Everyone is in East London these days. The Tand has a pad, my lad is at gigs in Hackney most months, and Simon had found a way of living down there at corporate expense.
Even Donny John from IndyMan had visited last weekend, the same day I did my mammoth walk from Kings Cross to Deptford and back for three rare E14 ticks in quick succession.
Having regularly whined about Londoners on this blog (mainly Arsenal fans, to be fair), I can only tell the truth now.
Walking round London is one of the greatest things on earth. And it’s free.
The stretch from Kings Cross to Old Street via Angel is a bit routine compared to the stroll south-east into the City, but the new architecture at Moorfields is compelling, and the pub survivors at least retain their history. And at least survive, unlike the beauties in North Woolwich.
Entering Shoreditch, I even find a tribute to West Brom’s top Gooner, who used to run a pub round here,
followed by yet more pub porn as you enter Commercial Road.
I was glad to see the Commercial Tavern looking busy as I headed past Aldgate onto the A13. In fact, E2 was heaving, and not just round tat central at Spitalfields.
No tourists walk the A13 to Limehouse, despite the obvious attraction of the shop that’s sold Si his disguise ahead of that trip to Maidenhead Conservative Club.
A mile and more of fashion wholesalers, fried chicken and pubs doing their best to avoid CAMRA attention.
I love it, but I’m pleased to get to Limehouse, which greets you with Art Deco loveliness.
The Craft Beer Co isn’t bad, either.
Now, I’m no expert on gentrification, but Craft’s venture into Limehouse, some way from the bright lights of Canary Wharf, is a brave and commendable move.
It looks a bit quiet, though it transpires everyone goes upstairs for the grub (mind, the Old St one was no fuller).
As in their other “branches” I’m impressed with cheerful service, even if I need more than 1.3 seconds to attempt to make sense of the beer range. As you can see, I go Deutsch.
There’s a group of Spanish visitors in the bar, but my Spanish banterometer is a weak point. They were drinking pints, anyway. Some classy ’70s soul and more recently brewed fresh beer (NBSS 3.5).
Upstairs, you get a room with Sunday diners, a view to Stepney, and one of the best collections of breweriana anywhere. Six Bass mirrors I counted.
Really, that’s all the recommendation you need, surely ?
Join me later as I brave the Wharf.
retiredmartin 
Six Bass mirrors, a Bass wall plaque and an extremely rare Fremlins one as well.
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He’s starting to show off with his picture abilities, isn’t he?
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I doubt the age of the Bass mirror in the first photograph but many will have been broken over the years, they’re what we all want to see and so it’s no surprise if there are some reproduction about.
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Good point. They looked a bit pristine.
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Loads more I didn’t include. Worth a visit if you like that sort of tat. It’s mostly upstairs.
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I quite like Craft Beer Co. pubs, but from experience I would stick to keg over cask.
Although crap pubs are closing at a rate of X to the power of 10, a minute. I doubt there were ever that many closed pubs in existence which sold Bass, with sufficient large mirrors which survived intact to be passed on to modern day pubs to display to the delight of retro loving pubgoers? I strongly suspect the majority of present day Bass mirrors are being manufactured in Wolverhampton by the Acme Bass Mirror Factory
The question I would ask of Bass aficionados is, ‘How do you tell the reproduction from the excellent original?’
Oh. And why are all nearly all these old pub mirrors Bass ones? They seem to out number other brewers mirrors by about 20:1? Just saying like.
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There you go again (who said that ?), wittering and withering on about provenance and authenticity. I don’t care whether Bass is made in a giant clinical factory in a dumpy industrial town or the home of brewing or a broom cupboard. If it’s good, it’s good.
And don’t let on about my sideline making Bass mirrors in my shed.
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You still got that Life After Football bloke peddling them round tatty pubs in the East Midlands for you?
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Im surprised the Ledger has made it in the GBG, ok it was 3 years ago since I last went and things can change, but it struck me as just an atypical Wetherspoons, nothing outstanding about it or the beer, the one thing they had though was a sign apologising that they had run out of vegetables, so the sunday roasts would only come with potatos & peas…I decided to eat elsewhere that day, but for my money there were better pubs around E14
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I think it was inevitable that Tim would stop doing Sunday lunches.
The vegetables, before running out, were terrible, especially the broccoli.
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The Craft Beer Co pubs are generally good friendly places with good beer, I like them a lot, though haven’t been particularly impressed with the Brighton one on two separate visits, seems to lack any ambiance.
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That first bass mirror picture is clearly fake! No Taylor reflection…how am I supposed to recognise you for future meetings now?
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Turn the Bass mirror upside down and shake it.
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