Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: UK

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Green Park Elephants

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Green Park Elephants

    Mostly just photos in this post, which are of the elephants which are currently in Green Park. They’ve been placed here by The Elephant Family charity as part of an exercise to raise awareness of the challenges which elephants face in the wild.

    For those who want to see them, they’re a bit split up at the moment, with some at Green Park and others at St. James’s Park and Berkeley Square. Definitely worth going to see and they seemed popular with visitors to the park. They’ve been in their current locations since 14 June and will be there until 23 July 2021, and I think there’s then a way of buying them individually to help the charity raise funds.

  • Norwich – Brewery Tap (Brew York Tap Takeover)

    Norwich – Brewery Tap (Brew York Tap Takeover)

    I was very excited a couple of weeks ago to discover that the Brewery Tap in Norwich (who I’ve written about before, so won’t repeat myself as it probably wasn’t that interesting in the first place….) had a tap takeover by Brew York. Sadly, I don’t have any friends who were equally excited about that (sniff, need to get more beer friiiieeennnddss I guess, if people will excuse the Inbetweeners reference), so I just had to assemble a random group of friends who would be vaguely interested.

    Above are the cask and keg menus from the evening, with some really quite exciting options available. Anyway, the five friends I dragged along were really for the gossip rather than for me to share beer notes with, but that just had to suffice. And I suppose they were good company, although they need training up a bit in the beer front.

    There were other beer options available for those who didn’t want to sample products from Brew York. That transpired to be most of our group, it was just Steve drinking these with me.

    We can ignore the other four here, as only Steve and I decided to go with the Brew York options, ordering thirds to allow for the sampling of as many beers as realistically possible. Above are the four cask options of Haze of Thunder (a modern pale ale), Big Eagle (an American West Coast IPA), Honey I Shrunk the Impys (a honey and oatmeal stout) and Tonkoko (a tonka bean, coconut, vanilla and cacao milk stout). Thanks to the careful nature of the bar staff, they’re in that order in the photo as well.

    My favourites here were the dark beers, which is perhaps not surprising. The Honey I Shrunk the Impys had a decent flavour, but there wasn’t quite the honey flavour that I’d anticipated, but still all rather pleasant. I forgot that I’d had the Tonkoko before (at Chilli Devils in Hull) and this was the star of the casks show. Rich with the taste of coconut and vanilla noticeable, although it didn’t quite have as much taste of Bounty Bar (which the brewer mentioned) as the Arcade City from Overworks that I’d had a couple of weeks ago at Brewdog Ealing. But no bad beers out of the four, but it was time to move onto the kegs, which is a bit more of my thing.

    The bar staff had carefully chalked on the names of the beers, which made things much easier for me. In the top row of the photo are Ripple Twister (a raspberry and vanilla ice cream IPA), the Mangolorian (a juicy mango and lime milkshake IPA) and Kirsch Russell (a cherry pie pastry sour). In the bottom row are A New Beginning (a coffee, blueberry, cacao, walnut and vanilla imperial stout), a decadent pack of Mini Cheddars (cheese and nectar of the Gods) and the Dream Child (an ice cream pastry imperial stout).

    Frankly, these were all excellent and a delight to be behold (I need to get out more being this easily pleased….). But, with a focus on just one, the Dream Child, which was one of my favourite beers of the year so far. There were some really powerful tastes in this, rich and it didn’t feel like its 14% ABV. It really was like the Rocky Road dessert that it set out to replicate, with marshmallow and chocolate flavours running through it. An absolute delight, worth going just to have that as far as I was concerned.

    I’m certainly very excited to be going to York in a few weeks to experience some more beers from Brew York, with none of the nine that I had on Friday evening disappointing me. I’m not sure that Steve was quite as impressed, but I wasn’t bothered about that, I was enjoying my beer tasting.

    Bev, who was on fine form as ever during the evening, left the table for a few minutes and left Gordon (above) alone with her bag. I’m not one for gossip, so I won’t say what Gordon was doing here. But Bev has suggested that there needs to be more gossip content again on this blog, so perhaps that’s something that I can manage to deliver on    🙂

    Anyway, a very lovely evening, and a delight to have five people to bore with my explanation of why some of these beers were exceptional. And Gordon was full of gossip, he rarely fails to surprise and delight in that regard.

  • Norwich – The Malt and Mardle Micropub (Interview)

    Norwich – The Malt and Mardle Micropub (Interview)

    Above are Emily, Johnny and Elliot who on 22 July 2021 are opening the Malt and Mardle micropub in Norwich.

    Along with other random ramblings about a myriad subjects that I think I know about (but usually don’t) I really like visiting and writing about micropubs. There’s something particularly authentic about micropubs where there’s conversation, decent beer, a quiet environment and community values. It’s also a hark back almost to when licensed premises were sometimes parlour pubs or little more than a front room. We have a few in this area, the Nip and Growler in King’s Lynn, the Hop Beer Shop in Chelmsford, the Drayman’s Son in Ely and the newly opened Magnet in Colchester.

    That all meant I was very excited to hear about the planned opening of the Malt and Mardle micropub in Norwich, located near to the Artichoke, Leopard, King’s Head and Plasterers, which are all fantastically good pubs. I’d claim there’s always room for another brilliantly run pub, and there is definitely a space in the market for a micropub in this part of Norwich. It’s a group of friends who are opening the venue, which just sounds fun, exciting and an adventure, so I’m moderately jealous of this journey. I like adventure  🙂

    Emily kindly agreed to answer some questions that I had, so with many thanks to her, as well as Johnny and Elliot, there’s a little interview below. And I’m very pleased to hear about the no music, beer fridges and no large screens. The answer of “perhaps strike up a chat if they feel like it” is perfect for me to hear. Being British, I veer between not wanting any social engagement and also finding that if a publican operates their pub well then the community spirit shines through. Regular readers (I think there are a couple) will know that I have yet to find a pub better able to achieve this than the brilliant Hop & Vine pub. I am very excited to go there with a couple of friends in a few weeks, because when people are made welcome, it adds richness to their lives. I won’t go on about mental health, but pubs can absolutely help people connect and during times such as these, that’s a huge benefit to the community.

    Anyway, I digress (again). Absolutely definitely very excited about my visit to this micropub in a few weeks and I wish them all the very best.

    What made you want to open a micropub and why in Norwich?

    It was my partner, Elliot, who first came up with the idea of opening a micropub. He’s always been a huge fan of real ale pubs but opening one himself was more of a dream than a likely reality. However, in the summer of 2020, he, myself, and our friend Johnny decided to take the plunge and open a micropub. The appeal was that we could realise our dream of creating a space where real ale could be enjoyed while still keeping our jobs part-time and having some financial security while we got up and running.

    We decided to open our micropub, The Malt and Mardle, in Norwich as it is where all three of us live. We absolutely love Norwich – it has such a rich history, especially when it comes to pubs, and a brilliant, thriving community of independent businesses too.

    Have you been inspired by any other micropubs?

    Yes, we have definitely been inspired by other micropubs. A big local source of inspiration is Nigel who runs the Hop Inn in North Walsham, North Norfolk. Further afield, we’ve been inspired by Lucy from The Dodo in Hanwell, London. A lot of how we wanted our pub to look and feel is inspired by the pubs we visited in Yorkshire when we were students. Whitelock’s in Leeds and Haworth Old Hall, for example, have been big influences on us.

    You’re opening in an area near to great pubs like the Artichoke, the Leopard, the Plasters and the King’s Head. Was that part of the reason you went for your location?

    Partly! I guess you could argue ‘yes’ as we chose a location that we were familiar with and, as a result, that happened to be near to where we live. But part of the reason why we live here is that we’re surrounded by such great pubs like the ones you listed!

    What is your opening date? Will you be open every evening?

    Our opening date is the 22nd of July. We’ll be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and hope to extend this in the future.

    How easy or hard was the licensing part of your pub, getting permission to convert a shop unit into a micropub?

    It certainly wasn’t easy but nor was it quite as difficult as people were warning us it could be. It did take a long, long time though which really tested our patience – we were so relieved when it all went through ok!

    Nothing goes entirely to plan, have you had any difficulties so far with the conversion?

    At times, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride but what else could we expect?! It’s almost inevitable when starting a new business! Thankfully, there’s not been a problem too large that we couldn’t find a solution for.

    One of the biggest challenges has been having the time and energy to get everything ready for our opening. While Elliot and Johnny have been spending as much time as they can on the micropub in addition to juggling part-time and full-time jobs, I’ve been struggling with my chronic health conditions. Our friends and family have been a huge support, though, and we’re definitely so grateful to them for helping us almost reach the finish line!

    Micropubs have the benefit of allowing conversation to flow between not just regulars, but those coming in for the first time. Is that a core part of your thinking?

    Yes, in the true spirit of micropubs, we’ve actively decided not to have loud music playing and distracting screens etc. We’ve also got a couple of larger tables that, when safe from Covid to do so, smaller groups can share and perhaps strike up a chat if they feel like it.

    What will your seating capacity be?

    Our seating capacity will be 25, plus we’ve got space for standing room too.

    Will you have an involvement with the local CAMRA group?

    Definitely! We’ve already signed up for a Pub Festival this July with the Norwich CAMRA branch.

    What breweries will you be hoping to stock beers from? Will there be some that might be otherwise hard to get elsewhere in Norwich?

    Our offering will mainly be from breweries in Norfolk and Suffolk as supporting local businesses is really important to us, but no doubt we’ll also have some beer from breweries up north in stock at times too!

    Will you have beer fridges to increase the options available? And, for selfish reasons, will there usually be a decadent stout on tap?

    Yes, we’ve got a big fridge that we’ll stock with lots of beer, as well as some gin, wine and soft drinks for non-beer drinkers. Our aim is to have at least one stout, vegan, gluten free and low alcohol beer on either tap or canned/bottled the majority of the time.

    What one thing worries you for the future?

    I guess another lockdown is a worry that all businesses in the hospitality sector face right now. Otherwise, we’re not naïve in thinking that other challenges and hurdles won’t present themselves but know that all we can do is take one thing at a time and enjoy the ride the best we can. Not everyone gets the opportunity to do something they love and have a real passion for so hopefully that will continue to give us some perspective far into the future even when worries and stresses do occur!

    All very lovely, where can people find out more?

    https://maltandmardle.co.uk/.

  • London – Southwark (Borough of) – St Saviour’s War Memorial

    London – Southwark (Borough of) – St Saviour’s War Memorial

    There’s a Wikipedia page to this monument on Borough High Street that gives more information than I can here, but this is one of the more striking war memorials that I’ve seen. The monument, which was funded by public subscription, was unveiled in November 1922 and is on a base of Portland stone with a bronze sculpture on the top.

    The bronze sculpture was designed by Philip Lindsey Clark (1889-1977) who has a distinguished war record of his own, winning the DSO. The unveiling of the memorial was overseen by General Lord Horne, a Commander of the British First Army during the First World War, but the Bishop of Southwark was ill, so the dedication was performed by the Bishop of Woolwich. There was singing led by the choir of Southwark Cathedral and the Last Post and the Reveille were played by the Life Guards. Lord Horne gave a little ‘motivational’ speech saying that nine out of ten of those men who were dying on the frontline had said as their last words that they wanted someone to look after their wife and family.

    This finely decorated bronze tablet shows battleships with another tablet on the other side showing planes.

    The memorial was removed for an extensive restoration in 2013, being returned in the following year. The memorial is now Grade II* listed with the architectural listing mentioning:

    “* a well-executed war memorial of striking composition using high quality materials and demonstrating excellent craftsmanship;

    * a fine example of the work of the distinguished sculptor Philip Lindsey Clark with bronze figural sculpture and reliefs of exceptional quality;

    * it is relatively uncommon with First World War memorials to feature the role of the air services in combat; by including a bronze relief of an air combat scene, St Saviour’s war memorial demonstrates the growing importance of the use of aviation in combat in the First World War.”

  • London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Whitechapel Ibis Budget

    London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Whitechapel Ibis Budget

    I rather like the Ibis Budget chain of hotels and I positively miss the one in Torun with its all you can eat hot dogs for breakfast (I’m easily pleased). They’re basic, but usually clean and functional. And, best of all, generally they’re pretty cheap. I haven’t seen this one listed before, so it has either recently reopened or I’m just not very observant, and the latter is always a distinct possibility. Anyway, I opted to stay here for two nights given that it was keenly priced and I liked how central it was for the City of London (which was an excuse to visit a few more pubs in that area).

    The interior of the hotel is bright and well maintained. I’ll contact the hotel [done, and they’ve kindly sent the below] and see if they can let me have some photos of the public areas (I also forgot to take a photo of the large teddy bear on one of the seats, but there are some on the team’s Instagram channel at https://www.instagram.com/ibisbudgetlondonwhitechapel/), as I didn’t get chance to take any of my own. And the hotel staff were unfailingly polite and helpful, offering a friendly welcome and an engaging farewell. The hotel didn’t feel very busy at all, but there were always staff visible in the public areas and it felt like a safe environment.

    Above two images supplied by hotel, the one on the left is the large breakfast area, the one on the right is the reception area. This is far more Ibis Styles than Ibis Budget in design, I remain impressed at the investment that has been made here.

    This isn’t the Ibis Budget room that I’m used to, there has been some sort of large scale refurbishment here. The bathroom is modern and all within one room (often Ibis Budget have a separate toilet, a shower that is sort of open plan and a sink that is in the bedroom). There’s a pull down bed at the rear and a small desk in the corner. Some money has been spent here in this refurbishment and I think it’s looking rather good and certainly entirely functional. The hotel doesn’t offer hot drink making facilities or irons in the rooms, but, I have a Pret subscription and don’t use irons as I’m scared they might burn me, so this wasn’t an obstacle.

    I didn’t experience any noise issues either internally or externally, to the point that I did wonder how many guests were actually in the hotel. The air conditioning made the room very cold, which pleased me greatly, and I’m impressed at how easy it was to control the temperature, better than most other budget hotels.

    Not the view from my room unfortunately, but a view from one of the hotel windows near to the lifts. It’s about a ten-minute walk to the Tower of London and about a twelve-minute walk to Greggs.

    Perhaps not “sinfully decadent”, but this is a really sensible list of snacks that is easy for the hotel to provide. The prices aren’t unreasonable and this seems a well thought through list of options.

    All told, this was a hotel which exceeded my expectations, an engaging team of staff, a clean environment, modern rooms, decent air conditioning and a short walk to the underground and the city of London. For anyone who can get a room here at a similar price to Travelodge or similar, I’d pick here, as the rooms are better kitted out and that air conditioning is very useful (and would have been at Stratford Travelodge). All very lovely.

  • London – City of London – The Walrus and Carpenter

    London – City of London – The Walrus and Carpenter

    For the first time in a long while that I’ve been in London, I haven’t needed to go anywhere by public transport today, such is the advantage of staying in the centre of the city (I haven’t got wealthy and decadent, just that the nearby Ibis Budget was cheap). That meant I thought I’d visit a few pubs that I’ve never managed to get to in the area of the Tower of London, on the grounds that they’ll be reasonably empty of business-people and tourists so I’ll be able to see inside properly.

    This is another Nicholson’s pub (although until 2006, this pub was operated by Young’s) and they’ve made their usual effort of not overly engaging about the history of the building, although their web-site does talk about the nearby Monument. They do explain that the pub name comes from a verse in a poem by Lewis Carroll, although they don’t give a reason why they changed the name from what it was called, which was the Cock. Although perhaps they don’t really need to.

    The interior was bright but empty, although the pub had a bustling area to the front where people could sit outside overlooking the busy road. There was a polite welcome from a staff member at the door and, before I could get my app order in, I was asked what I wanted to drink. The staff member at first seemed to prefer to just take my order rather than me faff about via the app, but then I explained that I wanted the 25p discount from the app, so he gave up and let me get on with it. I should go when it’s a little bit busier, then they don’t get chance to try and take my order before I’ve made it. I make many things awkward with trying to save 25p….. The staff seemed to be from a number of different countries, they did add positively to the whole atmosphere of the pub.

    Anyway, the beer choice was limited to London Pride and Nicholson’s Pale Ale, which was hardly thrilling. I went for the latter and it was satisfactory. I’ve gone back a bit on Untappd to see if the choice ever gets more exciting and the short answer from the last three years is rarely, this is really a lager and spirits led pub (although that doesn’t seem to have been the case a few years ago, when the real choice was quite extensive).

    As is usual with Nicholson’s, they have a theme to their food, and here it’s pies. It’s a clever gimmick and one that I think is quite successful for them, although the food seems to still be brought in en masse so there’s still a lack of individuality here. Pricing for food and drink is around average for the area and it’s not a bad choice for tourists to the Tower of London as it does have the feel of a traditional British pub.

    Although it’s always interesting to see another pub, it’s not really one for me because of the lack of beer choice, although it seems competently managed judging from the consistently good reviews. The pub is though large, with an upstairs and downstairs that can be opened up, so there’s some flexibility here and those wanting food are likely to be rarely disappointed that they can’t be seated.

  • Matlaske – St. Peter’s Church (Interior)

    Matlaske – St. Peter’s Church (Interior)

    I wrote about the exterior of St. Peter’s Church in Matlaske a couple of weeks ago, but the interior was certainly no less interesting.

    The door in the north porch is medieval, one of many survivors in the church dating to that period. There was a porchway on the other side of the church as well, but that was bricked up and the space turned into a vestry.

    The nave of the church and the south aisle on the right. The roof of the nave was reconstructed in 1878 as part of the renovations and restorations to the church. The roof of the south aisle was reconstructed in 1710, as this is noted by a tablet on the wall, although has since been restored again.

    The inside of the tower, which dates from the Saxon period.

    The font and cover, which are both from the medieval period.

    I can’t recall seeing such an historic join between the nave and the tower, all of which dates from the Saxon period. I very much liked seeing this, I could almost imagine this being constructed over 1,000 years ago. It was also quite a chunky construction, with the tower walls being four feet wide in places.

    This was the end of the nave, but when the chancel fell down in March 1726, it was brought forwards to be used as the new chancel.

    It’s clear that there are some maintenance issues that the church need some funds to fix.

    Looking back towards the tower, the interior feels bright and spacious.

    I like that the church feels comfortable leaving these old books out and I hope that no-one breaks that trust.

    The private chapel for prayer and the church history mentions that this is the Jacobean communion table from the chancel that fell down.

    A funerary hatchment, which would have been hung on the wall of the deceased’s house for a few months, before being moved into the church.

    The Royal Arms which are for King George III and date to 1801.

    A boxed pew arrangement still in situ.

    This is the old commandments board which would have been located elsewhere in the church, but it has been repurposed to hide a cleaning cupboard.

    Anyway, this is a beautiful church and in a peaceful part of Norfolk. I liked very much that an effort had been made to open up the church and also to explain its history. The collapse of the chancel many centuries ago is unfortunate, but I do like how they’ve been able to keep some of the stones which fell to ensure that its story isn’t entirely forgotten.

  • London – City of London – Seething Lane Tap (Brewdog)

    London – City of London – Seething Lane Tap (Brewdog)

    My aim of visiting all the Brewdog bars in London is nearly complete, but they also have a few pubs which are remnants of the Draft House chain which they took over a few years ago. This is one of them which is located very near to Brewdog Tower Hill and the Tower of the London. I think this one is quite sports orientated, although I visited on a Wednesday afternoon, so I’m not sure that there’s much to show which was handy.

    It was quite busy on the tables outside, but it’s fair to say that it wasn’t entirely packed inside. There was a friendly staff member who welcomed me near to the entrance and noted that I could sit anywhere. A lot of the tables had power points located by them, which is always a handy facility to have. The ordering process is the same as with Brewdog, so I ordered via the app and went for half a pint of Amygdala from the Solvay Society brewery in London. The food menu also looks the same and I noted that they offered Wings Wednesday, although I decided against going for that today.

    What arrived was a pint and I did own up to having only ordered a half, not as a complaint, but in case they had brought the wrong drink over. The staff member said it was fine to keep it, and I did, as I’m very accommodating and helpful like that. It’s a saison, not a beer style that I’m particularly used to drinking, but I do know that I like the flavours. As I haven’t had many of these, it’s a little hard to compare with others, but I liked the aftertaste, a very drinkable beer.

    There seems something slightly disappointing that Brewdog have nearly entirely incorporated these pubs into their chain without keeping them distinct in some way. Much as I like being familiar with the ordering system, they could perhaps have kept some of the original Draft House character. They do seem to have a larger food menu than Brewdog bars though at least, including fish & chips and some more starters. But, no complaints about my visit here, five different guests and the standard Brewdog options, all in a clean environment and friendly staff. And definitely no complaints about the free half a pint, much appreciated.

  • London – City of London – The Ship Pub

    London – City of London – The Ship Pub

    This is the Nicholsons operated pub in the city of London, a short walk from Greggs and Monument station. As an aside, and not that I’m one to moan (but yet here we are as someone used to say…..) but it’d be nice if Nicholsons didn’t just say on their web-site that their pubs were historic, but actually said why. Fortunately, CAMRA have something to add on this, namely “on the site of the Talbot which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London”. The former name of the pub, and the current name of the court, is named after the breed of hunting dog, known as the Talbot.

    Also, if anyone has a Good Beer Guide book from the last couple of years (but not last years), let me know, as I think that this pub was listed, but it seems to have been removed from the latest edition. As I have the app, I can only see currently listed pubs and not ones that are no longer listed. There’s another pub called the Ship nearby as well, to add some extra confusion to arrangements.

    I was welcomed by a friendly member of staff who was standing near to the door to meet the Covid requirements. It was quiet inside, but there are some tables outside (apparently something that they’ve only recently been allowed to do) which I studiously ignored on the way in as I was quite happy to sit inside in the cold. The staff member offered to take my order, but I mentioned I’d use the app, as then I can automatically get the 25p off my half pint without having to ask for it and look stingy. Anyway, although it was agreed it’d probably be easier for the staff member to take the order (and I’ve discovered they can apply the 25p themselves now), they also wanted to test the app as they’ve had problems. So I ordered via the app. Fortunately, it went through, although the staff member had already brought my drink over before I’d finished paying using the app.

    There are five real ales available here, perhaps none exceptional, but the Timothy Taylor’s Landlord was well kept and tasted fine, and indeed better than I remember it. I do like the element of history in this pub, although there’s a touch of the generic in what is a very distinctive building. That’s not the fault of the very capable staff, just the whole Nicholson’s vibe doesn’t really offer anything particularly unique for individuals to rush there. It’s a decent pub through, a comfortable evening and they serve traditional pub food. For tourists to the nearby Tower of London, this isn’t a bad location to walk to for a British pub experience.

  • London – Lambeth (Borough of) – Waterloo Station – Former Eurostar Platforms

    London – Lambeth (Borough of) – Waterloo Station – Former Eurostar Platforms

    Another in my series of niche posts (although, to be fair, I rarely veer into mainstream posts…..). These are the former platforms at Waterloo Station which were used by Eurostar between 14 November 1994 and 13 November 2007, when the services were moved to St Pancras railway station. It was decided that St Pancras was a better long-term solution for Eurotunnel, as that’s the end (or beginning, depending where you’re going) of HS1, not too far from the end of HS2 which is at nearby Euston.

    I’m glad to see the platforms back in use, as since December 2018 they have been used by South Western Railway. I’d noticed they were in use before, but hadn’t had a need to use them since they opened.

    The platforms are on the left-hand side of the above aerial photo, with the cursor marking where I was standing to take the photos.

    This is what the station looked like at the beginning of the twentieth century and it can be seen just how much land these buildings took up, and how much had been demolished to allow for their construction.

    On that subject, and apologies it’s not very clear, but there’s the area at the end of the eighteenth century, with the cursor marking where Waterloo Station is today. It’s fair to say that this south river side of London has changed considerably over the last 200 years.

    This additional section of Waterloo railway station was first opened at a cost £120 million to provide a connection for the London to France rail link which used the Channel Tunnel. There was an inaugural service on 6 May 1994 which carried HM the Queen and the then British Prime Minister John Major to a formal opening ceremony in Calais. Passengers got to use the platforms a few months later when all the official approvals had been granted.

    It seemed a shame that this whole section of the station was closed off after 2007, with just some temporary usage when work was going on in the main part of the terminal. Here, they retain their open look and are now firmly back being used by the rail network. All spacious, with plenty of seating before the gatelines, still I think looking bright and modern.