The Bow Bells, Bow, E3

Dating from 1866, this was indeed a Taylor Walker pub, as evinced by the gun carriage atop the arched sign frame. The exterior is still painted a somewhat alarming shade of tangerine, but inside it’s still much as Moby found it four-and-a-half years ago, with carpet, brown lacquered wainscoting to dado height, then brick red wallpaper with gold flower patterns. The furniture is still traditional as is the brass Victorian-style lighting; one item of note is the leaded and stained-glass pot shelf, held aloft by several brass barleycorn supports. I expect that over the last few years though, the demographic round here has changed quite markedly, notably from all the high-rise ‘luxury’ blocks that have gone up. Notably there were several families in, with children and toys; it was a bit like drinking in a nursery school. Then there were more traditional locals, pickled rotten at only 8pm, with accompanying foul language, but then there were the young, professional incomers, including a group of twentysomething American women. On the ale front, there were three unused pumps but hearteningly still Hophead at a fair £2.25 a half and in good nick, served by a friendly barman. This isn’t a bad place, worthy of a stop on a crawl, but I think perhaps the language from some of the customers – especially in earshot of so many young children – is a behavioural trait that could go; mind you, so could the children.

Official site of The Bow Bells - www.thebowbellspub.co.uk

Official site of The Bow Bells - www.thebowbellspub.co.uk

It's still painted bright orange, but once inside you find yourself in a traditional east end boozer.Red carpet and red wallpaper with a gold design, it's a bit blast from the past, basic table and chairs are placed around the walls and bar stools for those who prefer to sit at said bar where we find four hand pumps,three beers were on, London Pride , Truman's Fire starter and Dark Star Hophead. This is a very basic pub but worth stopping for a pint.

We see so few pubs painted a bright orange that I was a bit wary as I entered. But three ales being on helped somewhat. They were nothing terribly exciting, but the availability of Doom Bar, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and London Pride (£1.80 a half) was a very pleasant surprise. A cheapish pub grub menu was available on Wednesday afternoon, with, for example, beefburger and chips at £6.75. This is clearly a locals’ pub – they don’t get many tourists down this far east. There is some nice wooden panelling on the walls up to the dado level, but just about everything else of its original Victorian interior has long gone. The room stretches back to the left hand side of the servery to an area with the classic combination of pool table and dartboard, and on to a tiny courtyard with a couple of tables. This outside area is no doubt used by smokers, as I can’t imagine anyone sitting out here just for the pleasure of doing so. But there are a few picnic benches out at the front by the main road. On the plus side the pub has not been infested with sofas and tall tables/tall stools, and there was a pile of London Drinkers on a shelf on the right. This is still a basic East End boozer. It’s not a destination pub, but with three ales on it’s certainly worth dropping in for a pint if you’re passing.

Several hundred yards or so east of The Little Driver is The Bow Bells, a welcoming traditional East End pub with something of an old fashioned boozers feel. As we approach the pub, we see a listed exterior, which, unfortunately, is painted in a horrendous orange colour. We also see the cannon logo outside telling us that it is a former Taylor Walker pub. An L shaped bar serves a comfortably furnished and carpeted single room which has half height boarded wood panelling. The walls are decorated with local photos of the area and the pub. Note in particular, a photo of the pub in 1910 advertising Smith Garrett Prize Beers. There’s also an old Ind Coope price list dating back to 1971. Down the far end of the room is a snooker table and dart board. Here there’s a number of old photos of former boxers. Further round, perhaps inevitably, is a framed print of Bobby Moore. Seating consists of traditional banquettes around the room’s perimeter together with spindle backed chairs. Tall stools at the bar reflect the fact that this quite a locals pub. The bar counter retains its wooden gantry with some leaded and frosted glass inserts. For some unaccountable reason – I can’t imagine there’s much passing trade here – the pub management feel the need to remind us that we are in the East End and, on the bar gantry, we have several mini blackboards with naff messages in Cockney rhyming slang – eg “Welcome to our Near and Far, Get comfy and enjoy a Lily in the Pink” and “we have a grand range of pimples and blotches”. On my recent Sunday afternoon visit, a few locals were watching football on TV, but the pub was otherwise pretty quiet. Beers on were Black Sheep, London Pride and, notably, Pitfield 1850 Porter, a beer not seen before and which was a fine moreish pint ( ABV 5.2% - £ 3.50p ) . I quite enjoyed the visit – it seems to have a warmer and more friendly atmosphere than what I remember previously. Worth calling in – don’t let the dreadful orange painted exterior put you off

Randomness Guide to London - Bow Bells entry

Randomness Guide to London - Bow Bells entry