The Wellington

Rugby watching; a saturday sin in winter.

We go to many pubs/bars/homes/Dixons on a Saturday in the dark months. A lack of planning and adventurousness leads to a glacially slow exploration of new places to watch.

Returning to an old haunt, The Firestation at Waterloo, revealed that they had turned it into a trendy eatery and ditched the TVs. Sh*t. We needed somewhere else and fast. On the other side of the road, just past the 'Sainsburys-Smaller-But-Irritatingly-More-Expensive", loitered The Wellington.

We had no choice.

We had all been here before whilst using the station as a meeting place. This time we had gone in 'for a reason'. It owed us.

I had horrific memories of this place but it has been redone. You cant change geography however and its still full of crazies, rentboys, drunks, wierdos and foreigners. Mostly arriving or leaving via the station, which is all too close to this establishment. We fitted right in.

Drinks not cheap, some of the beer smelled funny. Lots of TVs and staff willing to up volume and change channel as you wish; useful for watching less mainstream games. Chips were nice.

I'm not sure I'd bother again. A nice to know when you are in a hurry.

PS See attached for cryptic loo sign above the basin in the gents'.
PPS Forgot to take a picture of the quite tasteless fresco of the battle of waterloo, complete with Napoleon and Wellington. What a great thing to have as the first taste of british welcoming pub culture as you step off the Eurostar...
PPPS They are also a hotel at a frankly outrageous 70 per night. God, I dread to think what occurs up those stairs.