Pub hopping in Britain
By Ashwini Luthra

My wife and I timed our visit to the UK to coincide with the second wedding anniversary of Tarini, our daughter, in July. This was to be my first visit to my daughter after her marriage. On learning that I was visiting, the question she asked was, "what I would like to do or see." I was visiting England after many years. She was concerned as both she and Mohan, her husband, work and leave home at an unearthly hour at 5.30 in the morning only to re surface after 8pm.
My reply was very clear. I wanted to revisit Bath and Brighton and on most evenings, the pubs. This is exactly what we did. Believe me, I have never enjoyed a vacation so much.
We landed at London on a sunny day. In the evening we went to Churchill Arms, a pub in the Kensington area which is said to be the haunt of the country's legendry Premier during World War II, Sir Winston Churchill. He would deliver his broadcasts to the nation at night from there.
I must mention that each pub has a unique ambience yet all of them have a common strain which makes them pull customers. All pubs have a committed clientele who visit them almost daily. Each pub has its own drink and food specialities. Each has its own wine and every Sunday, a special menu that includes roast lamb, beef, chicken and pork dishes besides the very popular fish. The vegetarians have a choice of lots of potatoes, pies and exotic vegetables.
Coming now to the experience of the first evening. We had to make a reservation which we got for 9pm as no seat was available before that. At the entrance there was a bar with walls full of pictures of American Presidents, British Royals and Winston Churchill. All pub bars are long in order to serve a large number of people. There are usually only one or two bartenders but they are very fast in serving. The bars offer different types of lager which we call beer. Behind this bar there was a long dining area which could accommodate 25-30 people. This pub specializes in Thai cuisine and was full with people of all age groups who were busy chatting away. In UK, I learnt, most people like to drop in at the pub before going home. It's a routine. While sitting there we felt we were in a bunker…the ambience pulls you. I enjoyed the light lager and Thai platter.
Next day, on way back from Brighton, we decided to visit a village pub for tea to enjoy the country side. My son-in-law decided to go off the highway and we located a pub tucked away in the middle of the village. It was only 4pm but the 'locals' were enjoying lager and 'hard' drinks and lunch was being served. Everybody knew each other and large groups were enjoying the sun as well as the drinks. The pub had a large sitting area in the open and there was greenery everywhere. We ordered tea, butter scones, cheese and biscuits.
On Sunday, Radhika, a dear friend, invited us for a drink to The Old Ship, near her home in Richmond, on the banks of the river Thames. We all sat out in the beer garden and watched boating and river cruises. We felt we were on a picnic. One dish all Londoners like to order is potato chips. I tried a new brand of lager. It was light and enjoyable. The enjoyment was heightened by the festivity all around and the river in front… all right in the middle of a popular residential area. Young mothers with children in prams and toddlers running around were in the park close by, where deer roamed freely in groups since they have become accustomed to humans and traffic.
Over the next weekend we took a trip to Bath. After settling down in our hotel a visit to the city center was considered to be a good idea.
Soon, the ladies wanted to sit down and have a drink. We settled for the Raven a pub on the crescent overlooking the park and the high street, as it gave us a view of activities outside. Since it was summer, there was dancing on the road to the music being played by small groups. It was a small pub. Having enjoyed the drinks and the fun of watching others dancing, we decide to go to a bigger pub to eat. We spotted Ye Old Farmhouse, a pub where a jazz band was playing. It was a good size pub with lots of sitting space.
The music was very enjoyable and there were large helpings of food from a select menu handwritten on a board. After the music the waitress collected offerings from the customers for the musicians.
On our way back to London my wife had planned to meet her cousin Kumkum who lives in Stroud, a small countryside town in the Cotswold's. She and her husband had planned to take us to a very famous pub, The Golden Heart in Nettleton Bottom which most families within a radius of 40 kms visit on Sundays for their 'roast'. I however stuck to my lager and haddock. It was a long and leisurely lunch which we all enjoyed.
The anniversary celebrations were also at a favourite….. Jim Thompsons on London Road, Epsom, one of London's famous pubs with a restaurant that specializes in Chinese cuisine. It was huge and spacious and we all sat in the bar waiting for all the guests before going to our table in the spacious ante rooms. The cuisine was outstanding and the house wines commendable.
During the last week of our stay, we visited four more pubs, one at Union Street which was the favourite haunt of Charles Dickens, the author and was spacious with an 'olde worlde' charm . It is said to be amongst the oldest pubs in London. Another, New Inn at Richmond has mouthwatering 'spare ribs'.
The other two were in our neighbourhood in Earls Court. Atlas is well known for its grilled sausages. Harwood Arms where I went with Mohan, my son-in law, was near his barber shop. We had a chat with the bartenders ….one was from Australia and had a strong desire to visit India, specially Udaipur of which he had heard a lot.
I recommend a 'Pub Tour' to all those who visit London and its neighbourhood!