23/07/26 - A Bromley Pub Crawl

The Modern High Street

Overnighting in Bromley, as I go through the final knockings of the London Spiral Walk. Civilisation (ha!) and a Bar Trek route that offered a couple of Good Beer Guide pubs, made it a tempting base.

Easy Crawling

The town is quite pretty. A more or less pedestrianised high street. Some interesting architecture in the old shop frontages. A lovely park just away from the main drag. Yet, here I am at 57 years old, doubling the amount of robberies I have witnessed in my lifetime. In just over 12 hours.

Crime 1: A Trainspotting-esque dash from Sports Direct, chased by the security guard, running style hampered by the boxes under his arms. My attention drawn by the crowd cheering. He was caught, but the guard simply retrieved the goods and let him on his merry way. 

Crime 2: Sainsbury's Local. Two of them, casually walking around, not even hiding the products and just walking out, setting off alarms but as casual as you like.

Crime 3: Greggs at breakfast time. A hungry fella walks in, takes his drink and sandwich and walks out again. The lady next to me reports it to the staff, who simply say "happens every day".

I'll get onto the pubs, before I start ranting about "Broken Windows Policing Policy".

The Partridge is a fine place to start. A solid, handsome Fuller's Pub, with a distinct air of civility with Chesterfields, atriums and smoking rooms. A beautiful Good Beer Guide Tick and a perfect ESB.

Handsome Outside....

.... and In

The next two on the crawl are both closed. The Bar Trek App is only a couple of years old, so its worrying how quickly things change. At least the Artful Duke has been repurposed as a chicken shop, the clucking crazy Saucy Bird. The Barrel and Horn is simply boarded up.

Since retirement, I am a big fan of Wetherspoons. But you have to be in the mood. As a solo pub ticker, the app is invaluable in protecting a table, but you have to be able to get a table in the first place. I thought that I would try The Greyhound a bit later, when things have calmed down.

Standing room only at the Greyhound

Instead, I was seduced by the architecturally imposing Star and Garter. Sometimes, the recipe for a good pub looks so easy that you wonder why more people don't adopt it.

Floor-mounted brass plaque states it is "1898 Vernacular Revival"

Tiling in the outside alcove

Unsure of the collective noun for fiddle players (a scrape?), there were plenty of them setting up in the corner. But my real love came from the drinks choice. I could (and probably should) have stayed here all night.

Amongst the many highlights on draught were Stille Nacht, Kernal, Deya, Ross-on-Wye ciders and in an unexpected turn, beer from my home town on cask. I have never seen Bewdley Brewery beers outside of the Wyre Forest but the bloke in front of me was ordering three pints.

Definitely the town's pubby highlight.

The Swan and Mitre didn't look like it would offer much and it didn't. My inability to leave things unfinished meant I popped my head in to see a very limited range. Why are bar staff so efficient and friendly when you just want to escape? A half of Cruzcampo out of politeness. I don't think the ceremonial chalice comes in half pints.

Low expectations, realised

Which leaves the ubiquitous micro pub. The Craft Beer Cabin will be fighting against many things. Its location, well out of town and the other pubs, will work against it. The music choice - heavy metal at an uncomfortable level - will dissuade more than it welcomes. As will the pricing. I vowed to stop drinking when it went north of a fiver for a schooner.

Peaceful.... apart from the music

Obviously run by an enthusiast but just two punters on a Thursday night won't be paying the electronic beer board Untapped subscription costs, let alone the rent. I wish them all the best.

Conscious of nightfall, I legged it back to the safety of the Travelodge.

Via the Star and Garter. The range deserved a second look.