Your Local Pub

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Canada is a lucky lucky person.

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:14 (twenty years ago) link

I'm starting to get really cheesed off with the Boogaloo in Highgate -see upthread for former life as The Shepherds. It used to be more or less passable, with the occasional twinge of celebrity wrongness when Sean Hughes popped in or Bash The Pegg was successful of a Thursday.

However, as soon as I actually move to Highgate, it becomes a flipping 'juke joint' with hipsters lining the walls and checking out each other's boxing boots and asymmetric haircuts. Bah. Although Shane Macgowan hangs out there for days sometimes.

Also - they have bloody live bloody country bloody music on Sunday nights, when I'm trying to get to sleep to remove the badness of the weekend's drinking in order to make a half-presentable appearance at work on Monday morning. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE METROSEXUAL BASTARDS?

Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:20 (twenty years ago) link

since I first posted to this thread my visits to the Folly Bridge Inn have diminished to none at all and my visits to the Marlborough House have increased. The latter is largely coz they now have two quiz teams playing in the league...the Marlborough team who used to be St Cross College until the few members of the team whop were actually at the College left. The other team is the Marlborough Lites who actually frequent the pub the rest of the time (ie when not doing quizzes). The landlord has changed and they've put in a huge TV screen which usually has football on. As the pub has huge windows it is very easy to check up on the latest score as I walk past which is pretty handy.

The Marlborough is also Enrique's local but he doesn't go out of the house ever.

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:34 (twenty years ago) link

just remembered another thing about the Marlborough House - it has pool tables upstairs which still take the old 50p pieces and you have to exchange your new 50ps for old ones at the bar. This is actually the thing the pub is most known for, bizarrely.

Also, they have a picture of Art Garfunkel behind the bar.

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:40 (twenty years ago) link

The Turf in Oxford got voted as one of the best drinking establishments in Britain by the observer food magazine readers. It's not a bad pub, but not all that, surely?

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago) link

ironic that it was by a food magazine rather than CAMRA or someone like that, coz while the range of beers is impressive the food is awful!

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:43 (twenty years ago) link

My local pub is the Railway. It used to be a Firkin, but is now a horrid pine-furnished white-walled wankerpub that admittedly does top food. They have candles in lots of silly places as well - I once saw a man accidentally set himself on fire in there. His shirt went up REALLY QUICKLY but he was alright. And yet still they persist with the candles. Fules.

Just up the road is the Crown, which has two big screens showing football. It's a bit shabby, but basically pretty ILE-friendly, and indeed has been the venue of two accidental SE London FAPs in my time. The fancyapint link is talking nonsense, as there are three pubs and three bars on that road alone andd a further two round the corner. Also, the picture was clearly taken in 1985, as it looks nothing like that any more.

I still go to the Dacre Arms at least twice a week though. It is marvellous and warm and friendly and has a proper pub landlord like off the telly and two dogs and the same six old men sitting in the same place all the time.

Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:44 (twenty years ago) link

were they geezaesthetes?

Stringent Stepper (Stringent), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:45 (twenty years ago) link

some of the voting was rather geezerish

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:47 (twenty years ago) link

My local is now the genuinely eeevil Star of Brunswick. I have never been there but I'm told it's built on the hell mouth or something, hence its eeevil.

Also within mere yards are The Freemasons (slogan: 'it's not what you think it's where you drink' arrgh fuck off), The Farm, the Biscuit Factory, The Coopers Cask ,and the cavernously awful Providence (prev. Litten Tree, prev. Bar Med). Astonishingly, I have never been to ANY of these. I prefer to return to my old locale where I can get Harveys and pool in the inexplicably Aussie-themed Cobblers Thumb (plus lethal Old Rosie cider arrr) or the teeny tiny Rose Hill.

Archel (Archel), Monday, 16 February 2004 11:56 (twenty years ago) link

oh inexplicably Aussie themed pubs. Can't beat 'em. there used to be one in Bristol called the Steam Tavern where lots of things were upside down, including the telly.

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:07 (twenty years ago) link

My local is still the above, I now go 3 or 4 times a week cos Dublin city is quiet and crap. I know the bouncers, it's embarassing.

Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:18 (twenty years ago) link

Dublin city is quiet and crap

whatever happened to the craic we hear so much about???

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:19 (twenty years ago) link

Oh it's probably good if you don't want to go clubbing. There were laws and things, stuff got closed, it's in a "rebuilding phase".

Also I suspect with very few clubs open I've gotten used to going out where I can walk home as opposed to taking a 40 minute bus journey, so lazy.

Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:20 (twenty years ago) link

I don't understand why Chris insists on comparing our lovely Duke of York to an All Bar One. It's a PROPER LOCAL where everyone knows the names of the Irish people working there, and regulars know about any seediness that might be happening. The Thai food is on the good side (served by ladyboy) and the Bloody Maries are bar quality at pub prices. Also the suited/booted types in there don't seem to have an attitude and lifestyle problem with a) cycle couriers b) trendier folks/LCP students c) old drinkers and d) neighbourhood people.

suzy (suzy), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:26 (twenty years ago) link

I went once and it had very little atmosphere and was full of stripped pine and thai food, ie a malaise suffered by too many pubs in recent times. It just wasn't like a proper pub to me at all.

It may have chanbed since, but I doubt I'll go back anyway.

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:30 (twenty years ago) link

can't beat a good pint of chanbed

Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:31 (twenty years ago) link

the bar closest to my house is the embassy.

there are countless pubs near my house (i live between upper street and essex road), but i hardly go to any of them at all. probably most recently i went into the jorene celeste.

i am, clearly, not using the resources of my locale to the fullest advantage.

colette (a2lette), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago) link

is the Jorene Celeste the one that used to be the railway (is that right? it was a posties pub, has a bay window in the fronbt and is very long) if so that's another that got turned from a good, proper boozer, run by very good people into a stripped pine hell. I watched most of Euro 2000 there and it was fantastic.

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:39 (twenty years ago) link

it is very long, i didn't notice anything railroad-y about it, and actually noticed another pub called the jorene celeste somewhere else while i was stumbling around looking at flats on saturday.

colette (a2lette), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:58 (twenty years ago) link

Yep, there's a slightly skanky one in Kentish Town. Comfy though.

Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 16 February 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link

Dowb my local, right, if you so much as look at someone wrong you'll be leaving with a bar stool inserted up your ass. My fave line to practise on out of towners who come in:

"Do you like hospital food?"

That one cracks the pub up usually as the moron wonders what to say and then BAM you smack him in the face with an ashtray eh? You know what I'm saying? It's a proper working class pub right?

Nutty Nigel (Nutty Nigel), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

My local is called the "The Pig's Rump" and it's owned by my good mate Biceps Bob, who just don't mess with.

Nutty Nigel (Nutty Nigel), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:04 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/images/waterlane1.jpg http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/images/waterlane.jpg

the Hobgoblin is the building on the left of both pix altho i think in the old pic it was called "George Canning's Pub"

i also have a swish bar near me w/no name on the front but which the proprietor assures me is called "Mango Landin'" - it's on Brixton Water Lane about the same distance away as the Hobgoblin but in the other direction

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:15 (twenty years ago) link

Here's a pic of the aforementioned Freemasons. It's getting harder and harder to find a pub in Brighton that isn't a converted church, factory, stable, mineshaft, or otherwise architecturally 'quirky'.
http://www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/brighton__hove/leisure/at_the_bar/images/freemasonstavern.jpg

Archel (Archel), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:22 (twenty years ago) link

i think the 2nd closest pub to my house is probably the wetherspoons at the top of the O2 centre. i have now been there twice, the second being last night, owing to a power cut; i don't recommend it *except* that you can sit by the window and pretend you're in a hotel bar or something. if that's your thing.

toby (tsg20), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:31 (twenty years ago) link

Closest pub is either the Hemingford Arms which is grebt (tho I haven't been in much of late) or the Arundel Arms which is grim as heck.

Ricardo (RickyT), Monday, 16 February 2004 13:53 (twenty years ago) link

If we're just talking licensed premises, I sort of live above (but a little set back too, it's hard to explain) a bar which is primarily a restaurant called Scruffy's in Nottingham. It's quite pleasent, if a little pricey. It has film posters all over the ceiling which I think is quite cool. I never really go there that much as 20 seconds walk from my front door seems too little effort, if you know what I mean.

The nearest real pub is the Three Wheatsheafs, but there's always boys racers with their tracky bottoms legs rolled up hanging around outside, so I'm scared to go near it.

Nick H (Nick H), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:23 (twenty years ago) link

AH the Hemingford used to be my local, and I was a proper local there, like they'd pour me a pint without asking and lock me in.

Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:25 (twenty years ago) link

my locals are The Queens Head on Ducketts Common (by Turnpike Lane) and The Old Ale Emporium on the Green Lanes but I have still not been in either yet - er, FAP anyone?

stevem (blueski), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:30 (twenty years ago) link

I don't know how you manage this without the Salisbury being closer than one or other of these pubs?

Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:33 (twenty years ago) link

has stevem somehow managed to overlook this huge edifice?

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:38 (twenty years ago) link

The Turf in Oxford's lovely, though drinks are quite expensive, compared to some other places in Oxford. And it reminds me of my years of underaged drinking.

My local at the moment is The Anchor, and it's handily only about 3 minutes away. I like it, just because it's always empty, even at the weekends, so there's somewhere to sit. And they have a good pub quiz as well, with questions that we can actually attempt to answer.

jellybean (jellybean), Monday, 16 February 2004 14:45 (twenty years ago) link

yes sorry the Salisbury is of course closer

stevem (blueski), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:33 (twenty years ago) link

I know the guy who used to run the quiz in the Anchor, not sure if he still does or not. What area is the Anchor in? Bit far north to be regarded as Jericho. I think it's officially Walton Manor.

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:37 (twenty years ago) link

THE RED COW

I bet the HTML for "red" isn't [red] (where square brackets = pointy brackets, obv)

Sarah (starry), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:39 (twenty years ago) link

Bollocks.

Sarah (starry), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:39 (twenty years ago) link

THE RED COW

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:42 (twenty years ago) link

What was it about our forebears that they would use blue to mean grey and red to mean brown? There are lots of Red Cows and Blue Boars but no Brown Cows and Grey Boars.

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:43 (twenty years ago) link

They didn't 'use blue to mean grey and red to mean brown' - cows used to be red and boars were blue.

N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:45 (twenty years ago) link

and if you carry on like that, yr face will be black and blue!

MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:47 (twenty years ago) link

The Turf in Oxford got voted as one of the best drinking establishments in Britain by the observer food magazine readers. It's not a bad pub, but not all that, surely?

Full of hoorays. Unlike all the other pubs in Oxford. You're right Mark -- I can't actually remember the last time i went to a pub in Oxford. Had a swift one in the Grapes one Saturday afternoon in January. Other than that...

NRQ (Enrique), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:50 (twenty years ago) link

full of hoorays? it's the pub I usually go in when in Oxford, and I never noticed that really, except once on a graduation day. Me and my friend Alex once held the highest score on the quizzer in there for months.

Last time in there, I believe I was with Vicky, Ptee and Tim Hoppo.

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:53 (twenty years ago) link

Like I say, hoorays...

Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:55 (twenty years ago) link

you're funny

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:57 (twenty years ago) link

One of you was even called 'Tim'!

N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:57 (twenty years ago) link

and you are even funnier

chris (chris), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:58 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, I would have done an emoticon, but you know... Last time I went was the end of eights week, so was atypical, yes.

ENRQ (Enrique), Monday, 16 February 2004 15:59 (twenty years ago) link

three years pass...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastrounds/732301320/

ive never been in

Filey Camp, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:36 (sixteen years ago) link

That looks alright!

Matt DC, Thursday, 16 August 2007 10:39 (sixteen years ago) link


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