Saturday 30 August 2008

Off to see one of the most heralded buildings in all of the UK, Winchester Cathedral.
Sorry... I just couldn’t tie in the classic #1 song by The New Vaudeville Band.

Back in the 11th century, Winchester was London before London was… well London. William the Conqueror commissioned the construction Winchester Cathedral as its centre point and to this day the 900 year old building boasts the longest naïve in all of Europe.

The Great Screen dates back to the 15th century and not only is the Cathedral the burial site for 12 English kings it is also the final resting place for author Jane Austin.


Located in the town’s Great Hall hangs what is reported to be King Arthur’s Round Table. Honestly… it looks like something that was to be used in a medieval version of Wheel of Fortune.

The town itself is quite quaint with its Tudor styled High Street, city gates from the walled close and bridges over the River Itchen.

Near the city centre stands a statue to King Alfred the Great, who in the 9th century deterred the invasion of Danish Vikings, and as evident by the following sign that resistance to hooligans still stands.

If having a pink wall wasn't nuisance enough.

Thursday 28 August 2008

Today's random thought:

I've had a drink in a pub named The Queen's Head.

I've had a drink in a pub named The Queen's Arms.

Why can't I find a pub named The Queen's Legs?

Maybe some things are better left unknown.

Monday 25 August 2008

"This is the room from which I will direct the war." - Winston Churchill

Today I visited the Cabinet War Rooms, the underground bunker system from which Winston Churchill and his cabinet members ran the logistics of World War II.

Abandoned and sealed soon after the war, the Cabinet meeting room, the map room and several of the offices still maintain their original condition with authentic maps still on the walls and the original phones.

It was really fascinating seeing the conditions that they worked under round the clock for years as London was being bombed by Nazi Germany.

Walking back towards the flat from the War Rooms I heard the Royal Guard Band playing for the Changing of the Guard at the barracks (just prior to leaving towards the Palace). Normally, this wouldn't have been such a big deal except they were playing "I've Got Rhythm" and "Minnie the Moocher". So I traipsed over (as one does) to catch the show. As they began their march towards the Palace they chose to play Elmer Bernstein's march from the movie "Stripes".

I wish I was a loofah.

Friday 22 August 2008

Yes... another pub update.

I don't think I have a problem... Do I?

As usual, the complete list is reached by the link on the right.

135. Warrington Hotel: One of those pubs that is like having a pint in a museum. Magnificent exterior façade with an interior to match. Marble columns, stained glass and ornate moulding. Simply awe-inspiring.
136. The Globe: Large pub on the corner of Marylebone and Baker St. that caters to the tourists. Nothing special.
137. The Prince Regent: Purple walls and somewhat gaudy furnishings for a pub. A “pretty” place. Not a surprise the girls liked it.
138. The King’s Head: I LIKED this place!! A very quiet, quaint pub with strong local feel. Not to mention a cool wrap-a-round bar. If it were closer, I’d visit more often.
139. The Golden Eagle: Cool exterior on this corner pub with a refurbished interior, taking away any traditional feel. Tiny, TINY place. Mind your head when going down the stairs to the Gents toilet.
140. Pontefract Castle: Interesting 3 level pub with a very cool spiral staircase. Main bar is far better than the other levels. Decent enough place.
141. Duke of York: Small corner, Samuel Smith pub with a nice brass trimmed bar and small partitioned booths.
142. Bricklayers Arms: Boothed seating and nothing more that would make this one memorable.
143. Carpenters Arms: Simple corner place with some nice Victorian tiling. Shame the only thing on the telly was Olympic women’s shotput.
144. Windsor Castle: Odd place simply covered in an eclectic mix of celebrity/royal photographs and collections of small bric-a-brac. Quirky enough to lure me back.
145. Wargrave Arms: Newer Young’s pub with a wide open bar area. Nothing really noteworthy.
146. The Dove: Supposedly the smallest bar in all of Britain. Not so sure about that. The original pub area has low beamed ceilings, but the highlight of this 17th century riverside beauty is its great location overlooking the Thames. A classic.
147. The Black Lion: A 200 year old Hammersmith area place that has a great country pub feel to it. Must be the creaky bare floorboards. Garden area has a huge chestnut tree said to be older than the pub itself.
148. The Cross Keys: 19th Century pub that still has the original etched glass near the entry. Has been refurbished and expanded towards the rear for dining.
149. Andover Arms: I absolutely LOVED this place. Hidden back in a residential area, but made all the work finding it worthwhile. Separate entries for the Saloon/Public bar that was also divided by heavy draperies. Another quiet local pub that I could have spent all day in.
150. The Lamb Tavern: Located in Leadenhall Market, I’m not sure which was more impressive. Dated back to the 1760’s with paneling and etched glass, but it was the tiled staircase up to the dining area that was the most impressive.
151. Dirty Dick’s: Interesting place with a rustic cellar feel to it. Stored casks, beamed ceilings with odd nooks and crannies. Cellar bar was not open, which was a shame.
152. The Ten Bells: Living solely on its Jack the Ripper fame, it was a DIS-A-PPOINTMENT. One large gutted room w/ dodgy music almost resembling a punk feel. Shame… as the Victorian tile work on two of the wall still remain.

Wednesday 20 August 2008

OK… I think it’s time for a clarification. I don’t want it to appear that all Todd and Terri did while they were here was drink ale...

There WAS Pimms and the occasional bottle of wine, but they also found time to: Ride the London Eye, tour the British Museum, climb to the top of St. Paul’s, visit King Arthur’s stomping ground, shop at Harrod’s, drink from the Chalice Well, visit Westminster Abbey, take an extended Jack the Ripper tour, snack at the Borough Market, transverse the Tower Bridge, and get to play Royal Guards.

Plus… as a bonus.

We got to find out the REAL reason they got married as evidenced by Terri’s melted glass at the Ice Bar.

All joking aside... it was a blast having all of our visitors these last several weeks.

Really... I mean it.

Monday 19 August 2008

An event that will go down in the annuls of history.
Well… it will be recorded in my Pub List, that’s for sure.


After careful research and some deliberation, as well as, proper auditing for prosperity sake, my 150th pub was visited today. To celebrate that prestigious moment, we journeyed into the City of London and sampled the wares at The Lamb Tavern located in the Leadenhall Market.

It did not disappoint. The Market, a backdrop in one of the Harry Potter movies, deserved a visit in its own right, but it was the etched glass and tiled stairway of the pub that highlighted the culmination of over two years of ~ahem~ work.

The Pub List will be updated after the dust settles a bit.

Todd and Terri ARE seeing parts of London... but we'll cover that in another post.

Sunday 17 August 2008

Seeeee... if you can guess a recurring theme.

After a traditional full English breakfast (Todd only) we ventured upriver to the Hammersmith area to add a few new pubs to my list. This went towards raising the bar for the two day pub record to eighteen pubs, and gets us on the verge of a sesquicentennial total.

We then went to a really cool place for a couple of evening cocktails.

Now...

For a brief Mr. Wizard moment. What happens to a glasses wearing gentleman once he steps out of an ice bar into the surrounding atmosphere?

Amy leaves us tomorrow for a several weeks stay back "home" in Houston. Be sure to give her a ring and take her for a nice Mexican food dinner. She needs it.

Saturday 16 August 2008

Todd and Terri have been seeing bits of the city and countryside over the last couple of days and we’ve introduced them to some of the local culinary highlights in the evenings.

Today… we took them round on a completely different sort of tour.

Bank Jobs and Pubs were the order of the day.

Following the story line of the movie “The Bank Job” we started our pub crawl near the area of Marylebone and Baker Street, the sight of where the Walkie-Talkie gang robbed the Lloyds bank back in the early 1970’s.

THEN… we hit the pubs. As Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps reaches his record, we went after our own World record of sorts. Yes… Twelve pubs in one day!!

Once again… the photos tell the story.

Wednesday 13 August 2008

At first glance this might seem like a small update to my pub list, and you would be correct.

However, as Todd and Terri begin their London visit today it's best to do this now, because... I have a hunch... that certain milestones and perhaps "records" may fall.


In true Olympic fashion, the "Gold" will be to finally reach 150 different pubs visited, and maybe raise the bar on a few records.

Most Pubs in a Day: 10 (during Sheila/Stephen's visit)
Most Pubs in a 2 Day Period: 16 (during Marty's visit)

As always, the comprehensive list can be viewed via the link on the right.

128. The Bear: (Oxshott) Large garden type neighbourhood “bar” that was nice enough, but no where near the traditional pubs that I prefer.
129. New Bowling Green: (Warwick) The original pub was quite cozy and homey with a nice fireplace and window booth. However, the expansion into a dining area gives it a more “gastro” feel. It’s very fitting there are two entrances for the two very different areas.
130. Crown & Castle: (Warwick) A traditional coach’s inn with a refurbished interior. Still maintained some its private booths, and had some nice regional ales. OK… not spectacular.
131. The Mudlark: A Nicholson’s pub in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral. The refit has it losing a lot of its traditional feel, but nice enough place for a pint.
132. Barrowboy and Banker: A Fuller’s Ale & Pie shop that follows their typical pattern. A refurbished bank building that has a very striking interior. Highlight of this one was its curved stairway leading to the balcony dining area.
133. Bag O’ Nails: Comfy little corner pub near the flat that has escaped my visit until now. Smallish bar area with booths and interesting light fixtures. Great name.
134. Ye Olde Rose & Crown: (Greenwich) A happy little place that was OK for a quick pint after finishing the hike up to the Royal Observatory. Something tells me this place is more fun in the evenings.

Tuesday 12 August 2008

P&K wrapped up their visit with some shopping and Harry Potter photo ops before taking a day trip that included stops in the Cotswolds, Bath and Stonehenge. I hope they enjoyed their visit as much as we did hosting them, and that they take home with them a new found respect for public transportation, “urban” living, the pub culture and that the food here really isn’t that bad.

Please take it easy on them if they return home looking to buy a Yorkshire pudding and a few new words added to their vocabulary.

Sunday 10 August 2008

Today we all took a Thames River cruise down to Greenwich, home of the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Mean Time.

It also gave of the opportunity to take that cheesy tourist photograph while standing over the Prime Meridian simultaneously allowing us to be in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Saturday 9 August 2008

Another rainy day in London… but armed with umbrellas we set off for Covent Garden and a bit of browsing and shopping in the market hall.

Then, a multi-change tube ride for our next destination… Bill W. – this one is for you!

Thursday and Friday 7/8 August 2008

For 6 weeks every summer Buckingham Palace opens its doors to visitors. For various reasons, we haven’t yet experienced the Summer Opening while living in London. So – I was delighted when Ray informed me that the opening was going on while Kristin and Paula are here. I booked us advance tickets and we queued with every other tourist in London to see the Queen’s State Rooms and the special exhibitions. It was quite impressive and the banquet hall was set for a State Dinner for up to 200 guests.

No photos were allowed inside, but we managed to capture a few of the outside garden and crowned our Queens for the day in the Buckingham Palace shop.

We also went to see Avenue Q in the West End on Thursday evening. It was quite entertaining – once you get past the idea of puppets and very adult humour.

On Friday we visited the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum. This is one that I’ve wanted to see as it contains the fashions, jewellery, silver and accessories of Britain throughout the ages. There were also a fair number of sculptures and some pretty interesting tapestries. We met Ray at The Albert for a nice Steak and Ale pie and made it back to the flat before the rain caught us.

Thursday 7 August 2008

It was decided at the office that we should combine a workmate's "leaving do" (Farewell drinks for you yanks) with a visit to The Great British Beer Festival.

Who was I to argue, right?


Over 500 different ales were available for our "tasting" throughout the evening and whilst we didn't come close to sampling them all we did give it our best effort. Bonus points were given to some of the more clever names.


I would, at this juncture, like to dispel with the rumour that there were balloon hats involved. However, kangaroo burgers WERE consumed and they turned out to be quite tasty.

Oh yeah... the girls spent their day doing boring stuff like touring the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace and seeing a West End show. -Yawn-

Wednesday 6 August 2008

So today Amy took our visitors and joined the throngs of tourists at the Tower of London, where they made all sorts of new friends. After the obligatory photo opportunity in front of the Tower Bridge, they also did a bit of shopping at Harrod’s.

I chose not to join them this evening as I needed to rest up since my “A-game” will be required tomorrow as I make my annual sojourn to the… Wish me luck. Cheers!!

Tuesday 5 August 2008

It’s typically London this week – cool and rainy. Yesterday’s forecast indicated rain all day, so we decided to have a slow day. There are a few local shops that I’ve been wanting to visit, but they are only open weekdays during business hours and difficult for me to manage.

One is a local cheese shop. I’ve never actually been into a cheese shop before, so I’m not sure what I was expecting. The shop was completely refrigerated (a bit like the posh wine shops), with shelves of cheese blocks and wheels. As we are not cheese experts, we just enjoyed browsing. The other shop is a little Italian storefront around the corner. Very small, but very cool. This was our favourite and we picked up a few things for dinner at home.

Yesterday we took the Big Red Bus tour of London. We spent most of the day touring on the top deck, however, we did have to hop off a few times due to rain. When the afternoon traffic slowed us down, we decided to stop at South Bank and take a nice walk along the Thames. We saw the London Eye up close and enjoyed a few of the street performers along the way. Ray met us for a beverage at a pub near the Shakespeare Globe and we happened upon one more to add to his list on the way to the tube.

Sunday 3 August 2008

One of the items on P&K’s “Things We Want to See While in London” was a castle.

So… today we hopped on an outbound train to visit one of the best, Warwick Castle.

Built in the 12th century overlooking the River Avon in Warwickshire, it’s one of the finest remaining medieval stone castles in England.

We toured the State Rooms, including its Main Hall, complete with its obligatory displays of armour and weaponry.

We snaked our way down into the depths of its original dungeon.

...and then capped off our visit with climbing up the 530 "steep" steps, gaining access to the fortresses ramparts and towers.

You might notice there are only three of us on this part of the journey. Amy graciously volunteered her services to stay at the bottom to photograph our efforts for historical purposes.

We ended the day at a local coaches inn and enjoyed an EXCELLENT Sunday roast and a few adult beverages, making it back JUST in time for our train ride home.

Some of us even caught a nap on the ride home.

Ray was in classic form as our tour guide today - and it was a great day. We only got caught by the rain a litle and it was good to see the rolling hills and greenery on the train ride. Once, between naps (yes - I was the one caught snoring) on the train, we saw deer in the fields along with the sheep. It's good to visit with the girls and we'll have a full week of things to report.

p.s. No regrets on staying behind to capture photos (steep steps and heights are NOT my favorites!).

Saturday 2 August 2008

Well… today officially starts the tourist season at Hotel V as our friends Paula and Kristin start what will be a series of visitors over the next 3 weeks. They actually arrived yesterday, but we gave them a day to recover before showing them what has become our “home”.

After walking through Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, I met up with the girls in Chinatown for a light lunch/supper.

That is… if you consider Spring Rolls, Fried Tiger Prawns, Sesame Toast, Ribs, Crispy Seaweed, Spicy Noodles, Aromatic Crispy Duck (a new favourite of both visitors), Chicken Satay, Sweet & Sour Pork, Spicy Beef, Shrimp Fried Rice and Chilli Prawns “light”.