1467b. Sat 11/2/23: Hamilton Hall, Liverpool St, London

Beer: Salopian Darwin’s Original 4.3%

I’m on my way to Hackney. Various train lines aren’t working. It’s the weekend, so no surprise.

I remember being told about Hamilton Hall, and its rather splendid ceiling, when I was living nearby, and the sense of disappointment when I first visited. The ceiling’s lovely and all, but the pub a bit naff.

It still is, only JDW have hoiked prices up to much the same price as everywhere else (this seems to be a ‘thing’ they do now) and the place is busy with revellers. As I’m getting served, some lout leans over me and barks for a Stella and a whiskey chaser. When I sit down, a youngish, charming woman approaches and politely asks me if the stool opposite me is taken.

There’s quite a contrast between the goggle eyed, slightly smelly and badly dressed blokes, and lasses who (at this stage of the evening), are far more refined, less obnoxious and absolutely charming. The blokes in the pub appear to be on their way back home; the ladies on their way out.

1145a. Fri 29/10/21: The Harpenden Arms, Harpenden

Beer: Fullers London Pride 4.3%

It’s quiet, which makes the usually eerie Harpenden even eerier. It feels like Halloween but not Halloween, all at once. We’re heading towards The Silver Cup, having escaped a right old din and racket in The Cross Keys. I suggest that if we see a spare seat in The Arms, that we head in there to start with.

There are several spare seats.

Pete’s in, but doesn’t see us. 

We idly chat about this and that. Has Macca done a good album? Is the staircase reminiscent of the stairs in the Bates Motel? There’s a picture up top; you tell us.

993. Thu 27/2/20: Vitak, A Coruña

Beer: Estrella Galicia 4.7%

Our ill-fated seafood search has led us back to Vitak. Our trouble is that we very rarely do restaurants, and we haven’t stumbled on any decent seafood tapas bars – other than here. It’s no trouble, not really, this place is fine. I like a Spanish fishy tapas bar: they’re invariably bright and bustling, and often resemble a canteen rather than a bar.

We found earlier that, though fish dishes are readily available, they’re not served up as free tapas. Now we know, that’s fine. We order some little fried fishes. They’re excellent. They’re always excellent…

Notes bemoan that this is our last night, we’re going on to Santiago de Compostela in the morning, so won’t have another chance to dip into Vitak’s menu. Maybe we should have ordered a couple more tapas this time round. Rick Stein would’ve.

But he’s got a bigger budget.

770. Sat 3/8/19: The Cricketers, Caddington

Beer: Sharp’s Doom Bar 4.0%

Doom Bar. DOOM BAR… sorry..

The cricket is on down The Cricketers, it’s not on at The Chequers. So, I’m suffering Sharp’s Doom Bar, rather than enjoying Sharp’s Atlantic over the green.

Ashes first Test, third day, England are 371-9 and doing well… (it doesn’t end well).

There’s a dozen or so people in here – youthful local lads – reasonably excited about the cricket. Their noisy conversation echoes around the back bar, the content of which suggests they know even less about the game than I do.

1216a. Sat 22/1/22: The Bankers Draft, Sheffield

Beer: Barnsley Bitter 4.3%

Luke – I think it’s Luke – has come up with a phrase. “Reset the joy meter.” Hopes weren’t sky high, but certainly hopeful, and remained so after a battling first half. In the end, the Hatters let two goals in, in quick succession, had a player sent off and did well to keep the result to 2-0.

We weren’t prepared to wait at one pub – one of these trendy glass places with wooden bench furniture and outdoor heated seating – and were refused entry at The Tap. Too full. The joy meter had, therefore, to contend with us ending up at the city centre JD Wetherspoon’s. Not an outright disaster; I had a decent burger made out of peas, and the beer was good. Cheap, too. 

The group decides not to go to Kelham Island. There’s a pub selling Titanic Plum Porter round the back, and a Head of Steam not too far away….

1599a. Fri 22/9/23: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Nethergate Copperhead 4.0%

Bit of a quiet Friday night down The Bricks. Just me and TPK out. 

We’re talking about films and podcasts and all that sort of stuff. Neither of us can recall much of anything Terence Stamp did in the 1960s. Yes, he was handsome and had a vaguely subversive ‘edge’ about him. But what did he actually do?

At some point, I start moaning about the Prem. Great that we’re there, of course, but the whole thing’s so drenched in money, there’s little else, really, going on. We’re interrupted by a couple sat on the little pill shaped table. I think they think we’re moaning about the rip-roaring hatters. Of course we’re not. We make this clear, then chat a little with our new chums, who very much have that ‘new for this season’ feel about them.

1543. Sat 22/4/23: The New Members Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground Pavilion, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Stuart Broad, playing for Nottinghamshire, is rather running through the Middlesex batting order.

Middlesex look reliant on the weather, but its fine. They have, though, turned the floodlights on. It’s after lunch when I get my first pint in at the NMB.

They’ve put the beer prices up, a bit, this year. It’s expensive. Not as expensive as the rest of London, maybe, but no bargain anymore.

Another wicket falls. It’s 213-8 now.

The clouds continue to fill in. It’s gotten chilly now. I’m glad I’ve got a tank top on.

1261b. Wed 27/4/22: The Old Crown Inn, Cavendish Bridge, Derby

Thwaites Wainwright 4.1%

I’ve walked from Derbyshire to Leicestershire and back again twice tonight, bloomin’ knackered.

Actually, I’ve just walked across Cavendish Bridge four times which spans the border between the two counties. Seems it used to be a toll bridge (see list of prices in photo). We left the Landau in Shardlow so we only paid the foot passenger price.

Staying in Shardlow a night before we head up to Llandudno again for holiday. Shardlow is all the way over in Derbyshire whereas the Chinese restaurant (which was very good if pricey) and this pub are in Leicestershire. 

Enjoying my pint of Wainwright which IMHO is a lovely pint, only seem to get it in bottles in the supermarket down South.

The pub is bedecked in pub paraphernalia including a ceiling stock full of drinking vessels. There are signs for Ind Coope’s Burton Ales (wait a minute, that’s Derbyshire? Perhaps they get on). What is the “Ind,” short for? Independent?

252. Mon 20/11/17: U Pinkasů, Můstek, Prague

Beer: Pilsner Urquell 4.4%

Pop back into U Pinkasů after stodging out at the wonderful fast food vendors in Wenceslas Square. They’ve ripped us off before – but them huge red sausages (and sweaty bread rolls) are magnificent.

U Pinkasů is pretty good too. Like it here – it’s quite packed, but not so bad as there’s no tables available. Can’t hear any English spoken in here, which is nice but odd. This is right in the tourist centre of Prague – if anything, nearer the seedier stag party end – but they don’t appear to be falling so ingloriously to grab the tourist dollar as other places. It does have a small range of “merch”, and is clearly not the little back street boozer, but it retains a character of a traditional – better than basic – town centre pub (without resorting to Disney-ing it up with oompah and costume).

Anyway, we’ve only just discovered U Pinkasů this year. We’ve seem U Medvídků and U Fleků change (mostly, but not entirely, for the worse) over the past decade; one hopes the management of many Prague pubs will have looked at these and similar examples and decided on “reigning it in” a bit. I’ll be interested in coming back to U Pinkasů in the future.

As it is, it’s late… it’s 08:50pm. We’re going home tomorrow – and we’re back to the apartment now.

1207a. Fri 7/1/22: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Nethergate Hair of the Dog 4.1%

Quiet night out. Hopefully just because it’s immediately after the festive period and nothing more sinister, like. As it is, just me and TPK.

We’re reprimanded by one of the the two other blokes in the front bar who asks if we’re Russians, or something. Trying hard to ignore him, though the football coverage isn’t helping. Man City vs Swindon, and Man City are up already. Man City’s kit is horrible. It looks like they found some bloke off the street to design it. ‘We’ve got Swindon in one of the cups. Try and make it look like we don’t give a toss’.

Said design:

We dither. By the time we decide where to play chess, the moment’s gone. We’re more than half a pint in, so in no shape to play.

City win.