Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series

[Christophe]

Couple of potential routes for Saturday for you to mull over. Easily extended if you like.

Bures 60km - http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=497196 route clockwise.

Maldon 60km - http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=497199. route anti clockwise

7.00am start? Powers Hall Roundabout?

[Oscar's dad]

I'm working from home and bored.  So my mind has wandered to the options for next Wednesday evening's ride.  The Good Beer Guide offers up several unvisited (by me at least) targets in Chelmsford.  They are: the Odd Fellows Arms, the Orange Tree, the Queen's Head and the Woolpack. 

Does anyone have any views or knowledge of these establishments?

EDIT: I have just done some Googling and discovered the Orange Tree and Queen's Head are on the same road and the Woolpack is close by so we could all three in one evening 

[delthebike]

EDIT: I have just done some Googling and discovered the Orange Tree and Queen's Head are on the same road and the Woolpack is close by so we could all three in one evening 

Odd Fellows seems to be near the prison could prolly fit in all of 'em!

[Oscar's dad]

I think 4 pubs on a MEMWNS ride is a bit excessive and hardly in the spirit of the series. What you're talking about is a Friday Night Ride to the Pub(s), an endeavour that needs resurrecting!

[JenM]

I've been to the Woolpack with work colleagues for a sausage feast.  Thought that it was a friendly pub and seemed to have a good range of beers.  The only problem we found was that they had run out of sausages.

They used to have a website, but that seems to have disappeared.

[Oscar's dad]

I've found the Woolpack on Beer in the Evenings and Facebook but couldn't find a website - never mind!

[bobb]

Does anyone have any views or knowledge of these establishments?

Obviously, I've been to all of them many times 

I wouldn't say any of them are much to write home about - they're all just kinda back street boozers.

I'd say the two on Lower Anchor Street are the best. Kinda cosy, warm pubs...

If I had to rank them, it'd be: Queen's Head, Orange Tree, Woolpack, Odd Fellows.

[Oscar's dad]

Does anyone have any views or knowledge of these establishments?

... I wouldn't say any of them are much to write home about - they're all just kinda back street boozers ...

As I suspected but that doesn't make them any less attractive in my view.  A synopsis of what the The Good Beer Guide says about each boozer:

Odd Fellows Arms - recently refurbished.  This is born out by the tarty pictures on their website.  They're going to love us 

Orange Tree - rated as one of the best real ale pubs in Chelmo and runner up best pub (2012) as voted for by the local CAMRA bods

Queens Head - Crouch Vale Brewery's only pub

Woolpack - despite being a Gre*ne K*ing pub it was local CAMRA pub of the year 2010 and '11.  Perhaps GK isn't all bad.

[Tomsk]

Been to Chelmo CTC Xmas do at the Orange Tree a few years ago  - decent enough, though nothing special. A week on Thursday is folk night at the 'White Hart' Margaretting Tye. Just in case forward planning catches on....

[Oscar's dad]

White Hart and the beardy weirdies sounds good.  Back to next Wednesday ...

I was on a dull conference call just long enough to come up with THIS.  I have built in as much climbing as I could in 45 fun packed miles.  There's even a bit of mild comedy off-roading    All this work was done based on the assumption the Chelmo pub extravaganza did in fact capture folk's imagination.

[Old Git]

Been to Chelmo CTC Xmas do at the Orange Tree a few years ago  - decent enough, though nothing special. A week on Thursday is folk night at the 'White Hart' Margaretting Tye. Just in case forward planning catches on....

Not sure if it is a plus or not but I could do Thursday next week at White Hart

[bloomers100]

The Oddfellows is my afterwork pub, I've just been there, it's very nice and you get free nuts. No probs.

[Oscar's dad]

So will we see you on Wednesday then?

[delthebike]

you get free nuts.

Or you could arrive with a group. 

[Oaky]

I was on a dull conference call just long enough to come up with THIS.  I have built in as much climbing as I could in 45 fun packed miles.  There's even a bit of mild comedy off-roading    All this work was done based on the assumption the Chelmo pub extravaganza did in fact capture folk's imagination.

As discussed ... I am probably up for this, travel back from Amsterdam on Wednesday permitting ... what time do you intend to set off?

I did a bit of preparatory bike fettling at the weekend which I'm wondering if I will live to regret (taking the winter tyres off the hybrid).  Hopefully the M+ I replaced them with will prove more resistant to the Essex flints than the worn out conti sport contact on the rear of the fixie did at the weekend.

[Oaky]

...A week on Thursday is folk night at the 'White Hart' Margaretting Tye. Just in case forward planning catches on....

A week on Thursday?    ... I would be in serious trouble with mrs_o if I returned from Amsterdam a week on Thursday, only to bugger off out to a folk night!

[Oscar's dad]

I was on a dull conference call just long enough to come up with THIS.  I have built in as much climbing as I could in 45 fun packed miles.  There's even a bit of mild comedy off-roading    All this work was done based on the assumption the Chelmo pub extravaganza did in fact capture folk's imagination.

As discussed ... I am probably up for this, travel back from Amsterdam on Wednesday permitting ... what time do you intend to set off?

Given my proposed route is 45 hilly miles and the intention was to pack in 3 (*) pubs I think we need to be on the road by 1900 hours.

(*) I think a more realistic plan is to go straight to the Orange Tree and Queen's Head and then head back after a pint in each.  Perhaps we can leave the Wooly for another day.  Remember its all about miles not beer     

[Christophe]

Doubt I'll be up for this on Wednesday due to work commitments and wanting to get the Long Haul Trucker on the road.

I may join later for half a diet coke. My body is a temple after all.

[Tomsk]

Book club is back up and running after a winter hiatus, so I'll prioritise that this week.

[Christophe]

Anybody out tonight? Destination? If I do come out I'll be comming direct so will meet you there as last week.

[Oscar's dad]

Anybody out tonight? Destination? If I do come out I'll be comming direct so will meet you there as last week.

Before we start, who on earth is the person in your avatar picture and why do they have a cat on their head?  And you described me as unique.  Or was it special?

I'm out, but with whom I'm not sure, it might be just me.  I'm leaving Witham at 7pm.  I think the weather is going to be character forming.

[Oaky]

I'll be out.

Whether I'll be there at 7.00 probably depends on whether taking the winter tyres off the  hybrid on Sunday was a mistake or not.

[Oscar's dad]

I'll be out.

Whether I'll be there at 7.00 probably depends on whether taking the winter tyres off the  hybrid on Sunday was a mistake or not.

Smashing.  I'll leave at 7pm and swing past your house as our route goes up Blue Mills Road. 

Metcheck is showing temperatures just above freezing although the wind will make if feel colder.  It might rain but nothing more solid.  Based on this I will be on my Ribble.  Only time will tell whether this is a mistake.

[Christophe]

Before we start, who on earth is the person in your avatar picture and why do they have a cat on their head?  And you described me as unique.  Or was it special?

That, to the who are not in the know, is Bubbles. He is one of the main characters in the Trailer Park Boys, a Canadian comedy mocumentary. Basically a documentary about a bunch of degenerates on a trailer park who spend most of their time getting drunk and stoned and commiting various crimes. Bubbles is the sensible one of the bunch who lives in a shed with his kittys, does up shopping trolleys for a living and rides around the park in a go kart.

Check out the best of Bubbles here

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jWNSTNwClQY&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/jWNSTNwClQY&rel=1</a>

[Oscar's dad]

You live and learn. 

Were it not for the north American accents I would be open the the suggestion that the programme was filmed in the Humber Road area of our fair town.