There's been quite a lot of posting recently on various Blogs, Tandleman's and Curmudgeon's in particular, about drinking in the capital's pubs. Thirty years or so ago, I might have felt qualified to comment on the London pub scene as I lived and worked there for a few years. Nowadays, although it is only a 40 minute train journey from where I live, unless there is a specific reason I don't tend to visit London as much as I once did. It's not that I don't like the place, or its pubs, it's just that whilst London is easy to get to, the £11.20 return train fare does mean that a trip needs a bit of forward planning, and possibly combined with an activity such as shopping, visit to a museum or art gallery, to make the cost of the rail fare worth while.
This coming Thursday I am planning to attend a trade fare in London Docklands, through work, which will mean of course that the company will pay my rail fare for the day. In the evening though, I will be free to visit the odd hostelry or two and this time I intend to try a few new ones, rather than my usual habit of sticking to old favourites. I probably won't be relying on the Good Beer Guide in making my selections, (I haven't bought the new edition yet!), but instead will make my decision based on recent blog comments combined with my natural instinct for hunting down a good pub.
l will of course report on my findings, but in the meantime if anyone wants to recommend a few "must visit" pubs, then by all means please go ahead.
