The Feathers

“Did you arrive by car or are you just a walk up” the barman asked us as we stomped into the Public House looking cold and all in mud covered boots.  “People who arrive by car usually make a reservation”, said the barman without any prompting from us.  Not understanding the logic we meekly requested a table anyway and were shown a pleasant setting in a sunny nook away from the fire side.  It was a sunny day, at last, after a week of snow and ice and we welcomed the pale warmth of the sun.  Unfortunately the open fire wasn’t lit; “we’ve run out of wood” explained the barman.  Further unfathomable logic as this PH is located on the edge of an expansive forest.

Suzy & I with my brother Kim (in London for the weekend) had trudged up the hill from Bourne End through frozen paddocks and pathways strewn with fallen leaves.  We had arrived a little early, midday being the appointed hour of opening.  Seeing the lights on but nobody home, we peered through the small framed windows and a face peered back with an accompanying gesticulating finger which we understood to mean; “kindly take a seat in the comfortable outdoor furniture we have graciously provided and we will open shortly”.  We did as suggested and at a few moments to 1200hrs, the car park suddenly filled and the persons who had “arrived by car”, and they all filed inside.  By the time we got organised and got in the door, the place was full to overflowing.

We ordered drinks and then food after I had read the papers and Suzy & Kim explored the rest of the pub.  The food came promptly and was excellent, if significantly overpriced, in our view.  Suzy & Kim had Ham Hock terrine with piccalilli and I had a tasty Parsnip soup with crusty bread.  The bar is a large oak construction with carved features and with a brass top.  Bitter beer served is Rebellion Smuggler, Rebellion IPA, London Pride and lagers are; Heineken, Becks, Peroni, Bulmers Cider and of course Guinness.  We noted that a bottle of Stoneleigh pinot was selling for £18.95 (NZ$39.70)!

The Feathers PH is located opposite the main gate of Cliveden, the stately home frequented by Christine Keeler & Mandy Rice-Davies in the days of yore, and who were among the main players in the “Profumo Affair”, a real life MI5 espionage scandal from the sixties; not that that has any relevance on the current quality of the ale or food; and is about as relevant as Enid Blyton living next door to the Spade Oak (and you always wondered where she got her inspiration from).

In retaliation for the barman’s supercilious attitude upon our arrival, Kim told him that he had blocked the loo (no malice intended, must have been the Qantas food).  The barman received this important piece of information with the disdain it deserved and we promptly left after paying.

The Feathers is a comfortable but pricey (for us) PH with an expansive outdoor area.  It also has a pleasant upstairs area provided you remained seated or are very short.  There are a few really nice nooks scattered throughout.  This PH would be perfect on a warm summers afternoon and we must go back there (if they’ll let us in) when we can afford it, or somebody we know turns up with an expense account.

The Ship Inn

Successive Spencers from various corners of the world have reminisced with each other and slaked their thirst in this Public House in Porthleven Cornwall, since the early 60’s.  The ceiling in the bar used to be covered in ancient fiscal paper.  I searched in vain for a $A1 dollars note I stuck on the ceiling in the early 80’s, but unfortunately much of the historic collection of paper money has recently been removed, no doubt to go to a worthwhile local cause.  

Getting to the Ship Inn is an adventure.  In a raging south westerly storm, it’s quite a scramble along the sea wall to get to the pubs alternative and sheltered entrance, the main entrance being firmly secured against wind & waves, for good reason.  Windows at the front of the building have been stoved-in by waves.  Getting back along the sea wall to the shelter of the village, in similar conditions after a few beers, is positively life threatening.  Sadly, some haven’t made it and have been lost.  In the 1989 storm surge, I saw waves breaking over the Institute clock tower.  Not for nothing is the inner harbour entrance protected by storm boards the size of barn doors, stored on the harbour wall and able to be craned in place as the weather & high tide threatens.

Nevertheless, it was a fine evening when six of us, a mix of friends & relatives turned up for dinner and an ale or three.  We went in the front door.  It was crowded as usual and we had trouble finding a table for all of us but after a bit of negotiation with some fellow imbibers, we accommodated ourselves in a comfortable corner spot near the open fire (which hadn’t been lit yet).  The pub is never deserted regardless of the weather conditions and once safely inside there is no better place for a beer and a feed.  The interior is quite small with a number of small spaces connected by the bar.  Service is always cheery and one is never in a hurry to leave.

I had a warming bowl of broth followed by a veg. lasagne.  Suzy had real lasagne, as did the others; there is a wide range of excellent food available and not all fish dishes.

We had recorded the type & variety of beer etc that was available but Suzy accidently deleted the info from her iPhone (wots wrong with pencil & paper).  Anyway, this PH is an institution to the Spencers and a Free House so what is available now probably wont be in the future unless it’s well worth drinking.  I will be returning here for the next thirty years as I have for the past thirty; by that time I probable wont be able to make a run for it along the sea wall in those SW busters.

(thanks Mark for the use of the wave picture)

The Garibaldi

The Garibaldi is in Hedsor which is a short walk from our house, either along the road out of Bourne End or across some muddy fields.  Apart from the pub, Hedsor has a community hall and a huge garden/food/gift centre called Flowerland; there are a few houses.

Since it's not on the main road and pubs close down all the time here, we thought we should give it our custom.  We had been here once before, but they had run out of Guinness and also had a power outage, so it wasn't a great visit and we thought we would give it a second chance, this time for lunch; and what better time than a wet and miserable Friday afternoon.

The building is about 200 years old.  It's pretty small inside but cosy with the typical low ceiling and some comfy sofas. Traditional pub food is served and of course Sunday roast. I had scampi and chips and Neil had chicken soup. It wasn't exactly haute cuisine but the price was right.

Not a huge choice of wines available but I had a passable Pinot Gris. Lagers are Fosters, San Miguel and 1664. Bitters are Abbotts, London Pride, Adnams and Doon Bar is to come. They also have Strongbow cider on tap.

Friendly proprieters who encouraged us to come to the quiz night (Thursdays) which we jmay just do one day. All in all a very pleasant place to spend a wet Friday afternoon.

The Old Success Inn

“It’s a bit gloomy”, I was told, referring to the only pub in town.  Suzy was stuck in Singapore so I ventured alone to Sennen Cove in Cornwall and what better way to while away a cold & windy Saturday night than with an ale or three and catch up with old friends in a warm pub.

Sennen Cove is within walking distance of Lands End with all the inherent windswept ruggedness of the landscape and the local inhabitants.  Legend has it that many years ago, Sennen Cove was a poor & isolated fishing village, surviving on pilchards & mackerel and some would say wrecking & scavenging; that quaint Cornish custom of lighting false signal fires on the headlands to deliberately drive sailing ships onto the nearby reefs & shoals , then rowing out and nicking anything of value.  The locals would then celebrate their “success” back at the pub.  (It is not recorded if the pub also welcomed the shipwreck survivors).  The other version of the legend refers to the success of catching a boat load of fish, but why let the truth get in the way of a good story.

The pub, the village and the people now seem strangely at odds with the new surfing culture sweeping Cornish beaches; (apparently started by some Australians) with Sennen Cove subjected to ski-lodge type buildings & a large sea side carpark; but I went into the pub anyway as it was almost next door to my lodgings.  Drinks were at London prices (they don’t get many shipwrecks these days); service was immediate as there were few people there even at 1900 on a Saturday night and the food appeared unremarkable with a lot of fish dishes.  Apparently it’s heaving with surfers and live music on a Saturday night in summer.

I didn’t eat at the pub as the offer of home cooked Shepherd’s Pie, back at the house, was too appealing, even for a closet vegetarian.  Larger Beers available are Carlsberg, San Miguel, Carlsberg Export with Bitter Beers: Tribute, Tinners; HSD, Guinness.  Blackthorn Cider & Cornish Rattler if you like apples in your drink.  Wine on tap from Australian, Sth African & Californian vineyards gave Chateau Cardboard a whole new meaning.

With all the history, I thought this Public House unremarkable, although a pleasant enough place when the Cornish weather is blowing dogs off chains.

The Spade Oak

We love the Spade Oak. Whether you take the 15 minute walk along the river or drive there it's sufficiently off the beaten track enough to get a little surprise when you stumble across it.

Inside it's large but cosy. An open fire and wood burning heaters with lots of comfy chairs and lounges make it most comfortable even in the nastiest weather. They have a lovely long bar which is quite a feature. 

 

The menu is currently being updated but there is still enough to choose from even for pseudo vegetarians like Neil. He ordered mushroom risotto but received two mushies on a plate with a piece of bacon and not a grain of rice in sight. This was quickly rectified though and when he received his risotto it must have been good by the looks of the very clean plate. He also got a free beer for his trouble so he was happy.

I had fishcakes. The menu is usually a little more upmarket than other pubs but they also have usual pub fare like burgers etc.

The wine list is mainly European with some Chilean and Australian. Neil enjoys the Doom Bar bitter beer which is from Cornwall. Other bitters include Hobgoblin (but only for Halloween), London Pride and Brakspears. Lagers are Fosters (seems to be omnipresent), Staropramen, 1664, Peroni, Grolsch and of course Guiness.  They also have Strongbow and Aspall cider. There is a fine selection of single malts.

Dogs & cats are welcome in the bar and the staff are very friendly.

The Christmas dinner menu looks YUMMY but is expensive almost 50 pounds a person.

The Anglesea Arms

This one isn't in our neighbourhood, but is a favourite. It's a Free House in the depths of South Kensington.
Whilst the Anglesea Arms may have the occasional antipodean barman, it is a bit of a trek from the traditional antipodean watering holes.  Originally selected by a homesick Neil in the late 80's because the name reminded him of a favourite beach in Victoria, it has had a long association with Neil and his London mates and many a plot has been hatched within its walls.  He is happy to report that since he first laid eyes on the the place, nothing has changed for better or for worse other than the fact that the pub now sells Fosters on tap.  Draw your our conclusion about that.

We usually try to arrive before 5:30 and get a table as it rapidly fills up with suits just finished work, so there's no room to swing a dog.  There are conveniently sized trestle tables inside and outside and the odd upholstered chair and church pew thrown in.  It's not child friendly and dogs would be lost underfoot or amongst the furniture. The patrons often spill out onto the sidewalk especially in summer and if it's not raining. The waist high perimeter wall provides a convenient place for resting beverages or bums.  It's a great place to meet up with friends and/or cousins and has a very cosy atmosphere.

There didn't seem to be any Aussie wines on the wine list; mainly European and the occasional NZ and Chilean.  Larger -Ciders - non-bitters are Foster, Simons, Strongbow, Amstel, 1664 and Guiness. The bitters are Dragonsfire, Horizons, Flashflood, Southwold Bitter and Shineon.  We have eaten here in the past and while the food is very good it's not the cheapest.  We recommend just drinking here and then going around to the Bosphorus Kebabs on Old Brompton Rd (cheap and very good).

The Marlow Donkey

This pub is about a 2 mile scenic walk from our house, walking along the river. It's a very short train ride home if you don't want to stumble into the river on the way back. If you time it right the train ride is free (but not officially - and we do not condone that sort of behaviour).

The pub offers a 2 for 10 quid meal deal which we always do although the other menu is fairly reasonable and has a large choice of standard pub fare. There are also daily chefs specials. I had Roast Beef Yorkshire pudding wrap (with chips and peas and gravy... mmm gravy) and Neil had spinach and ricotta canelloni which came with salad and garlic bread.

Lots of beers available. Lagers: Stella, Becks, Fosters, San Miguel and Peroni.  Bitters: Old Speckled Hen, Aspinall Cider, Abbot Ale, Belhaven Bitter and Guinness. The wine list is varied: choices from Oz, NZ, Chile, Spain and France.

A kid friendly area is available. It's also dog friendly. They have a real log fire and an outside beer garden. Occasional live music including a blues band and Robbie Williams and George Michael impersonators....!

It's a well kept up Victorian era building with a publike ambience. The service was a little slow but generally friendly.  They have an Autumn drinks menu which includes a number of rums but sadly for Neil, no Bundaberg.  There is a convenient rum compass on the drinks list to choose your tipple: spiced vs delicate  and light vs rich.  Mt Gay is close to the centre which according to Neil, defines its mediocrity. No comment on those who drink it.  Thursday night is curry night - curry and a drink for 8.55 pounds and is also quiz night.  There is no wifi so no cheating.

Overall we like the walk to this pub because it's pretty and you feel like you've earned a drink when you get there.  Plus it's so easy to find the train home because it's right next door to the Pub.  Has to be well timed though because the train, a two carriage railcar on a single track, only goes hourly; a bonus if you just miss it.

Some photos from the trail to the Marlow Donkey.