Part I - A long weekend, starting at The Bricklayers Arms...

Started on Friday at The Bricklayers Arms in Putney, sorry, but when I'm in SW15, I just have to go there, simples... 

Sara (may end with an 'h', in fact, probably does, apologies if I've spelt it incorrectly) behind the bar, which is quite usual, and very pleasant, and regular faces including John this side of the bar. A few ales were available from the Surrey brewer, Pilgrim, from whom I cannot remember having one of their ales before: Moild, a 3.8% dark mild, apparently they speak that way; Progress, a 4% copper coloured 'Best Bitter'; Surrey Pale Ale, a 3.7% pale ale, obviously, but lacking a wee bit of flavour and body; and Weald Ale, a 3.6% pale golden ale, slightly malty with a dry finish, not bad.    

Other ales at The Bricklayers included, from Wiltshire, Keystone Bedrock Bitter (3.6%), another pale bitter that ran off before I could sample it; also from Wiltshire, Plain Ales Inndulgence, which I'm sure I've had before, a 'ruby porter', 5.2% and a lovely deep red colour, with a roasted barley aroma and taste, very nice; and more local, Twickenham Grandstand, to be discussed in Part II of this blog...  

Over the weekend I mostly watched rugby, but also, on the Saturday, I had a fair old West London walk to Barnes, Surrey bank of the Thames, and Chiswick and Hammersmith on the Middlesex side. Of course, when in W6! The Dove, by the Thames in Hammersmith is an excellent Fullers pub, great history and very close by Kelmscott House, the late 19th century residence of one of my heroes, William Morris; it would have been nice to share a few drinks with him and to discuss arts and crafts and politics. It's a Fullers pub I've been to many times, but Matt, the ex-manager now, has recently taken off to Africa with his wife, so awaiting a new manager. 

Of course, Fullers/Gales ales are sold here from their 4 handpumps. The ales are always in good condition here, and, should you find Fullers beers not to your taste, this is one of the Fullers houses you really should go to and try a pint of Fullers at before turning your head away from them. There was Gales HSB (4.8%); the excellent full-flavoured Fullers ESB (5.5%), one of my favourite darker ales; London Pride (4.1%), pretty much the Fullers beer that everyone has heard of, which, when sampled at somewhere that sells it quickly and knows how to look after their ale, like here, this is very good too; Chiswick Bitter, only 3.5%, and difficult to find, quite rare, in fact. Dry hopped and a lovely session bitter, incidentally, Chiswick was the favourite tipple of the local beer writer, Michael Jackson R.I.P. (not the singer and Fulham fan).  

Still in W6, I also visited the excellent The Duchess of Cambridge, on Goldhawk Road, near to Stamford Brook, and had a good chat with Simon, the landlord. The Duchess allows 50p reductions per pint on its real ales, most of which are usually served by gravity direct from casks behind the bar, to CAMRA members, thank you very much, also to teachers and NHS workers, and ticket holders for the nearby QPR Football Club on match days too, I do believe! I finished with a pint of the Windsor & Eton Conqueror Black IPA (5%), which I do believe I've discussed very recently, anyway, this is dark, yet hoppy, with a slight smokey flavour, and just £3.10 a pint with my discount, cheers Simon! 

Other ales included, from Wales, Brains Farmer Walloon (4.5%), a 'Saison' type version of a Belgian style, I got the Belgian, just, not bad... There were also 3 ales from the Nottinghamshire brewer, Milestone, 2 rugby directed, ie English Rose (4.5%), pale amber coloured and very nice, and Welsh Dragons (4%), paler with a slightly more malty flavour, not bad, and the darker Olde English Ale (4.9%). Sorry, but I forgot to make any other notes!

Cheers for now, look out for Part II! 

23rd October - SW6 and W6

Two blogs about Tuesday, one covering Parsons Green and Hammersmith (this one), and one to come to cover Stamford Brook and Turnham Green (tube station), ie W6 and W4. I'm starting at The White Horse on Parsons Green for this blog, a pub with good memories, particularly when I popped in before visiting my mum (RIP) many years ago. At that time, they regularly had Traquair House Ale (7%) served as a cask ale, not an easy ale to find as it's usually only available in bottles and still available in bottle here. Anyway, the gentleman behind the bar at the time said "Sorry, it's not on yet, but, if you don't mind, I can bring it up from the cellar", I snapped his hands off! I'm always happy to have ale straight from the cask, and it was absolutely gorgeous, so I had 2 pints; this pub has always been one I like to visit, sadly, not often enough!

Good lad behind the bar today too, very interested in his ales, and good chat. Can I get away from it though?!? Sussex Best was here! Anyway, a number of other ales too, 6 in all, including one of my old favourites, Oakham JHB (3.8%), and they'd just had Dark Star Smoked Porter (5.4%) on too. The White Horse is having an Old Ale festival on 23-25 November for those lucky enough to be in the area, with the restaurant being converted into a 'festival' hall bearing over 60 ales! See the website for more information.

 

2 excellent Fullers pubs in Hammersmith, as you'll be aware of by now, down by the river, The Dove, with the usual London Pride and ESB on, plus Gales Seafarers, which appears to be regular here now rather than Chiswick Bitter, and one of my favourite Fullers' ales, the 5% Bengal Lancer, excellent! Great service from Blake behind the bar, I just escaped as a coachload arrived (well, it seemed like it, though you'd never get a coach down here), met the manager, Matt, very briefly too, and Blake suggested a pub I'd never been to before in Goldhawk Road to visit, The Raven, cheers for the specific info Blake.

I then went on to Stamford Brook, more in my next blog, but towards the end of the day, also visited The Salutation, Kings Street, Hammersmith, my second favourite Fullers pub, and both in Hammersmith! The above photograph is of the entrance hall, it's certainly a building with interesting architecture, and particularly wonderful tiling outside and here.

 

Sadly, Amy has moved on, and is now managing elsewhere, good luck to her, I'll miss her! The manager is now Mary-Francis or Fiona, I believe, but the manager wasn't around today, not sure about my notes, but I think the other name is of the person who is now her deputy! Anyway, ESB, London Pride, and the crackin' Bengal Lancer on here, and, yes, I drank the Bengal Lancer, have to take advantage whilst it's in season, cheers!  

Wednesday 26th September, West London W6

Train from Hastings to Victoria, 211 bus (passing the Royal Brompton Hospital, where my Dad died many years ago) to Hammersmith, a stroll down to Hammersmith Bridge, walk westwards along the north bank of the Thames, and you reach The Dove (see website), built in the early 18th century and originally a 'coffee house', I believe. Also, the 'local' of a hero of mine, William Morris, who used to live just yards further along the river, a few years ago though (in a big house).

This is one of my two favourite pubs in Hammersmith, a much visited by famous people Fullers house, sadly though, no Wild River on now as it is a seasonal ale, and the Summer Ale that was on, is also near the end of its season, being replaced by Red Fox for the Autumn. I really like Wild River, nice and bitter, meets my love of bitter ales, however, not being on, I thought I'd try the Summer Ale, not having drunk it for a few years (Of course, they had London Pride and ESB too, 4 ales in all)... Very easy drinking, but lacking the hops to suit my palate, oh well, as ever, friendly discourse at the bar and an enjoyable visit.

 

Incidentally, it has the smallest bar room in the World, Country, London, or whatever, cute little 'snug', some would call it, and also a wonderful balcony at the back, overlooking the river, which can be gorgeous, but also can get very busy, thus noisy in good weather, or for the Boat Race!  I also met the manager, Matt, but later on at the Salutation... 

 

So, I wandered back past Hammersmith Town Hall to King Street and the Salutation Inn (see website), my other Fullers love of the Borough!  To give my taste buds a bit of a wake up call, I had ESB here, always a blast of malt and hops; they also had London Pride and Gales Seafarers, Gales ales being brewed by Fullers now.  Amy, the manager was behind the bar, and I remember her from just over a year ago, on her first day here, when she gave me 2 free pints (a story for another day, but there was a good reason, not just my warmth and charm, lol), and I have seen her since, obviously.

 

Anyway, I had a good chat with Amy, and Matt from The Dove, when he arrived too.  These really are the best 2 pubs in Hammersmith, as far as I'm concerned, not just for the beer and food, but also the histories behind the pubs, and their individually unique architecture. So, I was in good cheer when I moved on to my third pub of the late afternoon, The Duchess of Cambridge, on the roundabout at the Stamford Brook end of Goldhawk Road; thanks to Paul for his advice about this pub.

The Duchess of Cambridge is  a 'sister' pub to the Bree Louise at Euston, similar set up regarding real ales and ciders and perries, food, though from a slightly different perspective, and 50p off for a pint of ale if you're a CAMRA member (I knew there was more than one good reason to re-join CAMRA); I believe they also give discount to students, go to their website for more information.

So, up to 15 ales on, 6 from handpumps and 9 gravity fed (14 when I was there) and 9 ciders and perries gravity fed. Also a selection of craft bottled beers and lagers, positively brimming with good cheer!  I was very ably served by Alice, the friendly barmaid, for most of my visit, and I met the landlord, Simon, before I left.  I shan't mention every ale, particularly as they regularly change, but just the ones I drank on Wednesday, though you'll get the idea from this photograph.

I met a group of Reading fans who were going to the QPR League Cup match too, who seemed reasonably happy with the pub, so welcoming to away fans as well as QPR fans.  I will add this pub to my website very soon.
 

I started with, gravity fed, Close Brewery Castillo, 3.9%, pale and dry session bitter, a pleasing start to my visit, though could do with a few more hops for me (you will be aware of my love of bitterness and dry ales). Then I had a pint of Westerham Summer Pearl, 3.8%, not quite so pale, but a real bitter in taste, probably my favourite drink of the day, again, gravity fed (notes for those who love frothy pints and live in the North, you probably wouldn't be happy with the gravity fed ales here). My final pint was from Pontypridd's Otley Brewery 07 Weissen, a 5% European style beer served from a handpump, dry and full bodied, pretty good; I will return, cheers!

 

 

A tale of 2 cities + a town - part 1 - London

11th and 12th June 2012, arrived in London, Clapham Junction to be more precise, on Monday 11th, and left for Sheffield on Tuesday 12th. On my way over to the family 'seat' in Southfields, I soon passed, well nearly got by, I soon entered the Roundhouse, 2 Northside, Wandsworth Common...  

The Roundhouse, as I'm sure I've said before, was an old haunt of mine in my yoof, it's a bit more upmarket now, but very pleasant, with charming barstaff, many thanks to them.  It doesn't open for lunches until the weekend, so be careful if planning a visit (see website); music provided on Saturday afternoons is jazz.

They sell 3 ales, today they had Sambrooks Wandle Bitter, Sharps Doombar and Mad Goose Purity Pale Ale at 4.2%, the last of which I drank before embarking further towards my goal. Pretty much what you'd expect from such a beer, and knowing my tastes, light coloured pale beer, bitter, loved it! 

I then visited the Pig & Whistle, on the corner of Penwith Road and Merton Road in Southfields SW18, a Youngs house, which I remember as a kid being an off licence, shop and a house. I had a pint of the Ordinary, which was in fine condition, and a slice of Chocolate and Zucchini cake, which was also pleasant!

On Tuesday, I caught a train up to Sheffield, but, as Kieran wrote such a fine piece on the new Fullers pub at Kings Cross station, The Parcel Yard, I thought I should visit too, being in the area (St Pancras). 10 ales on 12 handpumps, including the usual Fullers and Gales ales you would expect, and guests from Adnams (Ghostship at 4.5%), Butcombe Bitter, and a 'seasonal' Fullers Hope and Glory (4.7%), yes, a 'jubilee' ale, slightly sweet and malty, with a nuttty and dry aftertaste.

Cheers! 

Wimbledon Park and back, via the Wandle...

Wimbledon park and back, via the Wandle, Thames, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common... we walked not far off 20 miles...

The Dove in Hammersmith, on the River Thames, is one of my favourite Fullers pubs, indeed, it's one of my favourite pubs... Great history, great view of the Thames from the back, decent food and ales from Fullers, nowt to dislike about the Dove, but you may well have seen me write about it elsewhere, so no surprise I love this pub...

The City Barge, past the Fullers Brewery in Chiswick, was the pub in 'Help!' The Beatles film, where Ringo fell through a trapdoor in the floor. Locals just call it "The Barge", and it's made up of an older lower bar and a more modern addition. The ales here were Green King IPA, which you'll know I'd ignore, Old Speckled Hen (preferable), and Hardy's and Hanson's Olde Trip (now owned by Green King), which we did drink, not as impressive as I remember, but not bad.

Our real lunchtime destination was the London Apprentice, a Nicholsons pub, I believe; a very nice building, and named after the defence of London from Royalist troops in the English Civil War, ie by the London Apprentices, as well as other Parliamentary troops, of course.

Decent food here, and good ales, some of the usuals, Doom Bar, Pride, TEA and Bombardier, but 2 nice ones for me (though I do like Pride++ too), that is, the excellent Hop Back Summer Lightning, and a new one for me, Gales (OK, Fullers ;-) Spring Sprinter, a 4% pale, light refreshing ale.

We sat outside, watching the swans, ducks, geese and gulls, and the rising Thames, as the tide came in (we escaped before our feet got wet).

OK, our walk included Richmond, Richmond Hill and Richmond Park, and Wimbledon Common, but our later drinking pubs are covered elsewhere, as we visited them on more than one trip... Cheers!