The stage was set for
uncle Frank's 50th birthday celebrations. He'd hired a pub
called 'The Perseverance' on Lambs Conduit St, London. On the the
outside it looks like an everyday Victorian boozer but was set
beautifully amongst boutiques on a fancy little street that even has
what I would class as a silly shop, the 'Peoples Supermarket'.
I met up with Frank
early to see if he needed any help with anything, also just to be
there to try and relieve him of his stresses as he can get and was
very nervous about all the preparations involved in arranging his own
party. He was so anxious he couldn't eat and didn't want much beer so
he didn't peak too early. We had a few beers at his flat first as it
was only around the corner from the pub and he wanted to tell me all
about the trip to Amsterdam he'd just been on that I was supposed to
be on if it hadn't been for the bloody passport office making
mistakes and taking ages I would have got my passport in time and
been able to go. I applied for it in May and still haven't received
it, that's another story altogether and not about booze so I'll save
it for elsewhere even though I could moan about it for hours.
So he showed me the
photos of his trip and in particular this houseboat that I'd hired
for the few days that we would or he was there. It even had a little
mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. I was a little upset but happy
that he'd enjoyed his time and had the chance to chill out, Amsterdam
isn't going anywhere so I can always go another time. After he'd
showed me all the pictures and stories of his quiet holiday we left
for the pub.
It must have been about
5pm when we arrived, the place was quite full of drinkers and people
getting some early dinner on their way back from the shops or on
their way out, whatever, there were people eating and drinking which
is always a good sign. As he wasn't drinking he had a vodka lime and
soda or was it a G&T? I had a pint of beer which I thought was a
little cloudy but tasted fine, maybe it was me not knowing it or
perhaps it could have done with a little more time to settle. About
half way through my pint I got a call from my mum, my mum and dad had
come up for the evening and were staying in a nearby hotel. After we
said hello I pointed them in the direction of a fantastic little
Italian restaurant on the same street called 'Ciao Bella' I would
have to say, in my opinion they have the best pizzas I have had
outside of Italy. They also have many other scrumptious dishes and
the best appetizers of Parmesan cubes and mixed olives. They left to
get some food as they were hungry so Frank and I returned to our
drinks. I was a little surprised when my parents turned up, I'd kind
of forgotten that they were coming. Not too long after I received
another phone call from my mum saying that she's eaten as much as she
could and if I wanted to finish off her pizza, she'd only eaten half.
Of course I bloody would, I went over to pick it up from her. I ate
it a few metres along from the pub. As I ate I watched these guys in
the Oliver Sweeney shop putting up the most old fashioned anti
battering bars in the windows, it wasn't the old fashioned metal
grate or even the metal shutters, it looked like these huge wooden
beams that went across the window and were then secured in place by a
metal rod and padlocked to each beam. How wonderful I thought.
I scoffed the whole lot
in moment but that half pizza temporarily suppressed my hunger.
Back inside for another
pint, this time I noticed they had Meantime's London Pale Ale on tap,
I'd only tried it for the first time in bottle the night before, I
liked it so gave it a go. As you would imagine, it was a rich
chestnut brown colour, had the distinctive hoppy aroma of pale ales
and tasted just as it should. It tasted great, perfectly suiting my
newly developed palate, it is quite similar to the Camden Pale Ale
and equally as enjoyable. After a couple of pints a few of my friends
arrived which led to a few more pints which then led to several more
pints all consumed in relatively quick succession.
I bounced around saying
hello to people I recognised or know on a more personal level,
conversing and drinking more of these beers in the process. Some food
appeared on a back table. It was all veggie as Frank is a vegetarian
and to play it safe opted for a completely vegetarian buffet or
various quiches and other things that I was too drunk to remember
apart from the fact that I enjoyed them and by the time I left they
had all gone. I'd never realised the night before that in less than
24hours I would be drinking and getting completely pissed on Meantime
Pale Ale.
The Perseverance is a
great little pub with good food and a brilliant selection of beer
made better by the fact that they don't serve Guinness. The bar maid
was very friendly and knowledgeable. The landlady was present and you
could quite easily talk to her for hours about beer, as a matter of
fact she was in the process of writing her dissertation or thesis
about beer, to be more specific I think I remember her saying it was
about the 'branding of microbreweries'. How very interesting I
thought to myself. I might even consider reading it if I ever get the
chance, it is a subject that I too am very fascinated about. I hope
she managed to finish it in time to a high enough standard, good luck
to her.
It wasn't until I woke
up the following morning that I realised just how drunk I must have
been, thinking back on it I must have sunk at least 10 pints of the
stuff plus the few other beers I'd had that afternoon.
click on any Perseverance to link you to the pubs site
link to the Meantime Brewery site
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