300a. Sat 10/2/18: The Oxford, Kentish Town, London

Beer: Sambrooks American Red 4.2%

Old boozer reinventing and dragging itself as some kind of kitchen bistro. To be fair, it’s more pleasant than it used to be, but is still of, at best, moderate interest.

The pluses? No huge television is great, although the music is irritating. It’s an ok place to meet, the Sambrooks is good and part of a pretty good selection of ales and beers. And it’s close to the station. It’s hardly a ‘must’, though – the clientele’s not especially interesting, the service slow and fussy, there’s way too much emphasis on food and the James Brown-esque funk grates after a while.

Thankfully, and despite some recent creep, Kentish Town still serves as a buffer between the overblown kitsch of Camden Town and the obscene cutesiness of Highgate Village.

303a. Thu 15/2/18: The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell, London

Beer: St Peter’s Honey Porter 4.5%

Bit of a pokey place but goes back a bit. Pokey because it is another quite old London pub (Anno 1770 says the sign-but how do you check?) Not much space when busy like tonight (a Thursday). Quick one before I head to Luton for another Slow Night at the Bear Club.

Pub has a good selection of pumps and cask ales. Obviously connected with St Peter’s Brewery as they are the only cask beers they sell. Still celebrating winning Beer of the Festival at the 22nd Norwich Beer Festival in, errmm, 1999. Yay! A St Peter’s home brew kit was one of the first home brews I made some four years ago. This porter I’m drinking is a bit rich – I think I’ve realised beer with honey in it just doesn’t work.

309. Wed 28/2/18: The Globe, Dunstable

Beer: Edwin Taylor Stout 4.5%, Everards Tiger 4.2%

Drinks after Andrew Flecknell’s funeral, we’ve come along to support Jackie.

I only really knew Andrew as an eminent member of the Dunstable set and, latterly, as Jacqueline’s suitor. That said, we spoke, in this very pub, eighteen or so months ago… on a quietly soporific Saturday afternoon; he stopped to talk to us on his way from the lavs. He didn’t have to; our being the vaguest of acquaintances, a nod would have sufficed, it struck me at the time as being an extremely friendly gesture.

Ridiculous he’s gone so young. The chapel, Andy W informs us, was packed – and so is the pub.

308. Sat 24/2/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Beartown Bear Ass 4.0%, Nethergate Five Rifles 4.1%

LUTON TOWN  2            CHELTENHAM TOWN   2

Town scramble a late point – remain top – but are far from convincing.

The post-match Brickies is packed with rugger buggers watching England (losing) against Scotland. The football contingent are relegated to the back bar. The back bar, then, is quite packed; but it seems like a slightly more pleasant atmosphere than a regular “Prem on telly” Saturday. Maybe the presence of the thick set, but generally congenial, rugby folk filters out the polyester premmers (and maybe tempers the more tedious element within the LT contingent).

It could also be the presence of the Sheridans: they exude bonhomie, and they attract the KO wags (not Steph, she’s not come to the match, she’s not well) – so we’ve got a nice little crowd, in an already crowded, but convivial, back bar.

In summary: although The Brickies was busy, the ambience remained generally delightful.

299. Wed 7/2/18: The Frog and Rhubarb, Slip End, Luton

Beer: Batemans Gold 3.9%

Trouble is, you see, although mindful that a few publess days during the week is a good thing – when my father suggests we meet in the boozer, it never seems a terrible idea. My change of gymnasia regime from March will sort that out…

In the meantime, Greene King are taking the allure off, after all the good things I’ve suggested lately, with what is a rather lacklustre midweek selection. It’s the above or GKIPA. There’s a Sharps beer clip on a pump – with one of those labels which says that the beer in conditioning in the cellar. That surely suggests at a lack of timing and/or enthusiasm. Anyway, though it’s not good news for the punter, there’s probably sound financial grounding in a hostelry trumpeting beers they cannot as yet provide.

The Batemans Gold is alright, bright and hoppy… if this was a Slip End session, I’d be looking to take it on to The Rizz – or even embark on that wander to the Working Mans’ Club which I keep thinking about. London Pride a standard, I’m led to believe.

Dad arrives eventually – my sister and niece in tow. Another pint is procured, and we’re treated to part/page one of The Scary Camping Story (what will become) a 500 word thriller. Risking spoilers; the girls in the story are excited, but Leah voices her concerns about bears. And beasts. My favourite character is the teacher, Miss Pam.

We sup up and, before Toad in the Hole part 2 (a relative triumph), we then start a “clearing some space in the loft” project.

307. Sat 24/2/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Oakham Citra 4.2%, Exeter Tomahawk 3.5%

It’s a weak beer day at The Black Horse – the strongest is Citra, which I go for, to start with, but the Tomahawk is far nicer. Oakham have enthusiastic plaudits, I tend not to be one of them.

Mick and Julie are down for the match; it’s lovely to see them again. They remain, as ever, effortlessly charming. There’s quite a large group of us, then, congregated around the stage area seating. S’nice.

I’ve picked up a tattoo/piercing flyer from The Castle the previous evening. In terms of the piercings, there are plenty of items on the menu that none of us, naïve as we are, can identify (some, maybe all, almost certainly involving attaching little bits of metal in or around ladies’ or gentlemens’ genitalia).

304d. Sat 17/2/18: Sebright Arms, Bethnal Green, London

Beer: Truman Bow Bells 4.2%

A strange reminder, on a couple of occasions, that while quite possibly on the retreat, the honest gor blimey Cockernee is alive and well. First, before me and Anj could set foot in the place, we had to walk past a effin’ and jeffin’ east enders, moaning about the price of the Guinness. (£5.50; you can see their point).

Later, in the loo, a geezer informs me he needs a ‘pony’ and thus, is in need of the cubicle. Pony and trap, in rhyming slang, is crap. I consider this information sharing as rather odd, though it seems entirely usual in some crowds as one of Pony’s friends comes in and pronounces the very same toilet requirement.

We’re here on a 50th birthday party. I don’t know anyone, the thing’s hosted in the dungeon like gig venue downstairs and Truman Bow Bells is a horrid novelty beer. But still, had a lovely evening which included chatting more than I would have imagined and including a refreshing exchange about fountain pens and the correct colour which should be used. Which for anyone not aware, is black. And from a bottle, not a bleedin’ cartridge.

301. Tue 13/2/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Banks & Taylor Crooked Hooker 4.7%, Ramsbury Red Velvet 4.6%

The Crooked Hooker isn’t as good as it was on Friday so, for the second, I request Ramsbury Red Velvet – a winter beer with some substance: strong, smooth and malty.

The Brickies is three quarters full on this pre-match Tuesday. It’s nice. We manage to grab the little table by the window in the back bar.

There’s some disagreement over whether to write up the Luton Beer Festival this weekend. I’m not sure, I was planning to do it, but it isn’t a pub…

Some photographic entertainment trying to take pics of the sediment left in the first beer…I dare say I’ve attached/printed up one of them. Quite of a few of the others (out:AJK, CJ, JtcfH, SH – Page boys a bit later, Steve is on holiday) take the same pics on their own devices. So, lots of over and under exposed snaps.

303. Wed 14/2/18: The Frog & Rhubarb, Luton

Beer: Sharp’s Sea Fury 5.0%

• 

Valentine’s Day so I’m having a cosy pint in a village pub, with my Dad.

He was, oddly, in the pub when I arrived. I had decided not to drink on my Wednesday trips to Slip End. Next month I won’t have the time anyway. In the meantime, I’d decided, if the beer selection was rubbish, I’d have a soft drink. But what? Diet coke? Jeez

Anyway, the beer is decent: the barman tells me it’s fantastic as he’s pouring it. I’ll be the judge, I think – but don’t say. He’s not far wrong, as it turns out. The barman is nearing the end of his shift and, when he goes, my Dad (who is a lapsed F&R regular) bids him farewell in Italian – then tells me he (the barman) is Spanish.

He’s a slow drinker, the old man; he talks of his travels – and tales of his editing The SE Parish News. He apparently had a penchant for hilarious April fools – and had strict (but sensible) policy on photographs. I grab a copy of the latest Beer in Beds from the bar, and Dad points out where they’re going wrong. He’s got a point, but I won’t be cancelling my CAMRA membership in protest.

I took one photograph, on my phone, to illustrate this visit. I’d like to point out that the criticism of the photos in the above publication came from my father – otherwise it would almost certainly seem like a case of folk in glass houses throwing stones.

I absolutely (genuinely) delight in the amateurish enthusiasm of CAMRA camerawork – it has absolutely influenced the photographic content of this blog. Some, a very few, photos accompanying these reports may be good… most will be taken, and kept, on a “that’ll do” level of quality.

308b. Sun 25/2/18: The Lexington, London

Beer: Lagunitas The Down Low 3.9%

• 

A slice of the US of A, uphill from Kings Cross on the Pentonville Road. An imposing looking boozer, with a bar across the back wall, offering far too many types of whisky. Or, possibly more accurately, Bourbon. For heavens’ sakes. The Lagunitas is freezing and hoppy, but fine.

Am here with Andy W and a whole assortment of comedians, ex-1980s indie kids, thesps, football scouts and doe eyed middle aged men, all paying tribute to the late Mark E Smith of rock combination The Fall. Upstairs, in contrast to the slightly over cooked – or possibly more accurately, over barbecued Midwestern ambiance – is a wonderfully run down, old fashioned and almost self-consciously ‘proper’ venue, with horrid lavs, a bar selling tiny cans and bottles and where Fall karaoke maestros The Fallen Women are cooking up a storm.

I like The Lexington. The drinks are pricey and unless you like bluesmen, beards and American BS, you’ll probably not come for a casual pint. As a venue, however, it’s one of the very best.