TOPIC:

Myself and a couple of friends are travelling to England on Sail/Rail, our ultimate destination will be Hyde Park in London to see Pearl Jam.

However we will be staying the first night about an hour up the track from London which puts us around Milton Keynes. Not sure if there's any brewing tradition in MK as it's a new town (like Shannon) - anyone any recommendations of somewhere a stop or two from Milton Keynes where we'd be able to get some nice ales? A long shot, but I said I'd try.

2nd night will be in or around Hyde Park, again looking for somewhere maybe like a brewpub, or something like the Bull & Castle in Dublin. Anyone?

TIA

You're not far from CAMRA HQ in St Albans, but it's a bit fiddly by train. Milton Keynes CAMRA branch website is here[/url:3ti2bntc].

The West End of London is a bit crap, beerwise. The Carpenter's Arms[/url:3ti2bntc] is a nice freehouse, and there's a wonderful Fuller's pub called The Victoria[/url:3ti2bntc] on Strathearn Place, near Paddington.

There is also another good fullers pub , The Star Tavern 6 Belgrave Mews West, SW1X 8HT on the other side of the park.

Thanks for the info lads.

This place in MK looks like a beer dream. Never been in a Wetherspoons either. Decor not my thing, but with that amount of handpumps there has to be something good!

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.mkcamra.org.uk/pub_detail.php?pub=1771">www.mkcamra.org.uk/pub_detail.php?pub=1771

&amp;quot;Tube&amp;quot;:3w1uugs5 wrote: Hyde Park in London to see Pearl Jam.

[/quote:3w1uugs5]

Now that sounds brilliant.

That does sound like a rave review - 'Spoons are a really mixed bag, but some are very good, as this one sounds.

IMO they do however lack the real charm of a friendly, old-fashioned local pub (as they are often big barns of places - all open plan).

It seems that once again 'Spoons are selling a mass-brewed cask beer (Green King Ruddles Best) at a silly price (99p a pint!) when they did this last time, the beer range at many of their pubs diminished significantly, as less choosy drinkers decided to stick with the bargain beer.

If you can beg, borrow a copy of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide (ideally 2010, as things can change) it'll stand you in good stead.

Or you could post up your Q on the real ale Yahoo group or "uk.food+drink.real-ale" group in old-fashioned usenet (accessible via Google Groups) - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.food+drink.real-ale/topics">groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.foo ... ale/topics

I spotted something online a week or 2 ago listing all the London Brewpubs, but can't find it now! I'll keep looking.
Cheers
MikeMcG