It’s a well-known fact that Americans only like 3 types of music; Pure Prairie League, Dylan, and early ’80s post-punk. Mark Crilley will get the title reference.
We headed for Tower Bridge aimlessly, debating whether Robert P. McCulloch would have been better buying the Royal Oak to rebuild under the (ahem) Arizona Sky than the bridge he did purchase.
Surprisingly, Tower Bridge Road is now a Beer Guide pub free zone. Spoons, Sam Smiths, Adnams and Draft House have all seen entries come and go. It can’t be lack of turnover, surely ? London was heaving (and melting).
But even the Pommeler’s Rest didn’t look that crammed. And despite being a man with four Spoons vouchers expiring in a month, I couldn’t get them in the Spoons.
So the Sam Smiths it was. Until Dave noticed the Bridge House.
“Say, isn’t that the Adnams place“.
These guys know the Beer Guide better than BRAPA.
Intrigued as to why it wasn’t in the Guide (and they needed the loo) we popped in. It’s not very Southwold, is it ?
We’d been comparing notes on the Suffolk coast (you’ll know my views), but the only Adnams house in London is a very London local.
To its credit, they stick to the knitting here. Bitter, Ghost Ship, Broadside, Ease Up.
I’ve mentioned the friendliness in Northampton a lot. The barmaid here was the equal of the one in Olde England, a cheery gem.
It felt Proper Pub. Real people, a bit plain, focus on beer. And thumping house to accompany the football. My notes say “Kate Fox watching the England“. I’ve no idea who Kate Fox is.
I should note here that Dick and Dave remained on pints throughout.
“You can’t taste a half” said Dave.
Despite the dreaded branded Adnams glass, the cause of more debate on this blog than beer sexism, the Broadside was foamy and tasty, an easy NBSS 3. A few more customers would have pushed it higher, of course.
Then Dick pointed out the sign above my head.
Yes, closing in a fortnight. Nice place, just a little quiet. Best wishes to the staff.
Dick and Dave did the tourist routine, and we headed to Kings Cross to break glasses.
They’ll be back soon enough.
retiredmartin 
“It’s a well-known fact that Americans only like 3 types of music”
I thought it was only 2… country AND western. 🙂
“This is just weird”
You sure that’s not Dick doing some more graffiti? 😉
““You can’t taste a half” said Dave.”
Very true. When in Rome. 🙂
“Sad”
Wow. Sad indeed. 😦
“They’ll be back soon enough.”
Or they could just go to Lake Havasu. (LOL)
Cheers
And with that my better half is home from shopping, so I’m to go and have a nice relaxing afternoon of… relaxing. 🙂
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Phew. Well done Russ.
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Of course American visitors will drink pints, get as much decent beer before they head back to their local offerings.
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I used the Bridge House last autumn and was disappointed, not because there were ‘just’ two beers on but because as I walked in the assumption was that I would be dining – as if I ever look more hungry than thirsty.
Far better was Humphrey’s proper unspoilt Anchor Tap where the barmaid was friendlier than those in Northampton and very appreciative of a copy of a 1974 What’s Brewing article about the pub that I gave her.
“You can’t taste a half” is why Proper Men don’t drink halves.
.
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That’s interesting. I recall the Bridge House being foody when I went a decade ago(it’s been Adnams for years), but definitely just for drinkers yesterday. We should have crossed to the Sam Smiths, but sometimes curiosity gets the better of us.
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Never seen London look more beautiful.
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Nor me.
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OMG -the Bridge House closing ? Not good news
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Yes, it’s a great shame the Bridge House is closing but I won’t miss it like I miss the great Stockport institution that was Winters.
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I felt sad at loss of Winters. Can we blame Mudgie for creeping gentrification of old Stockport ? Probably not.
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Maybe he didn’t drink in Winters quite often enough, but, no, the majority of Stockport residents never used Winters at all, although I’m not quite sure why.
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Just Who Is The Stafford Mudgie ? Not a third one, surely ?
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I think the death knell for Winters was probably its failure to offer a selection of ten constantly changing cask and keg beers in the range 4.2-7%. At least that’s what I read.
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A third one would be Mary.with Dick and Dave “Leaving on a Jet Plane”.
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Yes, indeed, but Holts is a rare principled brewer who would rather lose one of the jewels in their crown than offend their 3.2% to 4.2% drinking regulars with the ambiance of Winters wrecked by an unsightly row of beer pumps and beer bores asking for a ‘taster’ of some weird never-seen-before and never-seen-again 4.2% to 7% beer.
Maybe we should just be thankful that we have memories of Winters and, getting back on topic, of the never to be forgotten even more characterful Becky’s Dive Bar which was not a mile from Tower Bridge.
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What happened the The Other Mudgie ? Iiked him best.
Excellent point about beers on the bar that are never seen again, even worse than the new beer syndrome. I had a great beer by Squawk once I’ve never ever come across again, ever. What’s the point ?
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I thought of “The Original Mudgie” to acknowledge my relative Mable Mudge who kept the Drewe Arms at Drewstainton for 75 years until 1994 but then decided that something like “The Staffie Mudgie” and “The Stocky Mudgie” would be better even though neither of us is really Stocky.
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No, Peter is too posh for Stocky in his Heaton village, isn’t he.
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But whether -Chapel, -Moor or -Norris Heaton isn’t proper posh like Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme or Poynton.
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Heaton Moor is quite posh, although, strictly speaking, I live in Heaton Norris, which isn’t. It was also in the original County Borough of Stockport, unlike Bramhall and Cheadle. Poynton isn’t really *that* posh, and also has never been in any form of Stockport. It has a wetherspoon’s, so it can’t be.
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Mentioning -Chapel, -Moor and -Norris I forgot -Mersey.
Yes, my mistake. I accept that Poynton “has never been in any form of Stockport”, my mistake being that ( with my aunt and uncle having lived in “Poynton, Stockport, SK12 1BT” ) its Post Town is Stockport as I believe it might have been since the Penny Post. .
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I met someone from Poynton last week (he was on the Melrose assignment with Mrs RM) and I had the distinct impression he had never been to Stockport. Or Macclesfield. Us pubgoers travel more than 99% of the population.
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I doubt if many people get to Stockport now that winters has shut.
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