October 2025. Whitehall. London.
While I sat in the Admiralty I scribbled down a few notes, mainly about queuing tourists and naff modern pop, but also “another week another two (2) London pubs two minutes apart“.
Should have been 30 seconds to the Old Shades, but something in the space/time dimension where WC2 becomes SW1 (a new GBG sub-chapter) means I end up on the Mall, staring at a cardboard version of the Admiralty Arch,
unable to find a way past Captain James Cook.
It took FIVE minutes to work my way to Whitehall, a street I know well from trip to brief Ministers at the height of my NHS career, but better known for the Wetherspoons with the giant painting of Tim Martin* I stumbled out of, missed my footing and landed in the Old Shades, which 20 years later is in the Guide. Spooky.
A narrow bar, wood panelled and cosy, touristy but less food-driven than the Admiralty,
and despite Youngs ownership a beer range that screams “Harvey’s !”.
A wise choice, cool and rich (NBSS 3.5), and at £6.60 perhaps a bit less than you’ve been told by LBC presenters that “a pint” costs in town these days. Shame about the Take That soundtrack, mind.
A lone barman is doing a lot of work in ensuring calm at the bar, where smartly dressed chaps eat a late lunch, a rare sight in pubs these days.
Smart apart from shoes. No-one wears proper shoes anymore.
You need walking shoes to get the best out of London, which for means a trip over magical Hungerford Bridge,
where my next pub also has an NHS connection.
*Now back with McMullens, who clearly have more confidence in pubs than the pub chains
retiredmartin 
Doesn’t that Twickenham Brewery pumpclip make the pub ineligible for the GBG ?
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They probably had the clip fully clothed when the GBG inspection team came around.
Would love to know how foreign tourists who brave the cask choose which one.
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Seriously though, that very pumpclip made the previous national Chairman strip the Twickenham Brewery of their award for the beer, no matter that nobody else considered a sketch of a well liked local classical statue to be equivalent to the original Dizzy Blonde, Elsie Mo and Top Totty images.
After my wonderful accommodation, my main memory of the AGM weekend 2½ years ago was of the London Regional Director being barred from Conference for the remainder of the weekend after forthrightly challenging the then Chairman about his decision.
A lovely final memory was of my last pint being in the Sheffield Tap with that well respected London Regional Director and Roger Protz.
And all too many members don’t go to meetings because they think they will boring. We’ll never see the likes of the Liverpool AGM again though.
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What happened in Liverpool ? Was the official CAMRA National Executive coach attacked ?
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There was nearly a vote of No Confidence in the National Executive, and if there had been ……………..
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What would have happened?
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I’ve now remembered that there was nearly a vote of No Confidence in the National CHAIRMAN, and if there had been who knows what would have happened ! Liverpool was uncharted territory.
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Proper Job!! Geddon!
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Takling of tourist things, this strange foreign pumpclip with a red triangle was spotted in Edinburgh on Saturday evening (in’t Cask & Barrel).
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And in the Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar !
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Oooh I must cross that lovely bridge 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
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The views from London bridges are wonderful, aren’t they ?
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