I don't ask for much

[GrandOiseau]

Went for a long walk on Saturday. Ended up in what should be a lovely urban canalside pub. It's a Charles Well pub that I have frequented in dribs and drabs over the years with varying degrees of enjoyment. As anyone from it's area will know Charles Wells has never been at the forefront of fine ale brewing. Eagle IPA is not a beer that will fill the heart with joy, back in poorer times Bombardier was a decent offering. This particular pub for some reason used to have Broadside on a lot which is a cracking beer, if not a little strong. The pub itself is old and characterful. I do remember one landlord being there for some time and running a good ship. Anyhow back to Saturday afternoon....

Walked in and they were playing some old Elvis song at serious volume - ffs, what's that all about. No Broadside. Bugger. Worst still no Bombardier. It was Eagle IPA or Directors. "Courage Directors" wasn't a bad beer at one time but I'll be honest I thought they'd stopped making it. I daren't risk it and settled for an Eagle. I asked for two cups/pots of tea for my lady guests. The young lady seemed to be taken aback by this and asked "two mugs of tea?" I drink out of mugs at home, I'm not a snob but when a pub serves mugs rather than cups or pots I know it's a dive.

Another 60's classic pumped out the speakers. We had always intended to sit in the garden overlooking the canal anyhow. We found a table that had been fairly recently treated. This explained the shadows on the lawn. Lazy sods couldn't be bothered to put an old sheet down to spray treat the garden benches. Later one of the ladies went to the loo and reported it to be in a poor state of cleanliness. All such a shame. I hate seeing what should be good honest decent community pubs being so poorly run. And I don't ask for much.

[AleisterCrowley]

In Bedford, or one of the more far-flung ones?

[GrandOiseau]

In Bedford, or one of the more far-flung ones?

Milton Keynes