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.

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.

391. Sat 14/4/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Three Brewers of St Albans Gold 4.1%

Pre-match, Town v Crewe. Notts County ticket distribution, and train arrangement is the order of the afternoon, while the BH is serving reasonably weak beers this week.

World War Three apparently has, or hasn’t, just started in Syria – stuff like going to the pub and the football match seems so much civilised than the bullshit that our elected (and unelected) leaders are coming out with at the moment. The news boycott that my brother has talked of for a few months, seems reasonably sensible at the moment… I can’t stand hearing what that ridiculous warmongering clown Trump has to say at the best of times.

401. Sat 28/4/18: The Bricklayers Arms. 16-18 High Town Road, Luton

Beer: Cotleigh Barn Owl 4.5%

LUTON TOWN 3 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1

Hoorah! The Town are going up!

We knew this, of course, last week – so the atmosphere at the ground is celebratory and good humoured, but not ecstatic.

The celebrations at the end went on a bit. The pitch invasion at the final whistle caused rancour amongst supporters who respected the request to stay put for the time being. Of course fans should keep off the pitch until given permission (so the players and their families could complete their lap of honour) and maybe they deserved the abuse from the stands, but it’s not a great thing to see or hear. Once the pitch was cleared the whole extended awarding of the runners up trophy was way too long and contrived.

I like a good pitch invasion, me… possibly not as much as I did when I was a kid; and these things are best done with joyous spontaneity – not held back until all the players (and all their children) have completed their lap of honour.

We finally got on the pitch, when they said that we could, and applauded the lads up in the Directors’ Box… but it was nice to get out of the ground and back down the pub.

We managed to get a table at the Brickies – possibly because most of the other fans were still at the ground, probably listening to the speech by the kit washer’s apprentice. We sit, rather drained and befuddled, and contemplate possible away trips next season. Sunderland and Bradford maybe?

 

402. Sun 29/4/18: The Terrace Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Middlesex v Glamorgan, day three.

It’s freezing at Lord’s, but the brand spanking new Pelham Restaurant in the Warner Stand is open to (non-dining) members. In fact there’s no dining at all – chairs and tables are unceremoniously stacked up, free for folk to come over and plonk them in front of the windows. It’s all quite odd in a part of the stand which seems to have been built with an eye to barring all but MCC members and their chums who can afford to pay £££s for a posh meal – in a space that used to be a public bar (albeit in a stand only open to members). Not today though. Instead, there’s a few dozen people up here – some eating their own packed lunches… all reasonably chaotic, suitably civilised; but quiet… pin drop quiet.

The Terrace Bar is one (and maybe two) levels down in the innards of the new stand. It’s new and functional, minimalist and cold. It’s clearly not made for these quiet county matches – and maybe it’ll be more charming during test matches. I personally doubt that.

Anyway, they’re serving Pedigree in recyclable plastic beakers: they cost a pound extra, but you get that back if you remember to take your empty cup back to the bar. Naturally, I forgot to do that.

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.

384. Mon 2/4/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Summerskills Westward Ho! 4.1%, Ilkley Hanging Stone 5.0%

Pre match LT v Mansfield. The beer selection at the front bar is far too strong – so thank goodness the beer festival is still on at the back. And the atmosphere is so much brighter and lighter than it was on Friday night (no.382).

Picture features the beer festival flyer/menu. Again, there’s time and effort gone into this – and I suppose it’s nice to be able to eventually enjoy it.

There’s some pre-match jitters. Town have rather been spluttering to get over the promotion line, so we’re naturally keen for a result this afternoon.

It’s my turn for Half Time Treats. It’s Easter: so it’s hot crossed buns.

387. Fri 6/4/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4%

Come to the Brickies straight from work where I’ve been busily trying to catch up with these write-ups (I’d reached, by that time, no.331 – in Cadiz).

My brother is there already, and gives me a gift: an OS map of Luton from 1879. Very interesting too.

Johnny Harper is out. Lydia is working silly hours this weekend. It’s good to see him out on a Friday.
He suggests we produce a podcast, nay, a “Clodcast”. It’s around 10:30pm by the time that’s mooted and, well into our cups by then, must’ve seemed a good idea. Looking back… I fail to see anything good, but then John’s the visionary in this case.

30 Sun 9/4/18: El Gallo Ronco, Malaga

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Busy flamenco bar in a small square in the centre of Malaga – extremely busy with the Semana Santa processions just yards away. We’ve just seen the first (of very many) Virgin Mary manhandled down the street on her excruciatingly slow progress to the cathedral… and we’re finding it excruciatingly difficult to get served in this bar. We manage it eventually – but the staff seem to be working frantically, even when the numbers in the bar start dropping away.

The place is full of quite big pictures of folk overcome in various states of dress and/or duende. One, I suggest to Steph, looks like Bob Dylan (circa mid-70’s). She doesn’t particularly agree… I didn’t take a photo…

We leave the bar a bit miffed. I’d possibly have liked to stay a little longer, but we weren’t getting served. Made me miss low-season a bit… a sentiment increasingly reinforced as the holiday went on.