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Category: UK

North Walsham Pub Day (Revisit) – Peasants’ Tavern

Julian and I were beyond excited to once again visit North Norfolk’s leading transportation hub and mark my words, it won’t be long before North Walsham International Airport is opened. Imagine the possibilities of that, direct access from Las Vegas to its Norfolk equivalent, I can just see the A380 landing now.

Anyway, back in April 2023, Julian and I visited every pub in North Walsham, including an attempt to visit the Market Tavern which was a bit shut. I noted at the time:

“We were told in the Hop In that the landlord died which is why it closed, but hopefully it can re-open again in the future as a pub as the venue seems entirely viable financially.”

Well, I’m pleased to note that Charlie (from the King’s Head in Norwich) and team have taken over the premises and it is now thriving once again. Julian and I decided that we needed to visit Charlie and also complete our North Walsham pubs.

We spent a few hours at the pub which is located just off the main square. The pub re-opened in April 2014 and had previously been known as the Carpenter’s Arms and the Market Tavern. The latter pub name was introduced by Pete Callaway in 2013, when he opened the pub with a focus on pie & mash, and that name survived until he sadly passed away and the pub closed. I can find nearly nothing about this building, although it’s listed and was originally constructed in the early nineteenth century.

And always a delight to be in the company of the hugely talented Charlie. And Julian of course. He must be nearly 30 now and he’s lost none of his enthusiasm, I hope that I’m still as energetic at his age.

A nicely balanced selection of real ales from a range of local breweries. It was no surprise to discover that they were all impeccably kept.

Julian spent the day drinking mostly this, which surprised everyone, but Charlie was too professional to question it as there’s a drink for everyone. I questioned it though as I’m not professional. There are a few non-alcoholic options available, something of a must in pubs now. Unless they’re really badly run pubs which think that Stella, Madri and Budweiser are the height of sophistication, but I mustn’t be judgemental….

Spot on with the crisp selection, I’m always sceptical about pubs that just have Walkers. The beer on the right is the Rheingold from Derby Brewing Company, which was hoppy and rustic, whilst the one on the left is the Winter Stout from Panther, a creamy number with coffee and chocolate flavours.

They have a craft beer fridge and I noted with some excitement the Raspberry Dark Chocolate Coconut Cluster from Vault City. It didn’t disappoint, although for my own Bounty loving tastes, I would have preferred more coconut. However, there was a nice level of sourness and the raspberry and chocolate were much more evident. Marvellous, a case in point of how a bar can offer cask ales and craft beers to suit the needs of the many.

There’s a tastefully decorated room to the rear and also a pleasant little external courtyard area for the warmer summer months, or for the cold months as well if you’re a smoker. The pub is also open long hours, from 12:00 until 23:00 every day of the week. On the matter of seating, I very much liked the higher chairs by an area near to the bar, but they didn’t block the bar for those who wanted to see what was available on the pumps. There were also numerous power points for customers to use, as well as wi-fi. Looking at some older photos, the transformation has been extensive and very much in keeping with the building, it is a vast improvement. I can imagine the amount of blood, sweat and tears that went into planning and delivering on this evolution of the property’s use.

I accept that I’m slightly biased in writing this (although I’m very independent), but this is a quite marvellous pub. It’s got a traditional vibe with its focus on beer, community, conversation and pies, but it’s also got the craft beer edge that I also like. I’m not sure that they’d refer to it as a micropub, as it’s quite a chunk of space to the rear, but it has that sort of energy. I very much hope that this pub does well, and I’m confident it will with the quality of the people there, and maybe there might be a little series of these venues across North Norfolk. And I can pledge that Julian and I will do our best to visit them all.

December 4, 2024
Bournemouth – Goat & Tricycle (Good Beer Guide)

Continuing my never-ending quest to visit every Good Beer Guide pub in the country, the Goat & Tricycle is an intriguing building which is formed of two different pubs. The one on the left (which has a beautiful green tile frontage which is pretty much impossible to make out on my photo) was known as the Pembroke Arms and this half of the pub is listed, so they go crazy in the other half I can imagine. This venue is from 12:00 until 23:00 every day of the week, other than on Fridays and Saturdays when it opens until 23:30. They serve food on Mondays to Saturdays, with around ten real ales usually available.

There’s the real ale range and there’s a strong presence from the Liberation Brewing Co who are based in the Channel Islands and I remember that they dominated the pub scene when I went to Jersey. Anyway, the selection was broad and it’s evident why it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide.

The beer list on the chalkboard and also a collection of implements that hopefully will never fall on a patron’s head. The service was friendly and welcoming, although there weren’t any seats available as it was busy. The pub was clean and I liked that they kept the front bar clean and dry.

This is the BOB from Wickwar Wessex Brewing Company. A sessionable beer which was malty with flavours of toffee and biscuit. I like drinking a liquid Twix though, so no complaints there.

This is listed as a Winter Ale on Untappd, but I’m not entirely sure what they actually are, I just thought it’s be something stronger in terms of the ABV but this little number was 4.1% which is hardly going to lead to much falling over. Decent beer though, very malty and I got a taste of cinnamon, but I decided that I was probably an idiot on that as no-one else seemed to be.

The on-line reviews are mostly positive and the negative ones are mostly ridiculous by the looks of it. One customer wrote:

“Worst pub in Bournemouth by some distance! Rubbish selection of ales all from Butcombe. Inferior nonlocal Westons cider available at £6 pint. Bright lights and a dreadful environment. Avoid like the plague!”.

I mention this as I liked the pub’s response to the review:

“Just to be warned everyone, this gentleman spent 30 minutes in our pub, he bought a Liberation IPA, drank half of it then tipped half an Old Rosie into the same glass, drank it and then left. Was extremely rude whilst at the bar, complaining we weren’t a Wetherspoons. Walking into a Butcombe pub complaining its full of Butcombe beer. 0 stars for you Greg”.

I think that’s a humorous response personally, I liked that they noted the rather dreadful sounding Snake Bite type drink. And there’s a nasty review which gave them 1 out of 5 because they were honouring their licensing conditions by not allowing under 18s in and the customer noted “this was inconvenient as we had agreed to meet a friend there”. I feel their pain.

The atmosphere in the pub was relaxed and laid-back, it was a comfortable place to be even without a seat to sit at. The service was efficient and customers were served in turn, with what felt like a genuine welcome offered to all. The pub is owned by Butcombe Brewery and there are apparently a couple of function rooms available, which isn’t entirely surprising since they’ve formed this venue from two separate premises. Anyway, all rather lovely and I’d merrily recommend this pub to others given the range of real ales and the ones I had were well-kept.

December 3, 2024
Bournemouth – All Hail Ale

I debated whether or not it was worth getting soaked in the rain to visit All Hail Ale, but I decided the thought of craft beer was certainly a justifiable reason and so I went for the wet look. My contribution towards the hospitality industry really is quite impressive I think.

The beer board, although the venue helpfully uses Untappd and so I was already aware of what was available. This is a carefully thought through selection, I was suitably impressed as there were different beer styles and a mixture of cask and keg.

The bar area, all cosy and comfortable with a fair range of spirits to choose from. The staff member was engaging and personable, evidently knowledgeable about the beers which always comes in handy.

Inside the pub, all on-trend, modern and fits very well into the craft beer vibe. There were a range of games to play as well, although I decided against playing Cards Against Humanity on my own.

I was surprised this wasn’t rated higher on Untappd, it’s Dainty from Eight Arch Brewing Company and I thought it was really rather good. Lots of stonefruit, a tropical flavour and decent mouthfeel, all very smooth.

This is the Mavka 2024 from Siren Brew that I decided to treat myself to. Decadent, smooth and gorgeous (all like me, other than I’m not very decadent), there was a heap of coconut, coffee, chocolate, all in all a delightful third. It doesn’t come cheap, but I paired it with some robust ham & mustard flavour crisps to accentuate the flavours. I was happy just with crisps as I had already eaten, but the pub lets you bring in food from nearby food venues. I think dogs are welcome as well, although I don’t have a dog and so I didn’t bring one.

The reviews are mostly all very positive but there’s a quite ridiculous one saying that “I was expecting something more like the vibrant offerings available in Southampton and the New Forest. Sadly this is more of an old man’s drinking den”. It sounds all very fake to me, likely someone jealous that this venue is offering some excellent beers and they wanted to have a venue like that. The venue has been going for a few years now and seems to have built up a really good reputation.

I really like this venue, it was calm and comfortable, with a welcoming ambience. The staff member was friendly and engaging, the surroundings were comfortable and I liked the higher seating. There was a decent mix of cask and keg, although I only went for the keg options on this occasion, although that’s not entirely unusual. If I’m back in Bournemouth I think I’ll meander back in here, I was really rather pleased with the whole arrangement.

December 2, 2024
London – Camden (Borough of) – Remnant Street

I noticed this street a few days ago when I was meandering about in London and I wondered about its history and whether there were a few tales to tell. I’m not entirely sure that there are, indeed, the street only took its current name in 1935 as before that it was defined as being an extension of Great Queen Street. The street got its name from James Farquharson Remnant, 1st Baron Remnant, a British politician and lawyer. He was the Conservative MP for Holborn (the area where the street is located) between 1900 when he was elected unopposed until 1928. His great grandson, Philip John Remnant, is still in the Lords as a result of the hereditary Peerage, although he’s one of the elected ones by fellow Peers and he will be removed soon as part of the Government’s changes to the Upper House. I had to look this up, but apparently Remnant comes as a name from the Middle English remenaunt(e) ‘remaining part survivor’ perhaps used for someone whose siblings had died in infancy.

The street is the one in the middle of the image (the unnamed bit to the right of Great Queen Street). This map is from the 1880s and before they built the road known as Kingsway in the first few years of the twentieth century, which is what caused this stub of street to need a name of its own.

Incidentally, we can tell that the street sign is before the 1965 borough changes, the year that Holborn, Hampstead and St. Pancras were all joined together to form the Borough of Camden. As an aside, in 1900 the Borough of Holborn was formed when the below parishes were all merged together:

St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury
St Andrew Holborn Above the Bars with St George the Martyr
Liberty of Saffron Hill
Furnival’s Inn (part)
Gray’s Inn
Lincoln’s Inn
Staple Inn

And there’s Remnant Street in the middle, looking towards Kingsway (or the A4200 for those who prefer that). There was some excitement in November 1964, when the Daily Express reported that there had been an armed raid on the Post Office on the street, with a motorcycle escape by a gunman who took off with £240. And the News Chronicle reported in 1969 that self-service for postal orders had been introduced in London, at the Remnant Street Post Office. Indeed, nearly every mention of this street in newspapers on-line seems to be in reference to the Post Office. The building still stands, but the Post Office closed long ago and it’s now part of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies.

It’s not really the most exotic of streets, I could have chosen somewhere with a bit more obvious history, but there we go. I had thought that it might have been named as it was a bit of a remnant street, and although that oddly is indeed what it has become, that’s not the reason for its naming. There was some excitement at the other end of Remnant Street in 2018 though when the Co-operative Bank was shut and they opened up a Greggs in its place, but that’s about as far as I can go in terms of shattering stories about the street.

November 28, 2024
London – Camden (Borough of) – The Seven Stars (Good Beer Guide)

I’m slowly, but steadily, working on my project to visit every pub in the Good Beer Guide. This building, located on Carey Street near to the Hunterian Museum, is thought to have been built in 1602 although the bar is mostly Victorian. There’s no shortage of history to the pub, which was originally called the The League of Seven Stars in a nod towards Dutch geography (the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands). I didn’t go up to the toilets in the pub, but they are noted for their steep stairs and a sign which requests customers not to swing on the rail. It’s located near to the Royal Courts of Justice so they are treated to a considerable amount of trade from the legal profession.

A range of Greene King and Adnams beers is not what I was hoping for as they’re so common in East Anglia, but it’s something perhaps slightly different for London. I went for a pint of Broadside which cost £6 and was well kept and tasted as expected. There are some reviews which mention, quite grumpily, that the pub doesn’t offer tasters and that is highly unusual. Anyway, the service was friendly and engaging, so the atmosphere felt inviting.

The slightly infamous pub cat visible in the background. It’s said that Shakespeare might have visited the building given that his plays were performed at Middle Temple, although that’s perhaps a little fanciful. More likely is that the pub was used as the inspiration for The Magpie & Stump featured in Pickwick Papers. The building is listed in CAMRA’s list of outstanding interiors of national historic importance and they note:

“The frontage bears the date 1602 but the building itself probably dates from “only” the 1680s, and was extended into the building on the right in 1878. The core of the pub is the part with doors embellished with etched and gilded glass, declaring ‘private counter’ (on the left) and ‘general counter’ (right). These names are probably unique, certainly in the experience of the writers, and correspond to the more commonly used ‘private bar’ and ‘public bar’. So there were evidently two separate areas fronting on to a common servery and divided, no doubt, by a timber screen. The counter (a plain affair) and bar-back are Victorian and the coloured advertising panels in the head of the latter are typical of the period around 1870-1890. The pub further expanded into the building on the left hand side in relatively recent years to form a cosy drinking area called the ‘Wig Box’.”

A rather better cat photo than my efforts.

I did try though.

I couldn’t quite understand these chairs, as one customer tried to sit on them and nearly fell off before meandering to one of the tables. The tables have table-clothes on so it wasn’t entirely clear to me whether drinkers were allowed to sit at them. The pub is primarily food led and there’s a blackboard which is chalked up with the daily menu. I must admit, the whole arrangement felt a little uncomfortable so I wouldn’t want to linger, but it’s a popular venue. Most surfaces were sticky which made it a little challenging to find somewhere to stand and not stick to something, but the food is very well reviewed and I’m sure it’s marvellous. Anyway, another Good Beer Guide venue ticked off.

November 28, 2024
Tallinn Trip – Ryanair Flight Home and End of the Trip

I suspect my two loyal blog readers thought that this Tallinn series would never end. Well, whilst I was trying to be decadent in the lounge, Bev was having a lovely time judging by this photo that Steve sent. I didn’t say anything.

We were all reunited once again, at least for a short while. Bev and Susanna, who are quite upmarket, had paid for the posh bit of Ryanair and we were separated via this glass screen. I think Bev rather enjoyed being with the elite, but I’m used to being in the poor section.

And ready to board, aircraft EI-DHX, not an aircraft that I’ve been on before (although as I’ve mentioned before, my records are a little incomplete). The aircraft is 19 years old and is a Boeing 737. Anyway, slightly geekiness aside.

The flight itself was uneventful, I was fortunate that although the flight was busy I had no-one next to me so the whole arrangement was suitably comfortable. I’ve had plenty of trips with Ryanair recently, but although their reputation isn’t always great, I’ve found no issues with them. We got delivered back in the satellite terminal which delayed matters somewhat and because Susanna and Bev dithered we had to wait for them after the border. Ross rushed off to get his train, we didn’t see him again…. I sat at the back of the shuttle and it’s mildly entertaining to watch it go along, like a DLR in reverse.

And to my great delight: luxury of luxury, Susanna had parked her car in the posh part of the airport so we could just walk there. I had tried to take us to the shuttle bus just assuming we were in some cheap car park. I was fortunate that everything went to time as I had only three hours before I got back to work, but Susanna dropped me off with at least a little time remaining. All told, this was another quite marvellous trip and I’m pleased to report that the group is next year going to what is likely Ljubljana and Slovenia, so I’d better start planning that. And thanks to Susanna, Bev, Steve and Ross for their company, I have many happy memories of Tallinn and look forwards to returning. I’m also pleased to report that the whole adventure went very well as Bev managed to catch the plane this time and there were no issues at the end like in Gdansk when Susanna and Bev slept in after their wild night out. Once again, Steve and I were inspirational, but we don’t like to go on about it.

There were numerous things that I still wanted to post about, I might get around to adding them in some sort of special feature, but now it’s time to start another exciting series of posts 🙂

November 28, 2024
200 Years Ago in Norwich : Building of a New Corn Exchange

Back to my posts about what was happening in Norwich 200 years ago as I needed another break from Soviet statues in Estonia. Something reported in the Norfolk Chronicle newspaper in November 1824 was interesting to me as I hadn’t much thought about it, which is that was there a corn exchange in Norwich? Well, there was, originally it was located at St. Andrew’s Hall, but by the early 1820s planning was starting for a dedicated building. In the newspaper it noted the discussions that were being had and there was a meeting where they were considering whether to accept a generous offer from the Norwich Corporation of land on Castle Meadow to build a new Corn Exchange. There were lots of arguments about what documents should and shouldn’t have been brought to the attention of the meeting, showing that not much really changes in this sort of thing. I also liked how the Chronicle reported the later part of the discussion, which they referred to as “a desultory conversation”.

Not much was really agreed at the meeting either way, but there was progress as the above building opened in 1828. It was located in what is now Exchange Street and it’s not entirely hard to work out how that street obtained its name. It was a success as they decided to build a bigger corn exchange and that opened further down the same street, but this was demolished in 1964 as Jarrolds wanted to extend their store.

But, going back to December 1828 when the corn exchange opened, I rather liked the reporting at the time of this:

“A dinner was given to celebrate the opening of the New Corn Exchange, when a scheme presented itself seldom witnessed in Norwich: not less than 450 of the most respectable yeomanry in the county of Norfolk were assembled on the occasion, and they might with pride and satisfaction look round upon this noble building, which had been erected for the accommodation of the county almost entirely by their own voluntary contributions. The hall was beautifully and tastefully lighted up, partly by gas, and by or-molu lamps, hung from the ceiling and placed along the whole range of tables. The dinner, dessert and wines were excellent. The only drawback was the length of time it unavoidably took to ‘furnish forth’ the tables. There being no accommodation for cooking on the premises, the dishes were obliged to be brought a considerable distance. With the exception of Mr Coke, there was a most lamentable deficiency in the attendance of the aristocracy.”

So their dinner was late and there were no really posh people there, but otherwise it was obviously a rather pleasant evening. BTW, I had to Google what or-molu lamps were, apparently “Ormolu is the technique of applying finely ground, high-carat gold–mercury amalgam to an object of bronze”. So there we go.

November 11, 2024
London – Westminster (Borough of) – Hunterian Museum

Just to break up my witterings on old Soviet statues displaced around Estonia, here’s a quick distraction about my visit to the Hunterian Museum in the week. I decided long ago that I wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon (there’s a pun there, but I won’t labour it) due to numerous factors, mostly relating to being slightly sensitive. The museum asks for visitors not to post close-ups of human remains on social media, so I’ve avoided taking any photos of all the human things that they have in jars.

It’s a well signed museum and I pre-booked a ticket, although I don’t think it was essential on a Tuesday afternoon in November. A staff member pointed out where to put my backpack and that was relatively simple after I had worked out the instructions on the lockers. I say relatively simple, it took me two minutes of standing there confused. The next stage felt a little sub-optimal, I was given a welcome and then told “there’s no fixed admission charge, you pay what you like but we recommend £5” whilst being walked to a contactless card machine. This slightly odd customer service approach is perhaps just a little sub-optimal as their web-site notes “the Hunterian Museum is free to everyone” and I ignored the situation and meandered in.

This is my first visit to the museum and I noticed a few reviews noting that they went through a large renovation a few years ago and moved the collection out of the grand two storey room it was displayed in and instead put it in some corridors. It is a poorly designed museum by any measure in terms of the customer flow, there are pinch points all over the place so groups cluster together. However, it’s free (well, sort of) and so it feels a little unfair to complain too much. During the renovations, they did though finally take the skeleton of ‘Irish Giant’ Charles Byrne off from display, this was a controversial thing to even be shown, although they’ve still denied him the burial he wanted.

This is a splinted fractured forearm from the Nubian Valley, although its date range is wide and anything between 2500 BC and 500 AD. It looks like something I would have been in charge of if I had been a medic back in those days.

There are lots of these displays of things in jars, I used this as an example as there are no human remains in it and it’s mainly fish and lizards here. I didn’t take a photo as they’re of human remains, but the Evelyn Tables were quite something, the oldest anatomical preparations in Europe.

The Hunterian doesn’t shy away from the darker side of medical history. Early surgical instruments, some looking more like torture devices to me, illustrate the crude and often painful procedures of the past. Pathological specimens, including tumours and diseased organs, offer a stark reminder of the fragility of human health and it’s been a useful resource for surgeons over the generations. It’s thought provoking though and I like that in a museum.

One of the displays of modern medicine, although I got the impression that most visitors seemed more interested in looking at the things in jars. I thought that this was a fascinating museum and I’ve been meaning to go for years, so I was pleased to finally visit. It’s a unique museum in very many ways and an essential part of the history of medicine in this country, with some considerable heritage to the collection and to the building. There’s a learning aspect which is perhaps becoming less relevant, but there was a school group when I visited and that’s part of the education side of the museum’s offering. It is a little macabre by its nature and feels dated, but that’s inevitable when the collection in jars was mostly put together two hundred years ago. There are moral sensitivities here about what should be on public display, as these are human remains. The museum benefits from being part of the Royal College of Surgeons, the moral issues are minimised here as there isn’t a commercial imperative behind what’s happening.

Anyway, I’m glad that I went and I’d say it’s worth an hours of anyone’s time, although I noticed two people from the school group saying they were feeling very queasy, but the museum themselves warns about this. It’s probably best to book a ticket in advance, it’s free and can be done quickly from the museum’s web-site. Right, back to Soviet statues in Estonia.

November 9, 2024
Tallinn Trip – Camden Bar and Kitchen

As I get £18 discount on my meal here with Priority Pass, it was where everyone agreed to meet. Well, it’s where I said to meet, but that’s the same thing.

Ross isn’t being anti-social, we had just moved to a bigger table and he was waiting for his food to arrive at the one he had ordered to. Bev was in good form, she didn’t need accessibility assistance on this trip. Steve rather enjoyed pushing her around last time in her wheelchair as it meant he got through everywhere faster in the airport.

Latte. Rich, tasty and only lacking in the JD Wetherspoon option of having free refills. The ordering process here is a little convoluted, Ross ordered on-line and found it easy, I had to order at the bar and found it easy although time-consuming, Susanna ordered at the bar and found it easy, Steve ordered at the bar and had a long wait, whilst Bev ordered on-line and spent five minutes moaning about how difficult it was. It boded well for the week, although when Bev is around the air often hangs thick with the scent of indecision and confusion.

This is the small breakfast and I heard that one customer was annoyed they wouldn’t make substitutions to his breakfast in the way that chains such as JD Wetherspoons might. I feel the pain for the restaurant, I’ve heard swaps from customers in other places such as “no beans, add a couple of sausages” or “no tomato, add two rashers of bacon” which don’t seem entirely in keeping with a smooth stock control system and ease of service. I can’t say that I’m too enthused by mushrooms and I would have rather have the bacon burnt a bit more, but it’s not a bad little arrangement here. The service time was reasonable, the staff were friendly, the venue was clean and Bev didn’t complain too much.

October 15, 2024
Tallinn Trip – Getting to the Airport

I fear that I’ve resigned myself to knowing I’ll never catch up on this blog, as I type slower than I travel. The poor neglected blog languishing in the digital dust as my tapping away is too pedestrian, it’s all a bit sub-optimal. Anyway, let’s see how far we can go on the group trip to Tallinn with Steve, Susanna, Bev, Ross and myself. I’ve skipped my Belfast trip, maybe I’ll one day get back to it.

My expedition started with Liam driving me to Stansted Airport on Sunday evening, he’s very good like that. I’m hoping Liam thinks I just really enjoy his company rather than his chauffeuring services, although both of course are true.

Once more unto the breach…..

I know that standing in Stansted’s mid-stay car park at midnight might not sound appealing, but it means travel beckons, so it becomes just a little ethereal.

I ponder who has tagged this sign. They’ve come all the way to Stansted Airport mid-stay car park to do that. It feels just a little desperate, it’s not exactly Banksy is it?

All aboard the midnight express to Stansted’s terminal building.

And safely in the coach station for three hours. I had crisps, I had water and I was using one of the few power points available, what more could I really want from life? Sleep maybe, but who needs such luxuries really?

On the bright side, my wait wasn’t substantial, the flight was the first of the day.

The security lines opened at 03:00. There was a rather tumultuous rush to get through, although I’m not sure where any of the passengers thought they’d be getting in such a hurry. Airports seem to bring out extremes in people, some remain placid and care-free, others are barging around with an unseemly haste.

This is what happens when you get through in a hurry. Nothing is open and there are around 500 seats available.

The calm before the daily Stansted storm.

Ross arrived soon after and I could see on friend finder that Steve, Susanna and Bev weren’t far away. It was time for the new adventure to begin, a week of gossip, history, craft beer and food. How lovely.

October 15, 2024