As I may have stated before, the inspiration for this crawl comes from the fact all these pubs are on a loop on my block in WoT, and yet I've never set foot in the majority. My birthday has provided the perfect excuse.
As we were out on a stroll this afternoon, I dragged N+A on the proposed route of the crawl in order to take some pictures of the various pubs.
Some of the pubs are nice, some are not so nice, but they are all within two minutes walk from each other.
So we start at my house at 1pm.
Then we hit the high street and encounter The Regency. A former cinema, and now, predictably, a Wetherspoons...
I've never been here before, but it doesn't look promising. Beer might be nice though.
Then we try and get in to the Walton Barking Mens Club (sign not fully shown).
I ventured down that alley once to see what I could see, and I got to the rear of the club's back yard, which was locked, so I went round the front and discovered it to be an ugly squat building which fronts onto a car park. Sounds perfect.
Obviously, it being a club, i'll have to see if we can actually get in there. Not that we probably really want to. So we might well end up in the George.
Which I think looks better from the outside than it is on the inside. Proper towny chaps boozer. But at least it's not as bad as this.
Ruby's, which looks like a sofa shop, and which we definitely will not be going to.
However, if the George looks average, this looks indubitably worse. The Bear.
Strangely the following photo makes it look both better and worse at the same time.
I hope that that is the end of the cacky pubs (and sorry to pre-judge, but I haven't seen or read anything to suggest I might be wrong). Because next up we come to the Old Manor Inn.
This looks better - and what's behind it? Yes the Old Manor itself. Crazy.
Now this is thought to be a decent boozer. It has fairy lights on the bar, which is fine by me, and although it has a reputation for being small and unwelcoming, I think it's the Thames Path walkers/cyclists/families who march in asking for two cappucinos and a slice of bread for their toddler that don't get a welcome, so we should be fine.
Moving on, we reach The Swan.
This is a big ol' Youngs pub, which used to be (still is?) a hotel. Unfortunately it's not as nice inside as it is out. It's an old school pub, with that heavy red patterned carpet, fruit machine and painted wood chip walls, but it might get a bit lively on a Saturday and it might be fun.
We may have to negotiate some hungry swans...
before we reach The Anglers. All the photos of it I've published so far have been of the Anglers in high summer. Here it is in mid-winter.
We had lunch here today and it was very relaxing watching the river go by. The only real ale on was Jennings' Redbreast which was £2.65 and lovely, so I had two.
Having got this far we may call it quits, we may go for a meal in town, we may decide to take a riverside stroll (in the dark) to the Weir, a famous real ale pub where Mr Will Jackson of this parish once stayed. But if we get as far as the Anglers, I will feel content and happy that my birthday pub crawl has achieved its aim.
Looking forward to it!
