Friday 30 September 2011

The Van Dyke Forum - Bristol






























Visited 18th September 2011.

The last pub on my list for today was a bit of a surprise, something a little different
. The outside certainly didn't prepare me for what was to come. It was a bit barn like inside but but I loved the green metalwork and especially loved the fish. I sat drinking my large latte and reading my book, determined to finish it before heading home. Fortunately by now there was not much book left to read and I finished reading at about the same time I finished drinking. As I left I stopped for my last photo-shoot of the day and headed back to the car. And for once, it wasn't raining (so glad I left he bike at home). Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I know I'll be back as there are still five more pubs in the city centre to check out.

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Thursday 29 September 2011

St Georges Hall - Bristol





















Visited 18th September 2011.

All of the pubs today are within one or two miles of each other so I am making good time, or at least I was until I arrived at 'St Georges Hall'. As it turned out this one provided me with the trickiest parking and I had to drive past the pub several times before parking down a side road. I entered and ordered a large Pepsi. There seemed to be some building work going on in the pub as an area near the bar had been taped off, or the rain had been harder than I thought. I found an empty table and settled down with my book. Then my phone rang. By the time I had finished the call and answered two unrelated texts I had consumed my beverage. Time to move on, one to go
.

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The Jolly Sailor - Bristol

















Visited 18th September 2011.

Pub three and it's still raining. This one is more in the style I like, lots of dark paneling and a mixture of yellow and burgundy paint. I went upstairs and got a table number and waited for some bar staff to appear to take my order. Eventually a young lady came and took my order for sticky toffee pudding and custard (always have to have custard with
sticky toffee pudding). The pub was busy with a mix of all ages and it took a while for my pudding to arrive. I sat and ate, while reading my book. Only a few more chapters to go, hmm, should I stay and finish it or pace myself as I still had two pubs to go. I decide to pace myself. By the time I had dried out it was time to set off again. By the time I had taken a little self-portrait it had stopped raining. Woohoo! Time for pub four.

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Wednesday 28 September 2011

The Kingswood Colliers - Bristol
















 
Visited 18th September 2011.

The second pub of the day didn't take to long to get to and there was a car park within an easy walk off the road behind the pub. I ordered the beef roast and a pint of 'Old Speckled Hen', a beer that reminds me of my youth, like me it seems to have been around a long time. It seemed as though I had hardly sat down before somebody was bringing me my food, talk about express service. Once again I'm sat in a large room, only this time the main paint scheme is burgundy. I think I prefer it to the yellow. I ended up sitting for quite a while, eating and reading a book I had with me, and then, over coffee sat and did a little people watching. It appeared that everybody was to busy eating for me to badger into taking my photo so once again it was a self-service. It started to rain as I walked back to the car, once again I was happy I had made the right call on the bike.

© John Sinner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of John Sinner. All rights reserved.

Monday 26 September 2011

The Staple Hill Oak - Bristol

















Visited 18th September 2011.

I was sat at home thinking that I hadn't taken the bike out for a while and that it would be a nice way of spending the afternoon checking out a few 'spoons. A quick look at the map showed a cluster of unvisited pubs around Bristol and so that became the target. However, am hour and more sat on the bike just blatting along the M4 would make for a pretty boring ride. A
quick look from the front door and a view of some very dark clouds made me think car. As it turned out this was the correct decision as it started to rain just as I was nearing Newbury and by 'started to rain' I mean 'absolutely pissed down'. I had decided that my first pub of the day would be 'The Staple Hill Oak'. The car was parked and following a short walk I was soon sat in the pub drinking a large latte checking out the yellow walls and rain bucket in the middle of the floor. The pub was one large room, full of a mainly older clientele tucking into the Sunday roast. Despite being pretty busy a very friendly, chatty barman spent a couple of minutes telling me about an upcoming charity cycle ride covering two hundred Wetherspoon pubs. Coffee drunk, time to make a move as the plan is to visit five pubs today.

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Saturday 17 September 2011

The Fleur-de-Lis - Banbury

















 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Visited 3rd September 2011.

Following the detour to the sweet and toy shops we arrived at 'The Fleur-de-Lis'. Wider and brighter than the previous pub but still nice inside. This time I had a Pepsi, the girls had a Marzipan pitcher to share and 'Biggles'
stayed with the lager. Again, we stayed a while, chatting and playing 'Plop Trumps'. One day, maybe, we'll get around to setting our sights a little higher up the culture ladder... maybe.
As it turned out we stayed a little to long in the pub and ended up rushing to get to our next destination in Oxford. So, back to the car, down the M40 and eventually we end up at 'The Oxford Greyhound Stadium'. Yes, we were going to the dogs. Which did turn out to be something that none of us had done before. We all managed to lose some money, have a drink and eat a burger. And that's it, we all had a good day and what do you know, it's time for home and bed. Night, night!

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The Exchange - Banbury

















Visited 3rd September 2011.

I have planned a little surprise for Mrs S. and a couple of friends today. I have been on Groupon again and splashed out for a few tickets for something that I don't think any of us have done before. The general idea is to all meet up early (for us) and drive to Banbury to visit a couple of 'spoons and then come back to Oxford for the main event in the evening. As is completely predictable for anything involving the four of us things don't go entirely to plan! (I was once charged with organizing a leaving do for a work colleague and managed to get him and myself to one pub and the rest of the company to a completely different pub - enough said!)
We had arranged to meet up about 10am, by the time we did meet up it was nearer 12. Never mind our plans were fluid and we can at least now set off for Banbury... Oh no, wait, first somebody has to refuel a plane... Fortunately it's not an airbus a380, but it is in a big, windy field and the girls are soon complaining about their windswept hair, the cold, the lack of toilets (No!It's not ladylike to go behind the shed), no coffee, no food and about a hundred other things. Eventually we are back on the road and Stiggy is having to listen to us chat about the sea, fountains, fast running rivers and sudden downpours along with the rules of toilet roulette whilst being bounced up and down as we travel over what must be some of the bumpiest back roads in England.
We finally make it Banbury and pass 'The Exchange' while looking for a place to park. After a few requests to "Get on with it", we park and take a short walk to the pub. There is a little more leg crossing as Stiggy is grabbed and forced to pose for the photo shoot but she finally breaks free and like chocolate at a Weightwatchers meeting is gone.
By now we are all hungry and four all day brunches were swiftly ordered along with a pint of 'The Pride of Oxford' for me and a Disaronno and Pepsi for Mrs S. with the other two opting for a gin and tonic and a pint of lager. We sat in a small booth drinking and waiting for our food, which arrived after not to long a wait and was served by a very friendly member of staff. The pub itself was long and dark and had a pleasant atmosphere which we continued to enjoy over coffee. I asked at the bar for directions to the next pub, which turned out to be only a short walk away. We would have been there quite quickly but had to stop at a sweet shop and then a toy shop on the way. What a bunch of kids!

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