| Pub |
Recommended
Beer
|
Visit
Date |
Comments |
Score |
| Wych
Elm |
Pride,
Cheswick |
17th
December 2004 |
This was
the night of the climbers Xmas party. Whilst Glen
and Brian chewed over their favorite arętes and crevasses
the darts continued to fly. With straight finishes of 78, 76, 57
& 40 from Brian you would have thought that Brian and K2
would be the MVPs but no. Once the beer kicked in, K1 and I
started to perform, the deficit was reversed and a win in the
final deciding game meant an epic comeback was secured. |
9 |
| Willoughby |
Pride,
Spitfire, Pickwick |
10th
December 2004 |
With no
one finishing with any consistency the games went on and on and
on. At midnight I had managed to become the MVP despite barely
finishing a game. By 0:24 a.m. K2, whilst aiming at two boards,
had deservedly taken that mantle for the 2nd week running. |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Best and
Pride |
3rd
December 2004 |
One
hundred and eighty but not the MVP. That honour goes to K2
who found his darts and his form this week. LVP was John who
spent most of the evening fiddling with the electronic score
board. |
9 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Guinness,
Ordinary, Mixed |
26th
November 2004 |
You
would have thought that an eccentric 98 finish (T20, 20, D9) at
the end of the evening would make me the MVP but alas no. In
truth that was my only contribution. Brian's opening 4 straight
finishes and K1's consistent form left K1 somewhat surprisingly
the MVP and me undeniably the LVP. Just when I thought I had
cracked it too. |
9 |
| Wych
Elm |
London
Pride, Cheswick |
19th
November 2004 |
With the
best of 5 finished in 3 it was a welcome interruption from the
locals that broke up the pattern of play and prevented the 2 K's
receiving a total whitewash. A final flurry late into the night
saw Brian take the MVP and left K1 as the LVP once again. Since
it could not possibly be his bad play K1 really must practice
his motivational skills to inspire his partners. |
8 |
| Woodies |
Adnams
Broadside,
Ruddles County,
IPA |
12th
November 2004 |
Did I
lose my voice from too much celebration, too much smoke
inhalation or too much beer? With the Broadside clocking in at
4.7% I really can't remember. The photo shows the darts score
with John going home as MVP and K1 the LVP. The clothes tell me
that I had an evening of passive smoking and the head tells me I
drank too much beer. I'll blame the smoke for the loss of voice
this time so roll on the smoking ban. Until then we'll have to
visit better ventilated establishments. |
8 |
| Lamb |
Adnams |
5th
November 2004 |
The
beers doggy, the dart boards occupied, the music's too loud and
the landlord wants out. No wonder we dream about finding a new
pub which ticks all the boxes. I guess we will probably have all
taken up bowls and golf before we schedule another visit to this
once fine establishment. |
6 |
| Willoughby |
Witch's
Brew, Hobgoblin, Battersea Power Station, Stormy Weather,
Fisherman,
Bewitched, Rite Spooky,
Landlord, Ghost Train, Sky Rocket, Trick or Treat, Tribute, Load
or the Glen, Dishy Debbie, Leaky Willy, Spinning Dog Mutley's
Pit Stop, Witch's Familiar, Black Sheep |
29th
October 2004 |
With so
many beers to sample there was little time to discuss much else.
Roll on St George's Beer Festival so we can all have the full
set of T shirts I say. |
9 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Courage
Best |
22nd
October 2004 |
After an
indifferent start the dream team awoke to beat the 2K's 8-6 in a
sea saw tussle. For those less interested in the darts the
action was accompanied by Joe Calzaghe's points win over
Kabary Salem! |
9 |
| New
Prince |
Butser |
15th
October 2004 |
With no
darts to keep us occupied we had to resort to a discussion
about bike gears. Strangely bike lights were not even mentioned.
Fortunately the conversation was cut short by a long awaited curry. |
8 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Guinness,
Ordinary, Mixed |
8th
October 2004 |
The
dream team of John & Dave chalked up 5 straight wins before
anyone else started and the evening was all but over. A quick
trip to the Hard Rock in Rome is obviously good darts training! |
9 |
| Woodies |
Broadside,
IPA |
1st
October 2004 |
An embarrassing
white wash on the dartboard was saved after the first 7 games
went to the 2 K's with some impressive first dart finishing. But
what was the hustler doing at Woodies? It appeared that some
guy wanted to give away his money by trying to get the
highest score throwing blindfolded with his left hand. Fortunately
Keith saw sense and politely refused the challenge telling the
drunken chancer he didn't want his money or the hassle that went
with it. |
7 |
| Wych
Elm |
London
Pride, Cheswick |
24th
September 2004 |
After
nervously sitting down and chewing the cud over a few beers,
darts commenced and Evan's random scoring was amazingly surpassed
by his stunning finishing. |
9 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Courage
Best |
17th
September 2004 |
The beer
was back but it didn't help the darts. The electronic score
board removed any doggy scoring which meant the spectators and
then the players lost interest. |
8 |
| Waggon
and Horses |
Guinness,
Ordinary, White wine, Fizzy water. |
10th
September 2004 |
One
hundred and eighty. While monkeys type away trying to
reproduce the works of Shakespere stranger things happen in good
old Surbiton. Evan ends the evening on top having finished the
most games of darts and I get a maximum. (In trouble and with 200
still to go the
banter went something like "OK, I'll get 180 and you can
finish"). What odds on that before the evening started? |
10 |
| White
Horse? |
London Pride |
3rd
September 2004 |
One
hundred and eighty. Yes a 180 at last in the first game of
the evening at that. (15 darts to get from 401 to 308 then 110,
followed by 180 and double 9 to finish) Was the secret the Gomshall swim or the 1
hour cycle to get there? It certainly wasn't the moonlit
walk back to JR's or the excellent curry which followed. |
10 |
| Woodies |
Broadside,
ESB, Ansalls 3B |
27th August 2004 |
With
Paula Radcliffe and Denise Lewis's applications to the Olympic
Rejects to discuss and discard because they failed to live up to
the Olympic ideal the darts started a little later than usual.
The standard appeared to improved as the number of beers sampled
increased but some doggy maths and dubious barracking robbed
Brian and I of certain victory. |
8 |
| Willoughby |
Duchards
(pronounced duck's arse apparently), Archers |
20th
August 2004 |
Surely the Willoughby can't be about
to suffer the same faint as the Lamb and the Kelly's! Maybe it
was the torrential down pour or the Olympics which was keeping
the punters away. What ever is was we did our best to make the
place look busy. (See photo) |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Guinness |
13th
August 2004 |
Another
pub on its last legs with a choice of Guinness, Guinness or
Guinness. The Olympic opening ceremony failed to inspire with
lack luster displays in the Pool and Darts. The table football
was cancelled due to lack of interest. |
7 |
| Lamb |
Adnams
or Adnams |
6th
August 2004
|
The
landlord and landlady had their farewell events the previous
weekend and the pub had closed on Monday with the expectation of
a new couple on the Wednesday; however, new couple didn’t have
the dosh so pub re-opened on Wednesday with same landlord and no
beer, although they were able to obtain a barrel of Adnams.
What’s the future for this fine hostelry?
It could go the way of the Lamb (Kingson) or re-open as a
corporate themed pub – ‘The Lamb and Shepherd’, The Roast
Lamb and Mint Sauce’? It
may have been our final visit with a quiet garden discussion. From our first memorable visit (8th August ’86)
this has been a fine and mildly eccentric venue.
For careful stewardship of bikes, a good selection of
real ales, friendly service, a garden, darts and a really top
juke-box, who can begrudge them a valedictory 10? (KS) |
10 |
| Waggon
and Horses |
Guinness,
Ordinary, White wine. |
30th
July 2004 |
After 7
days on the Greek lager I was eagerly anticipating the return to
the traditional Nigerian variety.
An excellent evening of quiet discussion
under the stars. So, how come 4 pints of Guinness induced
the '2 aspirins at 5.30 am'
hangover that persisted till late afternoon? Jet
lag or darts withdrawal symptoms I guess. (KS) |
7 |
| Who
cares? |
1664,
San Miguel, ... |
23rd
July 2004 |
Week off
for good behaviour |
10 |
| Wych
Elm |
London
Pride |
16th
July 2004 |
With
only three punters this week, the darts were getting a little
predictable until a challenge came in from the locals. Suddenly
the standard improved and the challengers were sent back to
their seats with their tails between their legs. Well almost. |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Best
Bitter |
9th July
2004 |
With the
dart board occupied, the evening was started with a pool
competition. This was followed by a lack luster darts contest
and would have been followed by a game of table football had the
barmaid not had to go to work the next day! |
7 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness,
Red wine, Smirnoff ice |
2nd July
2004 |
A easy
victory on the dart board for the two K's meant we could retire
early and enjoy the rest of the evening outside the men's toilet
with Shelia's kid sister. |
7 |
| Willoughby |
Archers |
25th
June 2004 |
To start
the evening with the Greeks beating the French at football was unexpected
enough, but to have John & Dave (The Dream Team) trounce all comers
at darts was truly unbelievable. I guess we should savor the
moment as it will never be repeated will it? |
9 |
| Woodies |
GB, IPA |
18th
June 2004 |
A ideal
location for live footy, idle chat and darts. Just a shame that
the cross wind diverted the darts from their intended target. |
8 |
| Lamb |
Archers,
Pedigree |
11th
June 2004 |
A
serious chat outdoors with drinkable beer available;
unfortunately the rate
of drink intake was very slow
resulting in a 4 pint evening. (KS) |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Best
Bitter |
4th
June 2004 |
Outside,
inside, darts and table football kept us busy. |
8 |
| Globe,
?, PMU |
None
especially but 1664 is stronger than the competition |
28th
May 2004 |
With
no other punters out we were left to explore the highs and lows
of French evening entertainment alone. In truth, it is not surprising
that the French prefer an early night as the beer is pretty
awful. Table
football does provide some fun until blisters and cracked
knuckles force early retirement. Once back
at the hotel it is a good idea to have remembered your
glasses and the combination so you can get in! |
5 |
| Wych
Elm |
London
Pride |
21st
May 2004 |
With
maps and magnifying aids in evidence ahead of next week Tour de Toulouse
the darts got off to a slow start. The excellent beer distracted
some but aided others resulting in some surprising finishers.
Evan's granny would have been proud. |
8 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness,
Coke, Red wine |
14th
May 2004 |
Birthdays
are like buses. You don't get one for a while then they all
arrive together. Three
in this case. After a pleasant evening in the garden with a few
pints of Guinness we couldn't think of anything better to
do then enjoy a curry in the Ajanta. |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Best
Bitter |
7th
May 2004 |
Two
hours of non stop darts saw numerous low spots punctuated by one
or two unconventional yet inspired finishes. With K2 restricted
to the lower half of the board, due to a rib injury, it was
fortunate that Keith's new missiles began hitting the target.
Once the effects of the alcohol kicked in John started to
make his mark until he was forced to leave to catch the train.
My miserable performance was capped by a last gasp lesson in
table football which only confirmed it was time to retire for
the evening. |
8 |
| Woodies |
Broadside, IPA |
30th
April 2004 |
The
new dartboard inspired some of us whereas Keith's new darts
remained unfulfilled. A 13 dart finish with attempts at a
maximum by Dave and Brian left the Keith and John totally
deflated. |
8 |
| Willoughby |
Orkney
Skull Splitter,
Felinfoel Double Dragon,
Castle Eden Cross of St George,
Hanby Golden Honey ... |
23rd April 2004 |
A
wide selection of unusual beers brought the punters out in their
droves and sent the taste buds into overdrive. The sun even came
out so the first few pints could be sampled in the garden next
to the barbeque. Can we have St George's day next week as well? |
9 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness,
Coke, Sparkling Water!! |
16th
April 2004 |
A 51st
birthday doesn't come along that often so what better to do
than have a beer and a curry?
A game of darts would have been nice but a crucial delay after
the football finished let the builders in. Lesson learnt. |
7 |
| Wych
Elm |
Pride
(before a 10.30 fall!) |
9th
April 2004 |
A
shortage of punters, no darts thanks to Mr Sams and a rigorously
enforced 10.30 Good Friday closing – and I came back from
Barcelona especially for it!
The main plus points were stimulating chat and the lack
of beer-induced headache on Saturday. (KS) |
5 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
None |
2nd
April 2004 |
What
is it with this place? You
think it’s recovered its former glory and then it slaps you in
the face. Tonight
we had the ‘pub with no beer’; not strictly true, as it
apparently had barrel-loads but the bar staff simply couldn’t
connect it. You
might consider that good company, some top darts and potable
Guinness provide adequate compensation, but frankly they don’t.
Time for improvement again! (KS)
On
the other hand you could have been in the Blues
Bar in Castillo de Fustes on the island of Fuerteventura. No
darts but who needs darts after a relaxing day in the Sun? |
3 |
| Willoughby |
Welters
Nice Pear |
26th
March 2004 |
They
say that lightening doesn't strike but John and I have won yet
another game of darts. I guess the smoke screen was just too
thick for the opposition to see through. It certainly smelt like
it on Saturday morning! |
8 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness |
19th
March 2004 |
More
beer, more darts, more curry,
more birthdays and another marriage! It must be groundhog day. |
8 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Best,
Pedigree |
12th
March 2004 |
Back
to darts and the relief was almost audible but the lack of
practice showed particularly in the finishing department. Never
has the saying "Score for show, doubles for dough"
been more poignant. |
9 |
| Lamb |
Broadside,
??, Red Wine |
5th
March 2004 |
As
thoughts turned to the Spring cycling trip many of us were
pleased to hear of K2's cold which is affecting his early
training. But, with Shelia's new heart rate training programme
and Brian's relentless 60 mile Sunday morning rides the rest of
us still have plenty to worry about. Still plenty of time to get
the bike out. Lets wait till April when the sun comes out!
They'll all be burnt out by then. |
8 |
| New
Prince |
Butser,
Red Wine, Water! |
27th
February 2004 |
With
a game of darts refused due excessive swelling of my knee we sat
down expecting to hear how bright and sunny it is in New Zealand
only to find it rains there more than here these days. So off to
the Ajanta to
see how small they can print the menu. No wonder we always end
up eating the same dishes. |
8 |
| Victoria |
Young's,
Guinness |
20th
February 2004 |
A
lift to, and a taxi from the pub ensured my sanity remained. Pantani's
passing was marked by some speculation about which was the best
energy food for cycling. As always the good old fashion banana
is strongly recommended. |
7 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness
or Red Wine |
13th
February 2004 |
NZ:
A number of pubs sampled but no dartboards yet found! Beer is
interesting with various attempts at bitters and dark ales but a
bit fizzy. Lot of publicans from Sarf London mate (including one
from Fulham). Otherwise wine, scenery, walking,
swimming, jet boating, kayaking, cycling, horse riding have
all been a 10 rating. (JR)
UK: No darts just idle
conversation with beer in hand to while the evening away. Where
would you rather be?
|
7 |
| Kelly's
Arms |
Spitfire |
6th
February 2004 |
With
darts renovated and the locals moved away from the dartboard the
battle began. Fortunately, Andy Fordham's lessons in finishing
had been forgotten and normal service resumed. Brian was the
only contestant able to finish and hence the outcome was never
in doubt. 7-3 I believe. |
8 |
| Willoughby |
London
Pride, IPA |
30th
January 2004 |
A
head to head darts shoot out between the Shepherd brothers
provided me with plenty of practice with the chalk. Two
extremely close 180 attempts was only surpassed by some
outstanding 2 and 3 dart finishes. |
8 |
| New
Prince |
Butser |
23rd
January 2004 |
With
the 3 piece suite in front of the dartboard fully occupied any
thought of darts was out of the question so we had to resort to
some good old fashioned conversation for a change. All followed
by a much needed and very tasty curry. |
7 |
| Waggon
& Horses |
Young's,
Guinness
or Red Wine |
16th
January 2004 |
Have
the two Keith's been to the Andy
Fordham school of finishing? All I can say is that if they
carry on like this the oche will have to be moved back to make
the game a little more challenging for them. Was it really 2-10? |
8 |
| Woodies |
London
Pride, IPA |
9th
January 2004 |
Keith's
darts retrieved from the last outing to this fine establishment
and pleasantries over the darts commenced and, with the
exception of one game, the finishing was out of the top draw.
That is with one exception. I subconsciously decided to maintain
the lowest of standards in order to increase the confidence of
those around me. Pity we lost 9-10 really. |
8 |
| Wych
Elm |
Fullers
London Pride, Chiswick |
2nd
January 2004 |
Who
needs to watch the world darts championship when you can play
with a guy who practices with Lionel
Sams one of the quarter finalists this year. Even he
couldn't win every game as the standard went up a notch at last.
Who knows 2004 could produce the first 180 in recent times! |
9 |
