New Year, New . . . Pub?

What makes a favourite pub? For me, a few important things, not in any particular order—a fireplace; a decent wine list; proximity to where I want to be; atmosphere; good food.

I’ve decided my favourite pub is The Union Inn, a very short walk from home in Cowes. It’s just recently won an award as the best Fuller’s pub in England—Fuller’s being a massive pub-owning lot with 364 in all in England. (Fuller’s also brews London Pride, a well-known quaff, and has been a British institution for 165 years.)

Here’s where I like to sit at The Union:

There’s a fireplace to the left, where you can see some exposed brick. On chilly autumn and winter nights, it works a treat.

I have other favourite places here. There is no place in Cowes that beats the view from the Island Sailing Club, and with an outdoor deck it’s lovely in the summer. But it’s not really a pub—it’s a place to go to have a glass of wine and soak up the view. And it’s actually a few steps closer to home than The Union, with nice food and a lovely wine list. (It’s starting to sound like the fireplace factors in quite highly!)

The Fountain Inn, just outside the RedJet ferry terminal which means I must pass it heading home, has always been comfortable. Before having a place to call home in Cowes it was the place to stay. Some of the rooms have a view of the Solent, though I recall it all being a bit cramped. The pub is cosy enough, and the food is always cheap and cheerful and tasty. The Fountain is where Tim and I usually go to watch  rugby, and we enjoyed our Buck’s Fizz (aka mimosa) on the morning of the most recent “big” royal wedding (mean Kate and Wills and not Zara and Mike).

Like home, The Union Inn has no television. Like home, I think there are board games; I recall seeing some stashed on a shelf. I keep a game of Scrabble here, and Tim is generally game to give it a go in lieu of the telly (well,let’s face it, he has no choice).

For other lovely pubs in my southern home, there’s also The Wight Mouse, in Chale. Frankly it almost has it all—the fireplace, the wine list, the food, the atmosphere. What it doesn’t have is the proximity to my front door, but when we are out and about, it’s a lovely place to stop. In fact it is a stone’s throw from a western-facing view where you can watch the sun set. Last week Tim and I popped in for a cup of tea and a biscuit after watching the sky grow pink as dusk came, leaving me slightly disappointed that it was too cloudy to see the sun on the horizon dip into the English Channel. There will be other sunsets near Chale, I am sure, now that we have found a place to watch (and we have purchased an old Peugeot to knock around the island with) and we know the Wight Mouse is nearby.

I think I shall have a resolution in 2012 to explore more of my southern England home. Let’s see how The Union fares come same time, next year!

Happy New Year to all!