441a. Mon 2/7/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Oakham Jeffrey Hudson Bitter 3.8%

Pub quiz. Our team is rocked by the non-appearance of A-Haitch, who's bushed. As is customary these days, the locals claim tables with place markers (strategically placed pints and bunches of keys). We perch around a table dragged in from the back bar, pick a bad joker and slump to LAST PLACE at the break.

It gets worse. There's a round about the songs from The Lion King. I'd like to blame Pete, our emergency fourth member, for this. But I think it's me who pushes for "Gatwick Airport" on a question where the answer is "One Hundred Acre Wood". Somehow, after who knew what, we didn't come last.

We do, however, need A-Haitch back in the team on the next solstice.

223. Tue 14/11/17: V Ruthardce. Dačického nám, Kutná Hora. Czech Republic

Beer: Pilsner Urquell 4.4%

We have a cursory wander, but can’t really find anywhere we fancy eating... so we wander back to V Ruthardce. The lovely little bar with the fire is packed, so we go round the corner to a very (too) well lit room full of little round tables – and there we consult the menus.

Veggie Steph has to go for salted sheep’s cheese on tiny little potato dumplings – stodge on stodge. I have pork shoulder. Very nice too. I was far more impressed with my meal than Stephanie was with hers.

284. Sat 6/1/18: The Old George, Newcastle upon Tyne

Beer: William Bass and Co Bass Premium 4.4%

Back to The Old George for the last NUT pint of the weekend. It’s been a good trip, apart from the first 45 minutes of the football match.

The pub is post-match packed, but we manage to perch ourselves at a table. Steph bemoans the lack of food, compared to beer, that we’ve consumed today. Naturally, she has a point. We had breakfast this morning, apart from that we’ve only had a sandwich – bought and scoffed around the station.

We’re nacked anyway, and decide to trudge back to the Premier Inn after this pint.



Arndales pop band (me brother, Leighton and Andy W) played Newcastle a while ago and, on hearing we planned to stay three nights, winced – saying how rough the place was*. We didn’t see that, really: the worst behaved folk were from Luton, and they were only being laddish. No, we’ve enjoyed it – and certainly wouldn’t rule out a trip up North East in future.


*Wincing most likely to have been imagined from the drummer, who denies that he, or any member of the band would have used any adjective close to "rough". 'Lively, maybe; and our hotel wasn't the best. But Newcastle rough? No,' says EPS.

484. Fri 21/9/18: The Brewery Tap, Luton

Beer: Skinners Knocker 4.5%

Sneaky post-work pint at the BT as I contemplate an early evening solo trip to Markyate, again, to try out The Local micropub. The Tap is a far better prospect at this time of day than it seems at night (see episode #446): no bouncers on the door – possibly busier (there’s probably around a dozen folk in the place) – and extremely helpful bar lady. Would I like to taste the different beers (there are two…can’t remember the other one)? Yes, thank you very much… mmm… I’ll have a pint of [the above] thank you”.

Bar lady is very careful over the pouring, and keeps the pint behind the bar as she accepts the money – so as to be certain it’s a full pint once fully settled. Fine. Good service. She’s then called away, before giving me the pint… leading me with a dilemma. Do I wait for her to return? Do I lean over and grab it? Luckily another colleague wanders past, and I ask her.

That’s the highlight of a one-pint visit. I play on the quizzer, I bemoan the fact that the music is a bit too loud – Billie bloody Jean… “the kid is not my son”… who’d have thought? I decide that, yes, I will attempt a trip to Markyate (do I get there though, dear reader? see episode #485… “The White House”).

480ab. Wed 19/9/18: Sankt Oberholz, Berlin

Beer: BRLO Pale Ale 6%, Augustiner Helles Lager 5.2%

Rosenthalerplatz is a vibrant Berlin intersection. An internet search reveals it is within 0.5 km of over 300 bars and restaurants - so 300+ good reasons to stay there. The nearest bar to our hotel is the St. Oberholz, which is always packed, day and night, so we give it a go.

On entering we’re met with an odd scene of about 150 young people with MacBook’s typing away. The floor is criss-crossed with electric cables with an admirable Germanic disregard for health and safety. No one inside is drinking, though - most un-German.

Apparently, they rent out space to young entrepreneurs who pay to use wifi, electricity, etc., which partly explains why it is so busy. I certainly would get no work done here with Augustiner beer mere inches from my workspace.

It is 31C so we order our (excellent) beers, negotiate the electric trip hazards and sit outside and enjoy the traffic chaos caused by a huge protest by thousands of cyclists.

The building opposite has names of obscure towns on its wall; Stockport, Tulsa and (I am delighted to notice) Reutlingen (home of a number of my freunds).

389. Thu 12/4/18: The White House, Luton

Beer: Tring Tea Kettle Stout 4.7%

The ongoing shenanigans at the place I live has meant that I’m now a director of a company. The whole thing is absurd and the first meeting is upstairs at The White House. I meet the company secretary. He requests a pint of Abbott. Good man. I’m on coffee, like an idiot.

Once the meeting is over, I bid my… colleague(?) adieu, and have a proper pint myself.

Tring beer is usually very good, and I’ve been very keen on stouts and porters recently. With such heightened expectations, I found the Kettle Stout just about whelming.

Thursday afternoon at the JDWWH is laudably busy – impressive to a blue chip on the shoulder company director such as I – and many of the patrons seem to be enjoying a curry. Smells quite a bit – but being rather partial to a curry myself I took no offence whatsoever.

539. Thu 8/11/18: U Medvídků, Prague

Beer: Old Gott 5.2%

Back at the Little Bears; it’s a little busier than earlier in the week, but still room to sit in the brewery bar. The couple next to us are tackling a pork knuckle – a huge great thing. It’s a joint, it becomes clear, best shared. The fella takes the lead, and does a fine job carving. Looks delicious… I’m never going to try it while I’m with veggies… anyway, we’re here for the beer.

Where’s the old boy who used to do all the brewing this year? We’ve not been in here when they’ve had a brew on. That’s undoubtedly the incorrect term, but we’ve been in here before when it’s more like a sauna – the whole place infused with the smells of brewing the beer we’re drinking. It’s lovely. We’ve rather missed that.

Instead, hidden away in the brewery section (separated from the dining area by glass partition) a couple of ladies are filling bottles individually by hand. It is, presumably, the famous strong/seasonal X33 lager. It seems a charmingly archaic labour intensive operation… and we eventually buy a couple of bottles for Christmas presents. They’re .33ltr bottles, and cost about a tenner a pop. For all its (variable) charm, this is still a pretty cynical tourist trap.

Good beer mind… the Old Gott. Goodness knows what’s in the bottles.

345. Thu 15/3/18: Café Salon Bahia, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%
Another quietly innocuous bar away from the throng. The telly piques interest in this place though, as Viktoria Plzeň are beating Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League. They’re 2-0 up, 2-2 on agg… extra-time…

The bar is reasonably quiet, but has eight fruit machines – which gives the place the feel of a Czech Herna bar. It’s not as dingy as that, mind, although the array of tapas on display looks a little forlorn.

Sporting score an away goal on 105 minutes. Booo.

It’s not really our cue to leave, but we do anyway. It’s our last evening in Cádiz and, though we’re a little fatigued anyway, the little bars at the station end of the old town haven’t really been brilliant.

Cádiz, though, is an excellent, laid back little city – which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

471e. Thu 6/9/18: The George II. 70 Bute St, Luton

Beer: Morland Old Golden Hen 4.1%

Post Utter! panic drink at The George. Which is its usual untidy, rambunctious self and quite a contrast from the Crush Bar. The George is the first pub from the station on the way into town and always has an outlaw feel and is always grubby.

Still, the opportunity to chat through what was a very decent night of spoken word (yes, they can happen) was grabbed and enjoyed. The evening's success and good vibes were almost turned on their heads when I purposefully stride into the ladies lav, but there are no ladies around, so I get away with it and spend some quality time yabbering with SW, LN and PA. Lee's plotting and scheming his next coup and in generally good spirits.

A few other waifs and strays drift by on their way to The Wheelies and are pleased to see us. Almost too pleased; I'm knackered.

81. Tue 18/4/17: Restaurante Asador, Madrid

Beer: Mahou 5%

Last bar of the evening is a small standard tapas bar on the square; nothing much to say for or against it. There are some nice hanging plants over the window and bar. The gratis tapas are a very acceptable variety of green olive. The beer is served in chalices. The beer is Mahou.

I have vague recollection of Real Madrid v Bayern Munich on the telly – and our not really wanting to watch it; and our looking for the bar advertising their screening Leicester v Atletico (and our, oddly, giving a toss) and our not finding it, and going back to our flat instead. We’re tired.

386a. Wed 4/4/18: The Frog & Rhubarb, Slip End, Luton

Beer: Bath Ales Gem 4.1%

A slightly fraught bus journey up to Slip End from Luton town centre (left wallet in office, ran back to fetch it, retrieved wallet, consequently needed the loo, missed the bus, 30 min wait for next one). Spring brings clouds, sparrows and airplanes climbing in a westerly direction. Much like any other season.

I half expect DGK to be ensconced in the front bar area, though am greeted by TPK . He's had an even more useless journey up. I lend him £20. We're joined by DGK and SDK, have another pint of the same then repair to 7CC for a curry. Frog's not bad for a meet-up place; slightly more welcoming than The Rising Sun, with slightly better beer.

420. Mon 28/5/18: The White House, Luton

Beer: Jennings Snecklifter 5.1%

Sultry Bank Holiday weekend afternoon. Back from work (working on this) and the gym and looking to muster enthusiasm for a few beers, a curry and an early night. It’s too hot though; I’m too weighed down with gym baggage and camera.

The JDWWH is as it tends to be on days like these – the outside seating is packed and bawdy, it’s considerably quieter inside.

Inside there’s the usual family groups, groups of middle aged men, a few sad loners like me – the real topers down at the bottom bar. The beer is alright, the tables are sticky, I opt out of a second.

409. Sat 5/5/18: BeerHeadZ, Nottingham Station

Beer: North Riding Brewery Banoffee Porter 5.0%

Steph and I have reservations on a later train than the others – but we accompany them to the station, where we’d read on the way up (in the latest CAMRA Beer magazine) of this brand new micropub.

It’s good. I like the concept of micropubs – we’ve been to a few. This is certainly small enough to qualify… it seems rather achingly trendy too, which might put me off.

Anyway, the beer is good – the beer is strong – it’s been a lovely day and a long day, and we’re all quite p*ssed.