Friday, March 20, 2009
Pubs but no gigs
So no gigs for a while. Hasn’t stopped me going out and about though. Since I last wrote Saints have had three wins on the trot which had been unheard for a while. Unfortunately they still languish in the bottom three. Think we’ll need 51 points to stay up, slightly lower than usual with Charlton being so bad. Lots of sides down there play each other to so the final weekend with us against Forest in Nottingham could be fascinating. No wonder I am organising my birthday bash up there that weekend.
One of our victories was at Ipswich on a Tuesday night. Taking the afternoon off allowed me to frequent some pubs though some like the Mill Stone and White Horse have closed since the last time. The small pub Mannings on the market square was very nice, with the Wetherspoons, the Golden Lion, next door, being one of the better of the chain with a very nice barmaid. Elsewhere the pubs seemed to be very run of the mill, which is a shame as previously in Ipswich they had been a high standard.
A trip to the midlands enabled a visit to Banbury on the way back. A pub called the Vaults was somewhere I could drink all night (and all day if necessary). Two attractive barmaids, one with a large wavy tattoo on her back, and a pint of Budvar and a bitter of some sort for a fiver. Nice layout, there was nothing to dislike. Other pubs such as Ye Olde Reindeer, Coach And Horses and Three Pigeons were also nice having the market village feel to them of a 1930s novel. A nice place and hope to be back soon.
Closer to home, there is a new pretentious bar at the foot of the Bosco hotel in Surbiton full of the ‘beautiful’ people which was surprisingly enjoyable. Being next to the Wetherspoons, it was a bit of a culture clash. The Railway in Cheam keeps improving with each visit. The new management are doing a good job. In Sutton’s newtown area, both the Nightingale and the Windsor have increased their pint by 10p, now £3.10 for a Carling, presumably in anticipation of the new budget promise of this tax increase for the next two year. Compare this to a four pack of Holston for 10p less in the nearby newsagents, it’s no wonder pubs are closing and people are over indulging at home in a non regulated environment. Sometimes you have to scratch your head at some policies, especially at a time small business need all the help they can get. (ok yes newsagents are thriving and pubs going under and is this better than the other way round?). End of political rant.
Finally, looking forward, an out in Putney tomorrow which should see some nice pubs done, especially if it stays sunny. Besides the Who tribute in the evening then, it’s a welcome return of Scandinavian indie popsters The Sounds next week at the Borderline.
One of our victories was at Ipswich on a Tuesday night. Taking the afternoon off allowed me to frequent some pubs though some like the Mill Stone and White Horse have closed since the last time. The small pub Mannings on the market square was very nice, with the Wetherspoons, the Golden Lion, next door, being one of the better of the chain with a very nice barmaid. Elsewhere the pubs seemed to be very run of the mill, which is a shame as previously in Ipswich they had been a high standard.
A trip to the midlands enabled a visit to Banbury on the way back. A pub called the Vaults was somewhere I could drink all night (and all day if necessary). Two attractive barmaids, one with a large wavy tattoo on her back, and a pint of Budvar and a bitter of some sort for a fiver. Nice layout, there was nothing to dislike. Other pubs such as Ye Olde Reindeer, Coach And Horses and Three Pigeons were also nice having the market village feel to them of a 1930s novel. A nice place and hope to be back soon.
Closer to home, there is a new pretentious bar at the foot of the Bosco hotel in Surbiton full of the ‘beautiful’ people which was surprisingly enjoyable. Being next to the Wetherspoons, it was a bit of a culture clash. The Railway in Cheam keeps improving with each visit. The new management are doing a good job. In Sutton’s newtown area, both the Nightingale and the Windsor have increased their pint by 10p, now £3.10 for a Carling, presumably in anticipation of the new budget promise of this tax increase for the next two year. Compare this to a four pack of Holston for 10p less in the nearby newsagents, it’s no wonder pubs are closing and people are over indulging at home in a non regulated environment. Sometimes you have to scratch your head at some policies, especially at a time small business need all the help they can get. (ok yes newsagents are thriving and pubs going under and is this better than the other way round?). End of political rant.
Finally, looking forward, an out in Putney tomorrow which should see some nice pubs done, especially if it stays sunny. Besides the Who tribute in the evening then, it’s a welcome return of Scandinavian indie popsters The Sounds next week at the Borderline.
# posted by Rich @ 4:35 PM 
