Widmore, Bickley

A lot of money and effort went into smartening this pub up around 18 months ago, and the decor has been kept appealingly traditional. As a bonus, we saw that they were now serving Harvey's Sussex Best and Fuller's London Pride. But what a disappointment - unfortunately the people who run the pub lack experience in keeping real ales. They are always in disappointing condition and often have to be sent back. I suspect the problem is that the lines are not getting cleaned properly enough or often enough. It's such a shame - all the real ale drinkers are deserting this pub, when in fact the pub could have built up quite a following.

13 May 2011 08:52

The Golden Lion, Sydenham

I love going into the Golden Lion because it has such a comfortably traditional feel to it. I also like the fact that the lanldord is making a real effort by holding blues nights, jazz nights, etc. However, what is seriously disappointing is that, although there are usually three or four real ales available, they are often in disappointing condition. I went in here on a Saturday night recently for a live band, all four real ales were tried and all were in a very poor condition. I suspect the lines are not getting cleaned frequently enough. It's a shame, because this pub has the potential to build up a large and loyal following of real ale fans - instead they are deserting it for elsewhere.

8 Jan 2011 08:46

The Flying Scotsman, Caledonian Road

This pub is featured in a new book, �London Heritage Pubs� (published by CAMRA), which gives details of all the pubs in the capital which are of historical importance because they have retained some of their original interior features.

The exterior of THE FLYING SCOTSMAN is rather bland, all windows having been boarded up. This, I am sure, is done by a conscientious owner who is concerned that the original etched Victorian windows need to be protected from breakage.

I entered the rather dim interior and was greeted by a pretty dark-haired young lady, who seemed to be wearing rather less than one would normally expect of a bar-maid.

�I�ve come to admire your interior,� I said.

In response she smiled happily and held up a pint glass, already full of coins and encouraged me to give her a pound. So I gathered that this place charges pub enthusiasts a small amount to view the historical d�cor. It�s a small contribution and not unreasonable if it goes towards the upkeep of a pub of such national importance.

Spotting some old woodwork to my right, I said to the young lady, �You have a wonderful partition.� She smiled appreciatively, clearly proud to be working in a pub still containing so much history.

It was quite a humid day, which probably explains why the young lady then proceeded to remove items of her clothing one by one. She clearly shared my interest in pub d�cor and at every opportunity she made a point of trying to catch my eye. Meanwhile, I walked around the pub, doing a full circuit of the small island bar and admiring the three-quarter-height wood panelling on the walls, the intricately carved bar-back and the ornate ceiling. By the time I had returned to my original spot a few minutes later, the young lady, who perhaps had felt a chilly draught, had replaced her clothing.

�Thank you for letting me see everything� I said. �It�s all very well preserved.�

�If you give me another pound�, she replied, �you can see it all again.�

�No,� I said to this rather odd suggestion, �I think I�ve seen all I want to, thank you.� And so I left the pub, having enjoyed a most instructive visit.

6 Sep 2008 14:20