November 2024. King’s Cross Station.
Mum came home from Addenbrookes, for a second time in a month, with “reablement” carers popping in four times a day to oversee her rehab. I sensed all she wanted was peace and quiet and a Chinese takeaway.
I also sensed I needed to pop off and see Mrs RM before she got what I looked like, and headed for the train.
Waterbeach to King’s Cross, an hour of incessant but inconsequential chatter between women of a certain age who would never take a solo journey by train, and rejoiced in knitting dressing gowns for their hubbie’s 50th birthday.
Then half an hour before I switch to St Pancras for the speedy train to the coast and Mrs RM, who won’t be knitting me a dressing gown. Hopefully.
Half an hour?
Oh, go on then.
Spoons apart, there’s not a lot open at 11am near St Pancras, not enough Craft Union pubs in Camden.
The ESB that young Simon has is as his 7th pint in London is irresistible, even while you know you’ll regret it later
£6.70 a pint of ESB, that’s definitely premium, but this is a premium venue, perched above Platform 9 and 3/4 and the train to Hogwarts,
and this is a masterful demonstration of the brewers art (NBSS 4).
The Parcel Yard may be a classic restoration job but it’s no boozer, and most of the early trade is Benedict’s and lattes.
But…the GBG doesn’t lie. This is great beer, beautifully served.
Lacings don’t lie.
retiredmartin 
I’m with Simon. I think that is a great beer.
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I’m glad you had a great ESB in the Parcel Yard. When I was there on my way back from France in October it was a little warm, though still good, and then in November it was rather disappointing.
The place to go for really good ESB (NBSS 4.5, no less) was the Crystal Palace in Bath. Did you try it when we were there? I can’t remember. But in case you didn’t, this is what it was like: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/40/
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You encouraged me SO much to go to the Crystal Palace that I didn’t, Will. I’d been there on our previous Bath Day Put when it wasn’t quite as good and I note I was complaining about prices. Again.
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I never thought you had time to go abroad Will.
Was Bath’s as good as Humphrey’s Crystal Palace in York ?
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Both of my brothers live “abroad”, but this was my first time in five years. I need to make up for time lost to Covid and stuff.
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I think I might have already mentioned to you that I’ve never been to the Crystal Palace in York, but I don’t expect you to hang on my every word. 😁
I feel a trip to York coming on. Maybe after December.
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Well Will, if I can’t remember all the pubs I have and haven’t been to you must understand that I retain even less knowledge of the ones you have and haven’t been to.
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That’s disappointing that you don’t keep records of my pubs and beer scores, Paul. Who will I ask which pubs I went to in Stockport in 2002 ?
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I marvel at the tortured logic that has led them to describe ESB as bitter, but London Pride as “amber ale” (ugh).
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Same as Banks’s !
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