SHOOTERS HILL

August 2024. Charlton.

A very rare excursion into the northern bit of South-east London, which might be Greenwich, Woolwich,Charlton or Blackheath for all I know, and that’s half the fun of London pubbing.

I catch the train from Dartford to Charlton, a place with a 3rd division football club but Isthmian League GBG game. According to my mega spreadsheet I have NEVER visited a pub in SE7, which is odd because I distinctly remember a Guide pub near the Valley in 1996 (Charlton 0 v Wolves 0). Perhaps they’ll be a micropub on the Thames Barrier and E16 will nick it.

The 20 minutes down to Shooters Hill is unusually dull, devoid of ethnic interest,

edgy art and unwanted gentrification,

at least till you reach Poplar Cottage (1695), a real oddity.

And our new pub on Shooters Hill, of Dickens fame, is a joy of an unpretentious B211 boozer.

How had it reached the GBG this year, though ?

And will I ever get served, standing at the public bar looking forlorn and staring at the Bass and Courage mirrors.

“Stand there and wait till she sees ya” says the nice local, and eventually the nice lady leaves the Pieminster preparation area and sells me a pint.

In 2024, a pint is sold in the following way;

  • Pint is presented by barperson
  • Customer says “Do you prefer cash or card ?”
  • “Whichever you want”
  • Tenner handed over
  • Change is returned

Under no circumstances should you tell the customer how much the pint is, that’s cheating.

The only free seat is JUST out of reach of the throwing arm of the darts blokes (it’s all blokes).

If this sounds a bit downbeat, it shouldn’t, it a proper pub, with the Harvey’s tasting exactly as you’d expect, not as good as in the Royal Oak but better than in 90% of Sussex gastropubs (NBSS 3).

That’s why it’s in the GBG.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

7 thoughts on “SHOOTERS HILL”

  1. I’ve found that if you are paying by card you don’t get told how much you are paying and the card machine is held so that you can’t see the amount either.

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    1. That’s exactly right, Jon, and of course no-one asks the price before hand except in CAMRA land.

      But even when paying cash occasionally I note I’m not often told how much it is.

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      2. On Saturday I visited the pubs in Southwark and Borough in the CAMRA’S London Pub Walks book. At least one of the pubs was payment by card only. It wasn’t a problem as that is how I usually pay for beer.

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      4. Jon,
        I went to the Somers Town Coffee House last autumn and after my pint had been poured was told it was a “Card Only” pub but that wasn’t a problem as on explaining that I didn’t have a card they readily accepted my proper money, the exact amount.
        The Olde Trip To Jerusalem is said to be “Card Only” but that wasn’t a problem in June as they readily accepted my proper money for a pint of Old Peculiar.
        The Inn On The Square in Keswick had a “Card Only” notice but that wasn’t a problem in July as when I said I didn’t have one they readily accepted my proper money for a pint and were actually very pleased to take quite a bit of my change.
        I have learnt that when a pub indicates “Card Only” it probably isn’t.
        What I don’t know though is if it’s only pubs with a four word name that pretend to be “Card Only”, and if that’s to seek a younger clientele, the hipsters.

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