East Finchley - Pendar Sillwood Fri 6th Dec 2013

 

Out they come. The office people who only go to the pub once a year for Christmas drinks. They really bugger things up for us regular pub crawlers. It's no fun at all to be stuck in pubs for most of the night that are as crowded as rush hour tube trains; nowhere to sit, nowhere to put drinks down, if you're lucky there will be a place to put coats and bags down, having to shout at each other above the din...
Which is why central London is best avoided in December.

East Finchley is one of those areas you probably only know from the tube map. It's also one of the increasing number of areas where it's possible to still host a pub crawl now, but probably won't be for much longer, given the current closure rate of pubs. In fact, the best pub in the area is due to be sold and it's unlikely that the lease for the pub will be renewed.

 

To view the map click here.

 

Times are for guidance only and are subject to change on the night.

 

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#1

 

6.15pm - 7.10pm

 

Bald Faced Stag
69 High Road, London N2 8AB

- Just up the hill from the tube station is this gastropub. At this time of the evening there is normally plenty of space for drinkers. Amazingly for the area (which is quite middle class) this pub had a reputation for being a bit rough, so its reincarnation as a foodie place is probably a rare exception of gastrification improving a pub.

 

#2

 

7.15pm - 7.50pm

 

Gertie Brownes
95 High Road, London N2 8AG

- Friendly Irish pub that I've had no inclination to ever leave when I've been drinking in there!

 

#3

 

7.50pm - 8.25pm

 

Madden's
130 High Road, London N2 9ED

- Much the same as above. Strange that they should be opposite each other.

 

 

#5

 

8.35pm - 9.10pm

 

Clissold Arms
105 Fortis Green, London N2 9HR

- This pub has offered good food for as long as I remember. These days it's more of a restaurant that has a pub stuck on the front, rather than being a bit more integrated.
It is famous for hosting the first ever gig by Ray and Dave Davies (of The Kinks) in 1961. They didn't have far to travel, the house they grew up in is directly opposite (6 Denmark Terrace, to the right of GMS Joinery).

 

 

#4

 

9.10pm - 10.10pm

 

The Alexandra
98 Fortis Green, London N2 9EY

- The pick of the pubs tonight and a complete contrast to any of the others. This one has atmosphere and a great CD juke box (Elmore James, Johnny Cash, The Clash, Black Sabbath anyone?) hence the longer stay in here.

[This pub closed permanently four weeks after this crawl]

 

 

 

#6

 

10.20pm - closing

 

The Old White Lion
121 Great North Road, London N2 0NW

- Back toward the tube station for this last pub. Longer standing Mensans may remember the meetings that Penny Dye used to host here. Then it had three bars, now it has one. Then it was an old man's pub, now it has a much younger clientele.
The service isn't great but it's a big pub and it's next to the tube line. In fact, the entire pub was moved a hundred yards southwards to allow for extra tube bridges to be built. Not sure how they managed that.