 | Forum
Reply | Düsseldorf recommendations
at 14:52 28 Aug 2026
Depends what you're after of course (sun, sea, cobbled streets and whatnot look away now), but if you like world-class art, culture, shopping, music, or food & (of course) drink, it's just fabulous. This city is highly underrated, with surprise gems waiting around every corner.
The Königsallee (the "Kö") is one of Europe's most luxurious shopping street. And even if shopping isn't your thing (it ain't mine), you can't deny its beauty – countless elegant shops set along a picturesque canal, flanked by chestnut and oak trees. The bridges over the canal are perfect for photos. Along this street, you can also find a mix of classy restaurants, cafes, and bars. As the art centre of Germany, Düsseldorf has been hotspot for contemporary artists from all over, both local and international, for over 50 years. Big names like avant-garde artist Joseph Beuys, visual artist Gerhard Richter, sculptor Katharina Fritsch, and Thomas Schütte have all called Düsseldorf home. There are several first-rate museums where you can explore contemporary art, including the famous Kunstsammlung, which houses the 20th and 21st century art collection of North Rhine-Westphalia. Unlike many German cities, Düsseldorf is fiercely modern. After the second world war, much of Düsseldorf had to be rebuilt, so you won't find many of the traditional timber-framed houses commonly found in Germany here - the result is a blend of preserved Renaissance-style buildings juxtaposed against sleek steel and glass ones. A must-see spot is the Mediahafen, as its architecture is truly one-of-a-kind., whilst the real showstoppers are Frank Gehry's mind-bending Neuer Zollhof towers, which twist at crazy angles, gleaming with mirrored walls and warped windows. Düsseldorf's Old Town claims the world's longest bar, and locals and tourists alike come here to have a good time – with quite literally hundreds of bars dotted along its narrow roads. Folks in Düsseldorf are pretty chill, open-minded and outgoing - it's easy to chat with random locals, thus belying the English stereotypical view of Germans. The drink of choice has to be Altbier (see above on thread), which is akin to English real ale, with traditional breweries where you can taste the different varieties of it. It's also a hub for alternative and cutting-edge music and performers - remember Kraftwerk? The Salon des Amateurs in Grabbeplatz is a legendary club not just in Düsseldorf but also Europe. There's also a wide range of festivals and events all year round; from the traditional to the eclectic; it's one of the few cities that holds the best Carnival celebrations, only second to Cologne. In the summer, Düsseldorf also hosts Germany's most attended jazz festival, the Düsseldorfer Jazz-Rally and another annual event is the Rheinkirmes fair every July, attracting massive crowds to its carnival rides. As a nod to its large Japanese community, every year, typically in May or June, Düsseldorf also becomes the venue for one of Europe's largest Japanese culture festivals — 'Japan-Tag'. This also helps explain the cities many Japanese restaurants, so if you like sushi, it's yet another reason to enjoy.
I do not work for the Dusseldorf tourist board. |
| Forum
Reply | Düsseldorf recommendations
at 10:39 28 Aug 2026
The place is teaming with bars. Be sure to try the local speciality 'Altbier', a copper-coloured beer made in the same way (top-fermented) as English real ale.
Some obvious spots:
* The Oak's bar - a bit touristy place in the Old Town but very much like an English pub
* Zum Schlussel - another Old Town brewpub which serves possibly the best Altbier in town & does good grub too
* Holy Craft beer bar - does a huge range of beers, including Belgian
* Brauerei Schumacher - another great brewpub a little outside the city centre |
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 23:08 27 Aug 2026
Thanks Beckenham. I could bore people for hours on this (and have done). As to why, it's a long story, for which you'd need a psychologist, but something to do with my Anglo-Belgian ancestry, I guess, and a great liking for beer. I then got into the wine trade and used to give tours and lectures on this sort of stuff, thus necessitating a bit of research. As with anything once you start delving, the more you know the more you realise what you don't know. |
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 09:23 26 Aug 2026
Next time you're in the City with time on your hands, be sure to check out the appealingly named Hoop and Grapes (originally named Hops and Grapes to show it sold both beer and wine) which claims to be the oldest Licensed House In the City. Originally built in 1593, it's been extensively changed over the years, but was very lucky to survive the Great Fire of London, which stopped just 50 yards away. As a result, the structure is one of the very few timber buildings to have survived. The first impression when you enter is of the crooked 17th century frontage with sash windows fitted in the 1720’s at eccentric angles, whilst to the back is a flagged floor next to a huge chimney breast in a space that was a kitchen in the sixteenth century.
The building was also scheduled for demolition in the early 1990s, but thankfully, was saved with a Grade II-listing in 1991. [Post edited 26 Aug 9:59]
|
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 12:35 25 Aug 2026
I spent a very agreeable evening last month in a lovely spot In Yorkshire, the Bingley Arms, in a tiny village called Bardsey. The place, which dates from the 17th century, claims something quite remarkable, namely, continuous operation as a drinking establishment since 953AD. A little research this morning suggests that, unlike many pubs claiming Saxon origins such as the Fighting Cocks and Olde Trip to Jerusalem, whose claims fall apart under scrutiny, its case is pretty strong. For starters, there's impeccable written evidence from medieval times that refer to earlier grants and establishments referencing the 'alehouse at Bardsey' which reach back to the 10th century, and various property histories compiled in the 13th and 14th centuries that mention the 'Bardsey brewhouse' as an ancient establishment. The site was on important routes, near religious establishments, in an area of sustained settlement (loads of Anglo-Saxon finds). So, the pub's claim is modest and specific - it doesn't claim that the current structure is Anglo-Saxon, just that there's been a drinking establishment on this site since then - a defensible position imo. That the place doesn't over-claim in its marketing material, which carefully distinguishes what is known and what isn't, for me strengthens their case rather than weakens it - when a place admits what it doesn't know, I'm more inclined to trust it. |
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 20:54 24 Aug 2026
Yup, sad times - the 'youngsters' just drink Peroni (lfw quizzical emoji). Another sign of the end of civilisation. Enjoy it while you can. |
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 20:35 24 Aug 2026
Sorry, but it just isn't, or, at the very least, it's highly unlikely (earliest evidence 1622). I'd send you links but reading this thread alone just might persuade you? [Post edited 24 Aug 20:38]
|
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 13:54 24 Aug 2026
Fascinating stuff - thanks for sharing. I'm personally convinced by James' argument that anything claiming Anglo-Saxon roots is basically unproveable, so we're heavily reliant on scraps of written info and/or dendrochronology (dating of wood by tree rings) - James is a buildings archaeologist and so tends to favour this method, but it only gives us a rough and ready date. Following this, he concludes that the George in Somerset (as you mention) has a good claim to be one of the oldest (the problem with the George is you can't drink in the old bit, but get shunted into a barn at the back, which rather ruins it for me), but he also suggests that the New Inn in Gloucester is just as old (worth a visit btw, as the most well-preserved medieval courtyard inn in the country), and admits that these are probably only the tip of the iceberg as more medieval pubs' beams get dated - lots of arguments still to come, I fear.
In an academic article James wrote a couple of years back he says this: 'But perhaps it is time to move on from redundant arguments as to where the oldest pub in the British Isles. It is surely more important to measure pubs on the quality of service and atmosphere, while continuing to conserve and appreciate such historic buildings as fine community assets.' I agree! [Post edited 24 Aug 13:58]
|
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 12:08 24 Aug 2026
The Mermaid is a truly wonderful place which takes you back in time without the need of a tardis. Its cellars date back to the mid-12th century and most of the current building from 1420, with Tudor additions in the 16th century. |
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 22:37 23 Aug 2026
Yeah I know James - great guy, and the last person on earth to use the word 'definitive'. I think we'd like to agree that we have such a rich heritage that any claims to be the 'oldest' are pretty pointless. Let's such celebrate the oldest pub culture in the world? My Belgian father would immediately chime in ... [Post edited 23 Aug 22:44]
|
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 22:08 23 Aug 2026
The George is a truly fabulous place, but i'm afraid can't claim to be the 'oldest'. Unlike the ones cited in the thread, it's not mentioned in Domesday; the first written of it is in 1222, and the first proof of a licence to sell alcohol is 1397 (I could go on about medieval licenses until you've all gone home, but it's of interest to those of us involved). The place had such a colourful history afterwards (enquiries on request) that, I suspect, gave it its reputation.
. [Post edited 23 Aug 22:30]
|
| Forum
Reply | Ye Oldest Pub
at 18:13 23 Aug 2026
There's quite a few pubs that go back to the Anglo-Saxon age. The Old Ferry Boat Inn, St Ives, Cambridgeshire reportedly dates back to 560 AD although there's no written evidence of this, but the inn is mentioned in Domesday Book and according to locals is haunted by Juliet Tewsley, a ghost who appears annually on the anniversary of her death by hanging herself after a narrow home defeat in the last minute in 1050 (+3). The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds dates from 947 AD, and features a 16th-century stone fireplace with “witch marks” intended to ward off evil spirits who often appear dressed in Chelsea kits (ok, I made that last bit up). Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham – claims to have been established in 1189 AD, but as you say there's definitely ones as old, if not older ones there, for example, Ye Olde Salutation Inn, which sits on a network of caves and is believed to date back to the 9th century. It is also, inevitably, reputedly one of the most haunted pubs in England. The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, also documented in Domesday Book as The Ship Inn in 1086, is considered one of the most likely candidates for the oldest pub still in operation, whilst Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (stop it), St Albans claims to date back to 793 AD. The George in Southwark has the oldest documented claim in Town (1542), but the Prospect of Whitby also claims to be older (1520), as does The Cheshire Cheese (1538). Ye Olde Mitre (1546) and Ye Olde Cock Tavern (1549) also date from the 1540s. [Post edited 23 Aug 22:27]
|
| Forum
Reply | Film 2026; don't think we have such a thread yet
at 15:45 9 Aug 2026
Saw it yesterday at the local Imax in Wimbledon. It probably falls between two stools, being neither a full-on 'action' film nor a consistent attempt to delve into the more serious themes. One problem is that Nolan never finds much balance between the parallel journeys of Odysseus and his son Telemachus, making the film feel structurally clumsy at times (it doesn’t help that Tom Holland seems wrong for the role, sapping the gravitas from Telemachus’ path to maturity), and Classicists might also grumble about key incidents from Odysseus’ voyage home being skipped altogether or given such hasty treatment that they carry no weight - blink and you might miss Scylla, the six-headed sea monster that Odysseus and his men dodge while steering their boat around a whirlpool, and only those with excellent recall of their English studies are likely to have much idea what’s going on when the man-eating giants called Laestrygonians make a rampaging appearance. That said, several key episodes work very well. The dramatic escape of Odysseus and his men from the cave dwelling of the sheep-herding one-eyed giant Polyphemus is well-handled, and has consequences for the voyage given that the enraged Cyclops is the son of vengeful sea god Poseidon, whilst the standout sequence is perhaps the soldiers’ visit to the island domain of Circe, a treacherous witch played with deceptive calm by a truly chilling Samantha Morton. Damon gives a commanding performance as the titular 'hero', and his wife Penelope is played with just the right balance of steely self-possession and vulnerability by Anne Hathaway, whilst it's in the last half-hour or so that the film's themes finally acquire potency — about the sobering disillusionment that follows war; the fragility of heroism; defiance of the gods; the uncertainties of homecoming after a long absence. Perhaps the most resonant theme is conscience, as Odysseus weighs his achievements against his sacrifices, from the drowning of his men to the slaughtered Trojans, tricked by a gift to the gods in violation of all that is considered sacred. Unsurprisingly, it's a visual feast, with stunning sets and costumes, whilst for me the preference for in-camera spectacle over digital fakery is a strength rather than a weakness.
All in all, not the masterpiece that some have claimed, and no match for the intellectual complexity of 'Oppenheimer', but an enjoyable watch all the same. [Post edited 9 Aug 15:47]
|
| Forum
Reply | Cask/Real Ale
at 09:54 30 Jul 2026
This. Whenever I go into central London I stick to Spoons but even their prices are rapidly catching up. But in my local in Sutton a pint is still relatively cheap (£5.40) and in Spoons £3.19 (£2.95 Mon-Weds) so all is not lost quite yet. |
| Forum
Reply | Cask/Real Ale
at 08:40 30 Jul 2026
Yeah, depressing news. Real ale is a real pain for pub landlords as it goes off so quickly, so unless you've got a loyal following as it were then I can see why they stick to lager. That said, there are still many great pubs where serious drinkers gravitate towards. For Harvey's fans, there's the Royal Oak near London Bridge which does the complete range - Best, naturally, but also the seasonals such as Tom Paine, Armada, Bonfire Boy and Old (my favourite). In South London next to Carshalton stn, the Hope is a wonderful community-owned old-fashioned boozer with a tremendous variety of ales, then you've got the ever-reliable Fullers pubs and of course Spoons - the new one at Waterloo is very good, as is the one in Hammersmith. |
| Forum
Reply | Corny Joke Warning
at 13:34 17 Jul 2026
On my way to work this morning I helped a fairy get up after she'd fallen over. 'That was kind of you', she said, 'in return, I'll grant you a wish - anything you like'.
'ok', I said, 'I wish to live forever '.
'ah', she says. 'I'm afraid that is the one wish I cannot grant.'
'mmm' I replied. 'ok then, I wish to die when England win the world cup'.
'you crafty bastard' says the fairy. |
| | johann28
|
Site Scores| Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 0 |
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.