Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: UK

London – Illuminated River Bridges Walk

This post is just made up mostly of photos from a walk that I went on yesterday evening along the River Thames. It was expertly led by Licia, who I met on Des’s walk last week, and was on the theme of the Illuminated River Bridges project. There’s plenty of information about this whole project at https://illuminatedriver.london/, but in short, it’s an art installation along the river which currently covers nine bridges.

The nine bridges are London Bridge, Cannon Street Railway Bridge, Southwark Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Golden Jubilee Footbridges, Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Bridges. There were plans to extend the project to Albert Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Grosvenor Railway Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge, although these need further funding and that isn’t currently guaranteed.

Licia led five of us (there were some no-shows, a problem becoming ever more challenging for walk leaders up and down the country, but that’s a different matter) along the route, which ended just after Westminster Bridge. I never knew that Westminster Bridge is green and Lambeth Bridge is red to reflect the colours of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The temperature was just right (for me) and there was quite a relaxed atmosphere along the River Thames and along the South Bank. Other than for the most ill-placed adverts that I’ve seen, promoting Nissan and it was a huge block of light and noise (the advert, not the car).

We saw a seal merrily swimming along the Thames and it was nice to end the walk at the National Covid Memorial Wall, which is where I’ll receive my second vaccination in a few weeks (most precisely at St. Thomas Hospital which is above the wall, rather than at the wall itself). Des had led a walk that I went on last year which visited some of the other bridges in this project, so it was interesting to meander along this section of the Thames and it all went very quickly (the sign of Licia being a very good walk leader!) and I only got in the way about three times. The walk was free and was listed on Eventbrite, with future ones also being planned I think.

Anyway, all very lovely, and, as usual, click on any the photos to make them larger.

June 23, 2021
London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – Brewdog Clapham Junction

I continue to work my way around Brewdogs in London, with Richard joining me on this visit as he was in the city for his specialist work purposes. I had wondered whether it’d be quite busy in the bar on a Sunday evening, but it was nearly empty inside (although full outside, where Richard and I had agreed we didn’t want to sit anyway). I hadn’t realised that this branch existed (lots of things seem to pass me by), but it’s been here since 2014.

And welcome to Brewdog….. The decor was modern and typical Brewdog in style, all well maintained and comfortable. We were offered a table that was a bit high up and Richard worried he’d get drunk and fall off it (I think that was the reason, it might not have been though) so we sat at some lower down chairs to avoid any mischief happening. I liked how many power points had been installed throughout the bar as well.

The beer fridge at the front of the shop.

A couple of the third pints that I purchased, the Black Ball from the To Øl Danish brewery (on the left) and the Blue to a Goose from Wild Weather (on the right). Both were excellent, the latter had a very rich hit of blueberries (certainly the best way to get fruit into the body) and quite a sweetness to it.

Richard ordered this, I can’t afford decadence like this. I haven’t seen them serve this in Brewdog before, but it’s a marvellous idea and the quality of the cheeses was very high. Richard was very pleased with the £10 that he paid for this, and they also have a charcuterie board as well. They don’t serve burgers here, just pizzas and these platters, because of the small kitchen. I prefer this set-up, although of course there’s a problem that I couldn’t get all you can eat chicken wings here (and nor could I bring anyone for their cauliflower wings)….. Having said that, looking at reviews they used to serve very popular Scotch eggs and sausage rolls, their loss is disappointing.

I’ve had a run of excellent customer service in the Brewdogs at Canary Wharf, Ealing, Seven Dials and Brixton, but it was all a bit more muted here. No real engagement about the range of beers, but the service was always warm and polite. It was just very good, rather than the exceptional service that I’ve experienced recently in the chain. The branch is smaller than some other ones in the chain, but it was clean and organised throughout. The range of beers was a little more limited than some other Brewdog branches, perhaps given that they’re a smaller size. Anyway, all a rather pleasant experience (and Richard didn’t fall off his chair).

June 21, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Barrel Project

This is the Barrel Project, which interested me as it is the taproom of the London Beer Factory and they say that it’s a fluid space which is used for numerous different purposes. The brewery themselves are located in Norwood and they were founded by brothers in 2013. This space along the Bermondsey Beer Mile is in their words, “a joint blendery, conditioning area, and taproom for the London Beer Factory”.

My phone didn’t like the lighting in the venue as the quality of the photos isn’t great, but they give an indication of what the interior looks like. It took a minute or so for a staff member to notice me at the entrance, and although that isn’t very much time at all, I know I stand awkwardly whilst waiting to be noticed. I don’t want to draw attention to myself as I’m British, but equally I did want to be noticed so that I could be seated. To deal with this dilemma, I looked at my phone so I appeared to be casually waiting without looking like I was annoyed at waiting. It’s a hard balance and challenging not to stand looking awkward…. Anyway, I digress.

The main bar, a traditional style frontage which looks quite grand. The venue is generally well reviewed, although I noted the:

“Sterile, gimmicky, the ‘craft’ beer scene at its worst. Can’t see it lasting”

That was three years ago, and it seems to be lasting quite well…. I didn’t find it formulaic, it ended up feeling vibrant and on-trend for me without really needing to try. The nod towards a traditional style also works well with the modern elements.

And another 1/5 review of:

“Stag groups not allowed in”.

Good.

Everything else is much more positive in terms of reviews, with the atmosphere here feeling very relaxed and informal. Although being located in railway arches does make for a poor phone signal.

To the left are some of the hundreds of barrels which are located here, along with the seating which goes all the way to the back of the unit. It was busy on the Sunday afternoon that I visited, with most of the tables occupied during the entire time that I was there.

There was a printed menu for customers, but I did like that they’d still made the effort to chalk the beer list onto the wall as well. There were numerous different beers that I wanted to try, but I limited myself to 1/3 of three of the stouts.

And the three beers, with the staff member very carefully remembering which was which, pretty useful since they’re all stouts that look the same. Not that it matters to anyone, but I can still remember the order, so I shall note that here as a nod towards my professionalism….. All brewed by the London Beer Factory themselves, the top one is the Big Milk Stout, then the one with the head in the middle is the Zia and then the one at the bottom is the Wonky Tonk. The first two beers were very acceptable, but it was the third one that interested me the most.

I left the Wonky Tonk until last as I thought it would be the best, and it did work out like that. The description for the beer reads:

“A three bean stout, dripping with deep chocolate, heady vanilla and roasted almondy tonka beans. Layered and luxuriant, this beer morphs as it warms, cascading through the strata of flavours. Relaxing you into that post-dinner armchair”.

That sounds decadent. And it didn’t disappoint, a rich and full mouthfeel with a delicious initial chocolate hit. A smooth aftertaste, almost like a liquid hot chocolate, but with slightly nutty and vanilla flavours. Really quite lovely, and I didn’t get bored of it either, sometimes these strong ABVs, and this was 11.5%, can get a little harsh by the end. I like beers with a real depth of flavour.

This is the third attempt that I’ve made to get in here, they’ve been too busy before. However, I’m glad that I persisted, as the welcome was authentic, the interior is quirky and interesting, with no shortage of excellent beers to try. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, so definitely a recommended visit for anyone visiting the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

June 21, 2021
London – Camden (Borough of) – Euston Tap

Continuing my mission to visit all the Good Beer Guide pubs in London, I haven’t been to the Euston Tap for many years. There are two parts of this, the opposite lodge is separated by a bus lane, and the other half now has the same name, although I remember that as the Cider Tap or something similar. The two lodges are both listed buildings (under the same listing) and they were built as detached structures to the railway station in 1870. They were built with Portland Stone and were designed by JB Stansby who was working for the London & North Western Railway. As is noted on the listed building record, this is all that remains from the 1870 railway station, given the destruction of the Euston Arch (and indeed, everything else).

I won’t stray onto the matter of the Euston Arch, which stood here until Ernest Marples, one of the most incompetent, morally bankrupt, corrupt and deceitful of British politicians, ordered it to be taken down. I feel I’ve said enough about the odious, fraudulent and disgrace that was Ernest Marples, as it’s important to be balanced about individuals and not just see the bad in them. Anyway, I’ve digressed onto one of my favourite subjects, so back to beer, another one of my favourite subjects.

The beer selection was chalked up on a board and I haven’t seen this in a while, with on-line ordering systems rather taking over during the last year. An interesting selection of different styles, although lacking in darker beers. Prices are reasonable given the quality available and also the central London location of being just outside a major railway station.

It wasn’t very busy inside, although it was considerably busier outside. There’s a screen showing football to those seated outside, which isn’t visible to those who are located inside. This, speaking just for me, is the ideal compromise. Put smokers and football watchers outside to deal with either the cold or the wasps when it’s hot, leaving craft beer “connoisseurs” inside. Well, something like that anyway…..

I opted for the Fruju pale ale from the Big Smoke Brew Co, which was OK, but I wasn’t getting the depth of flavours that I anticipated. There was a rich mouthfeel, and I note that the brewery mention they put added oats in to achieve this, a process that I hadn’t realised. There were some stoned fruit flavours, but the aftertaste was all a little weak, so I’d say this was just an average beer for me. But, interesting to try it.

Overall, this is a bit of a local tradition in terms of pubs and absolutely recommended, not least as there’s a bit of heritage and quirkiness to the arrangements. The staff member was knowledgeable and helpful, it was a comfortable and clean environment, and although it’s small inside, at least there’s plenty of space outside and ideal for those who like bus spotting (I don’t, but I don’t judge, I knew someone who spent hours faffing about with Pokemon, and I rarely commented on that….).

June 20, 2021
London – Camden (Borough of) – Craft Beer Co. Covent Garden

I’ve got myself a bit muddled up (again) as I didn’t realise that The Craft Beer Co. had this bar, which they call Covent Garden, but I associate with being in Holborn (it’s actually between the two, so they’re completely right). This is relevant, as I muddled it up with the outlet on Leather Lane, which is also near to Holborn, and thought for some reason it was the same place. That boring little story aside, it means that I had to go and visit this bar I hadn’t realised existed to ensure that I didn’t miss out on anything. As an aside, it’s also in the Good Beer Guide, so that’s another one visited.

Staffing engagement was excellent, with the team members being friendly, knowledgeable and keen to help. The bar was busy, but they found me a decent seat by the window, with table service being offered. There were plenty of team members around to assist customers, with the atmosphere feeling laid-back and vibrant.

Another outlet in the chain earlier in the week didn’t have an up-to-date beer list, but they did here. I’m happy with this beer selection, a nice mixture of different beer styles.

As an aside, that’s the bar’s licence taped to the window on the right of the photo. At least ten people came to have a look at it when I seated there, I assume thinking that it was a menu. I liked that the bar remained busy throughout my visit, as although it’s a central London location, these are tough times.

I only had one drink here today, as I was on a mission to get food elsewhere, but I went for the Atomic Crush from Amundsen Brewery. It’s a raspberry, peach and vanilla pastry sour, which is becoming one of my favourite styles of beer now. I’ve been well advised I think to have got a taste for this beer style, with Amundsen being a well regarded brewery from Oslo in Norway. As a beer, it was excellent, with a strong raspberry hit, then the sourness bites before the more subtle flavours of vanilla and stoned fruit become evident.

I noticed a negative review from three years from an angry person who said they looked forwards to the demise of this chain (they might have a long wait) which had some drivel about watering down beer. I like how the bar replied:

“The above could not possibly be referring to our pub where we sell the finest and largest range of quality beers in the whole of the UK at very reasonable prices.”

Nice 🙂

I remain a fan of this chain of bars, all on-trend, well reviewed, exciting and offering something new every time. I’ve checked (more carefully this time) how many more bars I have left to visit in this chain, and it’s just the Brixton one. I’ll fix that omission this week. Definitely recommended, and I’m very pleased that it’s in the Good Beer Guide, and this is a different sort of bar to the usual ones listed.

June 19, 2021
London – Camden (Borough of) – The Swan

On my continuing journey of Good Beer Guide pubs in London, this is the Greene King operated (yes, I know) Swan near Holborn. It all looks welcoming from the exterior, well, other than it’s got a Greene King sign on it. I’m not sure how old the building is, but unlike its neighbour, it’s not listed.

An interesting pub interior and a very friendly staff member came over to welcome me at the door, so it was all efficient and inviting. The France and Hungary football match was showing and I was asked if I’d like to watch it, which I thought was nice to check. It wasn’t that busy in the pub, although it was a little busier with customers sitting out the front. I liked that the football was showing for those who wanted it, but without the volume being so loud that it meant everyone in the pub had to listen to it. Life is a careful balance as they say (well, they might do, I don’t know).

The app told me that Greene King IPA was available, but I was hoping for an alcoholic drink and I’m glad that I checked, as the staff member told me that there were a couple more options to choose from. I don’t want to moan (but, yet here we are….) but Greene King are meant to be a brewer of beer (and Greene King IPA) and they have hundreds of products listed on their app, but they don’t bother listing the ales (other pub companies seem to manage….). They hamper their staff unnecessarily, but I was pleased to note that they had the N1 from Hammerton Brewery. That’s a perfectly decent beer and a nod towards sourcing from local suppliers, so this pleased me. It was well kept, at the appropriate temperature and was nicely refreshing, as well as being reasonably priced.

Some of the interesting decoration in the pub, which was clean and organised throughout. Given the friendly welcome, a choice of ales and a quirky environment, it probably justifies being in the Good Beer Guide. There’s also traditional pub food available, and that seems to be well reviewed, so this is a safe choice for those wanting food and drink in this part of central London. In terms of service though, that was excellent here, so how lovely….

June 19, 2021
London – Westminster (Borough of) – Theodore Bullfrog

The Theodore Bullfrog is a Youngs pub located near to Charing Cross station and I have no idea why it has this name. CAMRA note that there has been a pub on this site since 1690, originally known as St. Martin’s Tavern, but that the current building dates (which does look a little out of place given the neighbouring buildings) from 1959. I understand from reviews that it’s usually a busy location, but, yet again, pub numbers are suppressed at the moment given the lack of tourists and commuters in the city.

The staff member mentioned that I could watch the football if I wanted, although, as might be expected, I didn’t want to. I was given a nice table well away from the action, just as I like it. As I write this, from nearby Trafalgar Square, there are huge numbers of Scottish fans around, I’m not sure I understand the excitement of coming without a ticket to watch the actual match, but I don’t think I really understand football and the atmosphere behind it. I do have some tentative visits to football matches in Spain and Poland later this year, which fall into my “we’ll see how this goes and I’ll likely dislike it” category, but who knows…..

Anyway, moving on from football, this is a large pub, with the ground floor being on slightly different levels, and there’s also an upstairs dining area as well. A few customers were dining at the pub and the menu is traditional pub fare, at quite high prices even for London. The price for half a pint of real ale (how decadent of me….) was reasonable and in keeping with their local neighbours (I mean the local pubs, not random people living nearby). The reviews are a little mixed, I think with the food pricing causing some issues at times, but I noticed this review:

“The barmaid upstairs was awful, I had a guest list of 20 people under the name of James and she was rude to everyone. She was argumentative, conflicting and unaccommodating, I won’t be coming back.”

Perhaps the pub’s response tells the whole story here…

“Hi James, i’m very sorry but we don’t allow our customers to consume alcohol brought in from outside the pub.”

It’s evident that the beer selection is usually somewhat more exciting, with five different real ale options and some craft beer choices sometimes available at least. I was left with the only option of Youngs London Original, which was fine and entirely well-kept, but, unfortunately unexceptional. I mentioned in my Brewdog post the other day how that chain might have difficulties in some areas, but it’s a country mile ahead in others. It’s evident from my visits to Youngs and Nicholsons pubs over the last few days that both chains are struggling on a wider level and I do wonder whether they’ll be forced into closing more locations over future years.

Anyway, I liked the environment of this pub and the staff members were friendly and the pub seemed spotlessly clean. They were using their own log-in system rather than the NHS track and trace, but at least they were checking details to comply with the rules. It was all fine, but there was nothing overly exciting to tempt me back…..

June 18, 2021
London – Westminster (Borough of) – Princess of Wales

The Princess of Wales, a Nicholson’s pub located between Embankment and Charing Cross underground stations. It’s a new entry to the Good Beer Guide this year and CAMRA claim that the pub is named after the wife of Edward VII rather than Princess Diana. The pub disagrees, noting on its web-site:

“This historic pub is named in memory of George IV’s secret first wife. When still Prince Regent, he secretly married Catholic widow Maria Fitzherbert in 1785. The marriage was declared illegal at his father’s behest, because George would have been ineligible to reign with a Catholic wife.”

Anyway, I have little concern over who the pub is actually named after, and both individuals can perhaps share the honour. When I entered, the welcome was prompt and friendly enough, with the pub being moderately busy. Football is on tonight and so pubs are perhaps busier than they might otherwise be.

The real ale selection is usually more substantial, but today they just had London Pride and Nicholson’s Pale Ale on, neither of which makes my heart beat faster. As far as London Pride goes, it was fine and I got my 25p off a half pint as now seems to be the norm on the Nicholson’s app. On that point, the staff member seemed just slightly confused that I wanted to order via the app, but that was because I wanted my 25p off. Every penny counts…..

Incidentally, with the photo above, I didn’t crouch down below the bar to avoid detection or something, it’s just that the pub has in these Covid times put tables below the bar and that’s where I was sitting. There’s quite a food menu available and I think that there’s a separate dining area upstairs, although this remains a relatively small pub.

OK, this is a pretty terrible photo, but the environment was a little dark and it’s the best that I have. It was all clean and organised, with a variety of customers, from football fans to people waiting for a train. There was some trouble with Scottish fans trying to cause issues outside, although that hadn’t spilled over into the pub. Staff members weren’t thanking customers as they left, despite it being a small pub and they could have done. It doesn’t much matter, but it’s a nice touch when staff do offer some sort of farewell.

As it stands and based on this visit, I don’t really see anything to justify this pub being in the Good Beer Guide, the beer selection, the environment and the welcome weren’t anything particularly notable. However, these are difficult times, so perhaps it can be much better.

June 18, 2021
London Beatles Themed Walk

Des, the man of many walk leading talents, had a walk in London which was themed on Rock n Roll and the Beatles. I’d struggle to say that I was a music expert, but this was a handy introduction to the main sites in central London which are related to the Beatles, so I decided to honour Des with my presence. I thought it was a six mile walk, but it was actually five miles, but either way, it was an interesting little urban adventure. I can’t say that I can bring Beatles stories to life in this post, but I’d recommend instead waiting until Des leads this walk again to get the professional edge.

We started off, during the only slightly wet part of the walk, going by the BBC’s Maida Vale studios. The building was opened in 1909 as the Maida Vale Roller Skating Palace and Club, but was gutted inside in 1934 when it was repurposed for the BBC. The BBC Symphony Orchestra have been based here since 1934 and, importantly for this walk, the Beatles recorded here in 1963. The BBC was hoping to flog the building off for development, but this plan has gone a little awry as Historic England have just gone and listed the building. The frontage of the building is original and quite intriguing, but the roof is hardly noted for its architectural merit.

Des in full flow.

Next was the Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded numerous albums. There are signs up noting that the public aren’t allowed into the car park, as I can imagine how many people would have otherwise flooded in to investigate the area.

Along with the Beatles claim to fame, the building was also where Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra.

And outside Abbey Road Studios is the famous zebra crossing used on a Beatles album cover. I’ve meant to come here for many years, given it’s a London tourist destination, but this is the first time that I’ve actually managed to get here. It’s not immediately obvious that it’s the right crossing and Des mentioned normally it would have been much busier with tourists wanting their photo taken. At least drivers at the moment are saved the inconvenience of people walking onto the road and then faffing about with photos. As with many things at the moment, this was a good time to visit such a tourist hotspot.

I decided that I should take a suitable photo….. As an aside, there were some wonderful people on the walk, such a variety of different backgrounds and stories. One lovely Italian lady is a tour guide and she mentioned a free walk she’s leading next week, that I shall be going to.

The walk then looped into Regent’s Park, always a beautiful area to walk by.

After a quick sit down in a mini lunch break, the tour started again.

After walking by Baker Street station, we arrive at this building which I’ve walked by many times, but never known the significance. The plaque notes that John Lennon and George Harrison worked here, but there was more to it than that.

Today, the building is used by Marsh & Parsons, but it was once the Apple Boutique. This story was entirely new to me, so much praise again to Des for pointing this out (although I assume every Beatles fan already knew about it, and indeed, probably nearly everyone, but these things pass me by). The shop opened on 7 December 1967 and there was a plan to launch a national chain of these Apple Stores. Things didn’t quite go to plan and the enterprise wasn’t the highly profitable venture that was hoped for and in the end, it was just decided to give the entire stock of the shop away. That caused some rather heated scenes and some big financial losses.

We moved to our next location on Savile Row, where everyone along the street was impeccably well dressed. Well, I wasn’t obviously, but I mean the locals were. All a bit decadent and fancy for my liking. The relevance here is that the Beatles final live performance took place on the roof of this building.

The plaque on the building, noting that the unannounced performance that took place on 30 January 1969. The band was able to play for 42 minutes before the Metropolitan Police came along and told them to quieten things down.

The tour miastro continues.

Our final stop worried me slightly, I thought Des had taken us to a gym. This definitely wouldn’t have been in the joining instructions, but it was an opportunity for our highly esteemed walk leader to tell us about his youth and musical experiences. This was another rather lovely walk and I’m pleased to have had my knowledge improved substantially, so now I’ve done mini tours of Beatles related locations in Liverpool and London. And I can now say finally that I’ve walked across Abbey Road zebra crossing.

June 18, 2021
London – Westminster (Borough of) – Cross Keys

This cornucopia of foliage outside this Covent Garden pub makes for quite a memorable welcome for customers (and no doubt an Instagram opportunity for many), and it proves to be just as quirky inside. A Good Beer Guide listed pub, it’s an independently operated venue (I think) which is a little unusual for the area, which seems dominated by chains such as Nicholsons and Fullers. The pub dates to 1848, when this whole Endell Street area was modernised, so there’s some Victorian heritage here as well.

The welcome from the staff members was immediate and genuine, although I got the impression that the staff were just keen to get more customers in. This was yet another quiet pub in Covent Garden, but I understand that in more normal times it would usually be difficult to get to the bar, let alone get a seat. The decoration is quirky, indeed somewhat quirky, but I liked that, and there was plenty to look at around the pub. Perhaps some people might think that it’s slightly dingy and needs a little bit of a clear out, but I’d hate for a pub such as this to be modernised and made to be all barren and sterile. The downstairs toilets were also an exciting expedition down some quite steep stairs, but it all adds to the character of the arrangement.

The staff member apologised that the pub doesn’t have any real ales on at the moment, but he mentioned some other options, which included the Reliance Pale Ale from Brixton Brewery. I hadn’t had that before and it was an acceptable alternative, not unreasonably priced. The pub had a comfortable feel, although I suspect the staff were just struggling with how to be trying to run a pub with so few customers in it, but that the service was attentive for everyone who did come in. I think that they serve food at lunchtimes, although I didn’t particularly look for menus, but reviews suggest that it’s sandwiches and pies which are all entirely acceptable. There’s also an outside area which gives the pub a little bit more space, but this isn’t one of the largest venues.

For anyone with a limited amount of time in Covent Garden who has the ability to visit just the one pub, I think that I’d recommend this one. Something very British and authentic about this, and it’s quirky enough to feel really quite different to the pubs in the surrounding area. Friendly service, a comfortable environment and a reasonable beer selection, all rather lovely.

June 17, 2021