500b. Thu 18/10/18: The Junction Tavern, Kentish Town, London

Beer: Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3%

A moment’s solitude before what promises to be a rowdy sell out gig by a rowdy band at The Forum. I feel I need soothing beforehand – The Junction Tavern, for the moment, is far from being the best pub, but is just about the best place for a quiet sit down and a decent beer in NW5.

There are plenty of seats when I arrive. I order my Landlord. ‘£4’, says the barman. ‘And a bag of cheese and onion crisps’, I add. A man’s got to eat, gig or not. The barman pulls a weird face as he tots up the revised total and takes far too long before calculations are complete. ‘£5.50’. They’re those posh crisps with the picture of a fisherman on. I think I may have been ‘done’.

Two louche gents mock a barmaid who’s struggling with the Trumans Roller. It’s a bit lively when the barrel’s changed, apparently. My recent experience of Trumans almost prompts me to suggest throwing the whole lot out, although I bury myself in my book. Probably a wise course of action.

505. Sat 20/10/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Banks & Taylor Mild 4.3%, Oakham Deep Thought 4.3%

LUTON TOWN                        2-0                   WALSALL

Hoorah, another win for the Town. This one was reasonably run of the mill… but we’re starting to look pretty good, especially now that Danny Hylton’s back.

Brickies, like The Horse earlier, is comparatively and mercifully quiet… or, not quiet, but not wedged. Paul is in before us and manages to secure a backroom table.

Talk is of the match. There are those, specifically Martyn, who wasn’t in The Black Horse earlier, so have yet to pass comment on my (already much maligned) gilet. I look, according to Martyn, “like Cliff Richard’s manager”.

B&T Mild is, at its best, a decent beer… this tastes some time past that. The Oakham is far better.

Huddersfield v Liverpool is on the telly. It’s on mute, to start with; which is fine. It’s then turned up, just a little, not so loud that you can actually hear the commentary – just so you get a vague sense from the crowd that something is happening (and you may want to lift your head to see). Paul wonders why, in a room that couldn’t care less, they need any sound at all.

502. Fri 19/10/18: The Plume of Feathers, Markyate

Beer: Tring Ridgeway 4.0%

The 46 bus back to Luton stops outside The Plume of Feathers, which is a nine minute walk from The Local micropub – I make enough time for a pint here. This is a very different pub. This is a traditional rough and ready community local, with a very different clientele from the comparatively posh folk in the town centre.

I’m sure it’s fine… but seems very noisy. The group of blokes congregated at the bar want to know what team my black and white scarf is. “Luton”, I tell them, trying to catch the barwoman’s eye – and keep eye contact to a minimal with this lot. I get served, and they chunter on as I go and sit on a little table to the right of the bar. The bloke who asked seems to have accepted my answer – but the younger members of the group aren’t convinced. I have my earphones in by now, and am studiously pretending I can’t hear. I’ve also taken the decision to A) sup up B) leave me books in me bag and C) leave the camera in there too… it’s not that the pub is in the least offensive, but I get the feeling I’ve become their focus of attention and don’t like that much.

Bloke at bar is joined by another fella of a similar vintage – who agrees that mine is/could be a Luton scarf. “Luton’ve got Millwall at home tomorrow” says one (wrongly, Walsall are tomorrow’s visitors). Another low key argument ignites at this point – a bloke with a device confirms the Saddlers are playing at the Town – the original bloke says that that’s as may be – but the bloke on the radio definitely said Millwall, which piqued his interest as he imagined how Millwall fans would trash Luton (again).

The beer’s fine, it’s going down quickly, I don’t want to miss that bus.

I take some pictures outside. By the time I leave most of the blokes from the bar are outside smoking… which extends my litany of cowardice into taking furtive snaps at the bus stop, a way up the road. When they go back in, I go back towards the pub to take some pictures closer in.

I’d give The Plume of Feathers the benefit of the doubt… I doubt I’ll be bothering again anytime soon.

506. Tue 23/10/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Wantsum Montgomery 4.0%

Pleasant autumnal early evening, pre-Town v Accrington Stanley pints down the Brickies. The pub is packed by normal Tuesday night standards; it’s standing room only, but not nearly as bad as a Saturday afternoon.

Steve W has bought a copy of Roy of the Rovers, dating back almost exactly 31 years. It has a picture in it of the Town at home to Arsenal (on the plastic pitch). He’s bought it in for Wilf… who isn’t interested. Wilf’s interest is taken up by offering sweets to all and sundry. The sweets, Paul informs us, are disgusting, and are all over the playground at his school. We’d likely have taken one to entertain the lad – but, y’know, we’re drinking beer.

495. Sat 6/10/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Titanic Chocolate & Vanilla Stout 4.5%

LUTON TOWN                 3-2         SCUNTHORPE UTD

Beer, when I finally get served, is delicious. It’s miserable weather outside, so standing in the yard is out – and the Brickies is heaving.

Man Utd v Newcastle Utd is on telly in the back bar: one table is heavily populated by a large group of millennials who are way too loudly appreciating Man Utd going one, then two-nil down. “Sacked in the morning” they shout at Jose Mourinho. He’s about 160 miles away. Anyway, they’re loud and lairy; I’m not sure if they’ve come from the match… but post-match Saturdays are going this way at the Brickies, unfortunately.

Other than them, and though they’re too noisy to entirely ignore, the pub is post-win convivial. Some look over the league table, but it’s too early for that really. I talk to Marcel and Paul Hegley for a bit; suggesting that, when Hylton comes back, we’ll be a good side… and we’re picking up points without him. I fancy a play-off push this season.

Have a few, then go next door to get a taxi back – with The Well and The Brickies doing roaring post-match trade lately, queues/waiting times for cabs are getting longer…

502a. Fri 19/10/18: The Dog & Duck, Soho, London

Beer: Fullers London Pride 4.1%

I haven’t been to Soho for ages. It feels like a museum. The Dog and Duck looks grand and cuddly the outside: inside, plate glass gives the place some character and disguises the fact that, essentially, the pub’s a corridor with a small room round the side and underneath stairs leading up to a dining room.

I meet GK and MR. We’re off to spend a stack of cash at Ronnie Scott’s and watch The Mingus Big Band. We’re pretty keyed up for the event and manage, somehow, to keep a fairly sensible chat about jazz going for some time, before it breaks down into the usual self-referential nonsense.

504. Sat 20/10/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Tring Pale + Four 4.6%

Go to work, do some of this project (the physical book collection – I ordered some pics in, and have them back), have a shower down the gym, and walk to The Black Horse for 01:30pm – pre LT v Walsall.

I ordered, some time ago, a “body warmer” which, I thought, would do a job during early Autumn/early Spring days – which are bright and warm but a bit nippy – you know the kind of thing. I got one off of ebay – a nice white model, which I decided to embellish with a couple of LT patches. The garment, Paul down the pub immediately decides is A) a “gilet” and B) ripe for ridicule.

The gilet gets much the same kind of dim appraisal from everyone who deigns to venture an opinion… most are quick, and enthusiastic, so to deign.

I’m just glad to entertain these sartorially inept peasants…

The pub is busy, but not as much as recently, so we’re able to grab a table up on the raised stage area. It’s nice and bright up there. It’s all very nice and convivial. Nice to have Paul back – although CJ is ailing, so he hasn’t turned out.

Beer is good. First last goalscorer draw of the season is made. I pick GRANT. Spoiler alert: I win. A fantastic second-half free kick… bagging me eight English pounds which helps, just a little bit, to ease my gilet humiliation.

503. Fri 19/10/18: The White House, Luton

Beer: Wychwood Hobgoblin 4.5%

Back in town, and down the White House – to write up notes on The Plume of Feathers (#502). I didn’t think writing notes in situ would help me remain inconspicuous. Luton at 7:45pm is far different to Markyate at the same time: it’s far WORSE, and I prefer it. The JDWWH possibly doesn’t really hold a torch to little community locals like The Plume… but you can remain anonymous in huge great contemporary gin palaces like this. Maybe that isn’t a good thing. You’d be allowed to remain very lonely in a place like this… if you wanted to be a regular at The Plume of Feathers in Markyate, the staff and locals likely wouldn’t let you.

Anyway, at this point in my life, I appreciate the anonymity JDWs allow.

There seems to be more or a focus on table service at The White House now…there’s a group of three – bloke has a hipster beard – two women – wouldn’t want to guess at any of their relationships – they’re mid to late 20’s all. I see them being served, thrice, at their table – and each time they seemingly avoid eye contact with, or saying thank you to, their waitress. Seems banally, dismally, rude. Their meals are chip heavy, they are chip heavy; they douse their chips in ketchup.

I write notes, and tut, and take pics (but not of them)… I’m a nosy sod, but happy that nobody in the pub appears to care a jot about me.

497a. Fri 12/10/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Wolf Brewery Sirius Dog Star 4.4%

Beer Festival at The Black Horse. The pub is its usual self, full of an older crowd, loud and happy, but with the added attraction of a tent in the back yard, and a band of fuzzy looking players, spending forever setting up. We’re here on a two pint stop, and while the sousaphone player receives a load of attention (something to do with the sousaphone), there’s no music. From the look of the band, they’re probably talking about whales, moon cups and granola.

KH is in. We chat cycling. KH’s approach is ‘off road’. I don’t really get it. Sounds far too hard. We agree, however, ‘each to their own’ and go on to discuss London bike accidents and KH’s trip up to Barnsley the following day, with beer stops, on the way, in the new Wetherspoon’s in St Pancras, then places in Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley itself before and Wakefield after the game. We should sign him up as a contributor.

509c. Sat 27/10/18: The Chesham Arms, Hackney, London

Beer: Orchid Vanilla Mild 3.6%

Out with KG and RS. Having met at the newly refurbished Pembury Tavern, The Chesham is a considerable improvement. A community run pub, according to RS. Certainly, there’s a friendly feel, both to the back street location and the pub itself. There are no tables free. Not until a chap on his own lets us grab his.

Chat about ongoing and forthcoming political catastrophe. If only we’d been put in charge. On the way to the loo, I’m reminded of my first visit to The Chesham and the lights shining up through the floorboards, giving a spacey, walking on air feel. Not even a nearby table full people of posh people with pizza and small dog can diminish the pub’s all round cosy, welcoming atmosphere.