The White Lion

JoeV · January 2016

I arrived in 2005 and I could swear The Old Dairy was already a pub at its present location

poxy · January 2016

The Old Dairy has been a pub since before 2002.

miss annie · January 2016

Sad news for the regular old fellas who use the WLM as a social spot to get them out of the house to meet other people for a few hours. It's great for older folk and families on lower incomes, and for people who just want a couple of cheap and cheerful drinks or the Curry Club or whatever. Not been for about five years myself but I know several people (not red faced!) who will feel its loss. Who are the 'we' who want another comfortably generic craft beer and mismatched furniture joint? I don't. Important to remember that not everyone in SG is a wannabe hipster, thirty something, high earner. Danger of SG becoming very boring to those who actually are interested in something a bit different.

miss annie · January 2016

And by the way the Devonshire - the Wetherspoons in Crouch End, is also being sold. Which seems completely sensible up there.

NorthNineteen · January 2016

The new Wetherspoons in Muswell Hill is nice

Papa · January 2016

The Old Dairy was already a pub when we moved to Stroud Green in 2005. It was a decent but haphazard big pub that was a bit faded round the edges but already attracting a younger less gastro and family crowd (more like the Fullback clientele).<div>It did food.<br><div>Where the restaurant is it had big sofas and a massive pull down TV screen for the football.</div></div><div>The atmosphere was more like the Fullback.</div><div><br></div><div>The Old Dairy was taken over, shut down for a while and emerged gastrated.</div><div><br></div><div><div style="font-size: 13.3333px;">It was always pretty busy - probably busier and better now though.</div></div><div><br></div><div>At that point the Stapleton was called the Larrick and veered between being empty and rammed and bit of a party pub.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the Noble, now Hopsmiths, was still called the Big Fat Sofa.</div><div><br></div>

NorthNineteen · January 2016

Were big sofas the 2005 equivalent of todays un-matching chairs and tables?<br>

Sutent · January 2016

I liked the big fat sofa

krappyrubsnif · January 2016

Gastrated. *Like*

Fin · January 2016

<p>The Diary has been a pub of some sort since at least 1999. The guys behind Urban Pubs did indeed take it over in 2007 (not 2009 as I stated previously, lived here longer that I thought!).</p><p>I've known one of the guys behind Urban Pubs for 30 odd years, happy to help put you in touch Krappy if you'd still like to talk to them.</p><p><br></p>

NorthNineteen · January 2016

If this thread keeps going for a few more pages we will get to there being a point where the pub was at least 19th century!<br>

krappyrubsnif · January 2016

Yes please Fin, though I suspect my email may not have sent properly, will do it again.

krappyrubsnif · January 2016

I would like to wave a magic wand and return the White Lion of Mortimer to its pre-redesign state. It was brilliant. There was a massive round table under the atrium, a proper faux-Victorian centre bar with (if I remember right) some kind of metal top, bar stools, some comfy chairs and two working fireplaces. Also, best of all, it had basically several different bar areas, for the posh types to the left and at the back, and a smaller room to the front on the right, peopled mostly by the Red-Faced Ones. There was room for everybody. Does anyone else recall this?<div><br></div><div>It was written up in the Observer as the perfect pub - I'll try to find the article. </div>

NorthNineteen · January 2016

Hopefully the guys at Urban Pubs do something similar.<br><br>Do pubs ever offer cheaper drinks during the day? It surprises me they don't, much like a restaurant often has lunch time menus.<br>

Papa · January 2016

Maybe there's a role for wearable technology and mutually beneficial variable pricing.<div><br></div><div>Drinks more expensive when you get in and are most thirsty, less expensive when you are a few pints in and weighing up another or going home, and then the price rockets to unaffordable when you've definitely had enough.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

NorthNineteen · January 2016

That is genius! <br>

Fin · January 2016

<p>My emails seem to be struggling to get through too Krappy, will let you know though if I do manage to get hold of the Urban Pubs guys.</p>

Gloria · January 2016

I arrived in 1994 and a few years later the Old Dairy emerged from a white goods emporium that occupied the site then. Like Krappy I mourn the passing of the old WLM, it had a good feel and tried hard to be a decent no nonsense boozer. It's transformation via airport lounge refurbishment killed it for me. But it serves a social function as it is now, it's cheap, warm and a place to gather for those who are older, have better taste and less income than those less than half their age who think nothing of spending 7 quid on a pint of home brew.

miss annie · January 2016

kreuzkav · January 2016

The White Lion was the best pub on in Stroud Green in the 90s, along with the Faltering Fullback (before it went ..10 years ago). About 2000 it was turned into an airport lounge. I've only been in once or twice a year over since 2000 but I find it generally friendly. Good selection of beer and the food is cheap. It's not Seasons but it's good cheap food. There's so much snobbery out there. Really like Gloria's comment: <span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But it serves a social function as it is now, it's cheap, warm and a place to gather for those who are older, have better taste and less income than those less than half their age who think nothing of spending 7 quid on a pint of home brew.</span><div><br></div><div><br></div>

miss annie · January 2016

The Faltering Fullback is still there. Ewok Village and all, are you thinking of somewhere else that went 10 years ago?

kreuzkav · January 2016

@ Miss Annie. Sorry maybe not so clear but i put ... to fill in blanks. I'm trying not to use negative words. But I'll clarify the Faltering Fullback went wankersville ten years ago.

ADGS · January 2016

I am definitely stealing 'gastrated'.<div><br></div><div>Moving away myself soon enough, but in the meantime I'll miss my weekend Spoons brunch. Best make sure to get down there one last time this weekend.</div>

miss annie · January 2016

Oh, where are you off to @ADGS? Somewhere lovely I hope. I'm going to nip in for a breakfast this weekend too.

ADGS · January 2016

Upper Norwood, once we've rewired. A little more remote, but very nice and leafy - and the Spoons at Crystal Palace is not on their kill list...

miss annie · January 2016

A couple of colleagues live out that way, it's pretty. Hope you'll be very happy over there.

Papa · January 2016

Thanks ADGS, steal away. I'd be very happy for my term for pub gentrification to move into common parlance. <div>How long have you got left in Stroud Green? </div><div>Is there a Stroud Green bucket list of places you feel you must make the most of before you depart?</div>

Arkady · January 2016

Maybe we should have a stroudgreen.org 'Spoons brunch on Sunday.

miss annie · January 2016

I'm in.

ADGS · January 2016

No firm date set yet, we need to work out when the electrician can sort the new place. But definitely planning a few farewell pizza trips before I go, and I shall miss the Parkland Walk (though I think we have something similar at the other end). Beyond that...hard to say, really. So much of the area as I'll remember it has already changed, with this another example.

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