EGON TOASTE's Wassailled Hostelries Guide
2010
Notes & tours from 2009 - this will change as we plan 2010 and again as we tour about. Just because it's listsed does not mean we'll go - and vice versa, depending on weather and crew. Pretty much the same as the railways, really .... "frozen points .. awaiting crew member ... broken down wassailer at Harlow Mill" .. etc
| TOUR (& Rough Location) | Tour & SIGN of the HOUSE |
Notes * NB: This is NOT a critical review. See below. |
| Oak and Heath | £403 in the hat | |
| Sheering | Crown
|
Landlord's valediction ! A welcoming hostelry, always a pleasure. |
Cock
|
Very freindly, as ever. Good beer and good food. | |
| Hatfield Heath | White Hart
|
Exceeding jolly - actually got paid to cease & desist in the public bar ;-) - lots of lively diners ... |
|
Stag |
Stayed for a wet - much needed! ... and great craic |
|
Zafrani Indian Restarurant |
A Jolly Fine Bunch and very welcoming - could have stayed for a Jalfraizi with very little persuasion. | |
| Broad Oak | Cock
|
A Venerable House, beer still as good as ever ... steaks cut to order |
| Dukes Head
|
Great for a dinner or a feast - good for family outings. | |
| White Roothing | Black Horse
|
New to the Wassailers, but won't be the last! |
| Hallingbury | George
|
Great company - warm & friendly |
| Takeley | Four Ashes |
Landlord's valediction ! A rather fine finish ... |
| Sawbridgeworth | Saturday 11th December 2010 | £248 in the hat |
Bull
|
Afternoon delights a specialty - great for lunch. | |
Three Horseshoes
|
Splendid company - full of revelling diners and big smiles | |
Hand & Crown
|
Landlords Valediction - always extremely jolly and very friendly. Lovely old pub, lovely grub ... | |
Old Bell
|
Jams every other Monday and plenty of live music other times. Damned good company. | |
King William IV
|
Good company - what more can we say? Sawbo City has to be a regional best for a pub crawl. | |
Queens Head
|
Heaving - great bunch of locals with spirit. And a fine range of ales. | |
George IV
|
Great place for a quiet pint - best McMullens anywhere on the planet. | |
Good Intent
|
Full to the gills - so only a brief stop, but friendly nonetheless. | |
|
The Gate |
Rather fine home-brewed ales .. Dragons Breath exceptionally good. Reputation as the pub for real ale stands unchallenged. | |
White Lion
|
Has changed a little over the past year or two, less electric music so quiet enough to sing in. Open Mike every other Sunday night, run by the hirsute and legendary Mike Grace. Suggers can recommend lunch after a very convivial session with the Aussies .... | |
| Manuden Mystery Tour | Thursday 16 December 2010 | £ 170 in the hat |
| Clavering | Cricketers 
|
World-famous. First-class reputation, very well-deserved, for superb cooking. |
| Birchanger | Three Willows 
|
Great local, friendly and well worth a visit if you're flying from Stansted! |
| Stortford | Mountbatten Indian Restaurant | |
| Stansted | Kings Arms. |
Warm & welcoming |
|
Queens Head |
Landlady's valediction - lovely company | |
| The Bombay Butler | ||
| Harlow North | Friday 17th December 2010 | £185 in the hat |
| High Wych | Rising Sun |
Only pub left in High Wych - fine tradition of excellent ale-keeping (which we just had to sample). Splerndid chap at the bar bought us a round. |
| Gilston | Moorhen Temp pic. not Geejay |
Greene King flagship diner, full of happy Christmas Diners. |
Dusty Miller |
Very jolly indeed - a pleasure to sing in. | |
| Eastwick | Lion |
Another excellent pub - live acoustic music from time to time with the Favourite String Band and others. |
| Widford | Crown
|
Lovely village local. Great pint. |
| Stanstead Abbotts | Red Lion |
Scene of the New Year Sing. From Noon-ish. A really happy clientele. Landlord's valediction! |
Jolly Fishermen |
Great riverside hostelry, good for meals and parties. | |
| Ware | The Angel
|
A fitting last call - Company valediction, remakably friendly. |
| TOURS YET TO DO - We planned to go but there's no business with snow business! Next year awaits ...... | ||
| The Ash Vale |
Saturday 19th December 2010 | £ In The Hat |
| Albury | Catherine Wheel |
|
| Wellpond Gren | Kick n' Dickey |
|
| Lt Hadham | Nags Head |
|
| Much Hadham | Bull |
|
| Hadham Cross | Crown |
|
| Widford | Green Man |
|
| Wareside | White Horse |
|
Chequers |
Stortfolk Website:
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* Notes
All our comments are good -. If you want a crit, go see CAMRA or the Good Food Guide. If people are good enough to let us in to sing & collect, that says something about them already. All the pubs have an individual character and it's up to you, the hopeful traveller, to go and see if you like their style. All we offer is a hint or two.
BEERFORDBURY SOCIAL ANNOYANCE POLICY:
Landlords
- if you don't like the look of us, we aren't going to argue if you turn us
away. It's the licencee's right to control
visitors and assess the annoyance we might cause their patrons and we recognise
that.
We do not go where we're not wanted, nor will we add to
the annoyance by asking again next year, unless we become aware of a change
in management.
We're not easily offended. (however the emotional damage
cause by callous rejection of our finely-honed choral skills sometimes takes
months* to overcome)
(*or even minutes)
From experience, specialist restaurants and big drinking-halls with club-type
dance sound are not set up for a wassail and if it doesn't look like the sort
of pub we could do, we don't try. See above for the sorts of pub we like, and
vice-versa.
Those who refuse because the landlord's absent or there's a live gig or an important
match in progress will often be re-visited.
When in a pub, we will very happily shut up if customers want us to - you just
have to ask. Occasionally, we get paid to shut up - we're kind of happy with
that, more drinking time & less vocal strain!
