Week Twenty Six: Newcastle Golf Trip: Amble by the Sea

Week Twenty Six

    
  Still running a little behind here but I am catching up slowly but surely.  This week sees the end of the Newcastle golf trip which involved one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life.  Big statement that but what happened on that fateful night in Amble, all present will never forget.   It is also officially the half way mark for the year.  Staggering.
    
Special guests include: Jamie Collins, Freddie Dixon, Tom Grimes, my biggest fan (Chris Hazell), Tom Wright and Tom Goldwater

Summary of Seaton Carew Golf Club 

Name: Seaton Carew Golf Club

Type: Golf Course

Location: Seaton Carew Golf Club, Tees Road, Hartlepool, TS25 1DE

Website: http://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk

Date Visited: 30/06/14

Price: Fair

Rating: 4/5

Review

  One of the two golf courses I am going to review in this weeks edition.  If you don't like or play golf I advise you to skip to the next place I visited in the week which was the Blue Bell pub...unbelievable scenes.

The seven competitors. 

From Left: Freddie Dixon, Chris Hazell, Me, Jamie Collins, Tom Wright, Tom Grimes, Tom Goldwater

 Moving back onto this golf course.  So for the golf lovers out there, this golf course was ranked in the top 100 golf courses in the United Kingdom and was the most prestigious of all the courses we played at over the week.  To put things in perspective they had just held the UK British amateur championships the week before we had arrived so it's got to be fairly decent.  How many times did I just say golf courses? Oh well.

  This wasn't a day to remember for me however because, despite being the reigning champion, I played absolutely horrifically.  For those of you who play golf, you will be able to tell how bad it was when I inform you that I only got 16 points on Stableford scoring.  Horrific.

  Enough about me and back to this links course.  Seaton Carew was and still is a proper links course with horrid rough which punished poor drivers of the ball, see last paragraph as proof.  It also had magnificently well kept greens which were in fantastic condition and ran true.  The holes were relatively challenging too....well I thought they were.  It was a lovely course and certainly one I would recommend playing if you find yourself up north.  

 Price was fairly decent as well coming to under £30.  The only danger/setback of this place was that the car park is right next to the 18th green, which puts your car in serious danger.  Apart from that you can have no complaints of this golf course.  Actually one more, the course planner (God knows why I bought one anyway) didn't go in order from hole 1 to 18 which was fairly annoying and created unnecessary further admin.  Decent golf club though.

Not my image but the 18th and the Clubhouse.  Car park precariously placed to the right.

Summary of The Blue Bell

Name: The Blue Bell

Type: Pub

Location: 32 Albert Street, Amble, NE65 0LU

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Bell-Inn-Public-House/173306202719393

Date Visited: 30/06/14

Price: Phenomenal value

Rating: 4.25/5

Review

  Sit down and listen up kids because I have one heck of a story to tell you.  Christ I've built this up quite a lot actually, I may have oversold it....who cares.

  Well I'll set the scene first.  It was the Monday night after the second round of the competition and the evening activity was to do a pub crawl around the village, Amble.  Now at first I was unsure how well this would go down as Amble is a very small fishermansesque village.  However upon further research I was surprised to see quite a number of pubs dotted around and all very near to our villa (holiday home).

The Villa (holiday home) for the trip

   The Blue Bell was the highest recommended online of all but we did go to 3 others first.  Now the reason I won't review the other 3 was because we were only in there for one drink before moving on to the next.  Effectively they were all identical. Pool table? Check. Guinness extra cold? Check. Questionable toilet Facilities? Check. Tatoooed local giving us the eye? Check.  7 pints under £20? Check.   You get the gist. 

  When we arrived to the Blue Bell it was a different thing all together.  Firstly no pool table.  Instead what they did have was a charming landlord called Steve and a pub full of proper locals who were all extremely friendly.  Now the geordie accent is relatively strong and hard to pick up so I couldn't tell you exactly what they were saying but I can tell you that they were all smiling and had top quality banter.

  Then things got interesting.  Tom Goldwater aka Goldy is renowned amongst us as being fairly handy with a set of darts.  Steve the landlord was apparently a very decent player in the county leagues up north and had given Phil the Power Taylor a run for his money before.   Big chat was exchanged and then a game of darts between the two was announced.  With that we moved next door to the second half of the pub where a small darts arena was there waiting for us.

  Goldy took on Steve, who was throwing his darts backwards and still scoring 100's (obscene darting talent on show).  The game was evenly matched until Goldy hit the holy grail for amateur darts players.  He got a 180!!! Cue pandemonium amongst our party.  Even Steve and the whole pub couldn't contain themselves and celebrated too!  Everyone went, excuse my french, f**king mental! It was unbelievable.  For those of you who don't play darts or understand...to score a 180 if you are not a professional darts player is bloody hard neh impossible...its the equivalent of the crossbar challenge on a full football (Soccer for the American readers) pitch.  It was insane.

Goldy and Steve in front of the famous 180

  Calm down Jack.  Well to round off, the pub had a fantastic atmosphere, the landlord was a legend, the clientele were very friendly and true to Amble - the pricing was very cheap too.  That on top of the 180 moment meant we all had a fantastic time in the pub and we all left the pub very merry, in every sense of the word. 

Summary of The Old Storehouse

Name: The Old Storehouse

Type: Restaurant and pub

Location: Links Road, Amble, Northumberland, NE65 0SD

Website: http://www.theoldstorehouseamble.co.uk

Date Visited: 01/07/14

Price: Ok

Rating: 2.85/5

Review

  It was our final night of the golf trip so we all went out for a bite to eat at a restaurant in Amble.  The first place which was recommend to us was fully booked so we went to The Old Storehouse which was recommended to us by Colin, who had leased us the villa (holiday home) for the week.

   Now the Old Storehouse came with a quite a bit of hype to it.  Apparently the place didn't use to be great until it recently had a £2 million refurbishment.  This £2 million refurbishment was the talk of the town so as our party took the small stroll from our villa to the restaurant we were expecting good things.  In my opinion those good things never arrived.

  The restaurant/pub from the outside looked like an upmarket cricket pavilion and in the inside it had the feeling of a village community hall.  What probably didn't help that vibe was that it was Betty's 80th birthday party next to us which meant there were 50 OAPs next to us which certainly didn't generate a lively atmosphere.

  On to the food itself, well the one thing you couldn't complain of was portion sizes.  They were absolutely massive.  Around half of us braved the starters which were called light bites (a very incorrect description) on the menu.  I went for the beer battered fish goujons on ciabatta and it was bigger than most mains I usually had.  It was ok food but after I finished it I was pretty full.  Sure enough out came the mains and I didnt have much, if any,  left in the tank.

The Old Storehouse post '£2 million' refurbishment

  The main was ok but nothing special.  The place, in my eyes, didn't live up to the hype.  The atmosphere in the place was fairly flat, the lighting was poor (it was aggressively light) and the food was just ok.  I know you shouldn't complain about the portions being big but I'm going to.  Due to the large size of the starters, I mean you eat what you're given right?,  it ensured that the main meal was a battle rather than an enjoying experience.  A battle I didn't win.

  Wouldn't come back here and wouldn't recommend. 

Summary of Bamburgh Castle Golf Club

Name: Bamburgh Castle Golf Club

Type: Golf Course

Location: The Wynding, Bamburgh, Northumberland, NE69 7DE

Website: http://www.bamburghcastlegolfclub.co.uk

Date Visited: 02/07/14

Price: Fairly normal

Rating: 4/5

Review

 It was the final round of the golf trip on the final day and Bamburgh Castle couldn't of been a more fitting course to end it on.   Another links course and this was literally right on the coastline with some stunning views.  The course itself wasn't the most challenging but it was still a decent course.  The final 3 holes, some would argue, the course designer may have run out of room and decided to stick in three par 4's which were under 300 yards just to make the full 18.  

   Despite my criticism of the final three holes it did however make our competition very interesting because of it.  Jamie Collins went into the final day with a 6 point lead over Freddie Dixon.  The competion was as good as over or was it?  With three holes remaining Freddie then scored a birdie followed by an eagle to shorten the deficit to a mere 2 points.  At one stage Jamie had lost his ball on the 17th and all looked lost (no pun intended) for him and his title hopes.  In the end he found his ball and on the final hole played very solid and well, which he had done throughout the tournament to be fair, which cemented his maiden GNI title.   Hats off to the lad.

The boys that finished in the top three in action.  Jamie Collins (The winner) far right.

  Back to the course and I must say it was a very nice course indeed.  It came with many recommendations from people who had played up North before and I can see why.  The weather was fantastic, which it had been throughout the week leading to the farmers tan I am still currently occupying, which definitely made the course easier.

  We stayed in the clubhouse after for the presentation and a bite to eat.  The food was well priced and very nice.  I chose the 'freshly caught' crab sandwich which was delightful and then gave the tour closing speech before begrudgingly presenting and handing over the trophy to Mr Collins.  Well done Jamie. 

  Lovely course and a lovely tour....if I may say so myself.

Me presenting the trophy to the current champion Jamie Collins.  Terrible hair day for me though!

Special Shoutout

Winner: Tom Goldwater

I feel a bit sorry for Jamie Collins as in any other week he would be photo'd above in this prestigious honour.  Unfortunately for him it has to go to Goldy.  That majestic 180 in front of a pressured crowd while 7 pints deep, was the highest level of sporting talent I have ever seen live.  Call me on it for overreacting or exaggerating but for those who were there... you know.  Archive that photo.

Poem Advice

You may drive through Hartlepool
With your car doors locked
But Seaton Carew was superb
Where Mr Collins rocked

The Blue Bell in Amble
Full of local banter and fun
Goldy got a 180
Sporting achievement done

The Old Storehouse restaurant,
£2 million refurb they've just had
The portions sizes were huge,
Even for a big growing lad.

Bamburgh Castle Golf club
A stunning setting on the coast
Maybe a little too easy
I still struggled so can't boast


  Thanks again as always for reading.  Apologies about the deterioration in the quality of the poems.  Also I know this week may not have been as enthralling as others due to it featuring only Northumberland places.  However, don't worry....its all London places next week baby.


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Week Twenty Five: A night out in Covent Garden and Newcastle

Week Twenty Five

    
    This week sees a Newcastle University theme (my old uni).   It was a university reunion with my old housemates in Covent Garden on the Wednesday and the start of a trip away to Newcastle on a golf trip starting with a big Saturday night.

  Good way to finish of the first half of the year thats for sure.
    
Special guests include: Will Wright, Sedcole, Griggsy, Nick Millward, Lefty, Dixon, Goldy, Collo, Grimesy and my biggest fan (Chris Hazell).

Summary of Lamb and Flag

Name: Lamb and Flag

Type: Pub

Location: 33 Rose Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9EB

Website: http://lambandflagcoventgarden.co.uk

Date Visited: 25/06/14

Price: Ok

Rating: 3.6/5

Review

  So Nick Millward, one of old housemates from university, was down visiting from Leeds for one night only.  Just a quick shout out as Nick's engaged and is getting married next year....stag stag stag (hint hint hint).  Due to his visit it meant that our old house would all meet for a few beers and a good meal out, organised kindly by William Wright.

 

  Due to him travelling from Leeds it meant he was a little later to arrive than the rest of us so we met at the Lamb and Flag (interesting name) for a pint in Covent Garden.  This is a quirky little cool old fashioned pub all merged into one.  Too small to sit inside so the general idea of the place is for the customers to stand outside with your pints in the sun and just have a good old chin wag.  Really liked it as there was a lovely buzzy atmosphere about the place.  There is some history about the place that I've forgotten but I'm told its pretty interesting.  It's on a plaque above the sign for the pub so check it out.

Outside the Lamb and Flag.  Griggsy refused to take the tie of all night.  Class act.

 

  Only drama in this place was that someone left an empty pint glass on the floor which was knocked over by an unsuspecting member of the public which caused havoc with the broken glass.  Well not havoc but it did attract a few unapproving gazes in our direction and a member of staff having to operate the dustpan and brush technique unwillingly.

 This pub is the perfect 'starting point' for a night out or if you work in Covent Garden the perfect place to come for a few after work.  Marvellous.

Summary of Joe's Southern Kitchen and Bar

Name: Joe's Southern Kitchen and Bar

Type: American Restaurant and Bar

Location: 34 Kings Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JD

Website: http://joessouthernkitchen.co.uk

Date Visited: 25/06/14

Price: Great Value

Rating: 4/5

Review

  Nick had arrived so after a few at the Punch and Judy (good pub that) it was time to go for some food which again had been arranged by Will.  The restaurant of choice was Joe's southern kitchen bar and restaurant.

  Unfortunately for some poor waitress it was her first evening and we were being a bit difficult with our requests as there were certain deals on the menu which were unclear and had time constraints.  She informed us yet again it was her first shift but that didn't stop her from being incredibly helpful and being thoroughly nice throughout.  Her manager was keeping a watchful eye to ensure everything ran smoothly...which it did.

  We ordered copies amounts of chicken.  I went for Joe's chicken under a brick....it was good.  The beers were of good quality too and the meal came to around £23 a head.  This I thought was bloody good value considering the amount of food and beers (lads!) we had.  

  The waitress kindly posed for a photo with us at the end as she had definitely improved our experience and was good fun.  She has a bright future ahead at Joe's...that's for sure.  

The old university housemates plus the Polish Waitress who nailed her first shift.  

  After this we went to another bar around the corner.....I can't remember the name (apologies) but what I do know is that it had mexican music, served coronas and was opposite the back entrance of a theatre.  Here I noticed around 15 people gathering outside...I asked a member of the public why they were there.  Alexandra Burke was the reason.  I shamelessly decided to wait with them despite not seeing the show and managed to get a photo....at her request of course.  She's a big fan of the blog.  I have been told her show The Bodyguard is very good too.

Alexandra Burke squeezing my shoulder

Summary of Bonbar

Name: Bonbar

Type: Nightclub

Location: The Assembly Rooms, Fenkle Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5XU

Website: http://www.bonbar.co.uk

Date Visited: 28/06/14

Price: Brilliant value

Rating: 4/5

Review

  Now every year a bunch of old boys from my school take part in an annual golf tournament.   The winner from the year before has to organise the trip.  Due to myself comfortably winning the tournament last year defying all odds, it was up to me to organise.

This is me winning it last year.  One for the archive.

  I went to the University of Newcastle so I decided it was time for a trip back up to Northemberland.  We rented a villa (holiday home) in a town on the coast 30 miles north of Newcastle at a place called Amble-by-the-sea.  Lovely setting and at £80 a head for the week...the accommodation was good value.

  One of the traditions of the trip is a big night out on the Saturday.  Newastle was of course the destination and when we were dropped off by the taxi man at The Gate in the city centre I cannot describe the scene around us.  Think Brits abroad who missed their flight and came here instead.  Raucous and interesting individuals around.  Scenes of chaos and depravity surrounded us.

The lads in Bonbar VIP 

  After hitting numerous bars (god you guys are heavy drinkers eh!?) and taking advantage of the £2 Jagerbombs (OBSCENE!!!) it was time to go to the club! We had guest list and VIP sorted at a newish club called Bonbar and we trotted off there.

  This place was very lush and the VIP was player! We sat down at our table, ordered a couple bottles of vodka and had a truly cracking night.  The place was good, music decent and the clientele were normal (very different to the people we encountered at the Gate!).  The service in VIP (mentioned VIP again) was fairly poor and slow.... thats why it didn't score higher!

  If you're in Newcastle for a night out and are looking for a decent destination venue then this it.  Overall we spent around £40-£50 a head (thats including all the bars before, taxis and club) and were suffering the next day, thats for sure.  Yes it was missing the usual students I was used to when at Uni but Newcastle is still one of the best nights out you can have in the UK.  I've said it and I mean it.

  We went to other bars before (Bijoux, Sinners, etc...) but I have been there many times so cannot review I am afraid.  The first two rounds of golf in the compeition were also played.  The two courses were called Slaley Hall and Newton Biggin.  Both decent but won't bore you all with a detailed review.  Newton Biggin, played earlier on the Saturday, is quite relaxed as one fellah was walking of the 18th in jeans when we arrived.  Slaley Hall, which we played the following day, was a nice parkland course in impeccable condition and was quite tricky.  Both cost £20-£25 each for around, which is very decent considering how good the courses were and how much 18 holes usually cost.

The seven competitors on golf tour

If you have never been to Newcastle for a night out.....GO!

Special Shoutout

Winner: Will Wright

The man deserves a special shoutout for this photo alone (it's Barry from Eastenders if you hadn't realised).  However he organised the night from start to finish on Wednesday in Covent Garden and it was needed.  Myself, Griggsy, Sedcole and Nick Jay are not the most organised bunch and thanks to Will we had a quality meal.  Top work son....he's one of the good guys on the circuit.

Poem Advice

Couple of beers in an alley
Sounds like the Lamb and Flag
Cracking little atmosphere
but nowhere to put your bag

Covent Garden after work,
Fancy some grilled chicken
Then go to Joe's Kitchen
The foods finger lickin

Having a night in the toon
Wondering where to go?
Bonbar's the place for you
But the service is slightly slow



  Thanks for reading again chaps and again apologies about how long its been.  Your support is much appreciated.  Next week sees the second half of the Newcastle trip and a trip to Angel.

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Week Twenty Four: Chicken Shop and The Castle

Week Twenty Four

    
  First things first.  I would like to apologise about the recent hiatus...it has been a busy life for the Partyman the last few weeks.  So prepare yourselves for three publications in one week....you lucky buggers!

  This week almost saw a return for the Financier but I accidentally stood him up on the Wednesday night.  That meant I missed the meal and left the Financier with my brother having a meal for two.  Moving on, two places to report this week and it was back to my roots with them both being in Tooting. Up and coming they say.
    
Special guests include: Jamie Collins, Will Wright, Tom Griggs and my biggest fan (Chris Hazell)

Summary of Chicken Shop

Name: Chicken Shop

Type: Restaurant

Location: Ground Floor, 141 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0SY

Website: http://www.chickenshop.com

Date Visited: 18/06/14

Price: Good

Rating: 4.1/5

Review

 With myself being uncharacteristically unorganised, it resulted in forgetting the meal with the Financier.  However I was still keen to conquer a new place that night.  After a pint at the Selkirk (cracking beer garden) with Jamie Collins and Will Wright we decided to go for some grub nearby.  Jamie had tried the Chicken Shop two days previous and gave it a strong recommendation.  I was sold, so we ventured there for some food.

  The Chicken Shop doesn't mess about....it keeps it simple.  Only 7 options on the menu.  Full Chicken, 1/2 a chicken, 1/4 chicken and 4 different sides.  You can sit down around the corner in the traditional restaurant format or you can sit around the 'chicken bar' as I like to call it, while you watch your food getting cooked.  No choice of flavours and its not spicy....spot on. 

Artistic photo I took of the chefs at work...not bad.

  The sides I went for were crinkle cut fries, butter lettuce and Avocado salad and corn on the cob.  That accompanied my half chicken and it was mouth wateringly (is that a word?) good.  Couple of beers (guilty) to go with it and you could safely call it a quality meal.

Collo, Wrighty and myself.  Strong trio

  Bill came to £21 a head, not bad I thought, and we were in and out after roughly a quick 1 hour visit.  No messing about.  This place lived up to the recommendations.  Hey, you're not going to woo anyone here but you are going to get a good feed in good time and for a good price.  That, you can't argue with.

Give it a spin if you find yourself knocking about in Tooting.

Summary of The Castle

Name: The Castle

Type: Gastro Pub

Location: 38 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0RG

Website: http://www.castletooting.com

Date Visited: 21/06/14

Price: Standard London pub prices

Rating: 4.2/5

Review

 Well if you're knocking about in Tooting and the sun is still out shining, then definitely head over to The Castle.  Now this place used to be a bit of dive with it littered with questionable clientele.  However, with a complete spenny refurbishment, along with the PR rhetoric of 'now under new management', this place is like a glorious hidden Oasis in Tooting.

  How did you like that last sentence eh?  The reason I say it is a hidden Oasis is because it has the best beer garden in London I've been to so far.  There, I said it, how do you like them apples?  The beer garden is exceptional, plenty of wooden tables knocking about and astro turf as the surface.  You can't argue with that. (I've said that twice now)

  The reason for the visit was my biggest fan (Chris Hazell), Griggsy, Will Wright and myself had been playing golf at the Central London Golf Centre around the corner before and fancied a few drinks in the sun after.  The Central London Golf Centre is a dangerous place with 9 holes fitted into an area which should only accommodate 4.  That along with golfers wearing snapbacks, beltless shorts and high tops resulted in some wayward shorts and near misses.

Griggsy, I, my biggest fan and Wrighty in the best beer garden in London....

  Golf aside, the near death experience was forgotten almost instantly upon entering the Castle.  You simply can't go wrong with a good beer garden and Bulmers/Magners in a pint glass of ice in the sunshine.  We stayed here for a number of hours and can safely say if the sun had stayed out I would of stayed longer (oh Jack, you're such a bloody animal aren't you?!?).

  The Castle, if the sun is out, is the best pub in Tooting.  Note that down.  Also meant to get very lively on a Saturday night past 11pm.

Special Shoutout

Winner: Luke 'Chopper' Harris

Has a man ever deserved a special shoutout more?  The answer is no (The Financier may argue with that).  Despite Chris Hazell being ironically called my biggest fan....Chopper is in fact the biggest fan of them all.  He has religiously read every single post to date and is rumoured to quote from it on a regular basis.  This week was his birthday so a shoutout to this loyal follower is deserved.  Get in lad....Uwansum?

Poem Advice

Need good food quick
at an affordable price?
Go to Chicken Shop then,
I bet you go twice

The Sun is beaming
Needing a beer garden with style?
The Castle's got that
The best by a country mile



  Again sorry readers about the delay.  Another post will be coming soon enough again as I'm on a catchup mission.   Who needs the World Cup when you've got this to keep you entertained all week. Thanks as always!

See you next week fans

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Week Twenty Three: The Duke of Edinburgh

Week Twenty Three

  
    Hello again readers and thanks once again for reading another edition of this ever growing blog.  This week tells the tale of a trip to the Duke of Edinburgh in Brixton where we went after the cricket at the Oval.  Good place this pub I must say.


Special guests include: Al Russel, Gabriel Langford, Lex, Chopper Harris, Georgie Gibbs, Ben Mcandrews, Laura and Siese

Summary of Bloomsbury Lanes

Name: Duke of Edinburgh

Type: Pub

Location: 204 Ferndale, Brixton, London, SW9 8AG

Website: http://dukeofedinburghpub.com

Date Visited: 14/06/14

Price: Standard

Rating: 3.75/5

Review

  After quite a long week it was time to unwind watching the Twenty 20 at the Oval before heading out on the town.  The cricket had kindly been organised by Ed Cracknell and there was a good group of 20.  More importantly the sun was out which we were getting none of as we were sitting in the shade but importantly the queue to the bar was short so there were few complaints.

 Surrey won the game comfortably by 10 wickets so it was all over rather quickly which meant the night was still young.  Many members of the group left early but a strong crack unit decided there was still more fun to be had (bunch of crazy cats!). 

The gang who made it to the Duke of Edinburgh

  Al Russel convinced the group to head back to his house in Brixton for a bit of pre lash (UNI UNI!) where we danced around listening to Vindaloo and Three Lions in anticipation of the England game.  How wrong we were.  We ran out of England songs quickly so we headed to the nearest pub to continue on with the night.  Duke of Edinburgh was that lucky pub and it is delightfully tucked away from the Brixton high street so it has none of the loud traffic noise and stumbling drunks you come to expect on any high street past 11pm.

  This place is described by itself as 'a pub with a large beer garden, real ale and pool table.'  Sounds spot on and I must say it was, especially as they had the World Cup played on the big screens with the commentary (key!).  We had a few more rounds and the atmosphere in the place was brilliant.  The pool table was used by our group but I can't remember much of it so I imagine the standard was fairly horrific.

  Half the group left but Gabes, Al and myself remained for one more round (or so we thought....stop it you lads).   As we sat at our table the Chile game v Australia came to life and suddenly a contingent of 30 Chileans who had used this pub as the meeting point for all Chileans in London for the World Cup arrived.  Chile started to win the game and suddenly the pub became monstrously loud with the Chileans going mental.  We attempted to join their group and after initial scepticism they welcomed us as their own.  CHI CHI CHI CHI LE CHI CHI CHI CHI LE

 We beat the Australians 3-1 and what a night it was to be a Chilean.  After the game we finished our drinks and left off home.

  Come here next Wednesday to watch Chile take on Brazil.  COME ON CHILE!  

Special Shoutout

Winner: Ed Cracknell

Plumbing maybe his profession but he has been out of action recently after breaking his collarbone.  Armed with a sling but still keeping his positivity and questionable chat.  The lad has been through the wars recently and still organised a cracking show for the cricket.  Keep up with the plumbing son and thanks for organising.

Poem Advice

Wanting to watch the World Cup
Near Brixton while playing pool
Then the Duke of Edinburgh's for you
Even the Chileans find it cool


  Again once again thanks for reading.  For the eagle eyed readers out there you will have realised I am slightly behind on the publishings but I am aiming to get things back on track.  Good news is that I am not far away from hitting 5000 hits for the year....needing a celebration venue so suggestions and offers are welcome.  Don't forget to subscribe and more importantly share with your friends.

See you next week fans

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Week Twenty Two: Bloomsbury Lanes and The Marquis of Granby

Week Twenty Two

  
  This week had something a bit different to the normal.  No burgers, a couple of Aussies, Ten pin bowling and no Becks Vier.  Will Matthew's very close friend from Australia, Leon, was back over to the UK to visit again so it meant a night out in London was called for.  Leon came with a few other Aussie friends Will knew from his time out in Aus called Hume and Jos.  Anyway it turned out to be a cracking night.


Special guests include: Will Matthews, Leon Simon, Daisy Munro, Tom Hume, Jos Tarr, Jos Lester and Tom Wright.

Summary of Bloomsbury Lanes

Name: Bloomsbury Lanes

Type: Ten pin bowling

Location: Lower Level, Tavistock hotel, Bedford Way, London, WC1H 9EU

Website: http://bloomsburybowling.com

Date Visited: 04/06/14

Price: Phenomenal value

Rating: 4.35/5

Answer to the Question: Forgot to ask the question sorry 

Review

  This place, without trying to sound like a 13 year old, is well cool.   The venue is situated underground(ish) and in my humble opinion is a hell of a lot better than All Star Lanes.  I think it might also be cheaper.

  We were here because Will's Australian's friends friends friend were getting married....it was all a bit confusing but they were a good bunch and had booked out two lanes for the gang....tidy.  Now why I like this joint is because it doesn't mess about, it's just like Ronseal (it does exactly what it says on the tin).  Sorry about that, I was paid for that plug so if you need to protect your garden furniture then look no further than Ronseal.

  Right back to the bowling....this place has got it spot on.  It's all very chilled and more importantly there is a pizza diner rather than the overpriced restaurant you get in Allstar lanes or the rubbish little Wimpy you get at Megabowl.  The bar was right next to the lanes as well which made everything very convenient.

  I of course opened the bowling with a strike (and what?!) but my game unfortunately deteriorated dramatically from there.  One man (his name escapes me....apologies to this hero) got 6 strikes in a row to open...cue hysteria.  

  One of the real strengths of this place is the ease of it all.  It has karaoke rooms for post bowling if you fancy it, I'm told good live music is regularly on and you have the smoking area, bar and toilets all surrounding the bowling lanes so everything is only a short walk away.  Perfect.  Not too sure if I explained that too well.

Good photo

Got to rate this place up high and a big thanks to the Aussies for organising it and congratulations are you'll now be husband and wife.  Cute.  

Would 100% come back here but be warned folks, if your planning a big night here....book well in advance as slots go quick.  To sum this place up its like All Star Lanes without all the gimmicks....its the alternative edgier brother. Very East.  

Summary of Marquis of Granby

Name: Marquis of Granby

Type: Pub

Location: 2 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NR

Website: http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/themarquisofgranbyrathbonestreetlondon/

Date Visited: 04/06/14

Price: Ask Leon

Rating: 3/5

Answer to the Question: Annoyingly I can't remember the answer

Review

 We finished bowling and were about to catch the tube home when we received a call from Lefty and Jos who fancied a few more drinks.  They were only just round the corner so I told them to pick a pub (new of course) and we would all walk over.  Now this is slightly controversial as I had forgotten the name of this place and unfortunately so had all the other people in attendance apart from Jos who is fairly convinced that this is the right place.

  I am still not 100% sure it is and don't really want to criticise a place in case of mistaken identity.  Well whatever this place is called, we caught it at it's worst as it was edging towards 11pm on a Wednesday.  Not great for trade at this pub and I think the bar staff were just wiping down the tables and preparing to shut up shop when we arrived. To be fair to all of them, bar one (no pun intended) who got grumpy with me for asking her to retake the photo again, they were all very pleasant.

The Marquis of Granby?!? Maybe...

  I decided to opt for the Guinness which I quickly regretted and even more so the following day.  It wasn't the time for the Guinness and so I went for the Rum and Coke for the second drink.   I regretted that as well.   No complaints  about this place....there just wasn't anybody here.   It wasn't overly special as I couldn't remember the name but still ok.

Might have to go back again to ensure it is the right place.

If anyone can confirm from the photo whether it is the Marquis of Granby...it would be greatly appreciated.

Couldn't tell you the price as Leon sneaked off to the bar and paid for everyones drinks without telling us. As he would say in his Aussie accent: 'Absolutely Outstanding!'

Special Shoutout

Winner: Leon Simon

Will Matthew's best friend from Australia.  One of the funniest guys I've met and deserves a special shoutout after visiting the UK if only for a few days.  He's the sort of chap you 100% would want to go for a beer with as he's got the stories to back up the perm.   Buying the round of drinks at the final place really cemented his slot this week for the special shoutout.  Congratulations.

Poem Advice

Consider yourself a bowler
Susceptible to a strike
Wanting a cool fun place
Then Bloomsbury Lanes you'll like

Want a standard average pub,
Not trying to be clever or quirky,
Then go to the Marquis of Granby,
Where the mood is far from perky



Another week ticked off and it's getting tougher.   I will keep on going as I feel I owe it to the fans.  As always many thanks, don't forget to subscribe and any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

See you next week fans

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Follow me on Twitter @jackgravestock

Week Twenty One: The Clarence

Week Twenty One

   After a heavy couple of weeks it was time for a quieter week.  This meant only the one new place and it was on Sunday morning with my mother and Peter for breakfast.  The pub of choice was called The Clarence in Balham.

Special guests include: Mum and Peter

Summary of The Clarence

Name: The Clarence

Type: Pub

Location: 90-92 Balham High Road, London, SW12 9AG

Website: http://www.metropolitanpubcompany.com/our-pubs/the-clarence/

Date Visited: 01/06/14

Price: Standard

Rating: 4/5

Answer to the Question: Can't think of anyone

Review

  After going out on Saturday night I was feeling rather fragile but my mother was in London for the weekend so she came and picked me up to take me out for breakfast.  I chose the venue as it had been given a high recommendation for one of the places to go in Balham for a good full english breakfast.  It's probably is equidistant from Clapham South and Balham tube but who cares.

  Mum and Peter, who are currently homeless after selling the family home, treated me and when we arrived we were the only customers there. It was 11am on a Sunday in it's defence and due to us being the only ones there, it meant we got impeccable service with us being able to order from our table (rare for a pub).  I went for the full english breakfast which had one key ingredient missing....sausages.

  Now this usually would result in a place receiving a damning review as the sausage is one of the most important items in a Full English.  However, The Clarence replaced the sausage with pork patty which is effectively a square sausage.  I was still sceptical until the food arrived but I must say when it did the scepticism quite disappeared...the pork patty was beautiful!  They nailed the whole breakfast to be fair.  The bacon was crispy (very important!), the scrambled eggs were done perfectly and the the bread/toast quality was high.

  Who knows maybe I was enjoying the food a bit more than usual as I did have two Rekorderligs despite going out the night before (you did what Jack? Wow what a legend you are! Christ...nutter!).  This did cause great suffering later on in the day.

  Mum took care of the bill and informed me it was well priced for blog purposes and then we left.  Upon exit we noticed that there was an outdoor area soaking up all the sunshine and packed to the rafters with customers.  A mistake on our part but it did mean the Clarence's service throughout was even more impressive.

Here is the Clarence with the outside area.  Don't know how we missed it.

Come here for a sunday full english breakfast folks.

Special Shoutout

Winner: Mum
Rating: 4.5/5

Have to get all soppy and emotional on you with another shoutout to a family member.  She treated me to breakfast which I was in desperate need of.  She also deserves a mention for allowing all the raucous parties at Loxley Road over the years which if you were ever attended will know a shoutout is deserved.  Knocked off 0.5 because she did sell Loxley Road.

Poem Advice

If you live in the Clapham/Balham area
Needing breakfast and feeling quite ill
Theres fantastic full english at the Clarence
And not too expensive when you get the bill

  Not as many places as normal I am afraid readers but I am still going strong at week 21 and still feel confident of completing the year.  Timeout London interest in me seems to have thawed but I would like to especially thank one reader who is from the country of Sudan (who is that person?!?).  That did take me by surprise.

See you next week fans

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Follow me on Twitter @jackgravestock