It was a long, drab walk out from Peterborough Station to Werrington and (oddly) a long walk back, so I merited a second beer.
BRAPA had been here a week ago, so I consulted our Pub oracle for advice;
I decided to give it a go. Excitingly, the Cock wasn’t shown as open on What Pub yet. It might be a corker. If nothing else, it’d take me one step closer to visiting all the pubs in Cambridgeshire, a noble aim.
Werrington (skilfully obscured by the Cock Inn label above) is one of the many “interesting to the purist” little villages that break up the massive blobs of 60s Posh housing. It was my first visit in 20 years, and was unrecognisable unchanged.
Here’s the potted highlights, including a decent Elgood’s pub and a bloke with Wiggins sideburns wearing a 1976 England Admiral tracksuit and riding a Raleigh chopper.
Then at last, the Cock.
“Haunted by Fred” – yawn.
“Built in 1418” – yawn.
“Sharing menu” – yawn.
The exciting refurb had knocked the character out, of course, but at least it was bustling with life and there was no food being served.
At the bar, a young barmaid was being taught the ropes by a Northern Irish lady. Coincidentially, Northern Ireland’s men were being given a lesson in finishing by the Bosnians in the day’s big Nations League clash (I read).
Encouragingly, blokes were blocking the view of the ultra rare ale. But one of them had just ordered a Pride, and wasn’t pulling too many faces.
The new girl had never pulled a pint before, but did a frankly decent job, just enough tight head (I know Mark appreciates this detail).
My shot is a bit too arty to do it justice, but you can see the frothy head.
I found a spot near the second of two ancient fireplaces, with a perfect view of the comical second Bosnian goal, and reflected on the joy of an ordinary pub. “Fernando“, “Harvest for the World“, it was the 1977 that punk never touched.
Sadly, what started off as an NBSS 3 deteriorated into a 2 half-way, which is pretty much what I expected. Perhaps I should have had a big slice of the Victoria Sponge they were selling at the bar to pair with it.
You could’ve been in a small Cheshire town, and I don’t mean that in a good way.
Gemma was wrong, BRAPA was right. Again.
retiredmartin 
“Fernando” Harvest For The World” , it was the 1977 that punk never touched”
That was because they were 1976 vibes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pendants weren’t crushed by punk either, clearly ! (Joking)
Good spot 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, and five points for use of “vibes” 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seemed like your most soulless pub of the year? Certainly the weirdest tapas menu I’ve ever seen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Def. soulless (except Isley Brothers). To be clear, NOT in the Beer Guide. Nor will it ever be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Three more hand pumps and it would be a shoe-in for most places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a Werrington in north Staffordshire, but I don’t think it has any ‘Pride’, to be drunk well or badly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The pub experience I feared! Glad you did it so I don’t have to ( unless you saw any GBG19 stickers in the window). Gemma can’t be trusted, we know that now, that pub carpet makes me want to weep tears of soulless purgatory void (if that makes sense which it doesn’t).
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t know who Gemma is, but feel I should find out so I can avoid her other top pub tips.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Thatch”
Er? 🙂
“Then at last, the Cock.”
Here’s me showing oodles and oodles of decorum.
“Not THAT Anti-Pasti, Si”
Funny how the meat board indicates different meats yet the cheese board says nowt about any cheese. 😉
“Poor use of space”
From that photo I might have guessed it was a posh waiting room for a doctor in Harley Street.
“I spy”
Ah. Just to the left of Doom Bar.
“just enough tight head”
Here’s me still showing oddles and oodles of decorum.
“Gemma was wrong, BRAPA was right. Again.”
He’s had differences of opinion with Gemma before? 😉
Cheers
LikeLike
I expect he’s had differences of opinion with many women in pubs.
LikeLike
(slow golf clap) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reminiscent of the soullessness of the Lamplighters back in Brizzle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good comparison. Lamplighters at least has views across to Pill rather than Peterborough !
LikeLike
So you had two halves, one after the other, the first NBSS 3.00 and the second NBSS 2.00.
And the came in the same pint glass ?
I think that GBG 19 withdrawal symptoms are at play here !
LikeLike
“And the came in the same pint glass ?”
Of course, that should read :-
“And they came in the same pint glass ?”
That is my second typographical error in a month.
LikeLike
No, same pint, just losing its “oomph” halfway through. The opposite of that Rev James that improved after I’d left it for half an hour !
LikeLike
Has your GBG arrived yet ?
Will it ever arrive ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry, just seen your latest post.
I suppose my second question remains valid !
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so for Si’s sanity as much as mine.
LikeLike