I’ve quite a backlog of posts from the last week or so, with North Norfolk, Nottingham, Chipping Norton, Altrincham, Brentwood and Whelpley Hill to come. “Ah, Whelpley Hill“, you’re all saying now.
But having started, I might as well finish off posts from That London, and pick up on progress along the Piccadilly line (the dark blue one). I know I bang on about using your legs, and the Travelcard adds an outrageous £6.20 to my super off-peak train fare, but even I would have taken all day to walk to Heathrow from Kings Cross.
As a special bonus, the actual paper ticket I bought at Waterbeach got me through all the barriers without having to “seek assistance” this time.
The trip from Hatton Garden to South Ealing is an exercise in not being attacked by Japanese tourist’s plastic suitcases. If you can’t fit your luggage in a Tesco Bag for Life, don’t travel.
My next pub was at Ealing Broadway, so I get out at South Ealing to sample the local culture on the walk north. A Lee Mead impersonator (beat Si to that) told me to try the “wicked” coffee at the little station kiosk, so I did.
It was bitter, but not in a good way. Along with the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge and France, independent coffee shops really are the most overrated things to visit, aren’t they ?
My advice, go to Starbucks for filter, Cafe Nero for flat white and Naples for espresso.
Confused by duff advice and duffer coffee, I then set off the wrong way down the B455.
London graveyards really are some of its best features, though as yet none of them feature their own micro pubs. Give it time.
I always think Ealing promises much, simply by not being Twickenham for example, but ends up like a duller Hendon. It’s all very “solid“.
The architectural highlights are the series of Fullers houses, though even here they have “solid” names.
Those aren’t GBG**, and neither is the proper Irish bar complete with smokers on mobility scooters.
I’d started reading “McCarthy’s Bar” on the train, to distract myself from the animated cosplay* enthusiasts, and almost stopped here for an authentic Guinness. Almost.
The only other item of a note was when two blokes squeezed past me in Oak Road, the first with a 1.75 litre bottle of Jägermeister, the second with an easel.
The North Star is directly opposite Ealing’s famous Broadway station, home to a less famous Sainsbury Local where I bought an inedible bagel for 40p just so I had some change for the pubs.
It was an unnecessarily helpful gesture on my part, the barmaid would have happily taken my a £20 for my £2.30 half of Proper Job and wordlessly given me a ton of change.
I hope that Peerless is cheaper here; it sells for about £2.30 a pint in Wigan.
I was there 20 minutes on Saturday lunchtime on a nice table facing the bar. There wasn’t a single other ale pulled. Not even the Doom Bar.
Who would possibly drink a dull Proper Job (NBSS 2.5) at £2.30 a half when they have all this lovely cold keg. That Kirkstall Framboise looks even more appealing now.
The pub is a joy though. A real mix of customers from across the ages, and some doo wop playing gently. Fresh flowers, sport on TV, no beer mats. Two out of three…
As we’ll see later, it set a tone for the day; decent pubs, dull beer. London in a nutshell.
*A bit like Coldplay, but worse.
**The Pride must have been drinking very badly in those two for them not to be in the Guide.
retiredmartin 
I love hearing “This is the Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters.” It means I am traveling in the preferred direction.
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I know what you mean. If you go west from Heathrow you risk ending up in Maidenhead Conservative Club.
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That glass of beer looks disgusting, mind you, at least you got a FULL ONE!
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Presentation wasn’t its strong point was it ?
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I’ve heard that those pubs don’t have enough real ale and the beer is from just one brewery. But then again they were playing Hearsay on the Juke box last time I went in.
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Call 999 – I just split my sides laughing.
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Red Lion and Castle were both solid GBG entries 20 years ago when I lived in Ealing. Also Rose and Crown, Globe; it was a great place for a Fuller’s crawl.
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That’s what I remember from a decade ago – very solid Fullers pubs dominating the town, and then that Questor’s bar. I think the natural customer base for Fullers pubs have moved onto premium lagers and flavoured ciders over that time, and then the average cask range expands from 3 to 6 so you get even slower turnover of the Pride which then appears a very dull drink.
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Added to that Fuller’s still deliver Pride in Kils.
We have a GBG allocation of 22 and have to cover Ealing, Harrow and Hillingdon as well as the Wembley part of Brent. The Red Lion had a new tenant from September 2016 and was closed during the GBG surveying period, which didn’t help. The Castle has not been on our radar simply due to lack of NBSS scores.
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Thanks for feedback. With that allocation you really are looking for feedback that proves consistency, aren’t you. I was delighted to see the Hare & Hounds in Greenford stay in with 2 Marston’s beers; high quality beer and banter.
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Liking the Gomez reference in the title! Great song…I went to the Ealing Park Tavern earlier in the year with its own Long Arm Brewery – is that in the GBG?
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It is ! In fact I got that far south down the main road, saw the Park Tavern and realised I’d gone wrong !
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I bought that Gomez CD when I still paid some attention to what music critics said, and listened to it precisely once. Not sure if I gave it away or it’s still in a box upstairs.
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To be fair to you Mudgie, I also remember being told Gomez were the biggest thing since Mansun. That was in a time when we couldn’t go on YouTube and listen to the whole thing for ourselves (before buying it).
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Not a fan I take it! I like Whipping Piccadilly and Bring It On so they are probably ‘most played’ on my Gomez track list (or only played!). I can’t imagine you ever follow the crowd Mudge!
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Mudgie is a leader of men, Ian. Normally leads us to nearest Sam Smiths pub…
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I can cope with that!!! Only got one in Derby I think?
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Correct – Darley Abbey. None in Brum, big cap between Stamford and the North Notts mining villages.
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Yes, not normally one to follow the crowd, but there was, as Martin says, such a wave of hype about that one that I couldn’t resist.
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Mudgie, I bet there are many interesting things in that box(or boxes) upstairs!
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When i went in the North Star in 2004 it only had one real ale on,which was London Pride, it was a decent drink.
Also done The Red Lion and Castle.
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“As we’ll see later, it set a tone for the day; decent pubs, dull beer. ”
Sounds a bit like Si’s Saturday night in Manchester.
“Evil keg etc”
Blimey! I can only spy two ales in that lot. The rest are either lagers or cider. 😦
Cheers
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