577. Tue 25/12/18: The Wigmore Arms, Luton

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Two Wiggy visits in two days – this time it’s an early afternoon pre-dinner session with Steph and her folks. Again, the place is busy, but we manage to get a table in the main/front/lounge bar so can gauge the effect of the recent refurbishment – which has changed the pub into a branch of the “Sizzling Pub Grill” brand that nobody’s heard of. The most obvious change, for me, is that they’ve gotten rid of the wordy (boring, to be honest) history of the Wigmore family, misappropriated Holbein illustration and all, from the wall. This they’ve replaced with a big “Sizzler” decal screaming: “FRESH from our GRILL”… A beer mat on our table informs that Sizzler can provide us with a seasonal Cherry Bakewell Cocktail.

Have, Steph’s Mum wonders, they gotten rid of the lady who used to cook here? I suggest maybe not. I’m facing towards the bar and catch sight of the lady in question – apparently still employed in the kitchens.

Tables are full, mainly with family groups. A kid on the table next to ours is playing with his new Harry Potter wand. It’s all very convivial and noisy – the Wigmore regulars festive loud, but not boisterous. The tellies run through a selection of cheesy seasonal hits, thankfully the volume isn’t turned up as loud as yesterday. Macca is still enjoying his wonderful Chrismastime.

I have my back to the window. Steph and Roy are looking outside – gleaning a fair degree of entertainment from the steady, if not heavy, stream of cars driving into Asda – their drivers believing the petrol station and/or supermarket are open on Christmas Day.

Back in the pub, numbers fluctuate, but the place remains quite packed. Packed and festive and nice: Merry Christmas everybody…

 

472. Friday 7/9/18: The Wigmore Arms, Luton

Beer: Wychwood Hobgoblin 4.5%

At 06:25pm the place is packed. The clientele is 90% male, in a 20-50 age group, local and loud (although there are a few from the offices next door, with their TUI lanyards – lads and lasses, early twenties… loud). It must seem boisterously convivial to the folk assembled, but I don’t recognise any of ‘em. I used to be borderline regular in this place… maybe the Friday night crowd differs from that of the comparatively laid back weekend afternoon locals. Anyway, it’s very early – and some folk in here are well into their cups.

Good luck to ‘em.

The one relatively quiet spot is in the dining area, where no one is dining. Instead, on a table at the back, a nuclear family are sat. As I make my way to a nearby vacant table, the bloke starts berating his missus.

Back at the bar, the barstaff all seem very young and very tattooed. The lad who served me can’t be twenty yet. His arms are covered in individual little tatts – the selection appears somewhat arbitrary, the fecklessly bored choices of a child.

What Steph and I call “the top table” in the pub is higher than the others, and routinely reserved for regulars. Again, I recognise nobody. Someone spills a pint of San Miguel all over it. Everyone cheers.

My Hobgoblin is alright, over chilled maybe. The ale selection this evening is pretty uninspiring. It’s this or the ubiquitous GKIPA.

Autumn is coming on, low evening sunlight streams into the pub; blinding some, and affording my glass an attractive light – which my dubious photography skills largely fail to capture.

159. Sat 2/9/17: The Wigmore Arms, Luton

Beer: Sharp’s Doom Bar 4.0%

The Wiggy is looking a bit tired and the ale choice, once we’ve established that Abbot and Bombardier are off, is GKIPA and Doom Bar. Ho hum.

It’s an international weekend with the football so the place isn’t packed with polyester Prem’ fans, it’s quite nice and quiet; just a shame that, in this pub which was relatively recently listed in the Good Beer Guide, we’ve got better (Asda/M&S bought) beer at home.

That said, this is still a vibrant, bustling and good humoured community boozer.

Back at the bar for a second Doom Bar (I drink twice as fast as Steph) there’s some excitement as the bar staff are apparently pulling the Bombardier through. But, no, it’s 6pm… they’re cleaning the pipes. A sneaky coupla pints at The Wigmore isn’t as appealing as it has been.

28 Sat 8/4/17: Wigmore Arms, Luton

Beer: Charles Wells Bombardier 4.1%

On the eve of our Easter holiday to Spain (Malaga/Seville/Madrid) Steph and I pop into the Wigmore for some last “decent beer” and to watch the Grand National. Steph has a tip, from her Dad, on the basis that it name checks her great uncle: “One for Arthur”. I’ve put £2.50 each way on for Steph, and £3 on the nose for me. The horse isn’t mentioned at all for most of the race (with our grumbling that they shouldn’t take bets on non-runners) then… only goes and wins. The first time I’ve ever backed a Grand National winner. We get around £45 each – which is better than a kick in the teeth.

There’s clearly some others in the pub who have won too.



Rockabilly fellow asks his mate, whose blue overalls are covered in paint, whether fifth place pays on an each way bet. He doesn’t think so (and neither do we… not that we’re asked). That’s the rockabilly fellow seen in the picture – saluting his missus on the way to the bookies to collect on a better placed bet.

Rockabilly fellow's mate, I’d suggest, doesn’t work in an office.