retiredmartin

April 2026. London.

Staying overnight in Tunbridge Wells meant an easy rail journey the next morning; half-full Southeastern train to London Bridge, Northern Line to Old Street, 20 minute walk to the Museum of the Home next to Hoxton Station.

We’re meeting the lovely Joan and Dave “US Dave” Southworth, who are staying near enough to East London’s Sutton Arms to become regulars.

They’re staying in what I think of as Barbican, though their hotel says “Clerkenwell”, and the mainline station is Farringdon. No wonder the GBG entries get moved about the geographical headings each year.

And what even is “Old Street” ?

“Old Street is a 1-mile (1.6 km) street in inner north-east Central London, England that runs west to east from Goswell Road in Clerkenwell, in the London Borough of Islington, via St Luke’s and Old Street Roundabout, to the crossroads where it meets Shoreditch High Street (south), Kingsland Road (north) and Hackney Road (east) in Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney.” Wiki.

That’s OK, then.

Later that day Dave will ask me how one visits “Islington“, and I’ll tell him that Islington isn’t a real place, even though I went to their actual Assembly Hall for a gig this year.

Anyway, we’re in Shoreditch, I think, used to be the epicentre of Nathan Barley hipster chic but now Rick Astley owns their Mikkeller so I doubt it’s even as hip as Richmond these days.

I like the high rise around Old Street,

but the zig-zag walk to Hoxton isn’t overpubbed, though there’s Fullers ESB in the George & Vulture (too soon, too soon !).

And plenty of Cheap Booze, which ought to be a trading division of Spoons.

Pitfield Street has some nice greenery, and the KO Lion martial arts club,

though I failed to notice the Heritage Macbeth, with its rumoured Bass.

Who decides London pubs don’t need to open till 3pm ?