Day One Hundred and Thirty-Eight - Bennett's Hill, Birmingham B5

Another meeting in Birmingham, another chance to sample the beers in The Wellington. And this time I had pig snacks, too.

Day One Hundred and Twenty-Three - Bennett's Hill, Birmingham B5

Stopped in for a cheeky one at The Wellington (mentioned previously) on my way home from a meeting at one of our Birmingham offices and was greeted by this sign at the door. How can I swing a meeting in Birmingham on Thursday (or early Friday) next week so I can take advantage of this? Bostin!

Day One Hundred and One - Brewer's Green, SW1

More boozery ('tis the season), this time in Tapsters, a (shudder) wine bar near work. We were saying goodbye to my boss of the last two and three-quarter years. He's a very nice chap and I will miss him, especially as there's still no news about who we'll get in his place. Grrr.

Day One Hundred - Charterhouse Street, EC1

An unofficial one-hundredth-post celebration in The Fox and Anchor, near Smithfield Market with Will. There's a review from the very same night by my new beer hero, Stonch, here. I pretty much agree with him, but I'm still not sure about the pewter mugs and wonder if they're just an excuse to give you short measures. There's a pint line on the outside of the mugs but the barman seemed rather cavalier with the froth and it's not like you can see inside, is it? Very nice beer though.

Those cubey things you can see are the pork scratchings, which are the meatiest "scratchings" I've ever had. Nice.

Day Sixty-Four - Cardinal Walk, SW1

Why anyone would choose to drink inside or outside a Ha!Ha! Bar in the middle of a shopping centre which at the best of times is a wind tunnel, paying £3.50 for a Magners or Kronenbourg Blanc, when there's tons of decent pubs in the area, is beyond me. But the Friday night suit crowd don't really care where they are, as long as Debbie from accounts is with them and they can get her drunk. And Debbie doesn't like pubs where you can't get cocktails.

(sorry for the blurriness - I promise I was sober when I took this! I appear to have accidentally deleted the sharper version when I came home from a couple of bottles of Herold Black and a pint of something else in, erm, The Postal Order)

On the discman today: AM - Shellac BBC live session 1 December 2004 PM - Art Zoyd Musique Pour L'Odyssee

Day Thirty-Two - Anerley Hill, SE19

On 10 and 11 July 1944 German V1 bombs fell on the area around Crystal Palace station, killing over 20 people and destroying many buildings. These were just some of many V1s and V2s that fell on the area, legend has it because Churchill let double agents report back to their German bosses that their flying bombs were overshooting Central London. They weren't, but the adjustment ten miles south would mean fewer deaths and less property damage. Or so I've heard, anyway.

As is often the way, the local pub, hit but not destroyed, was one of the main buildings to be saved. It took until 1955, but eventually The Paxton Arms reopened for business. Given its history I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that it's a typical locals' pub, with average beer and a frosty welcome for anyone who has not spent at least ten years parked on a stool at the bar.

And now they're finally giving it a new coat of paint.

On the discman today: AM - Oval ovalcommers PM - NEU! NEU!

Day Nine - Pine Apple Court, SW1

Come six o'clock of an evening in the summer (or pretty much any week day when it's not below freezing and/or chucking it down) this tiny street behind The Colonies pub is full of besuited boozers. Ironically, just behind where I took the photo from is a halfway house for alcoholics, where you'll often see dazed men and women drinking from two-litre bottles of ultra-cheap ultra-strong cider.

Mind you, given the choice between tasteless, hyped-into-popularity Magners and tramp cider, I know I'd go for the Ice White every time.


On the discman today: AM Tim Berne Fulton Street Maul PM Tim Berne Fractured Fairy Tales

Day Five - Petty France, SW1

I was a bit earlier into work than I usually am today as I was running a course (went well, thanks for asking). This meant I caught one of the greatest sights known to man, a pub taking delivery of Youngs beer. The Buckingham Arms is a literal stone's throw away from my office, and yet somehow I manage to avoid dropping in there every night on the way home.

On the discman today: AM and PM Phill Niblock Young Person's Guide to Phill Niblock (original Blast First version)