Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: London

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.

June 23, 2021
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.

June 23, 2021
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.

June 23, 2021
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.

June 23, 2021
London – Newham (Borough of) – Stratford – Travelodge

Travelodge are doing a promotion at the moment where if you book four nights in London (and I think it’s been extended to Edinburgh and a couple of other locations), then you get the fifth night free. That meant that I had a five night stay last week in Stratford for just over £100, which I think is pretty decent value for money. This all means that I’m not spending as much time at Accor and IHG hotels, but variety is the spice of life (and Greggs).

The room, which looks like most other Travelodges in the country, was clean and too hot. There’s not much that they can do about that given the lack of air conditioning, and there was a fan available in the room. That fan was on the entire time that I was in the room, as it was too hot (London was far too hot last week). They’d put the duvet into the bag in the corner as they said nearly all guests were content with just a sheet, and their judgement seemed sensible to me.

The view from the room, over the delights of Stratford, the Las Vegas of London……

I really quite liked this hotel, although I dreaded getting in it every day as the staff have to open the automatic doors (so they’re not very automatic) and so I had to stand looking confused outside. There is a doorbell, but I felt guilty pressing that (even though that’s the point of it), but the staff always seemed keen to help and said hello when I walked by.

The amount of cleaning I saw here was also impressive, there seemed to be a staff member spending their time nearly entirely cleaning surfaces, the lifts, the floors and the like. There needs to be a bit of maintenance on the carpets in the hotel from Travelodge, but I can’t deny that the staff were making huge efforts to keep everything clean.

As a hotel stay, I was entirely content with the value offered here, and it’s nearly opposite Stratford High Street DLR station, or just a relatively short walk from Stratford railway/underground station. For those going into an area near Liverpool Street, TFL Rail run regular services there as part of what will become the Crossrail service when the thing finally opens.

The reviews of the hotel aren’t entirely ideal (but are much better than some others in the chain), but the problem for Travelodge is that I think it’s great value for the £20 or so per night that I paid, but I’d be less pleased if I’d paid something like £60 per night, which many have done.

There’s a long review on Google about how someone was furious that they’d “booked a room for 3 people” and the hotel wouldn’t let them have four people in the room. I’m not entirely sure how they were planning to fit four people into a room, and seemingly, nor did the hotel. The end result of this exciting saga was that the four people were kicked out, slept in their car and remained very angry at the hotel manager. The hotel do make very clear everywhere that they never accept more than three adults in the room, it was a very brave guest that risked sneaking more in….. Sounds an exciting drama though for anyone watching events unfold.

And there’s the review from a furious daughter that her father was smoking in the hotel and she was most upset that security asked him to leave. Not really a surprise.

Anyway, I didn’t have breakfast or evening meals at the hotel, as adding breakfast would have increased the room price by 50% and it never looks that appealing to me anyway. But, I’d merrily stay here again, I thought it was all comfortable albeit it rather too hot. Thank goodness for the fan.

June 23, 2021
London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Ibis Styles Kensington (Again)

I stayed at this hotel about ten times last year, and have done so again this year several times. I stopped posting about the hotel given that I had little new to say (not that this usually stops me to be honest…..), but thought I’d do a little update here. Nothing much has really changed at the hotel, although breakfast is no longer included in the room rate. It was just a takeaway bag which was lacking a little in innovation towards the end, and I suspect that quite a lot of the food and drink was just being wasted. It’s possible to pay for this takeaway bag, but I haven’t yet been tempted to do so.

The free welcome drink offered to me lacks in excitement, they don’t even have Tiger any more, so I selected a bottle of Budweiser. I see this as useful, as I’m trying to lower my average Untappd score (I don’t want to sound like I enjoy everything) and this is a perfect way of doing it.

My room rate was £22.50 per night and I was staying for two nights, making this really quite excellent value for money. The hotel is just a short walk from Earls Court underground station, so is convenient for central London. There’s also a Greggs around the corner for those who need food and drink, as well as the Bolton pub which is nearby.

For that price I was entitled to a solo room (since that’s what I booked), but I was upgraded for what I think is now the fourteenth time in a row in this hotel. What they lack in decadent welcome drinks and welcome gifts, they make up for in room upgrades. I even had my own little corridor in the room, as can be seen in the above photo. As an aside, the staff members here are always friendly and helpful, with no change to that on this visit.

And the rest of the room, which was air conditioned, clean and comfortable. I didn’t have any noise problems from either inside or outside the hotel, so I still like staying here as it feels a safe and reliable environment. It’s a series of houses which have been joined together and turned into a hotel, hence the rather strange shape of the rooms. I think it all adds character to the arrangement though.

Richard was staying at the same hotel, and was on the floor above. He laughed when he discovered the lift was out of order, as he likes carrying his giant bag up two flights of stairs. And, as an extra treat, there was a football outside of his room. Someone must have known that one of Norfolk’s biggest football fans was staying there. On a more petty level, I was very pleased to note that Richard didn’t have his own corridor in his more expensive room (although he did have larger cardboard cups than I did for his drinks, so he had a win there).

Anyway, for £22.50 per night, this remains excellent value, and highlights how there remain problems with so few tourists coming to stay in the city. I can’t imagine the prices will be anything like this again in future years, so I will continue staying in London for as long as they are……

June 23, 2021
London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – London and South Western Pub

As we were walking back to the railway station from the Brewdog in Clapham, we thought we’d pop into this new JD Wetherspoon outlet near to Clapham Junction. I don’t do the whole argument of “I don’t visit Wetherspoons because they don’t pay staff” as I’ve heard that piffle before, but each to their own, as I’ve decided to work through the Good Beer Guide and there are too many outlets from this chain in there for me to avoid.

This pub only opened a few months ago and it has been converted from a Revolution bar, apparently at a cost of just over £850,000. They already have the relatively nearby Asparagus pub, which I rather like (but that one is more traditional than modern), and I’m not sure whether they’re planning to keep both. This one has more of a Lloyds feel to it, although I think that branding has pretty much gone within the chain now.

There’s a history about the building outside (too few pubs do this….), noting that before the building was used by Revolution, it was constructed in 1935 as a flagship store for Hastings, a furniture showroom. The pub name is taken after the railway company, a nice nod towards the local area. We had a bit of a wait to get inside, although there was plenty of seating available so it just seemed to be a matter of managing numbers rather than it being particularly busy.

Richard had already had his decadent cheeseboard at Brewdog, I went for a rather more affordable pint of Punk IPA with burger (classy, eh?…..). I did note that the pint of Punk IPA here is only slightly more expensive than at Brewdog, but it comes with a free burger. Anyway, they’re different places, and there are usually more exciting alternatives to Punk IPA for anyone who is at Brewdog.

I had a quick half pint of Urban Dusk from Redemption Brewing, as it cost the grand total of just over £1. Perfectly well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and all that. The service in the pub was also fine, everyone seemed friendly, with the environment feeling safe and well managed.

The burger. There is a Facebook group now where people post photos of their meals (which I accept is ridiculous enough as it is for me to do here) and they then count the chips and post that total number. I decided even I wouldn’t be doing that…. For the money, this was entirely reasonable, but I won’t spend too much time describing JD Wetherspoon food.

Anyway, I suspect this pub will end up in the Good Beer Guide in due course, although it’s too early for the current edition as they weren’t open at that stage. There’s more of a cafe style in the day it seems with its outdoor seating for those who like sitting outside inhaling traffic fumes. The reviews so far aren’t great, but I’m not sure that JD Wetherspoon are too much bothered about that since they’ve withdrawn from social media. For those who hate the chain, then that’s easy, don’t go, but, for others, this was a clean, modern and seemingly well managed JD Wetherspoons with a few real ales to choose from.

June 23, 2021
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 – 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