I've sat on the Oxford Tube countless times as it pulls off the A40 at Hillingdon to pick up and set down a handful of passengers.
Why do they get off there? I figured I'd hop off and see what I could see.
Discovery one: Hillingdon covers a big area and its current GBG listed pub is a heck of a long way from Hillingdon station and the Oxford Tube bus stop. I stopped half way down Long Lane (clue in the name there) to check I was actually going the right way. Thirty minutes after alighting the bus, I finally found myself at pub number one.
Where I vowed to get the blog post written quickly enough to give you chance to pop the date in the diary for the Simply Red tribute band...
The Red Lion is located in Hillingdon Village which would be quite nice were it not for the 4-lanes of Uxbridge Road running straight through the middle. There's the Church of St John the Baptist, another inn called The Vine, lots of green space, and a run of shops which includes The Village Fish & Chips (who I can confirm do great chips).
The Red Lion is a Grade-II listed building dating back to the 16th century when it would have been timber framed. It got a Georgian re-fronting in 1800; became a Fullers pub in 1905; and was massively expanded in 2003 to include 45 bedrooms in a motel-style block to the side.
The first couple of rooms surrounding the bar have a good historic feel to them with wooden beams and pillars and big fireplaces.
So, what do you get in the historic Red Lion?
You get Lenny Kravitz on the stereo, those dreadful chunky oversized bar stools, a really pleasing old uneven low ceiling, and two hand pump dedicated to London Pride.
You get Lenny Kravitz on the stereo, those dreadful chunky oversized bar stools, a really pleasing old uneven low ceiling, and two hand pump dedicated to London Pride.
It was understandably very quiet pre-noon, just a couple of folks tucked away in corners and a thoroughly bored-looking member of staff at the bar.
Well, at least I gave him something to do, pulling my pint and taking £5.90 off me.
The 'Golden Times' is a collaboration with St Austell and seems like the Cornish brewer giving tips on how to concoct 'Proper Job'. A little less crisp and hoppy, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Well, at least I gave him something to do, pulling my pint and taking £5.90 off me.
The 'Golden Times' is a collaboration with St Austell and seems like the Cornish brewer giving tips on how to concoct 'Proper Job'. A little less crisp and hoppy, but thoroughly enjoyable.
I had a fairly long walk ahead of me to reach Uxbridge's nearest Good Beer Guide pub.
Up the road - along a short path by the River Pinn - skirting along the top of Brunel University - through suburban streets to the Grand Union Canal.
Just up the canal towpath by the Rockingham Road bridge was the General Eliott. The side of the pub that looks out onto the Grand Union is a winner (top pic) - the roadside entrance not so picturesque...
Up the road - along a short path by the River Pinn - skirting along the top of Brunel University - through suburban streets to the Grand Union Canal.
Just up the canal towpath by the Rockingham Road bridge was the General Eliott. The side of the pub that looks out onto the Grand Union is a winner (top pic) - the roadside entrance not so picturesque...
Ironically, this is named after a teetotaller, the General George Augustus Eliott being best known for defending Gibraltar during the siege of 1779 to 1783. I guess his military exploits may have still been fresh in the mind when the pub was established in 1820. The General has lent his name to half-a-dozen pubs throughout the country, including a local one to me: South Hinksey's lost pub within the Oxford ring-road.
So, what do you get in a canal-side pub named after a teetotal General?
You get Wham's 'Freedom', Loose Women on the telly, Jӓgar Bomb beer mats, and 'London Pride' in a Cruzcampo glass.
You get Wham's 'Freedom', Loose Women on the telly, Jӓgar Bomb beer mats, and 'London Pride' in a Cruzcampo glass.
Other cask options were available, but the Pride has been craftily positioned at eye-level deterring attention from Landlord or Side Pocket.
The beer was on 'acceptable' form, using the new categorisation on CAMRA's scoring system.
I elected to sit inside which was the preserve of the elder custom, whilst the hi-vis, students and youngsters opted for the waterside seating.
I elected to sit inside which was the preserve of the elder custom, whilst the hi-vis, students and youngsters opted for the waterside seating.
Returning my glass to the bar, I departed the General Elliot and made the short walk up to the busy centre of Uxbridge. There are enough pubs here to warrant spending the rest of the afternoon in Boris Johnson's old constituency. Although how satisfying that would be, I'm not so sure.
Instead it was straight to Spoons...
Instead it was straight to Spoons...
This is currently the second of Uxbridge's two Beer Guide entries having made the grade for the past couple of years.
A narrow frontage on the High Street suggests this is going to be one of the smaller JDW's, although it stretches back a fair way to provide a good number of tables. The building was previously Pearson's menswear shop before becoming a relatively early Wetherspoon's in 1994.
Guest cask ales on offer came from Sambrook's, Twickenham, Rebellion, and Oakham, priced at the very reasonable £2.30 a pint.
I picked the 'JHB', the golden, hoppy ale being Oakham's very first brew and a former Champion Beer of Britain.
I picked the 'JHB', the golden, hoppy ale being Oakham's very first brew and a former Champion Beer of Britain.
On good form - it went down well.
I settled in the raised rear section of the pub, where the tables were squeezed in a little too close together and the clientele were a diverse bunch.
The most unusual feature was the colourful skylights, which I just about manged to photograph over the heads of the neighbouring folks without looking too suspicious.
I settled in the raised rear section of the pub, where the tables were squeezed in a little too close together and the clientele were a diverse bunch.
The most unusual feature was the colourful skylights, which I just about manged to photograph over the heads of the neighbouring folks without looking too suspicious.
Making the decision to explore further beyond Uxbridge, I drank up and wandered back up the High Street to one of the capital's more striking tube stations.
Wetherspoon's has little in the way of competition for anyone hopping off the tube at Rayners Lane station and looking for a pint.
This opened in 1993, converted from former shops.
It's the rear section, down a short set of stairs from the bar, that is the best looking bit.
Lots of booths, lots of uniformity, lots of table clutter.
I decided to head off on foot from Rayners Lane and walk the mile-and-a-half to the very pleasant streets of Harrow-on-the-Hill, built around the 11th century St Mary's Church and still retaining a village-feel within the cosmos of Greater London. 'Affluent' says Wiki.
My destination was a pub which is on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors...
It's believed there has been a pub on this site since 1706, although the current building dates back to 1901. It's not been changed a great deal since then, securing its heritage listing, with the doorway and the grand wooden partition within providing the wow factor.
The entrance features the name of the pub in ironwork over the door and in the superb mosaic flooring...
Pint of London Pride, please.
Taken to the big sofa in front of a fireplace.
Taken to the big sofa in front of a fireplace.
The Pride was - as I believe they say - drinking well.
The Doors 'Light my Fire' played at a sensible volume from the speakers.
Whilst I took in that marvelous wooden divider with stained glass-windowed top half and three-foot high service door to stoop through.
The Doors 'Light my Fire' played at a sensible volume from the speakers.
Whilst I took in that marvelous wooden divider with stained glass-windowed top half and three-foot high service door to stoop through.
A lovely pub.
Moving on, the route towards the tube station took me uphill and past the buildings of Harrow School, with their strict 'no entrance to the public' signs.
Moving on, the route towards the tube station took me uphill and past the buildings of Harrow School, with their strict 'no entrance to the public' signs.
Safe to say the Harrow Wetherspoon's doesn't quite live up to the school buildings when it comes to architectural charm.
I'm also going to hedge my bets that none of the sweary tipsy-looking blokes in the Moon on the Hill were masters from the school.
I'm also going to hedge my bets that none of the sweary tipsy-looking blokes in the Moon on the Hill were masters from the school.
This is another long-standing Spoons, having opened in 1991. The building spent most of its life as Wheatland's furniture shop prior to becoming a pub.
It consists a pretty small single-room with seating on two-levels in an L-shape around the bar. And it was busy - I think I took the last unoccupied small table, the place a hubbub of conversation.
The Hop & Vine (18 High Street, Ruislip, HA4 7AN)
You don't get a vast number of micropubs in Greater London but from my experience the ones there are tend to be pretty darn good.
The Hop & Vine opened at the end of 2016 in premises that were previously a café. It's of the regular level seating / music / craft beer type, as opposed to the high stools / talk-to-each-other / three cask ales and that's yer lot variety of micro.
In fact, the beer list had me gorping ay it, struggling to chose, whilst the staff waiting patiently.
The music was obscure pop/rock, the pub dogs were ace, the locals a friendly bunch.
A great pub visit.
All that was left for me to do was to end the afternoon's explorations in one last Spoons: JJ Moon's a 15-minute walk away on the doorstep of Ruislip Manor station.
Cask options beyond regular Wetherspoon's beers were local: Redemption 'Big Chief' and a Portobello duo of 'APA' or 'Market Porter'.
It's been a while since I had a 'Big Chief', the Tottenham brewery's chewy 5.5% IPA, served here in decent condition.
Certainly a lively Spoons. The big group on high stools behind me held court on Colombian referees, petrol prices and Trev's holiday in Tenerife. Very loudly.
It's been a while since I had a 'Big Chief', the Tottenham brewery's chewy 5.5% IPA, served here in decent condition.
Certainly a lively Spoons. The big group on high stools behind me held court on Colombian referees, petrol prices and Trev's holiday in Tenerife. Very loudly.
Leaving Harrow, I caught the Metropolitan Line a couple of stops back westward to Ruislip.
Up through the bustling shopping street, I was heading toward what turned out to be my favourite pub of the day...
Up through the bustling shopping street, I was heading toward what turned out to be my favourite pub of the day...
You don't get a vast number of micropubs in Greater London but from my experience the ones there are tend to be pretty darn good.
The Hop & Vine opened at the end of 2016 in premises that were previously a café. It's of the regular level seating / music / craft beer type, as opposed to the high stools / talk-to-each-other / three cask ales and that's yer lot variety of micro.
In fact, the beer list had me gorping ay it, struggling to chose, whilst the staff waiting patiently.
The beer ticker could happily sit here for several hours and skip all those silly Wetherspoon pubs that I keep on insisting on visiting.
Just the one for me: Fownd 'Labyrinth of Lost Souls'. Yep, all that careful studying of the beer list and I end up picking entirely based on the best name. Only to discover the labyrinth is something video-game-orientated rather than the prog metal album reference that I hoped it would be.
A superb beer in excellent condition.
Just the one for me: Fownd 'Labyrinth of Lost Souls'. Yep, all that careful studying of the beer list and I end up picking entirely based on the best name. Only to discover the labyrinth is something video-game-orientated rather than the prog metal album reference that I hoped it would be.
A superb beer in excellent condition.
Set on top of the beer mats advertising the local DIY store.
All that was left for me to do was to end the afternoon's explorations in one last Spoons: JJ Moon's a 15-minute walk away on the doorstep of Ruislip Manor station.
The busiest venue of the day, where I supped a Twickenham 'Orange Zeus' whilst checking where the Oxford Tube picks up in Hillingdon for the journey home.
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