retiredmartin

Four days saving pubs in the Home Counties, and colouring in the Guide before disaster strikes again. Not sure what that disaster is, but everyone else tells me it’s round the corner. Miseries.

Next stop, Batford, in posh Greater Luton. Right next door to The Malta and The Gibraltar (Castle).

Not many people know that in the late 2000s the local branch had a shortfall of suitable entries to make up their Guide allocation so invited two pubs to come over from UK friendly countries, and the Gibraltar Castle has finally made the GBG.

Rather gorgeous, in that creaky timber way Herts does so well.

As in every Home Counties pub, there’s vehicles in the car park but no-one in the pub itself.

The young lad is taking down the Christmas decorations. If he hadn’t put them up in the first place we’d have increased UK productivity by 0.3% but no-one in this country cares about productivity, oh no.

Despite my views on “Winterval”, I actually like Christmas records, notably those by Tracey Thorn, The Judds and the Low Christmas record from which this melancholy classic is taken;

Of course, the GC was actually playing ONJ;

Weirdly, you hear a lot of ELO in pubs, but very little ONJ. Start a petition, sometimes.

I got a great welcome despite interrupting the bauble removal for a mere half of beer.

The Pride was drinking well.

Oh, actually it was Side Pocket for a Toad. Crazy name, actually decent beer when served cool and flat (3.5).

“We are in Xan. Adu” sang Olivia, while the pictures on the wall told of Peckham.

I chatted pub opening times and January trade with the young chap, and hoped he’d have a busy January.

Come on folk, it’s worth coming just for the Gents.