More Soho Pubs: Some lesser known historic pubs in London's Soho district

[@TweedyPubs]

Should you find that you have 40 seconds of your life which are a desperate void you cannot fathom how to fill, then here's a terrible but mercifully short supporting feature to this video of me buying an umbrella from the famous James Smith & Sons: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXu4lJp5o9KirpY

[@josephcollins6033]

Hahahahaha!!! Of course I do. Going there.

[@fredshred5194]

I know a bit silly, but I get some satisfaction from knowing some pubs are older than the USA.

[@dougmacgregor5772]

In the US, I'm happy to find any place that is still in existence from when I was born

[@JohnnyNorfolk]

The St James Tavern was the first pub I ever went in, with my parents. I was about 10 at the time and had a half of Double Diamond.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you for sharing that wonderful memory! I just about recall a time when children could still buy cigarettes in shops if they said they were buying them for their parents, but I don't think I ever had a beer in a pub as young as 10 - perhaps a shandy?

[@urbanpulsewalks]

I've always been a fan of the Lyric. I enjoy sitting in the front window with a lunchtime pint, watching the vibrant Soho world go by.

[@TweedyPubs]

It was my first visit, surprisingly, and possibly I just was a tiny bit unlucky with the timing / my choice of beer... But I can definitely see that place is a real haven for anyone who wants a really serious beer selection. It's not a huge pub so 12 hand pumps and 20 keg taps is hugely impressive!

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

Good beer selection. Each day a different beer for a different mood.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

I might lament the demise of many traditional pub games, but I for one am glad that “rat baiting” is no longer practiced. 😮🥴😂 Thank you John for yet another wonderful selection of pubs. Keep them coming. 👏👏👍😀🍺

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes I wondered when rewatching that bit of the video whether I ought to have passed some moral judgement on the proclivities of 1850s pub goers but I decided we're all grown-ups here and we can draw our own conclusions! As you've probably gathered from my other channel I'm a vegetarian so I join you in not lamenting the demise of rat baiting as a pub "sport" - give me bar billiards any day! I originally recorded a bit of monologue where I mentioned Jemmy Shaw paradoxically turned into a bit of an animal lover. Not only was he an important figure in these early dog shows, but he is apparently partly credited with the establishment of rats as pets.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

@@TweedyPubs Thank you for bringing these iconic pubs to life through the characters of the day. Jemmy Shaw and their like are what makes these establishments so precious. I became a true vegetarian in my mid twenties. It does indeed change your outlook on much of life around you.

[@Oscartherescuedog]

The painted tiles in St James Tavern are stunning! Another great video! Thanks John

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Seán! Yes I was really impressed with those actually, I had seen photos before this visit, but up close the colours are really vivid and the condition was really impressive.

[@Ramsay77]

Little fact I read in Sugar Ray Robinson biography is that he stayed on the second floor of the Star and Garter during the week before his fight with Randy Turpin in July 1951.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you - another great example of boxing being very intertwined with pub history!

[@markwilson7407]

Called at The Lyric last summer, it was a baking hot day and I needed a pint. Stayed for a few more 😊

[@prbentley77]

Love your videos. Can't believe you still haven't been to the East End though. So many pubs you would absolutely love. Princess of Prussia, The Brown Bear, Pride of Spitalfields, Turners Old Star, The Queens Head, The Horn of Plenty, The Peacock, The Palm Tree. I could go on...

[@TweedyPubs]

That's a very fair observation and I definitely do skew to the west (also north) of London! I absolutely should venture further afield, and I really appreciate the suggestions - thank you!

[@apuldram]

I was in Central London last June, it was now after 17:00 on a Thursday (thank you Google Timeline). Every pub was chock a block. So much for WFH! The Queens Head was thankful respite- highly recommended.

[@TweedyPubs]

Great to hear the Queens Head provided a refuge! I guess its ebbs and flows correlate more with theatre schedules rather than office hours...?

[@apuldram]

@@TweedyPubsthat was my working assumption, because I was not exaggerating the over crowding of all the other nearby pubs.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

I really enjoyed the rainy exterior shots in this video. In my memory, it is always raining in old London town! Also enjoyed the pub antiquarian bit where you identified a possible Catherine wheel on the St James Tavern. Could it possibly have been some sort of Free Mason symbol? On a similar note, I suspect those blocked corner windows on the John Snow were always like that? A lot of new developments in evidence in some of the streets, it seems a shame that it is not being looked after as a conservation area - which I presume it is. I wonder when the windmill of Windmill Street met its final end. Really interesting that the street takes its name from that. Another excellent video. So much research and a huge amount of editing.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you Mr WC21! I think I cut some of that bit of monologue out in the final edit but I suspect the Catherine Wheel was formerly a coaching inn (one for the Tweedy Pubs bingo card!). Whenever there's an associated yard it's a strong hint in that direction, and although it's hard to imagine now, Piccadilly (or indeed Pickadilly) was part of an old coaching route. My guess is "Catherine Wheel" as a coaching inn name is partly just down to the fact it includes the word "wheel", even though of course the original Catherine Wheel was an instrument of torture rather than transport... But yes, it could well have some masonic associations and they certainly loved their symbols! If I recall correctly the Survey of London postulated the 1690s as the demise of the windmill, but looking at that 1682 map I got the sense it was a tad earlier than that, as it seemed as though likely residential properties had been developed where it once stood by then. It was lovely to find that little sketch of it on that map of a few decades prior though!

[@robcoles8493]

Tweedy that review was brilliant - i so enjoy the history and the stories about the pubs in that really old part of London. So grateful for your time and effort in makiing these videos - it must take a heck of a long time to do the research and then the editing etc!!!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Rob! I really appreciate you noticing the time that goes into these, I would have thought by now I'd be able to just churn them out really efficiently but if anything it feels like I am spending longer and longer on each video!

[@wayinfront1]

I've been watching the third day of the Cheltenham National Hunt racing festival today, and as you mention said festival being shown live on your last pub's t.v. you can't have made this tour more than two days ago. So I'm even more amazed than usual at the amount of detail you've crammed into your excellent reviews. Loved the big Doulton tiled panel illustrations of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1 in St James Tavern, your first pub. Yes, it is that play: I had to study it for GCE 'O' level English back in '61/'62 (yes, I passed with a score near to 70%). Loved the play. The panels also feature quotes from it. I was hoping to see the one I liked best, when Falstaff is cornered by Prince Hal with regard to some untruth, and told to fess up, but replies indignantly ''upon compulsion? Never!'' Wasn't on the panels, but they're so beautiful. Yes, that is deffo a catherine wheel displayed high up on the pink tiling exterior. All the pubs are lovely. What a treat. Really, though, you uncover an embarrassment of riches. One longs to follow in your footsteps and visit every pub, but I guess that for various reasons, like time and distance, most of us can't manage to do it. So the vicarious viewing of your vids will have to suffice. Keep up the good work.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! I'm afraid the works of Shakespeare are a bit of a gap in my knowledge (I blame my terrible schooling!) so I rather brushed over that bit, but hopefully anyone familiar with those plays could fill in the gaps! If that really is a catherine wheel it is fascinating and perplexing given that, as far as I can tell, the name Catherine Wheel for the pub had fallen out of use around 25 years prior to that rebuild. Very glad to hear that vicarious viewing of these pubs provides some (at least partial) substitute for actually being there in person. As always it was a bit of a mixed bag, but I thought the Queen's Head and the Star & Garter had that magic pub quality, and I really enjoyed my time in both of those hallowed places.

[@liberty_and_justice67]

Tile works in St James are wonderful! The Lyric looked great for ales. Wonderful afternoon walking to different pubs. Envious!

[@TweedyPubs]

I agree - if you want ceramic splendour then the St James Tavern is a good bet, whereas if you want a really good beer selection then head to the Lyric. My personal favourites of the outing were actually two of the others though - the Queen's Head and the Star & Garter - something really special about the atmosphere in both of those pubs.

[@liberty_and_justice67]

Many years ago, was sitting outside a brewery in Santa Monica (Los Angeles) with my wife having a pint. There were two men at the next table. Was not trying to eavesdrop, but noticed the conversation was limited to “real”, “fake”, etc. Their idea of a nice afternoon was to sit outside the brewery and judge whether the womens breasts were as nature intended or enhanced 😂. Were there for hours doing nothing else. Puts watching sports in perspective 😂

[@TweedyPubs]

@@liberty_and_justice67 😂 Each to their own! There are definitely worse ways to spend an afternoon, and I guess there's a bit more sport in that in California?

[@mrmathmos-c1v]

Me and a few mates go on a Samuel Smith pub crawl around London, The Citie Of York is always a good visit

[@algonzales1809]

Tweedy on the case with another superb offering, this time in an area I am well familiar with, the St. James being one that has seen my custom on numerous occasions over the years. The Doulton artwork has now inspired me to dig out the Royal Doulton dinnerware set that lies unused for the last 25 years and perhaps place upon it a meal of corned beef and cabbage on Sunday for St. Patrick's Day. The Queen's Head is inviting indeed and serving Harvey's Sussex Best makes it a must visit on my next nip over from America. There is something comforting and heartwarming seeing the soft London rain falling outside...it feels right and is an atmospheric effect that easily persuades one to stay for just one more pint, one more memory, one last gaze at the world going by.

[@urbanpulsewalks]

I remember in the 80's the James Tavern had an island bar as oppose to the layout we see today, and also had piano in one corner.

[@TweedyPubs]

That's really good to know - I was looking at three of those tiled paintings thinking it seems a bit odd how they're squeezed into a narrow corner beside where the bar counter is now, and guessed that the bar must have been somewhere else originally. It wouldn't have made any sense to have put all that effort into those tiles if they're practically hidden!

[@barryconway]

Gosh, what a rich episode for anyone playing Tweedy Bingo at home, what with; composite capitals, small (im?)pediments, fluted pilasters, cartouches and ionic capitals. Alas, I was foolishly playing one of my Tweedy Outdoor bingo cards, and waited in vain for a “Hello Ladies”, or a “Terrible Content Tweedy”. No winners here, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Ta.

[@garrymartin6474]

I'm tempted to play a drinking game where you have to down a pint of Harvey's Sussex Best for every phrase used ! Timothy Taylor's Landlord may be used as a substitute if Harvey's is not available locally.

[@TweedyPubs]

😂 Thanks Barry! I worry the work of keeping the bingo card up to date may become exhausting! I think cartouches are a relatively new addition to the canon and certainly tourelles had their first showing here. I dream one day of sitting at a pub and overhearing a conversation 'twixt two blokes at the bar, where one talks about the turret on the exterior of that pub and the other corrects him and says it is in fact a tourelle - you can tell by the corbelling.

[@TweedyPubs]

@@garrymartin6474 😂 I fear that pastime could be ruinous! My beer tastes are a bit transparent aren't they? As documented in this video there does seem to be a surge in availability of Harveys in London pubs at the moment, and while I am happy to see it, it almost never tastes as good here as it does in Sussex (best of all, of course, at the Lewes Arms). It has always been a bit of a fickle beast but when the stars are all aligned it is probably my favourite beer of all. I think the Star & Garter did put in a good effort at least!

[@barryconway]

@@TweedyPubs might be me, having that conversation over ale. Particularly since I now know that the "sort of turret" plonked on the side wall of a nearby church might be other than a "turret"!

[@garrymartin6474]

@@TweedyPubs We all have our favourites ! I shall make sure to visit the Lewes Arms as I shall be down there late Spring or early Summer.

[@IanEdwards-g1e]

As a new subscriber to your channel just to note and commend your excellent research and presentation. Very enjoyable. You have convinced me to visit some of the same establishments, including The Queens Head. Keep them coming.

[@dodgyg3697]

Great video, all good pubs too. Must have been a grand afternoon.

[@russellnixon9981]

Another excellent addition to you pub collection. Thank you for including the Star and Garter, spent many an afternoon in there, use to be a photographers hunt as the film processing lab was oversite back in the 90's , photography dilation must have hit the pubs tacking's hard. Have you covered Covent Garden yet rich picking there.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Russell! The Star & Garter was actually the main reason I chose to return to Soho for this video - it's a pub I've always really liked, but somehow I overlooked it in my previous video on Soho. Yes I have done a (short) video on Covent Garden although it could have been better - I ended up unexpectedly short of time on that occasion so it's unfortunately a bit rushed towards the end.

[@russellnixon9981]

@@TweedyPubs You can always revisit lots of interesting places to see. Really enjoy your Chanel You deserve better ratings/ sub's.. As another suggestion pos Richmond. Keep up the good work

[@Maitreya0208]

Another great video! I’ll be back in London in 2.5 weeks and in addition to securing the various bookings for dinner and whatnot, I’ve been working on my list of pubs to visit. The TweedyPubs vids are always great fun, but at the moment they’re also serving as a great reference. By the by, if you (or anyone else) have a recommendation for a pub in or near Clerkenwell (just before dinner at Quality Chop House), please share. Ideally it would have cask ale and good wine. Cheers!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! I did a video on the Smithfield area (which has a big overlap with Clerkenwell) here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX_WaXakppiEpbc I'm not sure exactly what to suggest regarding your specific request though! I think the Hand & Shears is my favourite pub in that immediate vicinity, but it's mostly about the atmosphere and the sense of history - I'm not sure what the wine offering is like. The Fox & Anchor feels a bit more like the sort of place which might have a more interesting wine selection, but again I'm not sure. The Holy Tavern (formerly Jerusalem Tavern) is also nice, in my opinion, but once again no idea what kind of wine (if any?) they offer. It's not a pub but I've always quite liked the bar at St. John, which I think you can usually just show up at without reservations (unlike the restaurant part). They used to have at least one or two decent ales on (I recall Black Sheep in the past, I haven't been for a while though) plus a more expansive wine list as you'd expect from a bar attached to a restaurant.

[@Maitreya0208]

@@TweedyPubs My original plan was to go to The Holy Tavern, but I know it’s small-ish and there will be a total of six of us.

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

Very nice Daulton tile murals at the St. James. You cannot go wrong with antique tile murals. They age well and are relatively indestructible to daily customer wear and tear. They add a nice reflected glow to the room from their glazing. (Our college society building had a nice rare mural of 17th Cent. Delft tile portraying the Spanish navy shelling the coastal Flemish town of Ostend (it was one of the first graphical depictions of accurate trajectories of cannonballs) and we would often turn off the lights, blast the 1812 Overture, and throw snapper contact firecrackers at the tiles as amusement. Soot wiped off with damp cloth.)

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks RRD! Yes I was really impressed by the condition of those tiles - the colours were still so vibrant, and hard to believe they were something like 125 years old - especially as they had spent all that time in a pub, where you'd imagine they'd have got a lot of bashes and scrapes over the years. Although presumably not so many firecrackers!

[@TheMutley]

Excellent video review; full of painstakingly researched history. This channel is special.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you, I really appreciate you noticing the work that goes into the historical research!

[@silondon9010]

Another excellent episode

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you!

[@hillstfan3735]

Another great video , thanks . I've been in Lyric a few times and always seen a good selection of ales . Stairs down to the toilet are a bit drastic on a first visit ( steep and right behind the door ) .

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Yes I definitely think the Lyric deserves a return visit, it was just a bit of bad luck that the beer I went for wasn't at its best. I'll bear in mind what you say about the stairs!

[@davidberlanny3308]

Mornin' John, A great afternoon in Soho, really enjoyed the crawl!! I'm glad you got yourself a Brolly it looked like snow some of the time. Lots of great history and details on show always interesting to see unusual objects like barrel taps on display. I will certainly make a note of the Lyric for future visits, 12 hand pumps, great to some cider too. The Dalton tiled pictures in the St James tavern were magnificent. The story of rat baiting at the Queens head was well recorded in the pictures and I have to make a mention of the Brasso Tin and its accompanying shadow!! (fluted pillaster too!!). Great video, well done. All the best!!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks David - yes I hope there was a good range of pub styles here.- something for everyone? Well at least something for everyone who likes London pubs. From the art interest at the St James Tavern to the grizzly history of the Queen's Head to the huge beer selection at the Lyric.

[@garymcguire8529]

The Lambeth Royal Doulton tiles tie in nicely with Black Prince Rd in Lambeth, and the famous Lambeth Walk. I hope the old Royal Doulton building is still standing in Black Prince Rd, which is near the Jolly Gardener Pub, formally The Jolly Cockney Pub, where Charlie Chaplin's dad would play the piano. Opposite is the Lambeth Walk street market, which takes you almost all the way to the Imperial War Museum.

[@JohnAleman1]

Another interesting vlog/pub crawl 🍻

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks John!

[@marton349]

Your videos esp the London one are an invaluable guide for anyone likeminded who enjoys pubs. We are coming to London soon it would be brilliant if we happened to bump into you sitting outside a pub in the sun. 😄

[@alanthomson5097]

Mr Tweedy Im a new subscriber and thank you so much for your research and information on these London pubs, well done and thanks.

[@elvis197797]

Another tremendous episode. Thank you sir!!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you!

[@paulturner487]

Good stuff as usual!! I love your channel, as I’ve said before! As always, keep up the good work 👌Paul

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Paul!

[@apuldram]

I like the Lyric too, gave me a takeout pint or two during lockdown. By coincidence, watching this wearing a Topsham Brewery t-shirt. Never been there, but have a sympathetic sister who occasionally buys her older brother, a gift he’d appreciate 😂

[@TweedyPubs]

There is a spectacular pub in Topsham - the Bridge Inn - I made a very short video on it but I don't really feel like it did it justice! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYrbcnuOgKergc0

[@tor6684]

Sorry I've been bad at keeping track of your videos lately, but now it's almost certain that we'll make a trip to London in mid-May, and staying in the Blackfriars area (my decision). It's walking distance from Liverpool Street Station, and deliberately a bit more east of where we, out of old habits, usually end up (Bayswater, Notting Hill, Kensington, and such). But it's still on the Circle Line... which is quite handy if you want to get around with the Tube as smoothly as possible. And then I saw that about a month back you did a video about Fleet Street pubs! Are you a mind reader?! Anyway, until then I'll certainly look through a few more, just out of curiosity + the really interesting stories you unveil. Keep up the good work. Much appreciated!

[@josephcollins6033]

Thanks, buddy!!! I'll be there in September.

[@Apollo_Mint]

7:15 Some vintage cobwebs there as well. How often do they clean that pub?

[@cedric11484]

Wonderful video. I will follow this crawl on an upcoming UK visit, perhaps with an umbrella purchase. Could you share how you look after you Tweed when it gets soaked? I've just a couple of Harris Tweed jackets, they don't go out if forecast is rain. As always a big thank you for your work.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Cedric! I just let the tweed get wet! It's the outdoor pursuits cloth and it responds surprisingly well to bad weather.

[@WalksInCamera]

If you get the chance, afternoon weekday drinking in Soho is a very enjoyable experience. A quiet pub in the midst of central London can be very enjoyable!

[@TweedyPubs]

I wholeheartedly agree - it's a blessing that most pubs here open from midday, and although some may have a bit of a lunchtime rush depending on the location, there's usually at least a few quiet hours to be had in the afternoon.

[@josephcollins6033]

Catherine Wheel!!!!!!! I know what that is. And, it would HURT!!! :)) Just subscribed.

[@andrewlawrencemilton]

I never knew my Royal Doulton plates came from Lambeth. Just another snippet of wisdom.

[@coastmansingha9980]

Disappointed you did not feature The pillars of Hercules pub in soho. Perhaps another time.

[@dirkbogarde44]

The Lyric used to be in a very dodgy street in the 80's/90's. It's ok.....always packed at week-ends at night. Bit small though.

[@punkdonkey1]

Hi tweedy what is the difference between keg beer and hand pump beer

[@TweedyPubs]

The lines have been a bit blurred but traditionally hand pumps indicate "real ale": beer that is unfiltered and unpasteurised, and doesn't usually have added CO2 (although of course fermentation will naturally create some of that). So it is a "live" product, and has a comparatively short shelf life. Keg beers are on the other hand generally filtered (to remove the yeast) and pasteurised and have some CO2 added. For some beer styles like lager kegs work just fine, in my opinion, but for more traditional English beer styles like bitters I think having something as pure and unadulterated as possible makes for a much better flavour and overall drinking experience.

[@ysgolgerlan]

Thanks for a nice video, was that your 'Heavy Duty' tweed because of the rain ? 👍

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Ysgolgerlan! This particular tweed suit is one of the heavier ones I have, but it lacks a waistcoat, and it's quite baggy, so it can feel really quite chilly in cold weather. No particular reason for choosing it on this occasion other than I hadn't worn it in a while!

[@bruceknights8330]

Sadly, the Lyric has sold poorly kept beer on my last 2 visits. I'm not hurrying to return.

[@markjohnathanappleton8642]

Another excellent video, love Sam Smith pubs oh try to keep tradition going

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Yes I think the John Snow is quite a fine example of a Sam Smiths pub, albeit on this occassion the guy behind the bar seemed a little bit curmudgeonly.