retiredmartin

February 2026. London.

From Charlton the train takes you back over the Thames,

then stops abruptly at Cannon Street.

It’s a quarter to six in the City of London; let’s have a look.

Not many suits or bowler hats or folded copies of the Financial Times, but young workers pack the pubs.

Plenty of pubs, but no space in the Pelt Trader, or the Spoons, or the Bell.

As Tandleman just wrote;

“Thursday is the new Friday for office workers in post Covid London, and despite the large outdoor drinking area (which we always avoid anyway due to smokers), the inside was bedlam. The pub isn’t that big and with a long queue – yes a queue – at the very small bar and every inch of space taken“.

But it’s not just the Thursday effect. I’ve been in London a few weekday nights of late, and pubs were just as busy on Tuesday and Wednesday. Up the A1, Simon reports being turned away from a packed pub last night.

I headed down to Bank Station, whose lengthy walk to the actual Underground platform is one of the UK’s epic urban trails,

and emerge again at Old Street, feeling hungry.

This is a part of Islington I don’t know well, bar a gig here in 2023, so I just walk aimlessly through N1 till I reach the bright lights of Bombay Corner (61 Nile Street), who were no doubt very keen I get the exterior shot with my patented “glare”.

A huge bowl of steaming lamb biryani with date and tamarind chutney and Masala chai for £12.99, comfy seat ahead of a standing gig free. London can be a bargain (those earlier pints were about a fiver).

They refused my tip, so instead I’ll recommend them to you, particularly if you’re visiting my next pub.