Scary pubs

[MrBen]

Inspired by an Elephant to Camberwell pub crawl on Friday night, I just wondered if there are any scary pubs left in our immediate surrounds? By scary, I mean to the average normal (ok possibly middle class) guy, the kind of place you don't take the missus to for a glass of Malbec or turn up in a suit in case you get glassed. The kind of place with plenty fringe criminal activity and everyone clearly off their chops on coke.

OR...where the regular's friendliness, openness and genuine hospitality can take you by surprise and you get an old time experience not found in the theme/kit pubs that now dominate SE22.

[KidKruger]

The Castle ?

[woodrot]

The castle is proper shit

Gowlett has the right mix, but is SE15 I spose - does that count ?

[MrBen]

Yes it does. Neighbouring environs (Nunhead, Camberwell, Forest Hill etc) are allowed and in fact, encouraged.

[Otta]

Bird In Hand - Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill. Proper proper shit hole.

I disagree that The Castle is "proper shit", I've grown to quite like it since the CPT went. I do think it fits the bill here though.

[Mick Mac]

Castle is relatively safe IMO.

[woodrot]

not saying the castle is rough, its just crap

The White Horse in Peckam is an odd place

[Kingy]

Castle is the only proper pub left in the area - though the beer could be better at least it's got A JUKE BOX

[Jah Lush]

What Kingy said. It's got a fecking great jukebox an the Guinness is the best in the area.

[woodrot]

actually, I dont wish to tar all w'spoons , but I do find the Kentish Drovers in SE15 a grim experience, even with OK beer and cheap eats..Lively in the summer though, when the weed garden is open and everyone is getting skanked.

[Loz]

MrBen Wrote:

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> By scary, I mean to the average normal (ok possibly middle class) guy, the kind of place you don't

> take the missus to for a glass of Malbec or turn up in a suit in case you get glassed.

Reminds me of a comment by the Aussie comedian, Jim Jefferies. "{You British] are so violent - you are the only people that use the word 'glass' as a verb..."

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Yep, The Kentish Drovers ( The Flying Tumbler!) think fits the bill. Met a pretty scary lad in there 2 summers ago. Good chat, but was glad to leave.

woodrot Wrote:

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> actually, I dont wish to tar all w'spoons , but I

> do find the Kentish Drovers in SE15 a grim

> experience, even with OK beer and cheap

> eats..Lively in the summer though, when the weed

> garden is open and everyone is getting skanked.

[????]

LOL at people calling the Castle scary....very sheltered lives

[KidKruger]

I don't think it's scary too but it's closest thing to what OP was asking for near here IMO from selection of local pubs

[????]

Ok KK

.Mr B there are a load (and I mean a load) of crap pubs from E&C to Camberwell but I can't think of a scary one. Even the Carib. There used to be a Millwall pub with a load of skagheads on East Street in the 80s which was edgy but all the rest (that remain) are just a bit divey, pubs I wouldn't take my missus to maybe (well maybe not) but scary?

[Jah Lush]

Indeed! I've always found The Castle very friendly. The only proper pub left in the area.

[woodrot]

I am not a pub man, never really have been - pubs are a session delivery mechanism for me, so I dont have a regular place since inside 72 crashed and burned.

Not scarey, but the old working mans club on LL was a peach if you liked cheap beer, snooker and old dodgers hogging a half all night

The old man of Kent or whatever in Nunhead is a dump though- seems to be full of scowling evacuees from the new improved and gentrified Old Nuns head

[Chillaxed]

When will the proliferation of 'trendy' pubs (Actress, Bishop, etc) require the definition of 'proper pub' to be reconsidered? In ten years time will forumites be lamenting the demise of the Actress, the last 'proper pub' in ED where you could get 15 varieties of Sav Blanc and there was plenty of space to park your buggy?

I agree with those who have said there are no scary pubs in ED, only the odd one where I quietly stash my pocket hanky in my man-bag before entering. Still not been glassed...

Back in NZ me and my mates walked into the Wharf Tavern one night and notwithstanding the smell of piss, stale sweat and the fact our shoes literally stuck to the carpet, approached the bar and ordered a couple of jugs. The landlord told us that was fine and if we managed to finish them before someone broke a pool cue over our heads they were on him. As far as we could tell we were the only punters there so decided to take him at his word.

[????]

Most scary pubs are ones where the Landlord makes it clear you are not welcome or safe, also pubs where you get asked if you're old bill are a bit unerving - so crim pubs basically.

Linked to this I always felt scared in drug pubs back in the day ie walk in, buy a pint and wait to be approached

Plus obvioulsy away at football in the past...especially where your accent wasn't local.

[woodrot]

???? Wrote:

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> Most scary pubs are ones where the Landlord makes

> it clear you are not welcome or safe, also pubs

> where you get asked if you're old bill are a bit

> unerving - so crim pubs basically.

>

I had this is deptford shithole pubs a couple of times, maybe cos Im big, lumpy and blates wasnt from around the place.Was told to fuck off effectively.

ETA, I have just realised that I was wearing a white shirt underneath my North face each time- having a pint before I went to my tailors - this is what probabaly spooked them

[steveo]

I nearly lost my teeth to the blunt end of a pool cue in the George in Tower Bridge Road not so long ago.

It has sort of pikey/NF vibe if you like that sort of thing.

[Mick Mac]

Old Bill - I was accused of being old bill a few times, my mate was very clean cut and we used to like sh!t pubs, particularly in Finsbury Park. Locals moved to the other side of the bar when we came in.

Bar man just laughed at them though as he knew we were boring accountants, he used to drink with us at a nearby pub.

[????]

Pubs that I thought were scary were the Artichoke in Camberwell (pre-Funky Monkey) - spomeone got shot in there

The Montpelier used to feel unpleasantly unwelcoming (but the Wishing Well was always ok)

The Green Man Cold Harbour Lane, someone got shot in there

[Chick]

pikey/nf

What do you mean?

steveo Wrote:

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> I nearly lost my teeth to the blunt end of a pool

> cue in the George in Tower Bridge Road not so long

> ago.

>

> It has sort of pikey/NF vibe if you like that sort

> of thing.

[????]

nf is National Front and Pikey, well, you know