The Ivy House - Alton

Visited 7th March 2015.

The sun has come out to play, so it's time to get the bike out. The big question, will it start? The answer, surprisingly is yes so I climb on and it's off to Alton. Basingstoke slowed me down a bit as it turned out to be full of roadworks but the road between Basingstoke and Alton was a lovely ride. I managed to find the pub without any trouble and handily there was a car park opposite. The pub was very busy and I ended up sitting outside to drink my pint of Pepsi. The pub was a decent size and seemed to consist of lots of little rooms and alcoves even to the point of sticking a table in the corridor under the stairs. The temperature was starting to drop a little so it was time to head back home, remembering to avoid Basingstoke! Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

© 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.

The Six Bells - Lymington

Visited 18th April 2014.
 
It's Easter Friday so no work today and as the sun is out it seems like an ideal time to get the bike out and give it a decent run. With this in mind I have made a list of five Wetherspoon pubs to visit, the first in Lymington and the other four in Southampton. I was up early and out of the door before Mrs. S had even raised an eyebrow. The trip was fine and I was soon parked up in Lymington and walking towards the bar. Actually, I was walking quite briskly because despite the sunniness of the day I was very cold and hoping that it would be a lot warmer inside. Fortunately it was and I soon had my hands wrapped around a large latte while waiting for my traditional breakfast to arrive, which it did with surprising speed. The pub was quite modern inside and despite its small appearance from the outside turned out to be quite spacious. The staff were friendly, service was quick and my table was cleared very swiftly after my meal. Sadly it was after I left the pub that things started to go downhill. I got back to the bike, leapt on and tried to roar away but instead all I heard was the starter motor making a pathetic effort as the battery was almost flat. Ninety minutes later and the breakdown service arrived and within seconds started the bike for me but at that point I decided to head back home rather that risk the bike not starting again in Southampton. A sad end to what had started as a very promising day.

© 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.

The Pennsylvanian - Rickmansworth

Visited 1st August 2010.

It's Sunday afternoon, we're bored and it's not raining. Only one thing to do and that's get the bike out. A quick check of the map and Rickmansworth is our destination of choice. A bit of a boring journey around the M25 but it doesn't take long and being a Sunday it is pretty easy to park up almost right outside. The pub is very busy and at first we thought we might not be able to find a seat but Mrs. S. leads the way, heading into the very depths of the pub which goes back a lot further than we first thought. Unfortunately the downside of going on the bike is that it is Mrs. S. and not myself who gets to have a drink. We like the pub and stay long enough for it to start to empty a little but as I'm not having a drink myself I start to get a little fidgety. Time to be back on the bike and on the road again. All in all a pleasant pub and a decent afternoon out, and no, we didn't go home on the M25.

© 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.