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Pub ride afficionados...
Just because hoefla put a list in my way I decided to roughly follow the route I jotted out yesterday - got in some good London miles too. It's actually quite a nice route with good mix of quiet streets and some faster stuff on the main roads. The traffic seemed quite quiet today...and damn cold too...
So I went to the Oakdale in Harringey (sp?) - it's closing doors on the 19th March, for good. I had a good chat with the barman - the lanky, slightly 'heavy metal' one - who is a great bloke (Rob I think?) and very friendly. He's pretty upset about the place closing down, naturally. Apparently they're going to knock it down and build some flats, for refugees, I think he said. He also told me the landlord owns the Pembury tavern. Apparently his pride and joy, although Rob had few good words to say about said east london pub...
But the on the 19th they are also holding a rather large closing party - he wants the place to be drunk dry - with live bands the whole day and hopefully a large crowd. It is for this reason I propose we do this ride on the 19th (a saturday) so hopefully we can give the place a bit of a sendoff, albeit briefly. Unfortunately there are only 2 aquariums left (he gave the rest away to punters!) but I reckon it's still well worth the ride, which as I said was quite pleasant from central, and not as far as I thought. It's still a surprisingly nice pub, albeit in a bit of a run down area. I asked him about other venues and he suggested the eerie pub co place by the london stone, although I've never been there, it looks interesting, and I think it was mentioned somewhere before.
Ye olde mitre is not open on a saturday, and I forgot about the jerusalem tavern, although the route I went took me right past it. I just forgot to turn on that road... If we want to visit those then maybe someone can make plans to check them out.
The toucan was open, and looked lively, although I didn't stop. I did stop for a cheeky half at the cask and glass, which is tiny, and quite lovely, so I think we should go there unless there are strong objections/alternatives. I went past the gladstone too, which looks good, but again didn't stop, so if others have recommendations I'd be happy to stop there: it looks cosy.
Lastly, I stopped at the Victoria - one of those truman pubs with a lovely traditional exterior which I pass almost everyday on my commute and had always wondered about. It's a traditional place, with some queen vic memorabillia and a great plaque behind the bar which says "Free beer - tomorrow". Alas, despite being the standard's pub of the year in 1972, 40 odd years have not been kind to this place and it was rather quiet with only london pride and greene king on tap, as well as the fosters, guinness etc. Anyway, I only went there out of curiosity and it seemed a friendly enough place.
I did think of going on to the montague but by that time it was fucking cold and wanted to go home, without stopping. But by all accounts that place is pretty special.
Phew. If you read all that, congrats.
That's it really, it all has to happen by the 19th if the Oakdale is to be included....
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That's definitely my longest post, like, evar.
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Anyone else ever been to the Prince Alfred (Little Venice, near Warwick Ave tube)..
Is quite posh, quite expensive but is a truly lovely building.
Inside there are little cubicles with little doors which I find a little bit quirky.
Probably not the kind of establishment that would encourage a bunch of smelly cyclists I'm afraid so might not be a good destination for the ride but if you get the chance/have the inclination it's a nice place.
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that does look lovely. the Angel (another slightly but not hugely quirky Sam Smiths) on Bermondsey riverside also has screens dividing the place up with doorways for midgets.
@spybot: good scouting! 19th sounds good to me, and hopefully a little warmer... looks like a good sort of mileage too, it's the number of stops is more of a limiting factor i think. neither Clerkenwell pub is open at the weekend, so miss those out. that leaves around 6 stops?
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tbh, assuming we start in the morning, and don't linger too long at each establishment, I don't think timings will be that bad. I left lmnh at around three and was home before 7 (peckhamish), had a pint at the oakdale and one between two other pubs, plus navigating/getting lost time. Although I was fairly quick on the main roads as it was cold.
I just think we need something special central-ish after the long slog from the oakdale. The casknglass is basically across the other side of london, and there must be something good central that is quirky, and open on a saturday. Maybe we can fit in one of the others in the list, I think it would be worth it. I liked the look of this place which I saw, but it's not in the clerkenwell area...
ANyway, we have time, so anyone who knows that area shoud pipe up, because I don't, and I think there needs to be a stop before carving through central london.
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Ha! I'm up for that, but you know how people whinge about hills.
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Nice work on the mappage, spybot.
I was thinking - the George may not be all that quirky, but agreed that we could take a call on it during the ride.
Also, it has a nice big courtyard so might make a good finishing point if it's not too cold to hang around outside drinking cold liquids.
Anyway, I tweaked your route a little, taking out Ye Olde Mitre and the Wibbley Wobbley.
Also, I swapped the order of the 2nd and 3rd to last pubs - I don't know south London well enough to know if the A202 is horrid or not.
I also altered the route up near Finsbury Park to cut through Clissold Park in Stokie and hit some of the back streets I know around there.
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Jerusalem Tavern isn't open weekends either, but a stop off before we head into the west end would be nice. I don't know the area
I see a long stretch from the Victoria to Peckham - not massively quirky but the Prince of Wales in Kennington could be a nice halfway stop, it's an old Shepherd Neame in a nice georgian square, lots of nice bikes outside regularly. If it's warm would be good, if cold maybe keep on going...
Not thrilled about OKR but probably the only option. Spybot you do that route regularly right?
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@rhowe: Cheers. I like the clissold diversion. I also changed my route this morning to make the way to oakdale more interesting. It was pretty quick, and quiet.
I like the idea of a kenington pub. If we decide to do that I know a nicer route from there to the montague through burgess park, which is actually quite quick and traffic free. It won't be any slower than camberwell road, which is a bit of a dump and not a great ride, but can be done. Make a call on the day I guess. Same goes for the return to the george/gladstone/wherever. Depends on time etc, I like the back route but am happy to do okr if people want, I don't mind either. The back route will add maybe 5 minutes...
Good work team...
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To throw a spanner in the works, there's also The white bear down the road from the red lion, which does theatre, and apparently has impromptu performances. Probably a bit wanky, but certainly quirky if there's anything on (unlikely - just checked, and they charge. bastards.)
Further south there's also the Ivy House just around the corner from me (can't believe I didn't think of it before really). Jo Brand was there on friday, but fuck all happens most of the time and has unreliable opening hours. If we wanted i'm sure we could figure something out. But it does have a massive stage and hall, and a pool table, and fussball. Crap beer though.
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Slightly further using back streets is worth it if it's nicer and you know where you're going. Getting away from roads with traffic lights every 50m is also worth it even if it means going a little further. At least we'll be stopping fairly frequently at places with tables so we can always have a printout of the map and indulge in the fine British tradition of endlessly debating which is the best route to take.
So long as we have a preplanned fallback route we can tweak it as needed using whatever local knowledge turns up for the ride.
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Shame the Oakdale is closing. I'm also probably not going to be here on the 19th March. :(
I'll have to contrive a way of going there before it closes.
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Ha, sounds like a plan. Next week completely booked up but I'll bear it in mind.
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Quirky pubs ride - suggestions needed
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@hoonz
i agree the Wibbly Wobbly ain't a great pub (used to be my local), it's attraction is that it's floating. It's definitely better than the Embankment party boats but that's not saying a lot...
Also would prefer the Mitre to Jerusalem (latter like the beers but ambiance nothing special). Not fussed about Intrepid Fox, been plenty enough times and preferred it on Wardour St anyway.
Don't know the Cheshire Cheese but loads of the Sam Smiths are good pubs and little bit quirky, perhaps a Sam Smiths ride is in order (definitely been suggested before).
Harringey why are you so far away?