Aldous Harding in Southampton. Half an hour walk into the centre for a lone GBG tick and then the expected Meantime/Camden/Peroni in The 1865, a new venue for me. Southampton is basically micros, big shops, 9-0 home defeats and cruise ships, but I can make the Old Town look very pleasing with a well chosen… Continue reading CRAMMED INN. THE BARREL
FROTH IN FREEMANTLE
No, not that Freemantle; No, even that BRAPA visit to Melbourne in 2016 can’t get Australia in the GBG yet. But it was Simon’s visit to Southampton a year later that made me change plans and visit another non-GBG last Friday, perhaps in sympathy with BRAPA’s unproductive but wonderful trip to Rugby the week before.… Continue reading FROTH IN FREEMANTLE
THE POLISH PUB IN SOUTHAMPTON
A night in Southampton is a rarity; a lack of cheap accommodation and tiled pubs compared to Portsmouth always sways me in favour of Pompey. And then there’s the locals. But tonight (actually last Friday, keep up) there’s a gig in the centre of town, a new GBG tick next door, and a £35 guest… Continue reading THE POLISH PUB IN SOUTHAMPTON
EXEMPLAR BAR BLOCKING IN ROMSEY
So what was I doing in Hook, you ask ? Apart from rediscovering the thrill of the tip. I was on my way back to Southampton (again !) for more sultry South Coast small pub fun, of course. But first, a diversion to Romsey for the annual new GBG pub that you can’t believe you… Continue reading EXEMPLAR BAR BLOCKING IN ROMSEY
BEER TIPPING NEAR HOOK
I should firstly apologise to young Citra. My unplanned and unannounced drop-in to the foothills of Hook denied him the opportunity to join me in a spot of home-brew tipping. He didn’t miss much. Except for a rare outing for “Chiquitita” in a Hampshire gastropub. By the same token, I failed to drop in on… Continue reading BEER TIPPING NEAR HOOK
THE PEMBURY
You left me in Motspur Park, (F) which at least I can tell my children I’ve seen now. Wiki tells me the area has had two famous residents; Nigel Winterburn and George Clinton. Nigel apparently played maracas on the video for “Do fries go with that shake ?“. Anyway, too exciting for me, so I… Continue reading THE PEMBURY
BOB and RUDOLPH
Pub 5 on the West London list, and getting tricky. I’d asked in the Black Lion where Motspur Park was and just got shrugs. Technically New Malden, whoever he is. So I took the train to New Malded and walked, hoping for art. With the greatest respect, it’s duller than Cheadle. At least dusk made… Continue reading BOB and RUDOLPH
“TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT SURBITON”
I might group these pubs together soon, but then I’d go over 500 words and you’d just look at the pictures and try to find typos. And unquestionably, Surbiton’s Black Lion deserves its place in the sun. Excitingly, Surbiton needs a zig zag in and out of Clapham Junction to really increase my dispiritedness levels.… Continue reading “TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT SURBITON”
LEAVING THE KEW TO STEW
Look at the sacred scrap of paper with my West London itinerary and you’ll see how I’m sticking to the running order. Can I make it to the very end ? Don’t be daft, that’s sixteen (16) pubs. It was hard enough getting to Richmond’s Tap Tavern, for goodness sake. I waited on the corner… Continue reading LEAVING THE KEW TO STEW
BRENTFORD : BEES, PUB CATS, BLACK DOG
Well, this is an easy post on Brentford. Would have been better if I’d popped back in the Express Tavern for a Bass, of course, but these itineraries need to work like clockwork. So as I stood waiting for the E2 that seemed reluctant to come and staring at a sign for Piri Piri. Second… Continue reading BRENTFORD : BEES, PUB CATS, BLACK DOG
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