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  • Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Willi Schulz Shirt)

    Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Willi Schulz Shirt)

    According to Nathan, who studied this shirt in some detail (I’m not really into looking at old clothing), this is quite important for those interested in football. And, I must admit, it’s an interesting display item to have, which is a football shirt which was worn in the 1966 World Cup Final. It was worn by Willi Schulz, a German, er, footballer, who would have run up and down the field whilst wearing it. That’s all I can really write about football if I’m being honest.

    I was interested to read though that eight of the eleven England football players who received a winning medal felt the need to sell it to raise money. Certainly different times in terms of how much players received in wages. And, also, the majority of players seem to have suffered from Alzheimer’s, it’s suggested that might have been linked to how players used to head what would have been an heavier ball than is used now.

  • Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Ballot Box)

    Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Ballot Box)

    In an attempt to be topical since today is a General Election, here’s a ‘wahlurne’, or ballot box, which was used in German elections on 20 April 1947. After the years of Nazi rule, it must have been something of a relief to be able to vote once again in a democratic election.

    And that’s all I’m going to say about today’s General Election…..

  • Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (1714 State Crown of King George I)

    Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (1714 State Crown of King George I)

    I had wondered why there were so many staff at the UK exhibition at the Haus der Geschichte, but having seen the exhibits, I’m sure that many were actually security guards. Given some other little incidents at German museums recently, this seems a very wise precaution. HM Queen Elizabeth II has lent this 1714 State Crown from the Royal Collection, first used for the crowning of King George I. This is of course highly relevant to the museum, since King George I was German, the first Monarch from the House of Hanover.

    Only the empty gold frame of the crown now remains as the stones were used in a lighter replacement for Queen Victoria, so King William IV was the last to use it as his Coronation. The crown was discarded by the Royal Family and it somehow came into the hands of the Amherst family who placed it on long-term loan at the Museum of London. Later acquired by the Prince of Brunei, it was returned back to the Royal Collection as a generous donation, with apparently an estimated value of a little over £500,000, but it’s of a much more important historical value.

    The crown is usually on display at the Tower of London, where I assume it will be returned after this temporary exhibition ends. But what a rather lovely item to send to Bonn, although its importance was perhaps not as clearly described as it could have been on the small information panel at the museum.

  • Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Fawlty Towers)

    Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (Fawlty Towers)

    Part of the exhibition on British-German relations at the special UK exhibition being held at the Haus der Geschichte. The curators seem to have amused themselves in finding cultural references to how the British view the Germans and vice versa.

    The light-hearted approach from British and German newspapers…..

  • Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (9/11 Girder from World Trade Center)

    Bonn – Haus der Geschichte (9/11 Girder from World Trade Center)

    This is one of the girders from the collapsed World Trade Center which was destroyed during the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey made available 2,200 of these pieces of steel to be used in museums and public buildings around the world. I’m not sure that a list exists of where they currently all are, but I must have seen tens of them over the years.

    Eleven Germans were killed during the attack and this is the museum’s memorial to them.

  • London – The Craft Beer Co Clerkenwell

    London – The Craft Beer Co Clerkenwell

    This was another of Nathan’s excellent drinking choices, but I had been trying to remember why I had heard of this rather lovely pub chain. This is the advantage of this blog, well to me anyway, as I was able to see that I had visited their outlet in Brighton.

    The menu here is for drink as the pub stocks several hundred different bottles from around the world, alongside twelve or so guest beers on tap from around the country. The choice was certainly excellent with just about every beer type that I could think of being listed. The pub doesn’t sell food, but customers are apparently able to bring pizzas in from next door. There’s a Greggs opposite, I’m unsure whether customers are allowed to bring in their fine food as well, but I’m sure the staff would be amenable to such a sensible request.

    It’s clear from some of these prices that this pub isn’t nervous about stocking higher end beers which are harder to find. I’ve never really understood why some people feel that expensive beer is somehow unjustifiable, whereas expensive wine is acceptable. I’m not drinking anything that pricey, but small scale imported beers are sometimes inevitably going to be a little specialist.

    There was quite a refined atmosphere in the pub, but it remained relaxed and comfortable.

    The ceiling of glass panels was intriguing….. There’s seating upstairs in this pub, which dates from the Victorian period and was formerly known as the Clock House before the Craft Beer Co took it over in 2011, although before the 1860s it was the Coach & Horses from at least the late eighteenth century. It was a Greene King pub before 2011, so there’s certainly been an upgrade on the beer at least, with some of the pub’s old internal features retained.

    Service was relaxed and engaging, with the staff member chatting away about the range of drinks. The prices aren’t the cheapest, but I’m far more interested in the quality of the beer than the quantity. As clearly was Nathan, as he spent some ridiculous sum on his beer, the name of which I can’t recall.

    So, on to the delights of TripAdvisor, where this pub is very well reviewed by hundreds of happy customers. Bar this one.

    “Not only I work in the area so tried it a few times but also on occasion went with friends who are professional brewers from Switzerland. On all occasions beers were just rank. My friends pointed out they are infected with wild yeast hence the spoilage but the reaction was “nah mate all good”. Bottled Budweiser (and oh dear lord is it pisswater) tastes better than spoiled beer. I’ll always avoid at all costs and recommend you do the same, plenty of other good places around serving fresh beer from a tank.”

    From a tank?!?!?! And the chances of the beer being infected is near zero in my view given how many they sell and not one other person has managed to find infected beer in any other TripAdvisor review….

    This pub is the first in the chain, which other than Brighton is only in London, and they note:

    “Our first pub was opened on an historic site on London’s Leather Lane and held the distinction of having the most beer taps in the UK until May 2014 when it was overtaken by out very own Covent Garden pub”.

    That is some claim to fame….  Anyway, a marvellous pub and quite rightly in the Good Beer Guide.

  • London – Masque Haunt

    London – Masque Haunt

    I’ve been to this JD Wetherspoon outlet many times, but I felt that a repeat visit was necessary since we were walking past it anyway. I’ve spent too many hours here faffing about whilst waiting for VISA applications, not a process I’ve had to endure recently. It’s located near to Old Street and it’s a relatively large Wetherspoons, with a raised area towards the back of the pub.

    The Market Porter from Portobello Brewing Co was unexceptional as it lacked a little richness, but it remained entirely drinkable.

    I like the below review on TripAdvisor, it seems to have escalated quickly…..

    “We came in as a group and the bar manager decided we were too loud and refused us service. No food, no napkins and [they] threatened to call the police”.

    Also, I’m not sure that this is how London pricing works….

    “I bought a nachos (normally What I get from my local Wetherspoons) they’ve given me a tiny teaspoon of each ? when I asked for more because I’ve paid extra because I was in London they were REALLY REALLY rude”

    Long ago, around the end of the eighteenth century, the site of this pub was the White Hart and it remained open until around 1910. The old buildings have now been demolished, but I like the continuity of the site once again being used as a pub, a Wetherspoons since 1994.

    The name of the pub is also intriguing, and Wetherspoons note:

    “In Elizabethan times, the nearby gatehouse of the former Priory of St John served as the office of the Master of the Revels, who was responsible for licensing plays, masques and other entertainment for the queen. A masque was a lavish drama with music and dancing, written by the leading poets and playwrights of the day. It was performed by masked figures and had an unusual name, like the masked haunt.”

    Anyway, a perfectly acceptable pub and the prices are towards the cheaper end of the scale given the location.

  • Business Traveller

    The final paragraph of an article in Business Traveller by Richard Tams, who is apparently an airline consultant now but he used to work as an airport manager.  The story amused me….

  • LDWA – Return of the Wolsey Waddle

    LDWA – Return of the Wolsey Waddle

    The Wolsey Waddle was a challenge event run by Norfolk and Suffolk LDWA in the summer of 2019, with a 30-mile option and a 21-mile option. As it is a challenge event which is only being held once, I decided to lead the 21-mile version of the walk as a social event. Thanks to Peter, and other volunteers, for creating this route around Ipswich and also for helping ensure that the tides were in the appropriate place so that we didn’t get into difficulties with the mud and water…..

    12 of us walked the walk, with everyone finishing. Thanks to everyone who came along and below are some photos from the day. We saw some interesting sights, including Noah’s Ark in the centre of Ipswich, with the full GPX file and route description at https://www.ldwa.org.uk/NorfolkAndSuffolk/W/1409/n-s-events.html.

  • London – The Harp

    London – The Harp

     

    This pub in Covent Garden is sufficiently notable to have its own Wikipedia page, primarily as it is one of the few pubs which has won national CAMRA pub of the year. Formerly the Welsh Harp, the premises have been licensed since at least the late eighteenth century, but became particularly well known when Binnie Walsh owned the premises. Fuller’s purchased the pub in 2014, but have sensibly stayed out of the way to ensure that the premises can be run in the style of a freehouse.

    The beer choice was extensive and well balanced, with a range of beer styles available. The service was prompt, efficient and unusually friendly for such a central and busy location. The pub was busy, but this seems to be a common issue, although such a well run pub charging reasonable prices is inevitably going to be a crowded one in a city such as this.

    Pump clips showing the range of beers which have previously been sold here.

    The interior decoration, where it can be seen through the hub of people, is quirky and different.

    There are nearly no negative TripAdvisor reviews, other than the usual ridiculous ones. This is a favourite:

    “Does not allow even one small sleeping infant. Didn’t want to forfeit space to paying clients even though the place was empty. Disappointing”

    It’s almost as though a busy pub with highly limited amounts of space is an ideal place for a small sleeping infant…..

    Another review seems more justified when complaining about a manager, with the pub’s reply being:

    “I’m sorry to hear this news but very interested by your comments and I believe I might know of whom out of the management team you are referring to. If I’m correct in my assumption, then you will be pleased to know that he is moving on to pastures new at the end of this week.”

    Certainly honest.

    And just to show how bloody useless TripAdvisor is as any sort of useful resource, here’s another of the few negative reviews for the pub:

    “Went with the family stopping by the harp on our way to Niagara Falls. The idea was to experience some Irish foods since this is our heritage. We were very disappointed with the food. Our group ordered fish & chips (very very greasy), meatloaf, Shepard pie- both of which had a very bland yet strange taste to them, a cheeseburger( completely bland and dried out”

    This review was meant to be for the Irish Harp pub at 245 King Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada. Easy mistake to make…..

    All in all, absolutely lovely, something entirely unexpected in the heart of Covent Garden. It is still winning awards, not just from the CAMRA, winning the 2019 Evening Standard London pub of the year. Inevitably given all of this, the pub is deservedly in the Good Beer Guide.