retiredmartin

June 2023. London.

Anyone like London ? Strap yourself in. By the time I finish this set of (oh dear) eleven (11) posts you’ll be heartily sick of the capital.

The problem is, with an off-peak return with Travelcard costing the same as 25 pints of Doom Bar in Spoons you need to get your money’s worth, which is why Si finishes his trips with a bonus pint of ESB in the Parcel Yard.

This trip was a thrill. For a start, I was heading to somewhere I had never heard of, let alone been.

On an empty tube heading east (beyond Wanstead, anyway).

The New Fairlop Oak is your case study in all that is mysterious about geographic labelling, particularly in the GBG.

The pub has Fairlop in the name, you definitely get off at Fairlop station,

but where is Fairlop ?

The Guide lists it under Barkingside, which I can just about see at the foot of the page. The weird looking leisure centre across the roundabout boats Fulwell Cross (thought that was Sun’land ?).

Meanwhile “London Borough of Redbridge” says the label on the brutalist library.

But Wiki says it’s in Ilford, and Wiki is 100% reliable. Perhaps it should do pub opening times.

Whatever, it’s your typical east London suburb, facing one way to the Shard and the Gherkin,

while at the same time celebrating the local bye-laws which only allow horses and boats on the High Street*.

I loved those drawings outside the station, definitely the highlight of any visit.

But the Spoons isn’t far behind. They’ve even added a pedestrian crossing so that Stafford Paul doesn’t have to do a jaywalk across the A123.

There’s a particular joy about an 11am pint, even if it is at 11:33.

I was surprised to find a JDW that hadn’t already made the Guide, so rare is good cask in east London beyond the North Circular, but that’s an impressive guest list, and the Porter at £2.57 £2.07 is an easy choice, though the mobility scooter trade is all on the Abbot.

The barmaid is an exemplar, cheery despite the heat and the impending lunch rush, and the Porter is a stunning start to any Thursday.

I mean; look at this scummy head.

It’s a 4.

Fairlop itself is a 2, but I’m not sure on what scale. There’s plenty of services being advertised. Is “shutter” a euphemism ?

Oddly, plenty of giant plastic footballs as well.

Porter, “shutter services” and plastic services. What more do you need ?

*Please check first before sailing your boat down the High Street.