London Pub Tour 51 - Victoria: Sports Bar & Grill and Wetherspoons

Passing through Victoria and with time to kill till my train I popped into two pubs in the station. My first port of call was the Sports Bar & Grill (SW1V 1JU) which is accessed from just outside the train station, where the stairs the from tube meet the station entrance. The entrance is very small and the staircase leading up to the bar doesn't give away too much. Once through the doors at the top you arrive in a large open plan pub with exposed fixings and air con on the ceiling. The windows look directly out onto the concourse below but the noise of the station doesn't creep in. The drinking section of the pub is entirely high tables with high chairs in rows of three. The bar is round to your right from the entrance, and is quite small. Where the bar ends is also where the drinking tables end and the low level dining tables begin. An open kitchen faces onto these tables and generally you can only sit here if eating, even if its just a bowl of chips.

The bar had four hand pumps will all of them off. Two of the beers they appear to sell normally are Pedigree and EPA, both by Marstons. The keg options were Heineken, Fosters, Strongbow, 1664, Guinness, Three Hop, Symonds and John Smith. The bottle selection appears limited to ciders and sol. I went for a pint of Heineken from the frosted dispenser and cool glass from the fridge (Might as well go all out), which came in at £5.50, ouch. Saturday rugby and tennis were on the screens and the pub wasn't packed but was busy. The screens are laid out all around the walls of the pub so that no matter where you sit you can see a screen. They also have the system setup so they can display different matches on different screens. Towards the far left hand wall there is a projector screen. A lot of the screens were marked with a reserved sign, but as no one was using them I jumped on and sat at one of the tables. A few of the groups that were in the pub seemed like they were waiting for the afternoon football matches to kick off, and perhaps the reserved tables were for like minded punters.

The pub does offer table service which is handy during big matches, as it saves fighting the wall of people stood at the bar watching screens. Sports Bar & Grill have certainly made a name for themselves as a destination to go at stations across London to watch sport. For big matches and title deciding games, the atmosphere is amazing, though the beer selection and pricing isn't, but you're paying for the sports bar surrounding. Their chain has also raised the level other Sports Bar should attain to, if they truly wish to make their pub a destination pub.

My second and final stop prior to my train was a pub that is a destination in its own right, not due to sports, but just due to proximity and pricing. Yes its the aptly named Wetherspoons (SW1V 1JT), by Wetherspoons. With such an original name  you can see what draws the crowd. This pub is always busy no matter what time of the day be it 9am, 2pm or even closing time at midnight. To enter the pub you can go up via the escalators by platform 11 and 12, next to Smiths. There are some stairs up from platform 10, and another set up right next to platform 7. When entering from the escalators you will see seating on the outside balcony. Entering through the doors the bar is straight ahead. One thing to note about this spoons is that there is a second bar to the rear which has a different selection of ales on, and is normally quicker at serving.

The pub is small for a spoons, and is quite light and airy. There is an impressive tiled curved wall opposite the bar, under which is a large single american style diner cushioned seating. The remainder of the pub is a mix of high tables and low tables. There is thankfully a screen displaying the train times and platforms, to help ensure you buy that additional half before running for your train. Out back is another balcony with even more tables. As standard the Spoons had more beer than I could attempt to mention, some of which were Bud Light, Stella, Roller IPA, White Riot and San Miguel. There were 12 hand pumps which included beers such as Pride, Swordfish, Roaring Meg and Wandle.

I decided to diversify and ordered 12 halves. The first half was Roaring Meg by Springhead Brewery. The beer smelt like a wet rag and didn't taste much better. I'm glad I only went for a half, but I think Spoons are probably at fault here and not the brewery, as they served it in plastic and mine was probably dirty and they wiped it. My second drink was Chalk Stream by Ramsbury Brewery. There wasn't much on the nose and it tasted very light. It was hard to put my finger on the actual taste. After those two disappointing drinks I thought I'd try one more, as odds are now in my favour it will taste good. I got a half of Exeter Old Bitter by Exe Valley, which oddly cost £1.78 compared to the £1.85 for the other halves. The beer was cold and in plastic and had nothing offensive about it, but nothing stand out. Sadly a poor visit at spoons which I'll blame on the plastic cups.

London Pub Tour 49 - Battersea: Grove, Magic Garden and Paya & Horse

It was time to pay another visit to Battersea considering this area is just across the river from my work place and has a wealth of pubs around the park, though I should note that this visit took place on a Saturday. My first port of call was the Grove (SW11 4NE) which I would say isn't your usual looking pub, but I think all three in this visit actually meet that criteria.

The front of the pub doesn't give away much or seem that appealing at first glance. There is art work on the outside of the unassuming building and steps up to the entrance for the pub. Through the entrance you climb some further steps before popping out into a lounge area with sofas. Now you climb down some steps and your in the bar area. The bar is to your right, and to the left is a raised seating area. There are other doors into the pub (even though the door I entered in is from the main road) with the main entrance seeming to be the side door through the beer patio and out towards the estate behind.

The decor of the pub will immediately strike you. As can be seen from the picture to the side, the bar is peppered with movie cuttings from Star Wars to Disney Princesses. From Scream to Pulp Fiction. There are stuffed teddies mounted above the bar. Each pump even has its own decorations with ghosts and dinosaurs, which are unrelated to the brands, but is a different touch. One of the exits for the pub is painted as a TARDIS and even the tables have not missed the movie artwork make over. Even the bar stools are a slightly strange design with what appears to be one slanted supporting leg.

The pub was empty on this sunny bank holiday weekend, with only three other punters though I did note that there was a DJ later for a birthday party booking, which the bar man told me would be for 60+ people. The bar had three hand pumps, with only two on offering either Sharp's Atlantic or Ubu. On Keg there was Stowford, Guinness (extra and regular) Carlsberg, Longhorn IPA, Becks Vier, Sharps' Craft Lager and Budweiser. As it was hot I opted for a cold pint of Becks Vier which came in at £4.30.

The pub had so much on walls, you could never take it all in on one visit. The pub shows Live Sports and had table football available. They do offer meals though I didn't look at the pricing or what was being offered. A gentleman came in asking to use the toilet for which the barman said he could if he donated 20p to charity or bought something. The man stated he had nothing, to which the barman said he wouldn't be able to use the facilities without a donation. The man walked out and then mere seconds later walked back in and had amazingly found 20p to donate. I didn't stay to see if he made the most of his 20 and demolished the toilets.

I walked a few yards down the road to my second stop the Magic Garden (SW11 4LG). Considering the amount of times I'm in the Battersea area, I've never ventured in the Magic Garden. From the outside the building looks like a standard boozer which is quite dimly light inside. Walking in through the main entrance and the furnishing of the chairs and sofas on the side, with strange rugs thrown over them grab your attention. Following this along you see a raised area in the corner, which on this visit had a Chaise Longue, with two people uncomfortably sat on it. Now this piece of furniture looks out of place, maybe because it's meant to be slightly to the side with the other strange pieces. This raised area is actually a stage, for the Magic Garden is a Live Music venue which is open till late on Thursday to Saturday, though if you come after 9pm there will be a fee.

The bar faces inwards towards the pub, and is decorated with leaves, small garden creatures and gold paint. Much like the Grove there were three hand pumps but with only two on offering Doombar and Coaster. The keg options were Guinness, Sagres, Amstel, Birra Morretti, Heineken and Coast to Coast. Not liking any of these options I jumped at a bottle of Wyld Wood cider. In front of the bar there were about three tables, all of which were empty, so I settled on one and poured out my cider into an ice-less glass.

There is a conservatory area just beyond these three tables, and then beyond that is the Magic Garden aka the covered tent area. The outside area can seat more than the inside area and follows with the same mismtached furnishings as the inside, but also perhaps has a slight Moroccan feel. There are large bench seating with soft furnishings and there's even a taxi, yes a taxi. There were about 30 people in the pub, mostly young groups. I understand the draw of the pub to some people, especially with live music, but it's not quite my style. I understand the outside area looks quite pretty at night with the lights on. As I was leaving the band were arriving for setting up.

I didn't have to walk much further to reach my last pub the Paya and Horse (SW11 4LB). The outside of the pub is painted a light green and had a row of empty picnic benches. The first sign of what to expect from this pub can be obtained from the blackboard outside which reads:
'No BT & Sky Sport (too expensive) foras'. There's also an A board sign just before you enter which talks of a £6 hot dog & pint deal, though I think it might be best to avoid the food.

As I walked into the pub everything looks just like a normal pub should except no customers or staff. Then a man with a hat comes walking across from the far corner, where there is a raised section, which faces out the front window onto the road. As he walks to the bar, he asks what you want, and it's not too hard a choice to make with only the option of Guinness, Strongbow, Fosters, Heineken or 1664. I opted for my Heineken and handed over the £5 demanded of me. At this stage it's clear this man must be the owner as the pub is literally decorated with similar style hats all on the walls. After finishing serving he proceeds to go back to his raised seating area and continue watching the snooker, which I interrupted him from.

The pub is large with lots of seating, some high tables and even a sofa area with tables, which is what I take up. The floor is carpeted and everything looks old school pub, even the mahogany wood colours. Everything is strangely quiet and I start to think I've never seen anyone in or around this pub before. Thankfully another fella enters the pub on his phone. He orders a beer and then looks around shocked to see no one is here, and give's me the look of 'what's going on?' I just raise an eyebrow and leave it at that. There is a pool table in the pub which my expecting stranger goes over to check on. He looks down and see's no balls in the machine and walks away. The owner then walks up to the table and starts putting the balls in the machine, and empties out the cash, and checks the mechanism....which is a very strange way to run a business.

The door goes again, and this time two ladies with two kids walk in. The man in the hat sees them and immediately starts saying 'No'. 'No'. 'No, kids'. The ladies think he is joking, but he clearly isn't and asks them to leave. The two ladies look confused, and unsure what to do before a man walks in. The man is with the ladies and hat man recognises him. He's a family friend and everything is okay, and the kids and ladies are welcomed in. This is the pub that just keeps on giving. I wish I could stay for another but this is surely too much excitement in one day for one person. I can honestly say this is one of the strangest pubs and the eccentric owner makes it.

So three different pubs in their own unique way. The Grove doesn't seem inviting from the outside but is actually decorated inside. The Magic Garden has a grand outdoor covering with the draw of live music. And the Paya and Horse has a £6 hot dog meal deal.

London Pub Tour 20 - Enfield Town: The Old Wheatsheaf, The Stag, King's Head and The George

Photo by Bone007

This pub tour was again on the outskirts of London, in Enfield. I started just outside the town, at The Old Wheatsheaf (EN2 6SE) which is a short walk down the hill from Enfield Chase Station. The pub is split into two sides, with no access between the two. The newer side is the door you'll arrive at first from the station, and also provides access to the rear garden. I however prefer the older side, which you enter through a latched front door, which is unusual to find at a London pub. The pub feels like its had a lick of paint recently, but still feels aged. The small bar is facing you straight on as you enter, only a few paces away. To the right and stretching down the back is seating. There is wood flooring around the bar area, and the seating area is carpeted.

On tap there was Guinness, Amstel, Becks, 1664, Fosters, Heineken and Carlsberg. There were three hand pumps offering up 6X, Tribute and Courage. I selected to start the night with the 6X as it was only 4.1%. I hadn't had 6X in years, and its a decent sessionable pint. After the 6X I moved across to have a pint of Heineken. The pub wasn't too busy, but I seen the poster on the wall advertising quiz night at 7pm, so decided to move on before any participants started to appear. I moved down the hill, to the top end of Enfield Town and stopped off at The Stag (EN2 6PH).

Photo by Bob Osborn

The first time I actually went into The Stag was last year and it was just a quick stop off after coming off the bus at the bus station opposite. On that day the pub was empty apart from a small after wedding ceremony going on. Tonight there were no other customers in the pub, though some customers did arrive to check in to their rooms above the pub. The Stag has been through quite a few different managers over the years, and has been refurbished a few years back after a fire. The refurbishment involved giving the interior a more modern, minimalist look. There are no ales served and on tap they offered up Becks, Shipyard, San Miguel, Fosters, Carlsberg, Peroni, Guinness and Thatchers. I went for the pint of Shipyard and took a seat over in the sofa area.

As the pub was quite empty the bar man came over and joined in for a chat. We began discussing the history of the pub and in particular the historic unsolved murder in 1816 of John Draper. Draper was a beadle who had been out collecting money earlier in the day and had already been kicked out of a pub in Barnet. He made his way with a new accomplice to the Bald Faced Stag where he proceeded to drink and in the process pick fights with most of the other customers. When he didn't return home that night his wife called the police and they discovered his body in the well at the rear of the pub, minus his pocketbook and money. The police were unable to pin the murder on anybody as they all had a reason for murdering him, but all backed up each other's story. The bar man explained where the well can be found. It was a very interesting discussion and certainly added to the allure of the pub. After another pint of Shipyard it was time to move on to catch the second half of the football.

I made my way down into the Town Centre, and in particular to the market square where the King's Head (EN2 6LL) can be found. This pub was closed for numerous years and I believe re-opened in 2015. This is quite a large pub with some outside covered tables. Walking in the door and the large bar which I can't describe as Horseshoe, but which wraps around the bar and all the way towards the back, is the first thing you see. The pub has an Irish feel to it, meaning a pub where your certain to find Irish sports on. The pub is split into sections with privacy screens between the areas, some with stained glass. Walking towards the rear and you arrive at the dinning area, which used to have a canoe hanging from the ceiling, for what reasons I'm unsure, but since has been removed.

The pub has 4 hand pumps which on this visit were offering up Bombardier, London Glory, Greene King IPA and London Tap. I selected a pint of London Tap from New River Brewery, as never heard of the brewery before and they're local. The pint was drinkable but nothing really stood out. It had a hoppy taste and aroma but not much else to distinguish it from other similar beers. I certainly wouldn't say no to drinking it if given the choice, but it wouldn't be a first choice. So much so that my next beer was from their keg selection. They offered up a variety of the mainstream beers you see in London including Guinness, Stella, Amstel, Peroni, Heineken, Hop House 13 and Hells. I went for a pint of Camden Hells, only reason being that Camden Brewery will be moving to their Enfield Brewery soon (So you can see my thought process at this stage).

The pub was busy with lots watching the football on the many TVs dotted around the pub. There must have been 40+ people, so it was at that level you have space still. The pub is owned by the Enfield Market Trust who lease it out. This pub always seems to have a good number of people and has managed to become a very popular pub in the town centre. The other competing pub is just across the road and is where I went next, The George (EN2 6LE). The George is definitely a busy pub during the day and after work, but was particularly empty this night. They sometimes have DJs and clear to make a dance floor, and as such, the pub seems neglected in caring for its furniture or even the smell.

The beer range is standard with a few ales on offer, which included Sly Fox, Rudolph's Reward, Doombar and Greene King IPA. The kegs included beers such as Punk IPA, Stella, John Smiths, Carlsberg and Carling. The pub reminds me slightly of a spoons with the large single level open plan pub, though it has been this way long before spoons made that style famous. I sat down and had a pint of Stella, though slightly reached the decision that maybe I should have called it a night at the King's Head and not moved on. As it was quite late and many pubs in, I didn't have many notes for this pub. After finishing most of my pint I called it a night and got a cab home. All in all a nice variety of pubs were covered, with three that were different but enjoyable and the last a place that isn't on my re-visit list.

London Pub Tour 18 - Vauxhall: Nine Elms Tavern, Riverside, Royal Oak and The Beehive

I was back south of the river again (just) for my next London Pub Tour, taking in some of the pubs in the Vauxhall area. I started by heading slightly down Nine Elms road to one of the newest pubs in the area, Nine Elms Tavern (SW8 5BP). This pub is in the new US embassy district and no doubt once the place opens up later this year, this pub will become busy every evening after work. At present the few occasions I've popped in this place has been empty and this time was no different.

The pub, like most new pubs, is underneath some Thames side flats, facing the river. Upon walking through the doors the bar is directly in front, with all the remainder of the pub accessed by turning right. There is an upstairs with quite a bit of seating, and from this area the design of the pub feels slightly ship based, with the supporting beams feeling like a ships mast. The downstairs has large round booths, with large tables in the middle, allowing big groups of 8 people to sit and drink in comfort. This is by all means a very modern bar in design but it pulls it off well and due to not being noisy/busy is easy to relax in having a quite chat with a friend or reading a book over a pint.

On offer were 3 ales: Winter Warmer, London Gold and Young's Bitter. The lagers offered up included Hells, Peroni, Estrella, London IPA, Guiness, 1664 and Fosters. I surveyed their bottle beer range and selected one of their Briton beers, Atlantic APA. The bottle was 330ml and 5.4% in ABV. I also had a packet of crisps to accompany from the Tyrells range, and the total came to £6.80. The beer was very floral but easy tasting and the hops were not overpowering, which is just the way I like it. There were only about 3 others in the pub, though some did start to arrive as I was finishing off my bottle.

I retraced my route to the Nine Elms tavern, back to Vauxhall and into another Young's Thames pub - Riverside (SW8 2LE). I'm quite familiar with Riverside as when it opened it was the local pub near where my work was based. Much like most of the Young's (Rams) Pub estate the outside hanging sign has been updated to just displaying the initial letter of the pub name, fitting into a scenery that matches. I do appreciate the design work that goes into these signs, but I feel they're less distinct and at a quick glance all you see is a letter, making all the Young's look very similar. I see they continue to update signs in their estate and assume these will happen for all their pubs, just wonder what their doing with the old ones?

Riverside offers a better view of the Thames than the Nine Elms, particularly with the outside heated seating. This wasn't in use today due to it being January, so everyone was inside. It's hard to tell which is the main entrance for this pub, but I walked in the doors from where the seating area is and the bar is at the far side. Along the window facing out to the Thames are lots of comfy seats and smaller tables. On the left there are more seats near an open modern gas fire. Directly opposite and running parallel to the bar is some high cushion seating. To the left of the bar is the dinning area and toilets. The bar is a large oval bar, though the rear is not used for service, and the area behind the bar had single seater booths. These are my preferred seats on busy days as you can seat with a mate with your own table and comfy seat and chat. Sadly the keg and pump selection offered at Riverside was exactly the same as the Nine Elms, except for the addition of a New Year Ale from Young's. I resisted and went for a pint of the London IPA. At £5.30 it's not worth the price, but it at least tasted better than the last pint of it I'd had.

The pub was starting to get busy with after work drinks crowd, so I moved onwards to my next pub the Royal Oak (SE11 5QY) which is a short walk from vauxhall train station heading towards Kennington. This is an Irish style bar, not the Irish theme bar of the 90s but an old school Irish boozer. The pub is not that wide, with the bar on the left and red booth style seating opposite on the right. At the end of the pub is an open  area with table seating. This is where most of the punters were, seated down the end watching the horse racing and Trump's inauguration. On one wall at the end was an electronic advertising display board, near to this was a juke box, quiz machine and a wall with trophies and photos. The pub has a worn look about it, but felt comfortable. There is an outside area for smokers to go. Behind the bar were leprechaun teddies which would hopefully inform those not in the know, that this is a Irish pub.

There were two hand pumps offering either Doombar or Cornish Coaster. On Keg there was a standard offering of Guinness, Guinness Extra Cold, Stella, Fosters, 1664, Carling, Heineken, John Smith and Strongbow. Out of this selection I would normally go for Guinness, Stella, Heineken or Strongbow, which all depends on my mood and the weather. I went for stella and a pack of Tayto's, and was surprised the stella was only £4.30. I relaxed in one of the empty booths and caught a bit of the inauguration, which to be honest wasn't high on my interest agenda. After finishing my pint I made my way round the corner to the Beehive (SE11 5JA).

The Beehive resides on a busy road junction and stands out with its mock tudor beams. The outside of the pub is great to look out but the inside differs entirely from what you may be expecting. The inside is very modern and open plan. The horseshoe bar is right in the centre of the pub, with some sparse sofa seating around the edges. This leaves large spaces around the bar area, which makes sense when you think that this pub is right next to Oval cricket ground. Considering the three pubs I had walked into already I was even more shocked to see that the Beehive was rammed packed with standing room only. On tap the selection was the lowest out of all the pubs today offering Heineken, 1664, Amstel, Fosters, Symmonds and Strongbow Cloudy. On cask there was Pride and Doombar. I selected a pint of Heineken and luckily found a drink resting space in the pub.

Looking around it seemed to be a few different work gatherings, and it's the first time I've seen the Beehive this busy outside of Cricket days. There is a small outside garden through the glass doors for the smokers to gather in. There was some awful club music playing trying to compete with the volume of the customers. After finishing up my pint I headed back to the Royal Oak for another pint of Stella in quieter (yet slightly busier than before) surroundings.

Not much beer choice on this pub tour but overall the pubs themselves were quite good, even if they were at the extremes of busy or quiet.

London Pub Tour 8 - Victoria: St. George's Tavern, Brass Monkey and Windsor castle

I decided to keep it local for my next pub tour in Dec 2016 and stuck to Victoria. My first stop was St. George's Tavern (SW1V 1QD) which is a Nicholson's pub opposite the passport office. How busy this pub is depends on time of day and how many people are applying for last minute passports before their holiday, so by that measure avoid at lunchtimes during school holiday. I fortunately went in the evening however it was still packed without a seat to call home.

The pub itself is a not so large corner pub. There is a fair bit of seating outside though it is a noisy and quite congested junction at present due to traffic works, plus its winter, so I wouldn't recommend. The pub has a well varnished dark wood floor and typically has low lighting on. There are a few large barrels acting as tables near the front of the pub. The windows opposite the bar are actually doors that fold away during the hot summer spells. Towards the rear are some larger seating areas for big groups, and a dinning area. There is also a downstairs bar that you can book (no charge) if your having a large group coming for a party/celebration/piss up. The bar upstairs is actually quite large though the service area is reduced due to some of the structural pillars which does make queuing, yes queuing, difficult.

As a Nicholson's pub there is a varying array of lagers including Meantime Brewery Fresh which comes from the three large tanks situated to the right of the bar (It's not hard to miss them). I opted to have a pint of the Brewery Fresh as I hadn't tasted it here since it was installed, as I'm normally tempted by their ale range. The Brewery Fresh was okay, but I think I would have preferred a standard meantime tap such as London Lager or Pale Ale instead. I next plumped for an ale, which was my friend the Wild Holly by Thornbridge which I'd had previously at the Trafalgar in pub tour 7.

After the two I opted to move on with hope of finding a seat at my next stop the Brass Monkey (SW1V 1AU). You could easily walk past this place and not notice it is a pub, as it doesn't generally stand out even with its green-ish paint. The pub is not very wide but has a long depth, and right near the rear is where you'll find the bar. There was a selection of three ales (Doom, Swift and Landlord) along with 6 'standard' lagers including the quite familar in these parts Meantime Pale Ale. I opted for a pint of Heineken because, why not. The pump has the now standard frozen ice around the outside to let you know it's cold, just as I would expect all the other beers to be.

The Brass Monkey is usually quite packed with suits who pile in here after work before catching the train home. Surprisingly today it was empty. The raised snug area at the rear just above and behind the bar was empty and that is normally the best seat in the house. I've spent a few too many lunch times chilling in the snug, enjoying a good pint of Landlord. The front area of the pub has hard wearing carpet which stops just before the small bar area where it becomes wood. The tables are the perfect height for dinning and the pub does offer a full menu and snacks. There were some reservations on the tables towards the front meaning there were people due soon, so after the one I moved onwards to my final stop, the Windsor Castle (SW1P 1DN).

This pub re-opened shortly after I moved to Victoria, after an extension refurb and rename from the Cardinal to the Windsor. This is a Samuel Smith's pub and as such the refurb has been done in a Victorian style with the dark wood, lots of glass and the screened/partitioned drinking areas. I've said it previously but I do think Sam Smith's do the best refurbishments. As a Sam Smith's pub in the London the beer selection is as expected, the only ale on tap is of course Old Brewery Bitter with the rest serving the Sam Smith's keg selection which includes Taddy, Double 4, Extra Stout and Wheat Beer. I turned my attention to the pricey but beautiful bottled beers that Sam Smith's offer and settled on one of my favourite, the Chocolate Stout. I pared this bottle of beer with a pack of crisps, what more did you expect. The price was a Sam Smith's eye watering £6.50, though the bottle is 550ml, so with a head fits perfectly into a pint glass. This beer to me is amazing, but it could be as it plays well to my sweet tooth. The chocolate smell and taste of this beer is (currently) to me unrivalled. The beer is so smooth and delicious, although I would never advise more than 2 in a session, as it could become a bit sickly sweet.

The pub was busy but most people seemed to be seated in the large open room at the rear, with all the 'comfy' sofa and arm chairs. Little do most people realise that they're probably sat on a small fortune with the amount of coins people lose in those seats. My mate once found enough for a whole pint of Old Brewery! After finishing off my bottle of the stout too easily I order a half of the Pure Organic Lager to wind down the night. This was a very crisps beer and not one I'd actually sampled before from their range. I had actually checked if they had any of their Christmas bottled beer for me to take home but sadly there was none.

So after my drink I called it a night and made the short walk back to Victoria station. On my route back I passed the Brass Monkey and expected it was heavying with suits. Glad I didn't hang around and tempt fate.