Saturday 5 August 2017

05/08/17 - Two Bloomsbury CAMRA Good Beer Guide Ticks

The sights have been taken in through a delightful 8 mile walk through London's Royal Parks.  Rest has been taken a funky bijou Kings Cross Hotel, where the lights are controlled by a mobile phone app.  It's a couple of hours until the show starts in a Shaftesbury Avenue Comedy Club.

We'll go and get a couple of CAMRA Good Beer Guide Ticks, whilst on the look out for pre-theatre dining.

The Calthorpe Arms, Greys Inn Road, Youngs Special

This is a new one to me, despite knowing the area quite well.  Before the Bloomsbury Holiday Inn went into the £300's per night, it was my preferred work hotel of choice.

The bible says that "Unusual double doors lead into this single bar corner local".

Calthorpe Arms
GBG Stickers aside, what's unuusal?
And its a portal to a time that London forgot.  A more traditional local boozer, you could not hope to find this side of Norman's Coach and Horses in Soho.

This extends to something I haven't seen since I was a kid.   A couple in a classic Citreon DS, are having a pint in the car.   To add to the authenticity, the pint was in a dimpled jug.

Brilliant! You need to remind yourself that we are a stone's throw from the venue that hosted Oasis's first London gig.

Calthorpe Arms
A Trip out in the Motor.  Mrs M's Arm
Its a Young's House and the Special was in decent form, if not suffering from the usual Southern crisis of a disappearing head.

Calthorpe Arms
To spend your days in the sunshine
The Lamb, Lamb Conduit Street, Youngs Special

The Calthorpe may have been new to me but the Lamb has always been a favourite.  I found it back in the days when I could recognise a Good Pub, without a Guide to help me along the way.

Saturday evening is the time to come.  In the week, I've rarely managed to get a seat but tonight, up until the wedding party came in, we had the place more or less to ourselves.

Lamb, Lamb Conduit Street
Check out the Victorian bar mounted Snob Screens
I explained to Mrs M about how the bar mounted glassware was meant to stop the bar staff from seeing exactly who the C19th gentlemen boozehounds were entertaining.

She was more interested in what sort of a wedding ends with the majority of guests in the local.

A decent one was my response.

Lamb, Lamb Conduit Street
The Lamb Interior, in all its finery
A must visit London pub.  And if you are hungry, the Italian with the blue awning next door is superb.

Lamb, Lamb Conduit Street
Everything you need for a good night out, next door to each other

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