FREEDOM PASS WETHERSPOONS PART 6
FREEDOM PASS WETHERSPOONS PART 6
The George - Wanstead Part 6
Wanstead's premier tourist attraction (seasonal) .....
..... the bluebells are out and carpet Wanstead Park, a twenty minute stroll from The George.
The Moon Under Water - Hounslow
This Moon Under Water was originally two shops, 84 and 86 Staines Road, built in 1905. By the outbreak of the first World War, number 84 was a post office which later became a hardware store and extended into number 86, formerly a grocer's.
Situated on the far reaches of the Piccadilly line, I decided to check out this Moon Under Water en route to Heathrow. Unfortunately, it was closed for a few days for renovation. But Hounslow has a large British Asian community and you don't come to there to eat Wetherspoons fish and chips when you can have a splendid chicken biriyani, a pint of Kingfisher and the best garlic naan ever at Namasthe Hounslow.
In 1919, brothers Ross and Keith Smith flew from Hounslow Heath Airport to Australia in less than 30 days to win a £10,000 prize offered by the Australian Government.
The airfield closed in 1920 with flights being transferred to Croydon.
Hounslow Heath Airport is not to be confused with Great West Aerodrome which opened in 1929 and is now Heathrow Airport.
The Star Light - Heathrow Airport Terminal 4
As this pub is airside, to sample its offerings, you need a plane ticket. I bought one to Malaysia which is my second home, especially during the British winter.
At the end of the Second World War an isolated village called Heath Row was requisitioned for and international airport and, on December 6 1945, a civil aircraft landed there for the first time. It was a 13-seat Avro Lancastrian 3 named Star Light. The new airport was initially called London Airport, becoming Heathrow in 1966.
Unsurprisingly, prices at e Star Light are double those in the outside world, but still compatible with other airside restaurants and bars - and they are open from 0530am. I have an early flight and access to the Qatar Airways lounge but still feel duty bound to shell out for a Wetherspoons bacon sandwich.
The Crown Rivers - Heathrow Terminal 5
Including The Crown Rivers (open from 0430!) is a bit of a cheat as I've not actually been there. But my twinge of guilt is trumped by a yearning for inclusivity. So I commissioned my niece Sam to check it out for me on her way to Reykjavik a few days I'd flown out of Terminal 4.
When Terminal 5 was built two royal, or crown, rivers had to be diverted. King James I originally owned The Duke of Northumberland's River. Longford River was dug for Charles I, James I's son.
Over in Malaysia, where there are no Wetherspoons, I was expecting some nice pictures from Iceland - volcanoes, geothermal spas or perhaps even the Northern Lights. But no - all I got from Sam were some snaps from the Icelandic Phallological Museum, enough to make anyone (apart from a Tory whip?) blush. And I then had to explain who Jimi Hendrix and Cynthia Plaster Caster were. How come it's ok for my 25-year-old niece to send dick pics to her 76-year-old uncle but there was a huge fuss when it was the other way round?
The Willow Walk, opposite the station, is less than 100 yards away from Wetherspoons Victoria and the quieter of the two.
Victoria Station opened in 1860 and became an important embarkation point for boat trains from the continent. During World War I it served as a terminus for trains carrying soldiers to and from France.
Victoria Station opened in 1860 and became an important embarkation point for boat trains from the continent. During World War I it served as a terminus for trains carrying soldiers to and from France.
Marshy ground leading to Westminster Abbey was once crossed by a causeway called Willow Walk. Presumably because of its close proximity to Victoria Station the pub opens at the early time of 7am, useful for city commuters needing a stiff drink before heading to the office.
There is plenty for tourists to see close to Victoria including Buckingham Palace, St James's Park, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral. I've previously been to all of these but not the recently renovated Big Ben. But tour tickets go quicker than a Taylor Swift concert as I discovered at exactly 10am on the second Monday of April when those for July were released and no amount of refreshing could secure a slot.
The Half Moon - Mile End
From 1900 to 1977 this was a Methodist chapel before becoming the Half Moon Theatre Company. Wetherspoons converted it into a pub in the 1990s.
This was one of the thirty-or-so Wetherspoons I'd previously visited. But having been kindly offered a Speed Awareness Course I decided (obviously) to choose a venue near to a Spoons.
The 'offer' - after being caught speeding - is a no-brainer as the only alternative to the £85 course is a £100 fine and three points on my driving licence which would increase my insurance premium.
The George - Croydon
This Wetherspoons is named after an inn which stood nearby called The George and Dragon, known to be in existence as early as 1497. It boasts a selection of fine old prints of Croydon, some recalling the days when trolleybuses were the workhorses of public transport.
Just around the corner (above, left) from The George is the legendary Fairfield Halls. Since it opened in 1962, most of rock's nobility have played there, including The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Pink Floyd. I will be returning in July to see comedian Rhod Gilbert.
The Delta Point building, close to West Croydon Station, will be familiar to Batman fans as Gotham General Hospital in the film The Dark Knight Rises.
Numerous unsuccessful applications have been made by Croydon Council for city status, claiming it is 'the largest town in Western Europe that does not have the title of City'.
Update (July 2024):
Populated at lunch time by pensioners and estate agents, The Sir Julian Huxley feels very much like a village pub. It has a nice conservatory and beer garden.
Getting there from Wanstead was pretty straightforward - Underground, Elizabeth Line, Overground, Tram and Bus.
British zoologist Sir Julian Huxley was the first Director General of UNESCO and a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund. He was instrumental in establishing the Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve which opened in 1936 and is a 30 minute walk away.
To maximise my time exploring the reserve, I took the 433 bus to Dove Close from The Sir Julian Huxley.
The wooden bear was carved by tree surgeon Selwyn Smith in 1988 to mark the first Forestry Show. The annual event initially showcased action being taken in the wake of the storm of 1987 which destroyed many trees.
Apparently around half the world's bluebells are in the UK and, like Wanstead Park, Selsdon Woods is a popular place to see them. Unfortunately, I could only find a few isolated examples. But I didn't have time to check out all 200 acres - especially when the April showers turned to hailstones.
Julian Huxley's family tree is littered with renowned academics, the most famous being writer Aldous Huxley, his brother, and evolutionist T H Huxley, his grandfather, popularly known as Darwin's Bulldog.
I took the scenic route home by bus, tram, tram replacement service, rail, District Line, Elizabeth Line and Central Line.
STILL TO VISIT ....
The Holland Tringham - Streatham SW16 1HJThe Good Yarn - Uxbridge UB8 1JX
The Tichenham Inn - Ickenham UB10 8DF
The Village Inn - Rayners Lane HA5 5DY
The Greenwood Hotel - Northolt UB5 4LA
J.J. Moon's - Kingsbury NW9 9EL
J.J. Moon's - Wembley HA9 6AA
The Barking Dog - Barking IG11 8TU still closed for refurbishment.
The Moon & Stars - Penge SE20 7QS
The Moon Under Water - Norbury SW16 4AU
The Moon Under Water - Watford WD17 2BS
The New Cross Turnpike - Welling DA16 3PB
The Nonsuch Inn - North Cheam SM3 9AA
The Watchman - New Malden KT3 4ES
The Tailor's Chalk - Sidcup DA14 6ED
The Whispering Moon - Wallington SM6 8QF
The Wibbas Down Inn - Wimbledon SW19 1QT
The Furze Wren - Bexleyheath DA6 7DY
The Wrong 'Un - Bexleyheath DA6 8AS
Comments
Post a Comment