THE 2023 'OLDEST' SOLSTICE GALLON

  Grade II listing:- Public house. 1848-49. Painted brick with guilloche sill band at 3rd floor level. 4 storeys and basement. 2 windows. Elaborate ground floor facade of 3 bays with arcaded treatment. Above, a centre piece with flanking scrolls and swags with putti in relief holding crossed keys. 

The Cross Keys (1848) was charming - we actually had a couple of beers here. Quirky furnishings and some strange folk it has to be said. Not too far a wander from Covent Garden.

  Recessed casement windows in enriched stucco architraves, the first floor with console-bracketed dentil cornices, the 2nd cambered arches with keystones, the 3rd round-headed with keystones 

 Twinkling is what stars are intended to do, of course. And its devoted attendees certainly think "brilliant" is a justifiable word to describe The Seven Stars: a perfect, ancient London boozer. Roxy Beaujolais, its legendary publican-- the Alewife For the Ages, as a pub critic has called her-- might personally be thought of as a substantial sparkler rather than a coy twinkler. So, about both, starting with the pub. 

 Situated just behind the Royal Courts of Justice on Carey Street, this 'narrow' pub has somewhat of a café feel. The plastic covers on the tables more reminiscent of a greasy spoon than a historical boozer. 

 The narrow and very steep stairs to the toilets, adjacent to an office. The beer was excellent, which let's be honest is why we come to these places - along with the chatter. Worth a visit if like us you are looking for the older 'character' pubs - which it certainly had in heaps. 

     For tangible evidence upholding 1602, one needs to look within its much later brick and stucco exterior cladding, and its mostly late Victorian bar interior. Unmistakably ancient roof beams are exposed in the plaster of the sloping north wall in the upstairs kitchen. The floorboards of the first-floor passageway and the office are very old oak. Datable Tudor construction is visibly apparent in the cellar view underneath the ground to first-floor stair. 

 When Listed Building Consent was obtained for an electric dumbwaiter that was installed in 2001, the hole cut through the first floor revealed unplaned hewn beams, an insulation packing of ancient reeds, and joined timber connections rather than nails. The most telling sign of the pub's late Elizabethan date is the characteristic historical formation of the narrow and steep stair with winder treads, from the bar to the first floor. In 2019 the pub's Elizabethan stair carcase was fitted with oak treads and oak wall linings to protect its substructure, and to delineate its glorious configuration. 

 Inner London’s busiest streets crisscross quiet cobbled lanes for an effect that can be urbane or quaint – or an intriguing blend of both – depending on the particular corner you turn. 

 Due to its especially convenient location, bustling Holborn hosts an excellent range of hotels, eateries, and shops to suit practically any taste or budget. 

 With major attractions like the British Museum and Somerset House as well as popular areas such as Covent Garden and Soho all just a short walk away, Holborn is a smart base from which to explore London.    

The Captain Kidd is a pub in Wapping, East London that is named after the seventeenth century pirate William Kidd, who was executed at the nearby Execution Dock. The pub is a Grade II listed building, and was historically used as a coffee warehouse.

The Captain Kidd pub is situated at 108 Wapping High Street, next door to the Marine Police Force headquarters. The building originates in the 19th century as a three-storey brick house, and was remodelled in the Edwardian era.

   To the rear of the building, there is a former workshop that goes out to a wharf. The building, along with 110 Wapping High Street, are now Grade II listed.In the 1980s, the building became a pub, having previously been a coffee warehouse.  It was named after the seventeenth century pirate William Kidd, who was executed at the nearby Execution Dock in 1701. 

 The pub has a nautical theme and retells the story of Captain Kidd and his execution; the layout of the pub is designed to be similar to a ship’s hulk.  The entrance has a large archway, and the pub has three floors, and has a terrace overlooking the River Thames. 

For over 10 years, Piano Smithfield has been the quintessential piano bar – a charming place to soak up the fun, lively and often raucous atmosphere whipped up by some of London’s finest piano players and singers, all the while requesting songs and indulging in the most delectable drinks and choice cocktails from an expertly crafted menu.

Now, driven by the passion of soul and blues artist James Sayer, Piano Smithfield has become London’s premiere live music and piano-bar venue, showcasing some of the best talent in the UK music scene today. Piano Smithfield has already played host to a whole range of acts and musical styles and has most recently featured acclaimed jazz and soul artists such as Liane Carroll, Ian Shaw and Derek Nash. 

 Still continuing to preserve the classic late-night piano bar tradition, Piano Smithfield is now also paving a way for exciting live music in the heart of London’s Culture Mile with a packed programme of shows each week followed by the brilliant piano players that are the beating heart of the venue.