May 2025. Dalston. London.
Dalston/Kingsland isn’t a hotbed of GBG entries; nothing at all in a half hour walk between the Pembury and the Mildmay.
Plenty of Irish pubs round here,
and some tantalising signs of pubs past.
CAMRA’s What Pub website is its crowning glory, allowing you to find a dozen keg pubs within a 30 second walk, and acting as a custodian of pub history. Take the closest pub to flashy Dalston Kingsland tube station.
Never mind the pub, Annie’s Pretzels has come and gone, the victim of the backlash against America.
But the Shacklewell Arms, classic Watney lamp and all, goes on forever,
the Lexington of the North (London). Just a lot harder to get to.
The Shacklewell doesn’t look like it’s had a penny spent on it since Watney’s launched Red Barrel.
I’m trying to think of a pub as scuzzy is this, but what comes to mind is Manchester’s Peer Hat, another “unimproved” live music venue.
You’ll be wanting to see the Gents then.
Staying on trend, note the obsession with bones that Boak & Bailey just wrote about.
As with the Peer Hat, cheap drinks, though here it’s (still) keg Five Points.
It’s a great little pub, whether you come for the music or not,
though when the wonderful Aiofe Nessa Frances* (PRESS PLAY) says “I wouldn’t drink the wine here I were you” we see some nods of acknowledgement.
Who goes to the pub to drink wine ? Do that sort of thing in private. Elaine Malone says “Salute the pint” and I warm to her immediately.
*Thanks to Chris Dyson for tipping me off about Aoife’s LP “Protector”
retiredmartin 
Sterling work RM. The chap serving the Guinness needs a follow up appointment with his chiropractic.
Serious question for my own health regimen: how many pints of the best does 15-20,000 steps a day buy you while maintaining a speedo-ready body? If you don’t get your steps in do you not partake? Some kind of miles per pint metric would be helpful.
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Well, Dom, my own speedo-ready body requires about 50,000 steps (35 km) per half pint of Bass, I’m afraid, though I suspect the obligatory crispy beef and Singapore fried rice after any more than 4 pints mucks up the calculation.
Good spot on the barman.
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Thanks RM. Prof sounds like a very smart chap. This is (newbie) Dom (in Bath) who has forgotten whether he created a username when signing up for your blog and so comments anonymously.
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Hi Dom.
That’s coincidental as I’m sure Prof Pie Tin also lives in or near Bath these days, though I never had him/her down as a walker. How close are you to the Bath Star ?
NB I have no idea about the techy side of log ins but if you sign off with your name I can edit the comment unless you want anonymity !
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The Star Inn? 45 min walk, about 25 minutes uphill on the way back. So that’s got to be a net zero couple of pints…
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The problem with the Star is you have to have a four pint jug of Bass !
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