BRAPA in .... TREATS OF LONDON, SPOONS UNDER WATFORD & ALL THE GRACIE FEELS

Saturday 27th September 2025

A wise man called RetiredMartin agrees that there's nothing more joyous in life than an early Autumn mop-up of Central London's new Good Beer Guide entries, of which there's always thousands, even if you're an experienced completist like him.

And I had the perfect excuse, Watford away with Daddy BRAPA just two days after the official GBG release date.

A quick note on why I think C.London's churn is so brutal. Two reasons. Firstly, it doesn't have a core of consistent great ale pubs to be regular entrants. And secondly, Central London has a zillion beautiful old pubs selling a couple of cask ales which might, on a given day, be well kept in a 'blind squirrel finding a nut in the forest' kinda way.

We did four pre-match, so let's see how the class of '26 fare.

Fox & Anchor, Smithfield (3036 / 5880)

The soapy mild green fairy liquid head might be a giveaway that my Young's Original ain't all that, but what a beautiful pint glass eh? And a decent scrambled eggs on toast, scrimped on the portions a bit, and I'm no big eater. Barmaid seems allergic to allowing us to pay up front, some Covid-era persuasion is required "....we're just worried we'll walk out without paying". We have a National Inventory star like so many out Smithfield way, and it opens dead early for the market workers and sells this £30 breakfast which comes with a 'free' pint of Guinness. Was worried Dad was going to order it and we'd miss kick off! Definitely worth a visit.

Old Shades, Whitehall (3037 / 5881)

Yum, an even more stunning interior than the Fox & A. There's two Lancastrians dressed as Mario and Luigi, shame I never got a photo, but why is it ALWAYS Lancastrians? Genetic I guess. Love mixing it up in London. Before that, our bored staff duo are incredibly friendly, waiting on their haunches for the lunchtime rush ... our table is reserved for 'Boris'. Could it be? Probably not. Owlie McBurnie left a dried pellet on the table just in case. 'Naked Ladies' from Twickenham is drinking well. I recount a story where I had to shout it from a seated position peak 2020. Embarrassing at the time, good pub anecdote now. Dad's more immersive 'first female streaker, at Twickenham, in January!' hence the beer name, is interesting to me but the staff stop listening halfway through. RUDE! Still, my pub of the day, like. £7.05 a pint, a new cask record!

The exact moment they stopped listening

Admiralty, Charing Cross (3038 / 5882)

Imagine having a pint up there, what a lad Nelson was. Though we spend most of our time in here chatting on how Collingwood was the true unsung hero. I think this impressive Fullers house was trying to get me drunk! In a row .... Jaipur, ESB and Fullers Vintage Ale at 8.4%. I really wanted the latter but a voice in my head told me it might not be wise at this early stage. Probably just as well, I go with Jaipur and it is £7.45 a pint, eclipsing my cask record spend set in the previous pub. RetiredMartin had an ESB here more recently for a bargain £7! A huge group of gormless Americans make an exhibition of themselves, before their tour guide escorts them up the staircase before they can do any real damage to my British sensibilities.

Nag's Head, Covent Garden (3039 / 5883)

Well, after three solid Central London 'newbies', the law of averages decrees we'd have one shit vegan turkey on the Christmas dinner table. And this was it. Far too busy due to its location, and the time now hitting peak luncheon hour. Woeful queuers, who I managed to walk around and get served really easily, the utter dorks. I'd be less lucky in East Kilbride next month ..... watch this space for my fume on that one. And perhaps most of all, McMullen's. Used to find them quite novel in my early Herts days. But now, I despise their beer. How can you have an IPA which is darker than most sludgey bitters? It ain't even well kept. Dad arrived late having sauntered down, he needn't have bothered. Dire stuff.

Cheers dorks!

Talking of dire stuff, how do you go from fully in control 1-0 half time lead to losing 2-1? Only Hull City. We did something similar last night actually, but that was only from a 1-1 mid second half starting point.

Vicarage Road was the location of my first ever away game incidentally, as a Saffron Walden twild, a 1-1 FA Cup draw in the late 80's and still the best thing that's ever come from any of my trips down here is my Watford mug I bought from the club shop and I still used for my diet coke at Sunderland Uni over a decade years later. It finally fell apart due to a massive crack in 1999. RIP mug.

But cheer up chickens because although the Vicarage Road Micropub wasn't opening til the football traffic had cleared, CAMRA had kindly included 'Spoons in the Guide for like the first time ever.

Moon Under Water, Watford (3040 / 5884)

What a carpet! What a pint of Jaipur! What good service considering three rude Hornets skirted around and put their ample frames between myself and the bar. Of all the Championship away days, Watford has struggled most with real ale for 20 years+ .... so I cannot believe I've never entertained the notion of checking out their 'Spoons in years gone by. Daddy BRAPA gave it a miss, instead deciding to soak up the atmosphere of Watford Central Business District for 25 mins. His loss!

And with Parcel Yard still shut for its ongoing deep clean and fatberg removal, Skinners Arms nr St Pancras proved a quality substitute, even if Owlie McBurnie did want to chin me for trying to make him look cute.

Not a tick so not sure what Daddy B. is highlighting!

Thursday 2nd October 2025

Fast forward to the following Thursday, and look at me only a month behind on my blogging (give or take 3 days).

It was time to keep the momentum up on my cracking start to the GBG season in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

Vocation & Co., Hebden Bridge (3041 / 5885)

A big disappointment if I'm being brutally honest. Considering this is their hometown, so de-facto brewery tap, I'd expect them to do a lot more with the space a la Thornbridge in Bakewell for example. Jeez, my blog is a Thornbridge love-in tonight isn't it? I'm slipping. Very basic gaff. No warmth or comfort. Despite two laptop beardos looking up and smiling, and then a nice chat with the lady behind the bar about the Sticky Toffee Pudding ale, which was pretty darn good, and thankfully not too sweet. Five old boys just in front of me resembling Father Ted priests had spoken in hushed tones about St Austell Proper Job and vintage coins. But I was left waiting for the punchline. At least HB wasn't its usual annoying twee self on this grey Thursday lunchtime. My highlight was buying Sister BRAPA (still not quite a nun) an amazing Christmas present from the antique shop around the corner. Daddy BRAPA is also anti-Vocation at the moment. They sent and charged him for a glass he didn't want as part of his online beer order, tsk.

Over t'hills I go, and there's something about arriving in Rochdale which feels like 'coming home' having visited pubs here since 1999, one of my longest serving places. And it still keeps delivering .....

Our Gracie's, Rochdale (3042 / 5886)

Now this DID impress me. It didn't look much to write home about. But even with my dreadful observational skills, I couldn't fail to spot the humongous blimmin' great CAMRA discount sign. Lady in charge offers typical Rochdale hospitality, the 40p off bantz got my pecker up after the rather gloomy Vocation. Soon, there's a beer delivery and three shaggy bearded locals for company. Gracie Fields 'themed' of course, and whilst she's no Stansfield, nice of the old duck to open a micro before she carked it. Bit disrespectful to play Kylie, Proclaimers, T'Pau, Roger Miller, Sophie Elllis-Bextor, M-People and Gabrielle, and NOT one banger by Ms Fields, but them's the breaks in 2025. Cracking Oatmeal Stout.

A local bus strike didn't help my cause. More hanging around than I'd like. Bad luck or bad planning? Don't answer that. Shaw was up next, perhaps my debut here? Def been to Milnrow, not sure on Shaw. Now was the hour!

Black Horse, Shaw (3043 / 5887)

Flip me, this were old school! I've been to some modern, too tidy John Willie's pubs in the past decade, but this was a throwback. Poor guv'nor can hardly walk. Bitter or bitter is the choice. Teks him a while on his stick, but good things come to those who wait and the beer quality is well, not perfect but good enough. The punters are accommodating, lots of 'ow do's' and doffed caps in BRAPA reverence (maybe). During the horse racing, a horse escapes the track and camera follows as it legs it into a nearby field, so I join in the local's horsey bantz and do an adequate job of fitting in! Nice place. Unsurprisingly, the loos are chock-a-block with deodorants and aftershaves for the 1980's gentleman.

After a pre-emptive 'Spoons which I'll tell you about if it ever makes a GBG, it was off back to Rochdale and a connecting bus to Norden, which someone recently told me was 'Rochdale Stockbroker Belt' which must mean each member of the family have their own toothbrush.

Cap & Whippet, Norden (3044 / 5888)

Gosh, this were dreadful. And I mean, worst GBG 2026 pub so far. Feel so sorry for the young lass in chunky sweater serving me. An angel. Struggling to get my beer pulled through. So much went down the sink in a quest to get me a full measure. She knows it ain't right. Tries to seek advice from the guy presumably in charge, but he's on his mobile to his mate, and waves a dismissive hand as if to say 'it'll be reet'. It wasn't reet. Tasted of arse. Drinkable arse. But still arse. Gloomy interior. Empty but for me. And what comfort there was is eroded by a chilly open door onto the busy main road. Only Nat Imbruglia on a plasma and some exciting football toilet decor (of my era) can save me now. My #PubMan on the ground in this part of the world can't join me today cos he's judging beer in Bolton like all great men, and tells me the licensee has changed since it got picked for the Guide and is not as ale orientated as it was. A one hit wonder methinks? Bookmark this blog for 2027.

Time to bid farewell to Rochdale for another year, head back over t'Pennines, and whip in a last tick on the way home, my second last in West Yorkshire ......

Nan Moor's, Todmorden (3045 / 5889)

Seemed a random GBG choice in light of the fact that, across the road, you have the non-GBG Golden Lion which I visit straight after having read about it in a Bradford CAMRA magazine last month, and found it far more convincing. Surely they aren't putting this one in based on its 'CAMRA cider pub of the year' win, cos that'd make no sense. In fact, bring back the Cider Pub Guide - I'd tick it! Could be fun on six pints, hic. "NEXT STOP FOR BRAPA, OBAN". The one ale is hard to spot, on gravity, quality is pedestrian at best. The highlight is a meaningful chat with the impressive, very switched on, and ever so slightly terrifying lady behind the bar. Cash versus card is the topic. I've had a few exchanges of this nature over the past five years, but this was gold standard stuff. Shame I can't remember why. Considering the dearth of customers (Golden Lion was packed by comparison), I really feel that I found the one comfy seat in the house, space is very limited.

Right gang, I'm on #ThirstyThursday patrol tomorrow because I need to get a southern 'Spoons monkey off my back which a bloke called John keeps insisting I meet him in. Late start, late finish due to train prices.

So I'd love to bring you my next set of pubs on Friday but I suspect, as I'm working as well, Sunday is more likely as we head to Bucks and Oxon with a guy called Sladey.

And in the meantime, keep keeping it pub,

Si