty Oak - but by the time we'd got served the latter had all gone - we bagged the remnants of half a pint but found it to be a bit bland.
We eventually persuaded Rob, Clarkey and Peter to leave the Palm Tree a little after 7pm and headed to nearby Mile End tube, eventually arriving back at the Wenlock just after 8pm - in the end we weren't far behind the Three Gentlemen of Norbury who had stopped off for a fish supper.
Liz proceeded to give out the answers to her carefully crafted questions - most of the teams did quite well even if some googling was done for some answers (you know who you are!). And then time for the prizes - quite predictably Liz's brother and his teammates came last despite being the only team to take on jellied eels.
Once the prize giving was over it was time to relax and have some more beer. And listen to the jazz.
One pleasant surprise at the end of the night was bumping into Richard Stedman, or Stedders to his mates, who visiting the capital and who had decided to re-visit a few of his haunts.
DAFTS got to know Stedders very well when he first put together the Football and Real Ale Guides a few seasons ago when we were able to help out with pub recommendations in the lower divisions.
Since then, Richard has spent time running a cracking little pub in sunny Colne but he's now returned to his native Bristol where he can keep an eye on his beloved Rovers.
The Football and Real Ale Guide is now online where it is much easier to maintain and Stedders is always on the look-out for new pub recommendations as well as updates and reviews so that it can kept up-to-date and useful to fans. We'll certainly be doing our best to help out.
Following the machinations of the AGM, it was time to sort out the teams for the Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt Quiz Thingy - only four teams in all to take on the course but all as keen as mustard to get started.
Our Plymouth-supporting chum, Geoff, accompanied me as we aimed to wander around behind the teams and check all the clues were still intact. Liz meanwhile went off to buy some prizes from the nearest Pound Shop.(left) The Marksman
The first point of call for the teams was the Marksman on Hackney Road - a healthy little schlep from the Wenlock via Columbia Road Market - just enough of a hike to generate a thirst.
Geoff and I had wandered there via the nearby Royal Oak to try the cask-conditioned Meantime London Pale Ale but alas it was off.
The Marksman commemorates the death of Nelson and it sits of the corner of Horatio Road and Hackney Road and it currently offers just one cask beer, Landlord. The landlord reckons they can't really run to another handpump but they're doing their best and the menus look extremely tasty. They're also offering the chance to barter for a pint. I'm not sure that will catch on somehow.
When I first came to London this place was an Everards house, one of the few decent places in East London for real ale in those days.
From here it was a short walk to the second pub, the Albion, which is certainly a football pub. The place is a homage to West Bromich Albion and the walls are covered in pennants and photographs from their dim and distant past.It's just such a shame then that the beer was so lousy. The Pitfield Organic was positively vinegrescent and the Landlord little better.
However it did allow most teams to check out the final quarter of the British Lions victory against SA on the big screen - and even the beer garden had it's own screen - but no one hung around after that once they got the required answers.
Another short-walk then took everyone to Broadway Market with two opportunities for point scoring by the teams.The Dove a very popular pub - and is the sister pub to the Dovetail in Clerkenwell - and the place was overrun with trendy young things (which is generally everyone younger than me).
(left) Get yer eels here!
A fairly decent selection of 6-8 cask beers with the likes of Maldon Gold and Golden Duck from Crouch Vale, Speckled Hen, Landlord (again), Flowers IPA, Pedigree and Abbot.
There was also a variety of Belgian beers on draught - I opted for the Brugse Zot which is always drinkable - plus a good choice of bottles.
The other place for teams to score points was at Cooke's pie and mash shop just a few yards down the road. Most teams tried the pie and mash but only one team tried the jellied eels as well. Brave boys!
Liz and I had tried out their pie and mash a couple of weeks earlier when checking out the route and the current owner is a real friendly chap and was proud of what's probably the most verdant liquor I've yet seen. However his mash had too many eyes in it for my high exacting standards and the pies were only so-so.
From the bustle of the market, it was nice to get down to the relative calm of Regents Canal towpath and walk to the next pub. Well, it would be if it wasn't for 99% of cyclists bombing along the route as well. Bastards!
The towpath is a great route to take to miss out some of the more miserable roads around here but a pain as you have to have eyes in the back of your head to see these proto-Lance Armstrongs.(right) Token arty shot
From the towpath Geoff and I had to scale the fence into neighbouring Victoria Park in order to get to the fourth pub, the Approach Tavern.
The Approach is another old haunt of mine from the mid 1980s - it has changed a little internally but offer a decent selection of beers, mainly Fullers but also an Adnams beer. Some decent foreign beers on draught too. Liz and I have been here a couple of other times recently and the place is always busy - the beer is kept well and the food is excellent. And most people sit outside on the terrace so it's nice and quiet indoors.
Whilt Robert, Clarkey and Peter went off to find more answers at the Crown, found at the corner of Grove Road and Old Ford Road, Geoff and I rejoined the towpath and wandered off to the final pub of the crawl, the Palm Tree.
Now the Palm Tree is very well known to Darlo and Rotherham fans as an after-venue for Dagenham and Redbridge games and quite a few on the crawl had been there before but probably not via this route.
The pub occupies an eco-park next to the canal and so can get quite busy with passing walkers and local students - that we have only one person serving a busy bar is not a surprise but which does mean the wait for a beer was longer than we'd want.John and Bev had managed to join us at this point - unfortunately the lure of domestic duties had meant they couldn't start the crawl but they'd eventually tired of carpet shops and made it in time for the last leg of the crawl.
As ever two cask beers were on offer - the very drinkable Roy Rogers (3.8%) from the Brentwood Brewery and Jake the Snake (4.0%) from Mighty Oak - but by the time we'd got served the latter had all gone - we bagged the remnants of half a pint but found it to be a bit bland.
We eventually persuaded Rob, Clarkey and Peter to leave the Palm Tree a little after 7pm and headed to nearby Mile End tube, eventually arriving back at the Wenlock just after 8pm - in the end we weren't far behind the Three Gentlemen of Norbury who had stopped off for a fish supper.
Liz proceeded to give out the answers to her carefully crafted questions - most of the teams did quite well even if some googling was done for some answers (you know who you are!). And then time for the prizes - quite predictably Liz's brother and his teammates came last despite being the only team to take on jellied eels.
Once the prize giving was over it was time to relax and have some more beer. And listen to the jazz.
One pleasant surprise at the end of the night was bumping into Richard Stedman, or Stedders to his mates, who visiting the capital and who had decided to re-visit a few of his haunts.
DAFTS got to know Stedders very well when he first put together the Football and Real Ale Guides a few seasons ago when we were able to help out with pub recommendations in the lower divisions.
Since then, Richard has spent time running a cracking little pub in sunny Colne but he's now returned to his native Bristol where he can keep an eye on his beloved Rovers.
The Football and Real Ale Guide is now online where it is much easier to maintain and Stedders is always on the look-out for new pub recommendations as well as updates and reviews so that it can kept up-to-date and useful to fans. We'll certainly be doing our best to help out.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
London Millers' Pub Crawl
This Saturday (4th July) I'll be crossing over to the dark side and attending the London Millers' AGM upstairs at the Wenlock Arms, just off the City Road.
The main reason for attending is to take part in their Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt Quiz Thingy (PCTHQT hereafter) which follows the completion of their AGM business.
Essentially the PCTHQT sees teams (generally of 2 to 4 people) following clues to find pubs and then using additional clues to find answers secreted somewhere within each establishment.
In the past, the London Millers' Eddie Rowles-alike, Tim, has been organising these events - and good fun they've been too, often visiting parts of the capital I'm not overly familiar with and finding interesting pubs.
(above) a reet motley crew and no mistake
I've tended to just go along in a team and just concentrate on the beer, content to leave the others to wander the pub, examining bric-a-brac and pictures for the answers to the clues.
There is a time-limit for getting round the course - nominally three and a half hours - but teams generally come in a little later than this. Scores are then totted up and prizes awarded. All very sporting.
This year however, Tim has taken a sabbatical and the PCTHQT has been organised by yours truly and her indoors; I've selected the pubs and Liz has come up with the questions (although I do know what they are). I suspect they're not quite as obtuse as some of Tim's questions have been over the years...we're just simple folk.
This strategy will still allow me to wander round the pubs and enjoy the beer whilst having a smug I-know-all-the-answers-nar-nar look on my face.
Hopefully the good weather will continue and a good time will be had by all.
If you fancy joining us, pop along to the Wenlock Arms between 1:30 and 2pm on Saturday...
For those that cannot join us, there'll be a full report next week.
The main reason for attending is to take part in their Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt Quiz Thingy (PCTHQT hereafter) which follows the completion of their AGM business.
Essentially the PCTHQT sees teams (generally of 2 to 4 people) following clues to find pubs and then using additional clues to find answers secreted somewhere within each establishment.
In the past, the London Millers' Eddie Rowles-alike, Tim, has been organising these events - and good fun they've been too, often visiting parts of the capital I'm not overly familiar with and finding interesting pubs.
(above) a reet motley crew and no mistakeThere is a time-limit for getting round the course - nominally three and a half hours - but teams generally come in a little later than this. Scores are then totted up and prizes awarded. All very sporting.
This year however, Tim has taken a sabbatical and the PCTHQT has been organised by yours truly and her indoors; I've selected the pubs and Liz has come up with the questions (although I do know what they are). I suspect they're not quite as obtuse as some of Tim's questions have been over the years...we're just simple folk.
This strategy will still allow me to wander round the pubs and enjoy the beer whilst having a smug I-know-all-the-answers-nar-nar look on my face.
Hopefully the good weather will continue and a good time will be had by all.
If you fancy joining us, pop along to the Wenlock Arms between 1:30 and 2pm on Saturday...
For those that cannot join us, there'll be a full report next week.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Bore Draw
After not seeing a game for a few weeks due to the weather, this would be my third game in a week, as I joined the happy throng of London Millers at their televised game at Adams Park.
Due match day protocol was maintained - I finished work just after lunchtime and ventured out to try a new pie and mash shop - Cooke's on the Goldhawk Road not too far from the office - probably the most westerly outlet for pie and mashery these days. It was OK - the helping of mash was a bit miserly and the pie was a bit light in filling - and certainly not up to the high exacting standards of my local.
I then met Liz at Marylebone and we duly whizzed to High Wycombe on the ever efficient Chiltern Line service - arriving slightly earlier than planned so we had to mooch around the shops until we could head to the Belle Vue and join the throng of people already waiting for it to open (well, two).
As usual, the landlord Chas had a decent choice of beers on - a Wychwood brew, Batemans XB, Butcombe Brunel IPA and an American-style IPA from Saltaire. I stuck to the latter as it's a very nice beer from Yorkshire.
Liz's brother Robert joined us, besuited and fresh from a handily arranged course in London, followed by Tim and then Clarkey. This gave us a car-full which meant that Robert could park for free in Wycombe's car park.
Not surprisingly there were not a lot of Rotherham fans in attendance - a bit of a painful journey at the best of times but I'm sure most were tempted to stay indoors and watch it on Sky. By the end of the night I was beginning to think I should have done the same. That said, there were some big gaps in the home attendance as well.
This was not a match for the purist - or even a neutral - as Rotherham doggedly defended and Wycombe huffed and puffed. The home crowd were angered when a penalty was refused in the first-half but even at the time it was clear the Wycombe man was looking for the decision - too obvious.
Clarkey with support from Rob and Tim, with polite clapping from Liz, kept up the chanting - and probably kept me awake too. Thanks chaps.
There were a few scares for the Millers in the second-half but Wycombe had clearly run out of ideas. And then came the blessed relief of the final whistle.
We clambered aboard the bus for the trip back to the station - joined by our photographer chum Paul - and promptly went nowhere for 20 mins during which Tim got increasingly irate. As anyone who has tried to get away from the Causeway stadium after a game knows, it's sllooowwww going and especially annoying that they don't let the bus have priority.
We finally got to the station to find that we'd just missed a train and the next one was not for another 50 mins - the silver lining to this being some additional drinking time in the handy-for-the-station Belle Vue and a close encounter with a dog called Duffy who appeared to be sporting my hair.
When we did catch the 23:04 back to Marylebone it stopped absolutely everywhere - odd places like Seers Green & Jordans (that's just one station, not two) and Denham Golf Club with bugger all traffic - just get us home! It was almost 1am by the time we got home - remind me to think twice next time...
Due match day protocol was maintained - I finished work just after lunchtime and ventured out to try a new pie and mash shop - Cooke's on the Goldhawk Road not too far from the office - probably the most westerly outlet for pie and mashery these days. It was OK - the helping of mash was a bit miserly and the pie was a bit light in filling - and certainly not up to the high exacting standards of my local.
I then met Liz at Marylebone and we duly whizzed to High Wycombe on the ever efficient Chiltern Line service - arriving slightly earlier than planned so we had to mooch around the shops until we could head to the Belle Vue and join the throng of people already waiting for it to open (well, two).
As usual, the landlord Chas had a decent choice of beers on - a Wychwood brew, Batemans XB, Butcombe Brunel IPA and an American-style IPA from Saltaire. I stuck to the latter as it's a very nice beer from Yorkshire.
Liz's brother Robert joined us, besuited and fresh from a handily arranged course in London, followed by Tim and then Clarkey. This gave us a car-full which meant that Robert could park for free in Wycombe's car park.
Not surprisingly there were not a lot of Rotherham fans in attendance - a bit of a painful journey at the best of times but I'm sure most were tempted to stay indoors and watch it on Sky. By the end of the night I was beginning to think I should have done the same. That said, there were some big gaps in the home attendance as well.
This was not a match for the purist - or even a neutral - as Rotherham doggedly defended and Wycombe huffed and puffed. The home crowd were angered when a penalty was refused in the first-half but even at the time it was clear the Wycombe man was looking for the decision - too obvious.
Clarkey with support from Rob and Tim, with polite clapping from Liz, kept up the chanting - and probably kept me awake too. Thanks chaps.
There were a few scares for the Millers in the second-half but Wycombe had clearly run out of ideas. And then came the blessed relief of the final whistle.
We clambered aboard the bus for the trip back to the station - joined by our photographer chum Paul - and promptly went nowhere for 20 mins during which Tim got increasingly irate. As anyone who has tried to get away from the Causeway stadium after a game knows, it's sllooowwww going and especially annoying that they don't let the bus have priority.
We finally got to the station to find that we'd just missed a train and the next one was not for another 50 mins - the silver lining to this being some additional drinking time in the handy-for-the-station Belle Vue and a close encounter with a dog called Duffy who appeared to be sporting my hair.
When we did catch the 23:04 back to Marylebone it stopped absolutely everywhere - odd places like Seers Green & Jordans (that's just one station, not two) and Denham Golf Club with bugger all traffic - just get us home! It was almost 1am by the time we got home - remind me to think twice next time...
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