Bowl me over

Pub 102. The Freemason's - ages ago.

Recently done up and is now rather posh and soulless, although very 'nice'. I'm sure some people like it. Getting stung in pubs in nothing unusual these days, but in the garden here once I was properly stung by a wasp. My friend got me some ice, and then 20 minutes later someone turned up out of the blue with some ointment of some sort - which I thought was nice.
They have a bowling alley here, the one in the borough I'm pretty sure. And there's some rumour that it's built on a spring or something and that saved it from being redeveloped in to houses. I won't be rushing back but it's better to have a big old pub with a bowling alley than half a dozen over priced houses.

At last - the 1949 bar.

Pub. 101 - The 1949 Bar. Ages ago.

The 1949 Bar?? Eh? I've no idea if this still is a pub or not or flats or what. It used to be the Royal Exchange and if I remember rightly it had flames painted on the outside, in the style of a hot-rod car. The only time I've been in was when it was The Fake Club, a rather lush looking but windowless karaoke bar. As I was chatting to who I assume was the manager he assured me that everything and anything I like to do or like about a pub they could do they. I suspect he wonder know a real ale if it hit him in the face I didn't go back.
But rather amusingly - and famously - it was genuinely a Fake Club. It was used for money laundering and someone went to prison for it. But the fact that we've lost a decent pub that I'm sure was at some point a decent boozer is not amusing.

It's a Steele!

Pub 100. The Sir Richard Steele, ages ago.

Why there's a pub here remembering the founder of the Spectator I don't know. I'm guessing he lived round here in what is now Steeles Village. (No apostophe required apparently). Anyways, this used to be a fine pub. And it still may well be - I've not been back for a while. But it is still is a fine building. One of the few pubs in Camden with separate rooms within. I was once sat here next to someone off the telly - a blonde girl from casualty, somebody Goose? I can't remember but she was very nice. I was hoping she strike up a conversation with me but of course she didn't.

They do music here on Sundays and it is very nice. They do comedy upstairs but that's not my thing.

I hear in the last year or so they've had new management in who have, well, 'changed' things a bit and a lot of the locals have decamped to the Pineapple or the Tapping the Admiral. Reports are not good! But I'd still say it's worth a look as it used to a be a very decent boozer.

A thumbsdowne

Pub 99. The Lansdowne. Ages ago.

A fine exterior to the Lansdowne. You'll agree it looks lovely. But that's just about the only good thing to say about the Lansdowne. Once you're inside it's awful. As gastro as you could get, but I suspect the food isn't much more than thin organic stone baked pizzas. It's furnished with huge 'rustic' wooden tables like they might have had in Victorian workhouse canteen, and the result is that you're sat further away from the person  opposite than you are from the person behind you. And people also have to try and squeeze through that gap too as they navigate round the place. The result is rather uncomfortable. A proper pub shouldn't have big dining tables any more than it should have low slouchy leather couches.
The clientele are trendy hip types, probably as unbearable as they look. They sure are loud.
I once got dragged here from another pub by a mate who was meeting his rather dull & yet pleased himself mate, we had one pint there - he asked me why I didn't believe in God as he was undecided - and then went back to the other pub. I suspect he was buying something not entirely legal. The folk in there look like still think a couple of lines on a weekend is a wonderful thing.

Basically quite charmless and boring, favoured by charmless and borish people. But it's there's a lot of them about as it's always busy. Other then nice tilework the only other good thing about it is that's still on the corner of Dumpton Place - not Jasmine Mews. I do wonder who Mr Lansdowne was though?

Canalside Bar

Pub 98. Canalside Bar. ages ago.

What shall we call this dull new bar we've opened by the side of canal? The Dull Canalside Bar!! 

I only ever went here because a mate was DJing, it was very busy and the tiny bar was bit over-run. He couldn't talk much so I drank my lager and observed an old flatmate with her latest one-nighter (each one was different - he could be the one!). It's not really unpleasant, perhaps a nice bolt-hole for the market mob on a rainy day. It's only mentioned here as it has to be.

You never forget your first time.

Pub 97 - Lock 17. Ages ago.

The year was 1997 and I was freshly arrived in London, footloose and fancy free. Living down in South London I heard much of Camden Town and it's 'vibe'. So after a couple of trains and tubes I had to come and take a look. I bought a leather jacket and had a slice of pizza at the much-missed Tasty Corner. I was young! I fancied a pint so popped up the road to the first pub I saw. And this was it.  Or maybe I wandering round the market bit nearby. I can't remember. Anyways, this was the first pub in Camden I ever went it. It was called Risa back then I think. I took my pint onto the decking overlooking the lock. The wind blew my Telegraph about. And then I went home.

I've been back a few times since, but there's no reason to go here. A barmaid in the Lord Southampton was telling me she was here recently and the whole place erupted in to one big fight. I can't even recall now what, if any, ales they do. But like much in this bit of town it's just one for the clueless carefree hipsters and wide-eyed tourists. But I'll never forget my first time - what I can remember of it.

Lounge lizards

Pub 96. The Lockside Lounge, ages ago.

This used to be a cracking little nightclub called HQ's, now it's not much than a tedious soulness place for the tourists. When I used to drink in the Hawley Arms a lot back in the day we decamped here after the fire. Mainly as it was convenient for my mates who worked on the market and they liked the lager and the music - which I didn't! The last time I went in they were offering some gimmicky nonesense where by for an extra fiver or some amount you get a photo of your face printed on the label of your beer bottle. Why? Why indeed.

Queens No.1

Editor's note: There's a lot of pubs in Camden that I have visited once upon a time on one or more occasions that now I don't really the time, inclination or indeed money to be going back to pubs that to be honest are not great I will give them a quick mention over the next few entries. Including pubs that have now shut. Up until now I have gone to a pub specially to mention here but it's dawned on me that there's no need! All we we're trying to do is visit every pub in the borough, there's no time scale or start date. So let's get a load ticked off and dealt with.

Pub 95. Queen's No.1 - ages ago.

Is it called Queens? The Queens? Queens No.1? Or Queens No. 1 Edis Street?  Doesn't really matter I suppose as it's shut at the moment. And doesn't really matter as when I went here I didn't really like it. It does look like a nice decent ordinary boozer from the outside but inside it was little more than a wine bar.
Posh middle aged well dressed people sat around looking very pleased with themselves and I'm sure they looked at me as to wonder what I was doing in there. I can't remember what I drunk - probably some ale or ale other.

It looks like they're doing it up and it looks like it might be quite nice. We shall see.

Peel ale

Pub 94. The Robert Peel, 30th June 2012.

Oops - forgot to do this one at the time. But no matter - I'd say that I can't remember much about it now but to be honest there's not much to remember about it. Not that that means it's unpleasant at all, quite the opposite really. I popped in after getting my bike serviced just up the road, and it was a pleasant relief to a very warm day outside.

I can't remember what beer I had - it had a locomotive on the pump clip I think, and a couple of the locals at the bar were intrigued as to what it tasted like. Very nice I was able to tell them. I would have stayed at the bar for more chit-chat but retired to a little corner where discrete photography was less likely to be rumbled. Shame though, because I could've told the nice bantery barmaid about the Union Jack faux pas.

Basically it seemed quiet and pleasant and relaxing, everyone seemed locals and were dotted around in small groups and couples engaged in quiet conversation. One chap had his own pewter tankard.

The toilet was full of flies, and the view out of the toilet window was intriguing. I like views of urban abandonment like that. Thankfully the beer garden was much nicer looking. Well, a bit.

After leaving I went to take an exterior photo and then went back to my bike chained up right outside, one of the punters at the bar approached me. I thought he was going to ask me why I was taking a photo, but instead he just struck up a conversation about the weather or my bike or something or other I can't remember. It seems that the less enticing a pub might look initially, the more friendly it may well be. As they're the ones with the regulars. I shall remember this when visiting the really rough ones I currently scurry past with nary a glance!

The Beautiful South

Pub no. 93 - The Lord Southampton, 27th October 2012.

Why has it taken me so long to go to this pub? I've walked past so many times, thinking to myself "I bet that's a charmless dump..." but as we've found time and time again judging books by the covers makes an ass out of u and me!

Ok, so this is based on one visit and therefore I accept accusations of hyperbole but I think this could be the best pub in Camden. Let me explain.
As I approached I peered in the window by the door and it looked pretty dead so I went round the corner to the other door and went in kind of expecting everything to stop and everyone to turn and stare at the stranger in town. Not a bit of it - well there were only two people in. And the door-choice was irrelevant anyways as the three original bars (a saloon bar, public bar and a private bar + a separate off-licence and what looked to me like a snug) had been knocked into one. But no matter as it doesn't feel like one huge empty room, and the bar is still kinda-partitioned. I'm not a fan of open plan.

There's two ales, Greene King IPA and Sharp's Cornish Coaster. And as it happens I had several of both throughout the evening, and both were very pleasant. And both were £3.10, very reasonable indeed. I nipped to the loo through the old offy bit, which is now a hallway / art-gallery / cloak-room / charity book shop and within minutes of coming back was engaged in conversation with the other two chaps in there, mainly about Ikea and the Isle of Man and Jersey as holiday destinations, and then we drifted on to hockey. See - a stranger walks into a pub and with a quarter of a pint is chatting away with the other punters like nobody's business. After a while Dave from Yorkshire has to go and catch Merlin so I have one more. Or that was the plan... I get chatting to the landlady. A friendly Irish lady called Martha, who unbelievably has been running the place since 1972! She kept me entertained for hours with tales about barring Bill Nighy for being a dick and drinking with Peter o'Toole who was very nice. Karl Marx used to drink there too. She explained the history of the building, and pointed out the refrigerated shelves that I'd imagine are fairly unique - and run off the same pipes and chiller unit that was there when they moved in. Before here she used to the run the Bree Louise in the 60s, then known as the Jolly Gardners.  And despite not drinking herself and not really a frequenter of other pubs she was up all the Camden pub gossip and knew all the other publicans.
She modestly claimed that she thinks they're the long serving publicans in Camden. "In London!" I proffered - "In England maybe!?", "No no - there'll be those that were born in the pubs" she countered. Good point.
She also urged me to go to the "other" loos, which are interesting as you have to walk over a small bridge to get there. How many Camden pub toliets are accessible only via a bridge? Also, from the bridge you can see a door that opens up... well, into nowhere! She had no idea what that door was for. A mystery indeed!
It was first my visit and Martha treated me like an old friend - including all the trials and tribulations of her family. What a charming lady.

The decor is pure "1970s proper pub". Wood panels, carpet, foliage, pvc banquettes, trophies, photos of locals and a huge stuffed pike. Despite the telly being on, and fruit machine flashing (albeit quietly) and then the telly being replaced by behind-the-bar music that was a mix of easy listening and Rod Stewart's greatest post-Faces hits, it was a wonderful cosy comfy place to be. Some would describe it as "tatty" or "shabby" or "in need of improvement", but it really really doesn't. And what do those people know about anything anyways? They'd want everything redecorated every few years according to their fads and whims - a recipe for a pub and heritage disaster. It felt like being in a pub in some unspoilt sleepy Cotswold village, not in the middle of a north London housing estate.

Understandably Martha wants to retire, so the remaining ten years of their lease is up for sale. I think she doesn't want to sell to just anyone, but whoever takes it on is bound to ruin it, ie. tart it up. Get in there while you can. I'm going back there this afternoon - and many afternoons to come!

The Lord Southampton hasn't escaped the notice of Camra's list of historic pub interiors and rightly so! There's only about 15 or so in the Camden. I hope it helps protect it though, and not just record it. I doubt it though.

Hard Graft

Pub 92. The Grafton, 6th October 2012.

Oh dear, what is becoming of pubs these days? I'd never been in the Grafton before as when I was passing I was always going somewhere else and although it never looked univiting it never really looked very inviting either. Just bog standard lager & Sky. Then it closed down for a couple of months, new managers... new ideas. Hmmm.

Apparently they'd spent a hell of a lot of money on the decor. Obviously this needs recoping as quickly as possible which they are doing by cutting electricity bill by having the pub in almost complete darkness, even when it's still light outside. Then to help a bit more they are charging an eye-watering £3.85 a pint for very ordinary ales. My London Stone wasn't even very nice. I think they're also saving money by employing gormless bar-staff. "Three-eighty-five?!" I exclaimed to the fresh-faced floppy haired young barman in his black pub-logo'd t-shirt, he replied with a wide-eyed excited nodded grin, which seemed to be saying "Brilliant!".

Any electricty savings made by having no lights must have been negated by having the music very loud. Why on earth do publicans think that people want to sit in a pub with such loud music? There would not be one fewer person in here if they had no music. I'm sure someone at some point will suddenly realise and say "Hang on... what's this music for? Oh, to entertain the bar-staff."

As I passed the couple so bored of each-other's company they take their laptops to the pub with them, or they've had their usual unsecured wifi access from down the road suddenly password protected - the swines! - I encountered a piano. Always a nice sight in a pub. "Do you have people playing that?" I asked another barman, 

"No, why - do you play?" he said.

"Not me, but I know a lady who does who might be interested for a quid and a couple of pints."

"Oh great - what's her name?"

I tell the man the pianist's name.

"Cool thanks" he says and then just wanders off without any attempt to write it down or ask for any contact details. I see.

The toilets are adorned with old Beanos and the like. Oh you quirky things you!

By the loo a notice invited me to COME UPSTAIRS AND LOOK AT OUR FUNCTION ROOM! which I did. As I peered round the door, sat on the floor (I think) in the middle of a large and sparsely furnished room was a young 'person' with some DJ-type equipment blaring out Massive Attack (I know these things) so loudly it drowned out the racket from downstairs. He looked up and saw me and triumphantly punched the air with both hands, like a victorious cyclist or an angry chimp. Or a knob. I closed the door and left him to it.

I was already fed up with this place, but tried to find a spot of light to carry on doing my crossword. The place was so dark they need candles behind the bar. Well, obviously they don't need them but they look cool and trendy and sophisticated. Young modern types don't want pubs with electric lights! They want gloom and candles because they want to look cool and trendy and sophisticated.

Everywhere I looked something depressed me about here. A clothing exchange?? De riguer Sunday roasts, but no beef?! Children welcomed until 7pm, a nice effort, but it was 7.30pm when I left and there was still at least half a dozen little screamers running about.

It was very busy, although it was Saturday and I'm sure there was new-pub-novelty value, but I predict now that this place won't get any bar-propping regulars, which is the sign of a poor pub. They'll all be down the road at the Tapping the Admiral. Or any number of nicer, less so-desperate-to-cool places within a 10 minute walk. This place is hard Graft! (See what I did there?)

Real life lottery

Pub 91. The Gloucester Arms, 6th October 2012.

There are so many pubs facing closure or 'gentrification' in the Borough at the moment I can be bothered to list them, and I'm sure in most cases it's because they're not getting used eg. the Old Oak at Gospel Oak which may or may not have closed recently but it certainly won't be the same, for better or for worse. So it's well worth taking a look before they go under the hammer / paintbrush / wrecking-ball.

The Gloucester Arms on a Saturday afternoon is lively enough, with a good age range of punters. It seems nice and comfy, although of its two bars I'm not sure I'm in the lounge bar or public bar - I doubt there's much of a distinction these days.

No ale here so a pint of Guinness suffices. The landlady / barmaid proceeds to pop two down in front of me. Oh no - just one please! I say, but no worries - one is for someone else. But at £3.20 a pint I probably could have afforded two.

So it's a weekend and everyone's letting they're hair down but is there any need for an ear-splitting disco at this time of the day? The people watching the footie or having a quiet chat or the numerous kids running about don't seem to mind. Barely touched my Irish and it was doing my head in.

A lady came up to me asking if I'd buy some raffle tickets. Yeah, right - what a scam. I enquired as to the cause and when she told me the charity it was one I was familiar with and I tried to engage her with my story of doing a little something once for said charity. She didn't bat an eye-lid but just wanted her quid for a strip of 5. Fair enough, I didn't actually doubt for a minute it was a scam.

After a little while when they actually called the draw for the raffle I was somewhat surprised to be honest. And when they came to usher everyone into the other bar I went. I was the only one that went! Oh well. The draw went on for ages, and many fine prizes were claimed. Beauty treatments, packet of felt-tips, etc. The winners seemed genuinely chuffed, apart from the felt-tip kid who handed them back. By now though I was more interested by the mural above the bar of what looked like a medieval market scene. Peculiar, but nice. I wish now I'd seen the 'scenic painted beer garden' that they used to boast of outside.

Quite a cosy pub this, apart from the ear-splitting music - but I guess that drowned our the noise of the kids running about because thinking about it now I didn't really notice them. Or perhaps it's because they didn't seem to come in the first bar (lounge / public) I went in. Who knows? Who cares? Not anyone in there. A pub full of real life.