Time to fire up this tour
I thought we should get a date in the diary for a traditional pub tour. So far we have the following pubs;FitzgeraldsThe Cock TavernThe Chesham ArmsThe Wishing WellThe Three SistersThe Windsor Castle (although I am not convinced)The Crooked BilletIt will be easier to do this on the weekend, as there are a few to get round. Saturday is the obvious choice but somehow a Sunday drinking session feels right for this.Anyway let me know if you have a preference and we’ll go from there. I am thinking either late Feb or March.
hackney-trainer
Surely a Traditional Sunday roast should be on the cards for this tour! Nothing finer then Sunday afternoon drinking, or is that just me….
marty21
I’ve been to 6 of them already ! Fitzgeralds is the only one I’ve missed. I’m sure I can make some of this – depends on dates and that.
ewebber
@alexpink – you’re not convinced by the Windsor Castle? I’ve been in there a few time, I think it deserves a place on the tour
marty21
I’m not convinced by the Chesham Arms – it’s a lovely boozer!
ewebber
@marty21 this is a traditional boozer tour – the Chesham Arms is a traditional boozer innit?
marty21
@ewebber I guess it is….
alexpink
@ewebber Windsor Castle is on the list alright, it just looks a bit naff. Lager, fruit machines and sky sports! And strange regulars like @marty21 ๐
alexpink
@marty21 Do you frequent the Wetherspoons? I’m thinking about adding it to the list.
marty21
@alexpink I’ve been to the Windsor Castle once!!! Used to go to the Wetherspoons a bit when I lived in Stokie, not been there for about 10 years though.
ewebber
@marty21 is that the wetherspoons in Stokie or Hackney Central? I’ve been to the one in Stokie, it’s an amazing tiled old pub
dirtypj
I approve of any pubs that serve proper cask ale.
marty21
@dirtypj – there won’t be many, if any, on that list which serve proper cask ale
ewebber
@marty21 except of course for the weatherspoons
line1
Has this happened?!
ewebber
um… not yet! *ahem* @alexpink
alexpink
Oh yes…Are people still keen on this?
line1
YES.
ewebber
Yup yup, I know @saladefolle will be keen too if we’re going to the 3 sisters
alexpink
3 sisters? I don’t know it.
saladefolle
6tits6tits6tits6tits! do I sound a little too keen?
GavinRedknap
The Billet? I live just along the road from there. Ive been in a few times when the football is on Sky and I cant be bothered going over to Stokie. Frankly, its grim. Really, really grim. Three Sisters looks like it could be such a nice pub. You can take your pint over to the downs at drink it there. A down at heel Pub on the Park, if you will. There is a pub in existence called the London Tavern, on the corner of Kenninghall and Rendlesham roads. I havent been in there – it appears to be populated by extras from the TV series Life on Mars – but if you want to see a traditional pub, and you dont mind the risk to your life, I’d suggest popping in there. Safety in numbers and all that. I’d be surprised if its been updated at all since about 1974. I reckon they still have double diamond on tap in there.
cherkoff
The Adam & Eve on Homerton High St is a huge old pub that has certainly seen better days. Absolutely ripe for investment if anyone is listening… ๐
hackney-trainer
Has anyone suggested the Albion on Lauriston road? its a proper old traditional boozer, with locals coming to stand still when anyone new enters. But if your wanting proper traditional Hackney pubs then its one to consider, and its got Pool tables. . . .
ewebber
It’s massive in there and has an amazing front.I think it was left out this tour because it’s a little out of the way of the route and it doesn’t have a great choice of beer
ewebber
@alexpink and I were talking about replacing the Windsor Castle with Fitzgeralds, I heard that Fitzgeralds may be not much longer for this world.
GavinRedknap
The Adam and Eve looks pretty nice from outside. Opposite it is the Jackdaw and Stump, which could well have been the inspiration for the Slaughtered Lamb in American Werewolf in London… If its choice of beer youre after, again the Billet is hardly the place to go. The Anchor and Hope, on the other hand, has some fine ales.
alexpink
Calling all booze hounds. Pencil the 4th of June in your diaries because we are going on a traditional pub tour of Hackney. We have a collection of pubs to try but providing the tour flows (no pun intended) then I am happy to add/remove pubs as we see fit.
ewebber
woop woop! I’ll be there ๐
marty21
I’ll pencil it in.Speaking of the Billet, I often pop in on the way home from work if I get the bus back, bus stop just outside tempts me in. I don’t think it’s that grim tbh, no ale, but Kronenburg and Stella for the lager drinkers, and Strongbow cider. I have just started drinking cider again after 20 odd years of not very much cider at all.
alexpink
@marty21 I’m sure its not that bad – but their choice of drinks sounds pretty pathetic! Pint of wife beater please landlord ๐
What Cider have you been drinking? I like Aspall, its a great summer drink.
marty21
mostly strongbow in pubs, although I had some nice organic cider in the Fox Reformed, only the one though, ยฃ3.50 a very small bottle. I bought some lovely French cider from the deli on Chatsworth Rd on Saturday, took it to a BBQ in Tulse Hill – went down very well with the host.
The Billet is just a convenient place to have a pint – I’d love it to do a few real ales though.
alexpink
I like West Country cider – it blows your head clean off! Boom.
GavinRedknap
You mean the stuff that comes in those 5 litre jerrycans for added classiness? Mmmmm!
alexpink
No, that’s White Lightening or something.
GavinRedknap
Err, no it aint. Proper Somerset cider often gets sold in 5 litre jerrycans. If you’ve been to Glastonbury, you should have seen a few locals ambling about with them.
alexpink
When I’m relaxing in a west country pub we tend to drink out of pints but really, whatever. My point was i-like-it.
saladefolle
I’ll be coming too! Anyone tried Soffle’s Chilli & Garlic Pitta Chips? Perhaps we can find out which pubs are stocking them on our tour… They are apparently locally produced. http://www.soffles.blogspot.com
alexpink
@saladefolle They sound good!
saladefolle
@alexpink yeah, that can be our post-Easter Chilli & Garlic Pitta Chips hunt!
benjamin
If you wannabe drunkards ever get around to going on your tour perhaps you could make an enquiry at the bar of the Three Sisters?;
the blackboard outside says that the pub is for sale. It’s a strange way to sell a pub…but it wouldn’t be the strangest thing they’ve written on that board.
GavinRedknap
Myself and Caspar went for a stroll along the Downs to the Three Sisters last night. Inside were a bar propper-upper, a group of lads who looked like they might be off the estate and a solitary fellow who was muttering to himself and making stabbing motions to no-one in particular. The place has obviously seen much better days, which is a shame as it is a quirky little building and its position on the Downs is great. Really hopeful someone can come along and give it the attention it needs, rather than turning it into flats like they did the other pub along the road. I can imagine golden summer evenings enjoying a pint on the grass, watching the sun set slowly over the downs…
line1
Do we have a start time and pub for Saturday?
ewebber
yeah @alexpink what time?
alexpink
Opening time…
How about 4pm?
ewebber
Where is the first pub? and shall we start with a coffee @jeromesk8 ‘s
alexpink
Six tits?
Yeah coffee sounds like a good start/place to meet
alexpink
I’ll look over the proposed list and get back to youz
saladefolle
I was under the impression @jeromesk8 is only open until 2pm, but perhaps he can clarify that for us? in any case 4pm sounds about right for me.
seb
An excuse to booze? I am there.
ewebber
cool, I’m assuming a Clapton start – but that’s me being lazy ๐
seb
Wouldn’t have it any other way! Clapton up to Stokey, round to Dalston, through Haggerston to Shoreditch?
I take it we are avoiding Homerton?
ewebber
I’ll leave that to @alexpink – but we should leave some areas for the next one!
alexpink
Right guys I’ve changed it a little to incorporate a couple of pubs with outdoor space. Lets meet at the Anchor & Hope – 15 High Hill Ferry, London E5 9HG at 4pm.
The rough plan is;
Anchor & Hope
Princess of Wales
Six tits
The Wishing Well
Fitztgeralds
Chesham Arms
And finish with the Cock Tavern in Hackney centre.
ewebber
Sounds ace! I’ll be there, who else is coming?
alexpink
One of the last times we went on a pub tour I thought it would be a good idea to have 3 pints with lunch beforehand….it wasn’t.
patricksmithjournalist
Outstanding plan. I may not be able to join from the start but keep tweeting progress (#twee8 ?) and I’ll hope to tag along.
ewebber
It’s not a #twee8 tour – but I will try to update on here and on the @fuckyeahhackney twitter account”
ewebber
@saladefolle @sebbywood @line1 @marty21 @kuxi @philsheard @ollie are you joining?
saladefolle
@ewebber โ I blocked the day off in my diary weeks ago, so off course I’m coming! I am missing my nan’s 100th birthday for this though, so it better be good.
alexpink
Tour kicks off at 4pm and I’ll tweet where we are https://twitter.com/#!/alexjpink
Hope to see you there.
Anchor & HopePrincess of WalesSix titsThe Wishing WellFitztgeraldsChesham ArmsAnd finish with the Cock Tavern in Hackney centre.
line1
Cool, I’m not on Twitter but I’m sure I will be able to find you guys, probably a few pubs in.What happened to the Crooked Billet and Windsor Castle?
ewebber
@line1 you can walk to the Anchor and hope with us if you want
line1
Thanks but I’ve got to go pick up a coffee table first.
ewebber
We’re at pub #1
ewebber
@ the princess of Wales
ewebber
Been to the 6 tits now at the wishing well
loopzilla
With you in spirit!
ewebber
Some of my snaps from the tour:
Anchor and hope
The lovely view of the Marshes from the Anchor and Hope
Water treatment house from Princess of Wales
Three sisters
Three sister for sale
Wishing Well Garden
Fitzgeralds
alexpink
Heres my summary of the pubs we visited on Saturday;Anchor & Hope – Great pub, full of interesting characters and nice beer. We sat outside overlooking the canal which was very chilled.
Princess of Wales – Good selection of ales, some nice original features and again nice to be next to the canal.
The Three Sisters – Its slightly confused as to what it should be but it had a friendly vibe and I quite enjoyed our visit there. Its great for people watching and passive smoking (weed).
The Wishing Well – A former Truman pub (see iron eagle above the outside window). Now completely lost to a series of bad refurbishments. An irish pub with a bad selection of beers and mostly drunken old men. The outside smoking area is quite impressive though.
Fitzgeralds – Another Irish pub but this one is lot more friendly. The decor is a mixture of working mens club, come Phoenix nights but I actually quite liked it. I would go back.
We never made it any further…but that leaves lots for next time. Thanks to those who joined us.
saladefolle
…and thanks @alexpink for organising it, I really enjoyed the tour!
janice
lol. @alexpink passive smoking. shall have to bear that in mind. lalala.
alexpink
Its the kind of passive smoking that gives you the munchies, so take provisions!
ewebber
Just noticed that The Wishing Well are on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/wishingwelle8
marty21
I would like another tour please – make it so number one.
marty21
I would like another tour please – make it so number one.