The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak

A rose amongst thorns! I�ve lived in the area for 40 years but I�ve never ventured... until now. You walk in...and if there were a piano player in the corner he�d stop playing! Tumble weed would blow across your path! It wouldn�t surprise me if one of the locals cried �Tool�s out Gumbo� This place is pure class...It�s like going back to 1979. Sticky carpets and not a leather sofa, financial times or Thai meal in site! You can smell the men�s toilet before you open the door! Boxing posters and a couple of TV�s showing the footie and the dogs. Although smoking in pubs has been banned for a few years, you can still smell it in this place...and it feels right. If you want a quick fix of how it used to be and long for I time when women danced round their hand bags and real men drunk pints then visit the Southampton. The Kronenburg was probably the best I�ve tasted I any pub In Camden.
Long live the Southampton...

13 Oct 2009 02:28

The Assembly House, Kentish Town

The bar staff seem more interested in reading the paper, talking amongst themselves and texting on their phones, than serving and talking to customers!

13 Oct 2009 01:59

The Duke of St Albans, Dartmouth Park

Just posted this comment on an another site ..thought I'd repost and update it.

louisedun1 ...I'm sorry.. I heard good things about you... however the it was to little to late...

AnnaBanya ...is that the Anna I know and love?

lad_newton ... A continental restaurant has opened up on the site. As such, it is open only to diners. 'That Says It All' A great site for a pub... and its now a restaurant! It's Monday night in October and its shut...nuff said...

I was a regular in the Duke from 1988 till 2004. From 1988 till circa 1994 it was a fantastic pub. It had a great community spirit and everyone was made to feel welcome. It was an �old school� boozer with a pool table, dart board and jukebox. The rot set in when Grand Met Leisure(Chef & Brewer), who owned the Duke, sold all of their pubs to Scottish and Newcastle. Prior to the Scottish and Newcastle buy out, the Dukes managers were on �Barrelage� the more beer they sold the more money they earned. The food (although it wasn�t to Gordon Ramsey standard...far from it) was also an added bonus to the manager. From 1993 to 2004 the Duke had 15 managers and a various drug related problems..., this is never a good omen for a public house and it spelt the death nell to a once up and coming north London pub. Add to this the changing face of London...and its gentrification and the writing was on the wall for the Duke!
It�s a classic example of what happens when a large brewery takes over a pub and listens to accountants and not its patrons.
A big shout goes out to;
Jane Simonds and her family, Ex Duke manager.
Tony (stop emptying the ashtray on the floor!)
Tom and Mary, Ex Duke managers.
Doom and Gloom, Ex Duke managers.
Norman, we loved you man.
Simon the green grocer. One of the nicest human beings I ever met.
Sue the dog...still walking.
Old John...
Big John...
Big John�s dad...
Craig...
Curtis and Gemma... were you just a dream!
Danny boy...
Sandra...beautiful mentor!

And all the rest of the wonderful personalities I met over the years!

PS

In the 80's The Bud was ice cold and imported. In the 90's the Molsen was cheap and chilled. A good pint of IPA,London Pride etc does not make a good pub ..... a great comunity makes a good pub!

Rack em up, I'm on reds

13 Oct 2009 01:37