Thirst for Knowledge

[El Gordo]

Our old friend Rick "four marathons in four weeks" Neal has been in touch by mailing me and Nigel.

I'll let him ask the question.......

Greetings from a ghost from the past. I trust this email finds you both well and running. As for me, I'm very fat and not running. I've developed a relationship with a mistress named Beer. She forbids me from running, but she keeps me very happy. Such are the trade offs we make in life, I suppose.


I haven't visited running commentary in what seems like an eternity, but I hope the "regulars" there are doing well too.

As usual I only email you when I want something. Yes, it's shallow, but at least I admit it. This time I seek only information. A friend is going to be in London and would like to visit some drinking establishments with a more local flavor than the typical tourist spots. Any suggestions?


Again, I hope you are both well and running - sincerely.

Regards,
Rick

[El Gordo]

Rick

First of all, a couple of useful links:

http://www.beerintheevening.com/
http://www.camra.org.uk/

Where will your friend be staying?

Central London has some very fine drinking establishments. The Star in Belgravia, the Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden, the Princess Louise in Holborn, Doctor Johnson's old local, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street. Full of bloody Americans though .

Seriously though, all of these are famous but touristy. It doesn't make them bad pubs (far from it) but it's a fact that most central London pubs won't be full of locals as there aren't many people living in central London.

If he/she is willing to travel just a little way i.e a shortish tube ride, there is any number of decent 'locals'. In particular, anywhere along the river like Hammersmith, Chiswick, Putney, Barnes, Richmond have some tremendous waterside pubs.

In central London, if they want to avoid the West End they should head for the City. The City is the square mile of the financial district. Very few locals for reasons mentioned earlier, but plenty of tremendous pubs, many ancient and historic.

When are they coming over? I could possibly be persuaded to meet up with them and give them a helping hand -- purely in the interests of improving international relations of course....

[Iceman]

Thanks for the suggestions, Andy. My friend is coming over in about a week. I'll pass along your offer of "improving international relations."

[El Gordo]

Ah, well, a week isn't going to be so easy. I was thinking the summer sometime.

Are they staying in central London the whole time? Or will they be travelling round? There are excellent pub research projects available wherever you go here.

[Sweder]

I'm available for tours of Sussex hostelries. I have a sneaking suspicion I might be able to pursuade SP of this parish to assist, although this would very much depend on the constitutional fortitude of the visitors.

I do feel it only fair that we, as a community, share any pub-related introductory duties

[Ana]

Let me suggest your friend the pub Shakespeare's Head (29 Great Marlborough Street) . I loved another one but do not remember the name (sorry). It was in gothic style. Very touristy, but funny. Toilettes door was a false bookcase and inside (the toilets) you can hear chains’ dragging, cries and ghost moans. Perhaps some 'beer expert' of here knows...
Anyway, please, explain your friend that London is famous for the museums. And the tickets are free!!!! No excuse. :mad:
Also I suggest going to Liberty’s. Nice building

[Seafront Plodder]

I think nowadays if you want to get to the real London, to get away from the poncy coffee shops and ludicrously priced boutiques, you'll have to go to the East End. It's just a short cab ride away from The City Andy mentions in an earlier post.

And I'm not talking about the touristy guided tours of Jack the Ripper's haunts.

Start looking here http://www.britannia.com/travel/london/c.../pubs.html

I can personally recommend The Prospect of Whitby. And afterwards, you can wander down Brick Lane, where there are more curry houses than you can shake a stick at.