The Bricklayers Arms, Putney, SW15

This one has returned to being a destination pub following a period when it appeared that its glory days might be behind it. Some work has been done on the place - the area to right where they used to hold beer festivals has now had residential accommodation built on it; and the toilets have been moved to the back left of the pub allowing a small outside drinking/smoking area to be created. Otherwise it's largely unchanged with a table skittles game (free to use) still in place on the lefr hand side of the pub. But where it scores highly is on the beer front, with 11 (eleven) real ales available on my visit. They have some sort of link-up with Sly Beast Brewery which is based at the Ram Inn at Wandsworth, with a couple of their ales on including an excellent porter and 4ft 2 (a reference to the gauge of the old steam railway at Wandsworth). There were four Timothy Taylor ales on including the regulars of Landlord and Boltmaker, but also a dark mild. There were also a couple of hoppy ales from Five Points Brewery; Stiff Upper Lip from By the Horns; Siren Brewery's Yu Lu which is tea flavoured (pretty awful in my opinion); but the star of the show was Wimbledon Brewery's XXX.K - t's not often you see a 10% ABV beer on handpump! This is a pretty mixed selection, providing something for most tastes. The Brickies has now returned to being a destination pub.