54.
Cheam on Boxing Day, Friday 26th December 2003
Seeing as Christmas 2003 TV was a big pile
of steaming shit, Richard Bradshaw, Adam Sharr and I decided to break the
monotony and headed to Cheam to sort out a couple of pubs. Before this, during
the day, my Dad and I had spectated on an entertaining game of football at
Franklands Village FC near Hayward's Heath where the home side beat St Francis
Rangers 3-0. Most of the fun was confined to a small period during the middle
of the second half and the away team were squabbling internally, so much so
that the captain stormed off without having to be sent off, then nearly decked
the referee before sulking his way to the dressing room (kicking the door on
his way) and calling the 142 spectators 'wankers' to many hoots of derision.
Anyway, this provided an opportunity for some beer, and the milestone 500th pub
of the year, and I was pleasantly surprised at the club house which doubled as
a social club and had a good range of Shepherd Neame products, including
Spitfire, Bitter and Porter as well as some keg stuff including mild, all
served at competitive prices.
Moving forward to the evening, I met Mr
Bradshaw in the Prince of Wales, Cheam, and was joined soon after by Mr Sharr. The
pub scored good marks, largely because of the fact that the beer was good -
draught Rocking Rudolf, Youngs Bitter, Adnams and London Pride at reasonable
prices. It's a pleasant place to drink on a Sunday evening too, the side part
being quieter and more relaxed than the front bar. Moving on, we went to the
Red Lion, Cheam to sit in the 'singing corner' (so called I think because some
old giffer used to sit there singing), which lies on the threshold of the front
and back bars. The atmosphere was again relaxed and quiet and there's a fire
place and low beams, though why they had to move the gents' a few yards I do
not know. Pleasantly surprising was that there were three beers on, Pride, Bass
and probably Rosie Nosey.
I'd been to Clarets in 2003 before, so
it's ratings are not recorded. It was however very much the same as before, and
despite being a wine bar is actually very good and normally has three or four
real beers on. It used to be Shepherd Neame and I can't recall whether these
were available on this occasion, but I do know that the Palmer's one (a
commemorative one I think) was rather good. Across the road was the Harrow
which is very comfortable indeed and had a couple of real ales on (same as the
Red Lion). It is a bit chain pub in there but this doesn't detract from the
overall atmosphere which is very good. Finally, we ended up in the Railway,
another already visited this year, and is a small locals' pub with a hint of
the Irish about it, and I think that George Best has been sighted in here road
testing his new liver. Courage Best was the only real ale on, but it's still a
reasonable pub, though for some reason we put loads of money in the quiz
machine and won nothing, souring our visit slightly.
Dan
Lovegrove
dan@doctor-lovegrove.com
Last updated 12th January 2004.