Nearly caught up now, just a few more London reports to encourage you to book your cheap trains to Kingston to enjoy slow pedestrians and tired beer.
Starting with the pub that believes “Fork handles for hand pumps” are a good idea. I guess you can’t expect much from a town that gives you bath tubs for seats.
Norbiton‘s first Beer Guide entry, in my GBG life anyway, is an attractive modern opened out gastro pub that is absolutely heaving at 5.15pm on the Saturday before Christmas.
I wasn’t that impressed by the beer, as you’ll see, but as with the Albion I applaud a pub that was appealing to a wide spectrum of middle-class Kingston.
It was certainly a pub for Mrs RM, with a bar area resembling a Habitat showroom and a collection of pouffes in lieu of bench seating.
I’m not being critical; I prefer to visit a range of GBG pubs with a good mix of folk. The Black Horse was buzzy and lively, and I know Simon will enjoy the children running around the bar area.
A solid range of better known beers on the handles pumps too;
On one of the busiest nights of the year, the beer should have been flowing. Unfortunately this is Peroni land, and the Harvey’s was unrecognisable as the quality beer you’ll find at its peak in SE1 (NBSS 2).
Nice loos though;
On to the railway station, a first time ever at Norbiton.
I was royally entertained by Wigan fans celebrating their 4-0 tonking of the Wombles of Wimbledon, whose fans must love having to trek miles and miles to watch their team at Kingston. And then paying £4 a pint (£2.40 in Wigan).
For five points, what is the pie-eater doing ?
He’s on VR pretending he’s in a Wigan pub paying £2.40 a pint.
BTW, have you seen the lovely new Marston’s handpump on Discourse? No more need for jam jars!!
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Love it. Want one in my house.
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He’s taking a selfie.
Of himself as Bono.
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😁
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“Very chintzy”
That candle makes your beer look like a cherry Kreik (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
“the Harvey’s was unrecognisable”
Ugh. Condolences. 😒
“Asterix for me everytime”
I was going to make some sort of joke about pulling the bone on the far right but… 😉
“Typical Latics”
So, the two from Wigan making fun of the two from Oldham? 😋
Cheers
PS – “Starting with the pub that believe”
I do believe that believe needs an ‘s’. 🤔😏
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You’re right !
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Never even knew Norbiton existed. Fork handles for pumps. Pouffes. NBSS2. Don’t think so.
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Perhaps I oversold it a bit.
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It’s the opposite of Surbiton.
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So that’s what there latin motto means.
Indeed, Surbition has a really top pub in the Antelope.
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You know a pub is in trouble when the height of Martin’s praise is “Nice loos though.” 😉
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Martin only says that when he knows Si hasn’t done something awful in them. 😉
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Slow hand clap symbol.
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Given the number of customers it’s hardly in trouble, but disappointing that there are so many people and it still serves up a tired pint.
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I saw one other pint pulled (it wasn’t Harvey’s) the 20 minutes I was there, there’s your answer !
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When they’re pulling a pint, do they pull on the shaft or the crossbar of the handle?
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Sounds like a Discourse argument.
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And should CAMRA boycott the pub if they do it the wrong way?
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That’s nothing, I saw a pub using four candles for handpumps…
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