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!