Weekend round up!

Weekend adventures in Margate and London: pints, pubs, a Chelsea win, a classic Brick Lane bagel, and a dose of home renovation reality.

As promised, Alice and I went to the pub on Friday evening.

The options we have within walking distance here in Margate are pretty stellar. If we fancy a cheeky midweek pint (which doesn’t happen every week, but when the vibe’s right, a little trip out feels justified), we head to a pub called The Princess of Wales.

This isn’t something I’d have even thought about when living in London — back then, I’d be out a couple of nights during the week, plus all weekend. Now? My liver thinks it’s on a retirement retreat..

This place is very much a locals’ boozer. No food. Random DJs during the week. Karaoke every two weeks. A quiz every Thursday. And people vape inside, including the landlady.

A couple of the regulars even have their own drinking tankards behind the bar. I’ve only ever seen two people working there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they lived upstairs.

The first time we walked in, the people drinking at the bar almost broke their necks turning to look at us. Clearly, new blood gets noticed instantly. But after a few visits and a bit of chat with the landlady, we now get a nod or a wave when we walk in.

It’s a nice spot, and it’s only a three-minute walk down the hill. Importantly: £5.50 for a Guinness.

But we didn’t go to The Princess of Wales on Friday night. That’s more of a midweek pint kind of place.

The Shakespeare and The Mechanical Elephant

We decided to head down to the promenade and turn left.

For us, turning right takes you to Margate’s main part — the old town, with all the bars, shops, and restaurants. Turning left takes you to the station and The Shakespeare.

It’s about a 20-minute walk, which is as close to a trek as I’m willing to make for a beer.

The Shakespeare is another strictly boozer pub. No food. They’ll let you order a pizza to be delivered if you want, but it’s very much a nuevo pub (a term I may have just invented).

It’s got modern, warm wood panelling — which pleases Alice — and plays nice music at a volume that allows you to actually have a conversation. I was in there over the summer when a couple walked in, clearly not expecting to land in a hipster pub. They even offered to help finish the decorating not realising that the large portions of the walls that still showed off the colourful, mottled plaster from days gone by was the aesthetic they were going for.

It’s a decent pub for a few Friday night beers, and it was busy despite being January. We drank Five Points XPA, which made me feel like I was back in Hackney — especially with lads in clean-pressed workwear and girls in vintage Doc Martens surrounding us.

After a few pints, we swung into The Mechanical Elephant, the Wetherspoons on the promenade.

From the outside, it looks like one of the ropiest Spoons you’ve ever seen — especially with the state of the crowd smoking outside next to bins, where you can often spot homeless people’s sleeping bags tucked behind.

But inside? It’s not bad.

Typical Spoons: loads of space and, more importantly, cheap booze. I took a picture of the beer menu because I was shocked at how cheap the pints were. That picture came in handy later in the weekend.

Saturday: Chelsea, Pints, and Bagels

On Saturday, I went to see Chelsea with my dad.

We met at Masala Zone in Earl’s Court, which is always absolutely dead. The food is great, so I’ve no idea why it’s so empty. It’s decorated beautifully, and the service is top-notch — but it suits us just fine. I had a huge Rogan Josh Thali.

After eating, we had time for a pint up the road.

It’s been a month since I was last in London, and every time I get a pint there, I remember why I left. £7.50 for a Guinness in this standard pub, eeergh.

I hate to be that guy, moaning about the price of pints — but it kills me. And I’m convinced it’s killing pub culture. Younger people simply can’t afford to go to pubs in London, and if they’re not going now, they’ll never develop a love for it. Eventually, pubs will just fade away.

After a solid 5-0 win for Chelsea, I had a hankering for something you just can’t get in Margate: a salt beef bagel from Brick Lane.

I met a mate at the Wetherspoons by Liverpool Street and pulled up the beer menu photo from Margate to compare prices. The difference floored me. The prices at Liverpool Street’s Spoons were nearly double.

There was no point drinking there if it wasn't cheap. We went to Dirty Dicks instead — music, nicer beers, and a good atmosphere.

It was packed. Same with the Spoons. Clearly, no one was doing Dry January, which was nice to see.

We moaned and laughed for about an hour before I headed off to get my bagel.

Brick Lane and Old Stomping Grounds

I lived in the Whitechapel area on and off for 19 years. That’s longer than I lived in Epsom, where I grew up.

Whitechapel feels more like home to me than Epsom ever has.

There’s been a lot of change in the area, but walking down Brick Lane, getting a bagel, and mooching along Bethnal Green Road still feels the same as it did two decades ago.

Sunday: Back to Renovation Mode

Sunday is stretching into Monday with renovation work on the second bedroom.

The walls are pockmarked with nails and screws. The windows have gaping holes. The floor needs work.

I’ll have to do some work on the windows today, sacrificing writing time to get it done — which has put me in a bad mood. But it’s part of the pay-off of moving to Margate.

This Week’s Goals

This week’s focus:

• Write 5,000+ words for the new book.

• Get the guest bedroom ready for painting by next weekend.

Let’s go!

Final Thoughts

Drop a comment and let me know how you’re getting on.

Like this article — apparently, it helps.

And as always, you can give me a shout on Insta/Twitter @seanshouse or check out more of my work at www.sean-thewebsite.com.