A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Tapping The Admiral. Fantastic.
"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
-W.C.Fields
Southampton Arms
Close to Moby's nomination ,so a great double header when in Kentish Town.
"Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson
I have a choice of three this time in Maidstone, Great Notley (Braintree) and Leek. There's not much between these three great pubs I'm going for the Wilkes Head in Leek, probably the most left field of the three. It's a small dog-eared old pub with a fruitcake landlord but fantastic beers mainly from Whim brewery and a dedicated crowd of regulars.
I wish I could have stayed for several pints.
If you look at one of the two pictures I posted you can see the landlord frantically banging on the window!
POTM Wilkes Head Leek
Choice of three this month: I finally managed to visit the Eleanor Arms in Old Ford which thoroughly deserves its good reputation, and the nearby but less well-known Lord Tredegar was also a pleasant surprise, but my nomination goes to the Robin Hood in Havant (especially since it was in a town where I didn't have particularly high expectations).
Jacobs Beer House
this one just keeps getting better, a SPBW West Riding and Bradford Camra pub of the year, it has started to champion beer in the wood which has taken off in a big way throughout the West Riding, although not in the same class as the Junction in Castleford in that regard, it's a must visit in Bradford.
The Rockstone in Southampton.
Unexpectedly good and the first place I'd head to in the city.
Tempted to go for The Orange Tree - despite being GK, it had 13 genuine guests listed on the board, though I only saw space for 10 on the pumps (plus 3 gk lines). Some from Buntingford and (new to me) Blythe Brewery, also a Sarah Hughes IPA. Very large garden and boules area, both in need of some tlc, and a couple of excellent pints on the way back to London at Stevenage's Our Mutual Friend.
But I have to go with Alton's Railway Arms as potm, friendly welcome, beers in great nick, chat at the bar or play darts/pool to the rear. First time I've noticed the level crossing/sleeper track set-up as you head out to the 'garden' area. Best of the day as a joker - when the crawl was actually Farnham!
The Bull
I'm not a fan of town pubs, and other scribes here haven't been favourable, but I found this to be a welcoming and relaxing retreat on a Saturday morning.
"At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.