Pubs of 2014

Right, here we go...... The purpose of this blog is to log all the pubs that I have visited and consumed an alcoholic beverage in during 2014. The rules are quite simple, the establishment needs to be a public house, it sounds straightforward but it may get complicated for example things that wouldn't count are a visit to the bar at the cricket, a pre gig drink in a concert venue, a drink at the Birmingham German market etc. As judge and jury my decision is final, and if I'm in any doubt I won't count it.



My prediction as at the start of the year is that the final number will be somewhere around the 200 mark though I won't go to pubs just to get the numbers up, it will be a true reflection of my pub visting year.



My posts will include information about the pub, the ambience of the surroundings, the choice and quality of the beer, any interesting or amusing anecdotes about my visit and, where possible, photographic evidence.



I will try and keep the information as accurate as possible noting that alcohol consumption means that at times this may prove difficult !!



The format of the posts is simple, the first visit to the pub will be the blog entry and that post will be updated for any subsequent visit.



Hope you enjoy it...



Cheers

UPDATE January 2015

Right, that's it, it's finally finished, some 259 pubs later !! It's been hard work but it's nice being able to look back and relive the drinking experiences of 2014.

I am pleased with the final result and whilst I've been reviewing it, I have actually laughed a few times at my own jokes !!

A word of warning, it does start off a bit slow (some of my posts from Bath are a bit dull) but stick with it. In hindsight the format of posting repeat visits to a pub on the original post at times doesn't work very well when reading the blog in its' entirety but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I hope that you enjoy it.

I have stated this in the blog but I will say it again, thanks to anyone that I have had a beer with in 2014 and special thanks to Shelley for her patience !!







Sunday, 19 October 2014

The Old Bank of England

As you may know I don't do Twitter, Facebook or any of that nonsense so my Old Bank of England blog update is as near to a live internet posting as it comes as I am writing this on the train on the way home from London. So you can LOL if you wish or give it a LIKE rating if clicking on an icon of a thumb does it for you.

I had a work appointment in London so (as I had done in Sheffield the previous week) decided to combine work with pleasure and arranged to meet a mate once work commitments were satisfied. Unlike a few days before my meet up was not with a fellow 'nose, it was infact with someone who has an unfortunate claret and blue affliction, my mate of twenty five years (virtually to the day) Jonathan.

Jonathan didn't finish work until just before six so I had time to kill before I met him as I had finished early. My preparation wasn't great, I won't go into the gory details but daily ablutions came at a very inappropriate moment, namely just by St Paul's Cathedral, so, in the shadow of the venue for the nuptials of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer I had to do what I had to do in one of those tardis style street toilets !!

For the pricely sum of twenty pence I was using a very public convenienve which contained a notice informing me that I was on a strict fifteen minute time curfew, so, after fifteen minutes and one second the door would automatically open and the capital city would be subjected to the sight of me with my trousers round my ankles if I wasn't quick enough !! Thankfully in true SAS style I got the job done, left with minimum fuss and made my way to the pub.

I have just realised that I've written four paragraphs and I've not even mentioned anything about the pub yet, it's a good job I don't do social media or I would be in danger of reducing the speed of the world wide web !!

The Old Bank of England is an absolutely magnificent building brimming with history, it's a must visit pub in London. I was first made aware of the place during episode three of the last series of The Apprentice when the task for the budding entrepreneurs was announced in this fabulous venue...



Lord Sugar, flanked by helpers Karren Brady and Nick Hewer, told the young upstarts that they were required to brew their own beer whilst he was looking down at them from a position of authority on the pub's balcony..



Thankfully I did not need to convince the barmaid that I was totally committed, a good team player and highly motivated before ordering my pint of George Gale Sea Farers Ale.

I sat myself down and in business attire took a selfie, okay open neck shirts are acceptable these days but I'm old school. Note that old school is spelt correctly not skool, that's how traditional I am !!



As much as I enjoyed my visit to The Old Bank of England I couldn't help being distracted by what I can only describe as heavy petting by a middle aged couple sat by me. I turned a blind eye to the snogging, and the bum grabbing was somewhat embarrassing, but when he slipped his hand under her blouse at the back poised possibly for a clasp unfastening it was time to leave. In the words of Lord Sugar 'You're Fired' !!

How many LIKES have I got for this post?!!

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