I had an hour to waste before Eltham’s micro-pub opened, which gave me just enough time to get lost in Eltham Park, which in itself is quite a feat. With a better camera I’d have taken a nice shot for you showing the majesty of the London skyline. Use your imagination.
This is a corner of our second city I don’t know well, southern Greenwich having graced the GBG little over the years,. It’s also one of few places Mrs RM hasn’t done consultancy work in (yes, she even worked in Crayford for a spell).
My only other trip out here was to the famed Howerd Club (now closed), possibly named after a regular who drank London Pride there every day for 63 years. On my visit I was informed I’d just missed a chap who’d visited 4,000 pubs in the Beer Guide. I should have asked if he had a Newbury accent.
The High Street wins no awards for beauty, but the parks are little gems, aided by our usual decent English weather.
Street art is sparse, but this comment on the outrageous parking charges, or something, does show commendable colour matching.
There’s quite a lot of building work going on down Passey Place, so I had a nose around, and stumbled on the rather gorgeous Park Tavern.
I’d have stopped for a pint of Otter just to admire the tiling, but obviously there are government restrictions on alcohol unit consumption these days. Incidentally, I was comparing notes with two fellow GBG tickers this week and admitted to a lack of memory about a fair few pubs. Apparently I’ve been to the Park before and scored it highly. Hard to believe you’d forget that tiling.
The new micro can’t match that exterior, but has a cosiness some lack, particularly if you’re tucked round the corner from the casks. Lots of Kent beer in London micros it seems, and a decent Whistable beer in the Long Pond (NBSS 3). Once again, a cheery landlord of the first order here.
The Howerd Club had felt like a precursor to today’s micros, and I’m guessing some of The Long Pond‘s custom comes from there. Five minutes after its 5pm opening it was nearly full. There may have been the odd discussion about “Euro fizz” and “Doom Bar as a swear word“, but the banter about Royal Academy’s exhibition on Russian revolutionary art marked this place out as a proper local rather than a cheery beery club.
Of course, even if it were an Ember Inn, I’d forgive it for the Bass mirror and clock.
NB Eltham has some famous sons and daughters, but I failed to spot Billy, Bob or the Boy.
retiredmartin 
Did you visit the Banker’s Draft? Wetherspoon claim it’s the smallest pub in their estate. A Wetherspoons and micro-pub rolled into one, so ironic it’s not in the GBG!
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I know Millwall hate West Ham which is what the sticker on the sign states.
I overheard parts of a conversation by two older blokes than me while in a pub not too far from Arsenals ground and it sounded as though Millwall according to them are taking over a 1000 who are up for a fight and are going to rule the streets around Tottenham.
I would not like to be in that area when the match is played.
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As soon as I saw the spuds had drawn Millwall I thought it would be a good old fashioned tasty London riot. If they are willing to move to Wembley early, I’m sure it will save Spurs some demolition costs at White Hart Lane.
Your two photographs of the Park are not very far at all off exactly what a London boozer should look like.
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If London’s pubs had Hull’s or Bradfords pubgoers it wouldn’t be so bad.
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Eltham Palace was my Tourist Attraction of the Year for 2014. Also the last time I ventured inside the M25.
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Just like micros, it was shut. Looked impressive. Little known outside south London – English Hetitage ?
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Written up here (at the bottom) and described as “surprisingly under-appreciated”. As I mentioned, “The lady of the house had a pet ringtailed lemur who enjoyed his own living quarters and had a tendency to bite guests.”
It would probably get a lot more visitors if it belonged to the National Trust rather than EH.
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Also a classic shot of “bloke sitting on his own with shopping in a plastic bag drinking a pint and reading the paper”. Could almost be Spoons!
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Some compliment ! Feeling comfortable to sit and read a paper without being drawn into discussion an underrated attribute of a pub.
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That’s my #1 criterion. Without that, all else is of no avail 😉
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Nice blog. Shame the Howerd Club has closed. Very unusual place with constant loop of Frankie Howerd videos when we were there plus a fox cub and a noisy flock of ring necked parakeets.
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Yes was full of characters.
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