October 2026. Borough. London.
Last Sunday’s mini-crawl in London concludes with a walk throught Bermondsey, where I resist a detour to the Sussex Best in the Royal Oak (since I’m down in Harveys Land for a while, anyway),
admire a bit of St George the Martyr and Little Dorrit,
which sounds like the sort of psych-jazz band Matt listens to.
And then head down Borough High Street, home to approximately 289 Good Beer Guide pubs over the years.
So why don’t I recognise the Blue Maid ?
Rather plainer than the Old King’s Head or King’s Arms or the Duke of York or whatever, it’s a long narrow bar,
where on Sundays the cheery staff are flogging off a VERY GOOD Elusive Phobos for £4.
Four quid for interesting cask !
I can’t read the first few letters on their “A” board. Could be Sensual Sunday or Intellectual Sunday, I suppose.
Someone has just parked their guitar against the wall, which always raises the risk of an impromptu version of a Dylan song.
But I’m not hanging around to find out which one, as a bus costing a mere £1.75 is about to arrive across the road to whisk me back over London Bridge,
with its priceless views,
and past Leadenhall Market,
dumping me unceremoniously just shy of Liverpool Street Station.
Where I resist the siren call of the Spoons Beer Festival. Again.
That siren call is calling me today the newly introduced Sunday bus to the Prince Arthur in Fleet and for me being an oldie Martin free :-).
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Good call Matrin, £4 pints are a bargain anywhere, not just London.
The times they are a changing I think….
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Cello.
Not a guitar.
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Same thing, just posher.
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Same thing, just posher. Mrs RM plays cello, so I should know.
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Missed opportunity, the London masses were eagerly anticipating your Half Man, Half Biscuit medley.
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I had a beer in the Blue Maid last year – £5/pint – and recommended it to a friend in Sheffield who was going to London for a gig. He was very impressed. It’s got some sort of Charles Dickens connection. Perhaps he liked old pubs that had been stripped out and revisionsed for the 21st century (Dickens, not my Sheffielder) . I’m glad it’s still going strong, but it’s up against some competition in that area. Have you tried the George lately? https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24203/
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I think I’ve drunk in almost all the pubs in SE1, but (for some reason) not the Blue Maid. I have to visit.
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I quite like the Blue Maid, but this reduced price Sunday will suit me even more. E likes the alcoholic ginger beer, buit that’s pricey..
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