The Lord John Russell, Bloomsbury, WC1N

I spent last weekend in London catching up with old friends. It was the first time I'd been to a pub in a while. With Dry January now a memory, I have to confess that I chose to celebrate these mini-reunions with beer rather than lime and sodas. 

As London is a city filled with great pubs and diverse lime and sodas, I wanted to mark this trip to the greatest city in the world with an old review of one of my favourite London pubs, the Lord John Russell.

Date: February 2017

I have a bit of an affinity with this pub. It’s a pub I had often passed making my way around the area as a student at nearby UCL Maybe I had a pint there once in that time, I can’t remember. It was just a place that was always there. However, a forgettable pint in a pub is not enough to build an affinity with a place.

My affection for the place actually comes from a few years after I had graduated whilst I was working in the area. It wasn’t the ‘work boozer’ - that was a place closer to the office called The Resting Hare (review coming soon) - but we did come to the Lord John Russell when we fancied a change. It was my preferred place of the two. It’s a proper pub.

I remember fondly having Christmas drinks there with some colleagues after we had all finished our last day in the office before the holiday shutdown. It was mostly the young ‘uns who made it out on that damp December night but the finance officer, affectionately known (mostly by myself) as Uncle Nev, came out with us too. He was probably a good twenty years older than all of us but fit in seamlessly, sampling all the ales on offer. He even let us have a drink on the company credit card. It was quite the night and I left with a smile on my face, ready to face the coming festivities.

I was a little less ready upon being woken up by my relatives at 3am to get into the car for the 6 hour car journey up North to visit family. I dread to think what Uncle Nev had to face that morning given he had two young children.

Now for a bit about the pub. John Russell, the first Earl Russell, was a British Prime Minister who served in the post on two occasions between 1846-52 (as a Whig) and then again between 1865-66 (as a Liberal). Apparently he wasn’t very successful, being the final ever Whig PM and nearly bringing the Liberal party to the political brink. On a more positive note, however, he was one of the principle leaders in fighting for the Reform Act of 1832, which brought in changes to the British electoral system by removing the so called ‘rotten boroughs’. A victory for democracy. After all the hard politicking, Lord John probably needed a refreshing drink to cool himself off. I wonder if lime and soda was his tipple of choice too.

I have no idea if the Lord John Russell the pub is named after this former British politician - pubhistory can’t help me out on that one - but what I did find out was that it’s been on Marchmont Street for quite some time: since the mid-19th century in fact. The first publican was himself also called John Russell, which gives us some idea as to how the pub got its name.

The only time I ever drank a lime and soda here was not at an after work booze up but on a hungover Sunday with some friends who were visiting the capital for the weekend. Whilst waiting for them to catch their trains, we decided to pop in for a drink. I could face neither a beer nor a bloody Mary so, naturally, I opted for the usual in such circumstances.

Appearance: It was a bit yellow. I don’t know whether the lime cordial was created out of limes that were slightly old - hence the yellowish colour - or even if lime cordial contains any trace of real lime, but this was slightly off putting. To give the drink its due it did look well mixed and the cordial seemed to run evenly all the way through. It was even garnished with a slice of lime, affording it bonus points.

Taste: It was a bit underwhelming. The soda water was a bit flat and the initial appearance of it being a well mixed drink was unfounded. I had to go up to the bar and request a straw to use as a mixer. Once mixed it was much better. There was a tang to the cordial.  My non lime and soda drinking mates described the taste as ‘bold’ and ‘pleasantly surprising for a newbie’. I suppose these are compliments, although one of them did say it was ‘just fizzy lime juice’, which essentially boils lime and soda down to its purest essence.

Price: £2 for a pint. Maybe a bit steep for a pub that is usually quite good value, especially for the area but then again they do have rent to pay.

So maybe that pre-Sunday dinner drink in the Lord John didn’t leave me with that Christmas time smile. Then again I would probably put that down to the fact I was nursing a bad hangover on a cold Sunday afternoon rather than blame the quality of the drink. If you’re in Bloomsbury and looking for a perfectly serviceable glass of fizzy lime juice, this might be the place for you. 

Wikipedia article on John Russell, the first Earl Russell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Russell,_1st_Earl_Russell

More information on the Great Reform Act of 1832: 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/politics/g6/

Pub history entry of the Lord John Russell: https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/StPancras/LordJohnRussell.shtml

Free Trade Inn, Ouseburn, NE6

Date: January 2020

Recently, I went for a drink at the Free Trade Inn in Ouseburn. When I say a drink I mean a lime and soda and when I say Ouseburn I think: wtf?!

If I had to pick a theme for the Newcastle entries on this blog, I would choose discovery. As I said in my review of the Brandling Villa, in my short time back here I’ve experienced things about the city that I didn’t know anything about when I last lived here over ten years ago. Ouseburn is just another example.

I’d been to Stepney Bank stables to watch my sister try riding a horse. I’d heard of The Cluny - in fact I think the ‘the band’ in my year at school may have even played a gig there - but I can’t say I’d done much exploring other than that. It certainly wasn’t anywhere I’d go drinking with my mates. Maybe we were too young, maybe we were too naive, maybe the plethora of options that the Ouseburn Valley now offers didn’t exist then. Who knows? I don't.

A bit of research shows that Ouseburn has had a ‘scene’ for a while, but it does seem to have developed in the time I’ve been away. Wandering through its dark streets on a mild January evening, searching for somewhere to get a refreshing glass of the green stuff, it was hard not to notice the tiny bars or the live music drifting out of the windows of old warehouse units. Had we not come across the Free Trade, with its stunning view of the bridges over the River Tyne, I might have been able to kid myself I was back in Hackney Wick.

The Guardian and other news outlets jumped on the Ouseburn train long ago. They’ve dubbed it the ‘Shoreditch of the North’. I haven’t been here for long enough to comment but, in order to be be truly Shoreditch,  it should have a bunch of people from the outlying towns and counties, freshly bundled out of the nearest mainline train station, clogging up the watering holes on a weekend because it’s the ‘in’ thing to do. I'll report back later.

For long time visitors, workers and residents in the Ouseburn Valley, I wonder if this spotlight comes as a blessing or a curse. Perhaps it's both. Gentrification in any city is a matter much too complicated to discuss on a blog that reviews a very specific non-alcoholic beverage served in British public houses but it is an important topic. I’ll post some links below.

The Free Trade is a proper pub with shabby decor. Not in a deliberate way, but because the furniture evidently hasn't changed for ages. Save for a small sign on the wall saying ‘no vaping’ it isn’t exactly clear what year you’re in when you step inside. It was a shame it was the winter because the garden is probably a great place in the summer to hang out and check out the view.

Having ordered a lime and soda for my friend and I, we settled down at a window seat to chat above the jazz music tones playing softly from the speaker.

Drinker's Note 1: This is a review of two different lime and sodas. My friend’s and mine. Please note that they were made by the same member of bar staff only a minute or so apart. We each had a sip of the other’s to compare and he has willingly donated his thoughts to the blog so as to support the people of the internet with their lime and soda based decisions.

Appearance: Both drinks looked similar. Pint glass, paper straws, no fresh lime, healthy green colour thanks to the free pouring technique demonstrated by the bartender. It made for an idyllic picture when placed on the bar against the backdrop of a lit up River Tyne in the window. I could have cried at the poetry of it. (Warning: photo provided. Try not to weep with joy)

Drinker's Note Two: What is the main thing you should know about lime and soda? The one intrinsic truth about a drink seemingly so simple to make? The very reason that this blog exists in fact (along with a stubborn nature and taking a joke too far). No two lime and sodas are the same! I can now confirm that this also includes lime and sodas made in the same drinking establishment, by the same bartender, using the same ingredients and being poured only a minute or so apart.

Taste: One was very heavy on the lime cordial, the other less so. The former tasted more like limeade, the latter more like sparkling water with a hint of lime. The cordial tasted alternative, maybe home brewed. Hipster, if you will. Both were certainly drinkable.

Price: £1.70 each. Not cheap. Perhaps you pay a premium for atmosphere.

If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that discovery and difference are things to be celebrated. They add to the diversity of our lived experience and make for a more vibrant world in which anything feels possible. Ouseburn is certainly a vibrant, diverse place and the lime and sodas at the Free Trade Inn do their bit to keep the flavour of the area alive.  

Sources:
More info on the Free Trade:
https://www.welovewhq.com/about-us/stuff-we-like/bars-we-really-rate/the-free-trade-inn-2/

Pub Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheFreeTradeInn?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

The Guardian guide to Ouseburn:
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/dec/21/alternative-city-guide-newcastle-food-drink-bars-clubs-culture

What the Evening Chronicle thinks:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/thriving-ouseburn-newcastle-shoreditch-north-14364218

A paper (30 pages) on gentrification in the Ouseburn Valley (download):
http://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-168384/hannam-kevindocx.docx

The Brandling Villa, South Gosforth, NE3

Date: January 2020

Although I’ve been back in my hometown, Newcastle upon Tyne, for a while now I have to admit I've not been leading the most active social life. I seem to spend the vast proportion of my time either drinking cups of tea in my parents’ living room or looking at places I could otherwise be on the internet.

Occasionally this month however, I have managed to get out and about, including to areas I would never have even thought to go to when I was growing up here. Normally, I’d venture into town for a drink but, when I’ve looked just a little harder, I’ve found plenty of great places to go all over the city. One of these places is The Brandling Villa down in South Gosforth.

I don’t know South Gosforth very well. I’m from the West End and have usually had very little reason to come over this way but, on a recent Wednesday night, I went to meet a friend who has recently relocated back to the Toon and now lives in the area. It was my first trip to this pub and as I walked in, there was a distinct air of hipster chic.

The music was great, there were people with beards accompanied by little dogs and there were posters on the walls advertising a Shinjuku style hump day hen party complemented with Izakaya style fried chicken. I assume this is a recent food trend but frankly I have no idea. My Wednesday night tea is normally a jacket potato with baked beans and cheese. Given all of this, I found myself wondering whether South Gosforth has always been a bit alternative. The meditation centre I walked past on my way home suggested so but, as far as The Brandling Villa goes, that doesn't always seem to have been the case.

Described in one article as a one time “boring old man’s pub” it appears to have changed a lot. The same article now describes it as an “amazing boozer” and “find of the year material” although I don't know what year that refers to. The pub seems to do everything from the aforementioned East Asian style chicken and decent music, to high quality beers and ales. Its own Twitter bio adds yet more to this cocktail of cool: “We do dogs, mate, and we do burgers. A pub.” it boasts. They’re not wrong. A quick browse of the website shows that it even has a food menu for dogs. There’s a lot going on here.

In spite of that, it’s still Dry January and I’m a vegetarian without a dog of my own, so at the time of visiting there was only one criteria I could soundly judge the place by. As this blog exclusively reviews lime and sodas you shouldn't have to think too hard about what that is.

Appearance: It came in a pint glass, which is always a good start. Sadly there was no fresh lime bobbing merrily on the waves of soda water and it looked as though the lime cordial was firmly rooted to the lower third of the vessel. High marks for traditional pub aesthetic, low marks for modern mixology.

Taste: No amount of finger stirs - no straws here, Greta - could infuse this drink with the evenly spread hit of lime flavouring I was looking for. I tried and tried and tried but nothing. This meant that I mostly drank soda water, which itself tasted a little flat. Then again maybe all soda water tastes like that. Could be an idea for another blog that...Sodathoughter? Or not.

Price: I can’t comment on the price of the lime and soda alone as I bought it together with an edgily branded cider on draught that my mate asked for. This is the North East though so let’s just assume it was cheap.

Sadly the lime and soda here is so so, which is bit of a shame really. The pub is not. Once the month is over and my appetite for drinking pints of beer from breweries that sound like they’re not real returns, I’ll be back here. South Gosforth eh… who knew?

Sources:
Pub website: https://www.brandlingvilla.com/

Better review of the pub: 

https://www.welovewhq.com/about-us/stuff-we-like/bars-we-really-rate/the-brandling-villa/

More info:

https://www.newcastlegateshead.com/food-and-drink/the-brandling-villa-p852051

This pub really does love dogs:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rip-frank-brandling-villas-popular-14297340

Founder's Arms, Bankside, SE1

For many people, January is a time of giving things up. You can give up animal products: Veganuary. You can give up resting: Run Every Day January. These days, I’ve heard you can even give up bodily grooming practices: JanuHairy. It all seems to be about starting a fresh and there are no shortage of fads or new routines going around at this time of year. Often accompanied by incessant over analysis of their merits/dangers on radio phone ins or TV chat shows.

Perhaps the most famous of all of them, however, is Dry January.

We’ve all heard of it. Many of us may have have tried and failed it. Sick of hangovers from Christmas drinking, we decide to take a whole month off the booze. Can’t be that hard, right? Well, according to a healthy living article I read on the internet - we all know the type - the ‘new year, new me’ thing is put to bed by the 20th of January, after which we all go back to stuffing our overfed, over watered faces with everything in sight as we sit on the sofa in front of the TV touching our freshly trimmed private parts.

However, if we are all doomed to fail at our resolutions by the third week of the first month of the year then surely we must currently be in some sort of golden period. Failure is coming but all in good time. For now there is still hope. Everything still feels possible. This really is your year. So, rather than dwell on the inevitable, why don’t we bask in the glory of these more innocent times instead and enjoy our new found lifestyle choices while they last.

I myself will be doing Dry January this year. Will I succeed? Unlikely but while I’m trying, I’ll certainly be ordering a lot more lime and sodas and reviewing them here. All that’s left for you to do, dear Reader, is to sit back, relax and let thoughts of refreshing, green bubbles carry you through the dark nights. Happy New year.

Date: September 2018

The year starts with an old review (Christmas was heavy for me too) but it does come with a picture to compensate.

First records of a pub in the Bankside area bearing the name Founder’s Arms date back to 1839, meaning that there has been a pub here for about 181 years. It’s original address was 8 Holland Street but this was changed to 56 Hopton Street sometime between 1934 and 1938. The name apparently comes from the Glass Works or Foundry (in my short time researching this I learned that an operator of a foundry is called a ‘founder’) that were once in the area. More information on the pub, including a very good article on the history of the immediate area in general, are referenced below.

I have probably walked past this pub a good few hundred times on my strolls along the South bank of the river over the years. Situated in the picturesque environs of Bankside, in the shadow of the Tate Modern overlooking the River Thames and in full view of St Paul’s Cathedral, it’s somewhere I’ve always just dismissed as a place likely to be an overpriced tourist trap (which I feel justified in saying considering its own website states that it’s close to the ‘Harry Potter bridge’or the Millennium Bridge to you and me). As well as that, it always seems to be very busy, especially in good weather, so I had just assumed it would be pointless trying to drink there.

Like all good things coming, however, all I had to do was wait my turn. Nearly nine years in fact, for a Monday evening. An unusual last minute change of plans for the normal friendship group hangout session meant we met early in the week. This being the case, we were lucky enough to snag a table outside the pub on what was pleasant September evening. It being a Monday, a big one was never on the cards, which left only one choice of beverage for this millennial party fiend. In fact, I think everyone had a lime and soda. As the tourists sipped pints and ate overpriced fish and chips around us, we watched the sun go down over our glasses of the green stuff and discussed our lives.

Although willing to refresh themselves with an L&S, my friends are somewhat less keen on offering their opinions on it. Yet so rare is the occurrence that all of us are drinking a glass of the good stuff at the same time, that I couldn’t miss the opportunity for some triangulation of thought on the quality being served up at what is one of London’s best rated Thames pubs (https://londonist.com/2013/11/the-best-pubs-on-the-river-thames). What follows is a combination of all our opinions on this lime and soda. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the unwilling participants for their help.

My friend did the ordering and duly informed me that she was offered a choice of fresh lime or lime cordial. For those not familiar with my thoughts on this I would encourage you to read this blog entry from January 2019 at the Grocer in Spitalfields Market. Briefly, the obvious answer is that they should both be included. Coexisting in perfect harmony in the pint glass, each complementing the other. If only the world could have the same relationship with itself as fresh lime quarters have with lime cordial in soda water. Seemingly taken aback by the choice, my friend opted for lime cordial only. Given the shock of being asked questions to which the answer is obvious, they are forgiven.

Appearance: As per the picture, the drinks came in pint glasses. The sign of a proper pub. The ratio was good and the liquid was tantalising light green. Sat on the wooden table outside the establishment, it made for a picture perfect early week refresher. The lack of a straw (points for environmental friendliness) meant that I had to mix it with my finger. A tactic which, although I do not enjoy employing, is nonetheless often necessary as more and more places opt to do away with plastic accoutrements. The things we sacrifice for the planet.

Taste: Once mixed, the drink tasted good. The ratio certainly held up and there was a consistency between the amount of cordial to soda all the way to the bottom of the glass. The cordial itself was solid. It tasted like what I understand lime to taste like. Something that is to be expected when ordering a lime flavoured drink. It was also missing the chemical aftertaste often present in these artificially flavoured mixers, which is a bonus. Chewing on an ice cube or two, as the conversation progressed, I reflected on how, when you taste a good quality lime and soda, it really is a marvellous thing. One which would inspire even a regular drinker to try hard to stay teetotal as Dry January progresses.

Price: The major negative about this drink was the price. Given the location of the Founder’s Arms it’s unsurprising to report that, at £2.45 per pint, this is not a place you could call your lime and soda local. Unless of course you were well off enough to live in one of the new Bankside developments. You do pay for location in London though and this is a nice one, especially on a night like this one was.

This was really solid. It was a nice environment, the drink was refreshing and it made for a pleasant subplot to the evening. Worth checking out if the mood is right.

Sources:
A London Inheritance piece on the pub: https://alondoninheritance.com/tag/founders-arms/

Pub history link: https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/SouthwarkChristchurch/FoundersArms.shtml

Londonist article: https://londonist.com/pubs/pubs/founders-arms

The Forth, Pink Lane, NE1

Regular visitors to this blog may have noticed that there has been something of a hiatus in posts over the past months. I could blame this on the many flaws in my character: a propensity for laziness, a distinct lack of focus, a small-scale addiction to watching stand up comedy videos on YouTube or a general paucity of ambition to turn this into the UK’s leading blog reviewing Britain’s most successful non-alcoholic pub staple. However, I’m more than convinced that none of these deeply personal reasons will be of much interest to anyone still reading. Put simply, the main reason for the lack of activity is because I was living in Poland for most of this year and, in Poland, they like alcohol. Strong alcohol. Lime and soda isn’t really much of a thing there (although non-alcoholic beer is, surprisingly).

Now that my excuses are out of the way it's time to get back to the main purpose of this endeavour, talking about lime and soda. I have several posts lined up for the coming weeks so stay tuned to see if I really am able to kick the urge to watch just one more mediocre Comedy Central video at 3am on a Wednesday morning and gain some perspective on the more important things in life, such as occasional sobriety.

Date: October 2019

I will start what I will refer to as phase two of the blog with a review from a pub in the city I grew up in, Newcastle upon Tyne. As my parents and some of my friends still live here it felt like a natural place to come back to after my time in Poland was over. On this occasion, I was catching up with one of my oldest friends and regaling him with tales of 6 months living in Minsk Mazowiecki or, as I enjoy calling it, the Polish Slough.

So you can have an insight into this most vibrant of conversations I’ll begin with telling you a little about Minsk Maz. It is about 40km east of Warsaw and has a population of about 40,000 people. Many people commute to work or study in the Polish capital. Although relatively quiet, the town does have a museum, a decent park and a house of culture. It also has a coal power station and a leisure centre. Aside from that, there’s not much going on. There is a Tesco though, It’s not an especially diverse place. Apart from the volunteers at the small NGO I was working at, it’s mostly inhabited by Polish people. Much like Slough, it’s main advantage is its proximity to a bigger and much more vibrant city. Would I recommend Minsk Maz. for a visit? Maybe if you’re driving through you can nip into Ekler opposite the park for a coffee or Gromulski for some Pączki. Otherwise it’s probably best just to continue on to where ever else it is you’re going.

We chose The Forth as the hosting place for our first meeting in several months as it is somewhere we used to frequent in our younger days. Just a stone’s throw away from Central Station, the pub’s website describes it as ‘the very definition of urban cool’. Apparently that means a mix of ‘a stylish, contemporary bar with classic pub features and quirky touches’. As someone who is not cool but certainly urban, I can tell you that this also means slightly inflated prices and a noticeable air of pretentiousness among sections of the clientele. Still though I like it here. It is quite cool.

The pub dates from around 1830 and was once named The Forth Hotel. In 1922 it was bought by Canadian heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns who ran it for several years afterwards. I’m not sure what a Canadian former boxing champion was doing coming to the North East of England to run a pub upon his retirement but the Newcastle Evening Chronicle describes him as having led a ‘colourful life’ and it seems they weren’t wrong. During the time he was in change, the pub was raided by the police for selling alcohol out of hours. This caused poor Tommy to panic and flee to Belgium deserting his wife and kids in the process. It has long since stopped selling alcohol out of hours but, following a revamp in 2018, the pub has dedicated its backroom to its former owner and even has a picture of him on the wall. History.

It was in this room that we sat on either side of a classic wooden pub table upon which stood two pint glasses. One was full of Guinness and the other full of the green stuff. Here’s how it tasted.

Appearance: This one looked classic. The cordial to soda water ratio looked spot on and there were buxom limes bobbing on the surface of the soda water, which rose close to the top of the glass. It summary, this was the catalogue cover.

Taste: Looks can be deceiving, but not in this case. That lime cordial to soda water ratio that looked on point certainly was. The drink did need a little stir just to make sure the lime flavour was spread evenly but once was sufficient to ensure continued refreshment throughout consumption.

Price:This was bought for me as a homecoming present so I can’t comment on whether it represents value for money. As presents go, I’ve had worse.

If you’re ever out of the UK for a time and, upon returning, fancy a refreshing beverage to set you up right for life back in Blighty then get yourself to The Forth on Pink Lane in the Toon. The lime and soda here is top notch.

Sources:
Evening Chronicle articles about the revamp and Tommy Burns:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/see-inside-forth-after-major-15426038

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/former-heavyweight-boxing-champion-tommy-6854092

Pub website:
https://www.theforthnewcastle.co.uk/

The Old George, Bethnal Green, E2

Date: November 2017 

For a time I lived in Bow E3, which is just up the road from Bethnal Green. I was the classic example of a young, middle class professional moving into an area formerly considered more than a bit rough but now burgeoning with new developments, new shops and new people. It’s called gentrification, and it’s quite controversial. I moved there because it was cheap enough and, moreover, I found somewhere to live. The part of Bow I lived in was quite quiet and mainly residential. It was close to Victoria Park, which is great, and has some nice pubs. It's also just a short walk or bus ride along the Roman Road to Bethnal Green with all of its life and activity. It was there I often went to meet friends in the various pubs and bars. 

The Old George is one of these pubs. It has been around for a while. Although currently owned by the Antic chain, it dates back to the 18th century. It appears to have had many names, all of them George themed - from George IV to simply The George. These days it's officially recognised as old and has the appropriate moniker to reflect this. Antic bought it in 2013 from previous owners Sue and Keith Allen, who retired from the pub trade, for what seems to me to be a reasonable sum of £85,000. After a refurbishment, it reopened later that same year and has been going ever since. It’s nice inside. It feels like a proper pub and has a decent selection of real ales and tatty furniture to perch on. I imagine the clientele are somewhat different to what they were back in the East End’s glory days, but it’s not ostentatious like other refurbished places and is a good spot to relax. So that's what I was doing there back in November 2017 when I sampled their lime and soda offering.

Before I can review the quality of the drink I have to mention the customer service experience. Upon ordering my drink - “a lime and soda please.” - I was met with a blank stare as though I had uttered words yet to enter the English lexicon. “I'll have a lime and soda please”, I repeated, but still nothing doing. Right, I thought, this is going to be an interesting experience.

Lime and soda is a fairly common non-alcoholic beverage served in pubs in the UK but I get that new bartenders, especially those from outside British culture, may not know what it is or how to make it. This particular bartender must have fallen into one of those categories because, after seeing that repeating my order continually was getting me nowhere, I decided to give him a crash course on how to make this staple of British sobriety. After first explaining what the ingredients are and informing the bartender that the 'lime' generally refers to the lime cordial - "the green stuff in that bottle" - and the 'soda' is usually served from the drinks gun and not a glass bottle like tonic water, I thought it best to let him get on with it. He was the pro, I was just a mere customer. 

Given that I had to do at least half of the work, you’d expect this to have been the best lime and soda I’ve ever had but it's important to note that a) I didn’t have control of the creative process and b) I’m not a bartender, I don't know if the lime and sodas I like are industry standard. I still trusts the experts with their superior knowledge to do a better job than I could. And so I placed my trust in this one.

Appearance: The first thing I noticed about this glass of lime and soda was just how small it was. It really was tiny. A bit like the disappointment you feel when you’ve decided to order a half pint of beer, only to re-discover that a half pint is actually not that much liquid. That was how I felt when this drink was placed in front of me. It was a long way from the full to the brim pints of lime and soda I'd come to expect from the pubs in E2. The next thing that struck my was just how clear the drink was. There was only the palest tinge of green. It looked as though I had poured a glass of Sainsbury’s basics soda water and looked at it through green tinted spectacles. The absence of the crowning fresh lime that should adorn every lime and soda only added to the drabness.

Taste: The initial sip compounded my disappointment. Bland fizzy water. As feared. A more mindful second sip did reveal a hint of the sickly sweet artificial lime flavour that makes this drink what it is, and a stir with my finger did improve the consistency to the extent that after three or four sips I was beginning to feel that this one was a grower. It was certainly punching above the low weight of expectation I had upon first sight and taste. It was cold and refreshing but did require repeat finger stirs keep it palatable. 

Price: £1. Not untypical for a lime and soda in a recently trendy area. It was smaller than I had expected and the service was unnecessarily bespoke for something so simple to create, but you can't really argue with £1 drinks.

Is it worth ordering a lime and soda at The Old George? Hard to say to be honest given the bizarre experience I had with round one. Even more strange was that the second round (admittedly from a different bartender) was different to the first. The second time the drinks came in a pint glass, contained much more lime cordial and also had a fresh lime quarter. It even cost less than the first round. 

In a way the two lime and sodas I had at The Old George demonstrate the point I'm trying to prove in this blog, no two lime and sodas are the same. Even in the same pub, different bartenders have their own interpretations. Like walking down a street in Naples and tasting a different pizza from each pizzaiolo. Such variety is unmatched in the soft drink world. If I had to make a recommendation on whether to come here for your lime and soda I'd say that if you like your sobriety wild and unpredictable, this is your spot

Sources:
Pub website:
https://oldgeorge.co.uk/ https://londonist.com/pubs/pubs/old-george 

Pubhistory entry:
https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/BethnalGreen/OldGeorge.shtml

Article about the pub
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/bethnal-green-s-old-george-pub-sold-to-london-chain-1-2220013 

St James of Bermondsey, St James Road, SE16

Date: January 2019

I came in here late one Friday evening in very early January having spent the previous two and a half hours at a nearby indoor climbing wall bouldering. Bouldering? What’s that? Well basically it’s climbing to the top of low rise walls using plastic moulds as holds, with different colours denoting different levels of difficulty. Seem like a bit of an odd thing to do in a poorly heated former industrial unit in South London on a cold winter’s evening? You’d be right about the cold but odd? Not if you measure popularity by the number of other people who had turned up that evening to do the same thing.

In fact bouldering is a growth sport, if you believe everything you read in articles in The Guardian. One I found says the numbers of climbers is growing by 15-20% per year and apparently ‘sports climbing’ is making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. It certainly feels like an activity with a real buzz around it when you try it out.

It was a good mate who had asked me to come along. I’d been putting it off for months. Turned off by the effort of getting there, my fear of heights and the thought of having to actually speak to the friends he goes climbing with - none of whom I know - I just didn’t think it would be for me, But as it was January and the conventional wisdom is to try new things in the first month of the year, I relented and gave up my Friday evening to it. New year, new me and all that shite.

Climbing seems to me to be the most millennial exercise activity I have tried so far. I like exercise and have taken part in many different types of physical activity in my life. A lot of these have been conventional team sports such as football, cricket, hockey and rugby. Others have been slightly different: I played American Football for three years. I'm also into running but who isn't? I have gone along to informal running groups from time to time, including one where hundreds of people run along the of banks of the Thames on weekday evenings following leaders who blast EDM out of portable speakers carried in their rucksacks. I’ve even indulged in the relatively recently reclassified pastimes of mini golf and ping pong, now deemed to be for adults because specific places have opened where you can drink booze whilst playing. In all of this however, it is climbing, or more specifically bouldering - the one without the ropes - that seems to capture the way that my generation approaches exercise.

First off the aesthetic. The staff at the centre mostly had top knots or long hair and at least one was wearing parachute pants. All of them were very 'dude' and 'man' as they took me through the safety instructions. The climbers themselves are young and beautiful - that might have more to do with the South London location. At 6pm they arrived from work to meet friends. No shirts and ties here, dress down Friday is everyday. Some of the early birds are waiting in the cafe, a flat white by their side or on the Macbook wrapping up the final strands of work for the week. There’s low level house music playing in the background. This music follows you into the climbing area where lone wolf climbers have headphones on. They don’t want to be disturbed. Others with goatees study their routes up the walls.Intimidating men with six packs hoist their shirtless selves up overhangs and women adopt incredible yogic postures on the holds in their tight fitting lycra pants. In the warm up area people engage in deep stretching or do pull ups on exposed pipes. It's all a bit warehouse rave. Free form. There's no supervision or structure. The rules here are what you make of them. Unless of course you decide to climb underneath someone else. That's not allowed.

For many it appears to be as much a social occasion as exercise. Climbers in groups chatter away in young professional tones discussing Tinder drama or new nutrition routines, comprised of Nakd bars and kombucha, all of which are obviously sold in the climbing centre cafe. Everywhere there are smartphones and photos being taken. Instagram looms large here.

If that sounds way too dismissive then please don’t mistake me, I really enjoy bouldering. I’ve been back a few times since this first visit and am starting to overcome that feeling of being out of place in my Umbro tracksuit bottoms and Nike running top as I struggle up the easy routes. I've made a mental note to buy some loose fitting, second hand jeans from a charity shop soon. That should trick them into thinking I belong. It's a fun thing to do and I’d encourage everyone to try it. Just leave your cynicism at the door and embrace it fully. Or alternatively come in early January, when you’re not allowed to be cynical.

An unwritten rule of British social life is that after any form of exertion, physical or emotional, you have to go to the pub. So that’s what we did when we finished up. The St James of Bermondsey is the nearest one we found to the climbing centre. The pub is pleasant inside and seems as though it has been recently renovated. A bit of digging in the archives of Google shows it used to be called the St James Tavern and has been open in the area another since the mid 1800s. These days it has dropped the 'Tavern' moniker and presents its visitors with an array of pies and real ale for their enjoyment.

I’ve mentioned Dry January enough times on this blog before so it should come to you as know surprise that I forwent a real ale and instead chose lime and soda as my post-exercise recovery drink. Another use for this highly adaptable non-alcoholic pub beverage.

Appearance:
It looked like lime and soda and that’s about all there is to it. Clear liquid with a hint of green. It came in a proper pint glass - this is Bermondsey, what would you expect - but the downside was that there was no fresh lime. I guess exotic fruit hasn’t made its way to this part of South London yet.

Taste:
The cordial wasn’t too sickly sweet and the lack of a fresh lime left this tasting a little bland. It’s never good when the soda water is the main flavour component, although it tasted alright. It didn’t seem like it had been there for days nor was it too flat. With a bit of a finger stir there was a sufficient amount of lime flavour in every mouthful but it still tasted too weak for me,

Price:
£1.30. A bit on the expensive side for the quality but still cheaper than a Coke or lemonade. I’ve had better for less money and worse for more. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes.

The lime and soda at the St James definitely got lost in an evening of active excitement and trying new things. Perhaps it would be asking too much of such a humble beverage as lime and soda to compete with house music, topless men and swinging from plastic holds several feet in the air but this is a blog about lime and soda reviews after all.

The pub was a good place to hang out with friends on a Friday and was certainly very busy for the time of year. It would make a good local. If you’re ever in this part of SE16, I’d recommend a visit. Finally, a big shout out to Meg from the climbing group, who helped me with the review. She also ordered a lime and soda and provided me with some feedback on it.

Sources:
Pub website:
https://www.stjamesofbermondsey.co.uk/

Pubhistory:
https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Bermondsey/StJamesTavern.shtml

Whatpub:
https://whatpub.com/pubs/SEL/10712/st-james-of-bermondsey-bermondsey-east

Guardian articles on bouldering/climbing:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/12/climbing-has-gone-from-niche-sport-to-worldwide-sensation-what-is-its-dizzying-appeal

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/28/indoor-climbing-bouldering-only-centres

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/28/is-it-worth-it-bouldering