Mudchute

The Lord Nelson

Manchester Rd, London, E14 3BD

Date of Visit : 25th August 2005
Approx. Time of Visit: 1.00 pm

Route Used: DLR from Canary Wharf
Distance Traveled : 1.20 miles

Guests: None
Clientele: Local Builders
Pub Number : 069

Characteristics	Rating	Comments
Ambience		Quiet but nice and welcoming
Facilities		2 x fruits, bar billiards, Games warehouse quizzer, large screen
Ladies	0	None at all for the first time on the challenge!

OVERALL

A nice surprise, would go back, a most enjoyable lunchtime pint

For our first real trip into the world of the zone 2 DLR we decided to catch the first train and travel for a random number of stops and see where we ended up. The answer, Mudchute. The area is quite nice with some parks and stuff but no pubs in site. Accosted (the Tim factor at work again?) by two blue rinse ladies asking for directions to their hairdressers, we got a clue that there was a pub nearby with mention of the "Two Hands" (?!?). Although we didn't find this bizarrely named hostelry, we did come across the Lord Nelson. Not promising from the outside, this pub really was a nice surprise, the inside was well laid out and spacious, with room for semi-circular booths and nice tables with wrought iron chairs as well as a reasonably sized bar and a beer garden with picnic tables out the back. Also a small stage complete with keyboard and lighting rig showed that this is a happening local place! (imagine a cockney version of Jerry St. Clair's backing group from Phoenix Nights and you won't be far wrong). The real star of our visit though was our very first Bar Billiards table, complete with rules. A chat with the friendly landlord ascertained that this was a new acquisition, as yet un-played upon, so we felt obliged to break the table in with a display of flair and skill resulting in record scores not seen on the Isle of Dogs for many a year. Unfortunately we are both rubbish and so didn't worry the landlord (ex-local bar billiards champion approx.1967) too much (although for the record, Tim won). At least 3 locals showed a close interest in the game, with two offering friendly advice on the rules (they were wrong, as it happens). Now this sort of place is what we hoped we'd find when we started out, only lacking a buxom barmaid. Would we be so lucky at our next stop of Stratford...?

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