retiredmartin

November 2024. Gospel Oak. Camden.

Just over an hour after catching the first train out of Cambridge I was pulling up outside my first London GBG newbie of the day in mysterious Gospel Oak. On a bad day it can take an hour to drive from Waterbeach to Addenbrookes and find a space in the multi-storey car park.

Having been largely confined to my family home on caring duty for autumn (US : The Fall) it comes as blessed relief to get pissed fresh air and stretch legs somewhere new, even if it is a drab slice of North West London looked down upon by Highgate and Hampstead.

It does allow me to share Sinead’s finest 22 minutes with you, though.

Wikipedia says the venerable Southampton Arms is in Gospel Oak, and perhaps it is, but it’s the Gipsy Queen making its Guide debut,

the one flaunting the red triangle.

Same as the Pineapple, another Camden Top 100 pub that taunts you with its Bass signs.

“A traditional pub transformed into a craft beer haven with over 20 draught beer lines, inside and outside seating & constantly rotating kitchen pop ups.” says the little blurb that pops up on Bing Maps,

and you might feel you’ve seen this pub a few times before.

Light and airy and comfortable, cheery young staff, Taylor Swift deep cuts, a beer you’ve heard of,

and a few you haven’t.

I go local, Holloway rather than Keighley, although it’s served in a Landlord jug as Tim Taylor continue their stranglehold on the premium pub market.

Despite the jug, the Hammerton No. 1 is a cool and crisp NBSS 3+, which would have been “good for London” a few years back but London has upped its cask game of late. £5.20 a pint, which will mean different to you depending on whether you’re from Sheffield or Wimbledon.

Talking of Wimbledon…