Weblog Response: Pumpkin Publog

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http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/pumpkin/

We're trying this instead of a comments section on Pumpkin Publog. If you read something on the Publog at any time and want to comment and don't fancy emailing us, then use this thread as a springboard for conversation. We'll put a link to it on PP and update if and when the thread gets long and we need to start a new one.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 29 August 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark's Etiquette of entering unfamiliar pubs... post reminded me of a time, some years ago, when me and a pal were desperate for booze on a sunny afternoon, and so popped into an unfamiliar Portsmouth local. Rather than make a show of looking like we weren't sure it was the right pub, we stood by the door and made a show of sizing up everyone in the pub in terms of hardness relative to ourselves before realising the everyone staring at us. We made a hasty exit.

― robster (robster), Friday, 29 August 2003 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

yes every time i enter a pub i still feel as if i'm wearing a dunce's cap that says "never been in a pub before"

hopkins's dunce's cap wd say "never left one"

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 29 August 2003 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I find avoiding eye-contact with everyone helps in these situations. NB - approach causes problem once you reach the bar.

― robster (robster), Friday, 29 August 2003 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Always walk straight to the bar as if you own the place.

Avoid walking behind the bar as if you own the place.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

as someone who seems to be preternaturally first to the pub on almost every occassion, i still do the "looking round the pub to see if there's anyone i know there" in new pubs to check out in case it is scary (which it never is, of course)...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I demand more pub entries in the blog

― Alan (Alan), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

seconded, less of this food nonsense ;) however, it's not like we go to squillions of new and exciting pubs is it, i can see why there should be other stuff...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't been to a pub since Sunday :o(

― chris (chris), Friday, 29 August 2003 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

If the first thing anyone says to you in a pub is "Are you behaving yerself" maybe it's not a good place. (The Crown, Copenhagen St)

― dave q, Friday, 29 August 2003 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I find this one kind of Anglo-centric

― ModJ, Friday, 29 August 2003 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

It is because only Britain does pubs properly. Though I'd appreciate reviews of furren drinking houses.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

We'd love more stuff about non-Anglocentric things (this goes for all the blogs) but we can't magic up contributions, we're reliant on the goodwill and free time of the staff!

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I want more food nonsense!

(Editors, if you would like more non-Anglocentric food entries, um, let me know)

― rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 29 August 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I talked about Goth Real Ale! Wot more can you want? Blimey it were a nice pint though.

― Sarah (starry), Friday, 29 August 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah... I think I might be voluntering here too...

― ModJ, Friday, 29 August 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I am not the publog editor Rosemary but I want non-anglocentric food entries pls!

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 29 August 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I have never ever felt unwelcome in a pub, and it confuses me when other people make reference to this phenomenon. I keep thinking I've somehow missed out on something.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 29 August 2003 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok, I am thinking up ideas now.

(Do cookbooks fall under Pumpkin Publog??)

― rosemary (rosemary), Saturday, 30 August 2003 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

re: Tom's pizza story - aww!

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

N is otm, pubs are one place where noone even looks at you if you don't want them to.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

What about bars?

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

possibly slightly more awkward

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

N. - have you ever been in the Pub Without Windows? In there you might be made to feel ill-at-ease.

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

see i think this is either a recent or a metropolitan development: when i was growing up taking against pubs, you could definitely walk into THE WRONG PLACE if you weren't careful

ok this was exacerbated by me being young and shy and dementedly puritan ("IT"S A TRAP!!"), but also a such-and-such accent in the so-and-so part of could get you a beating (from ppl yr own age)

also of course this was the rural isolated country where "you'm baint welcome round these parts" has a basis in scientific fact

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

obv my fault for visiting the part of town where the so-and-so's met

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

There used to be Rocker pubs...

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 1 September 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

It's possible to wind up in the Wrong Place, although I suspect the risk of actual violence against you as a result of this (rather than other inappropriate behaviour) decreases as you get older.

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 1 September 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I was in a rocker pub in Newquay the day before yesterday. We wanted to stay for the band, No Picnic, but they took ages to go onstage so we left instead. There didn't seem to be any particular threat of upbeating, though it felt like we weren't especially welcome.

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 1 September 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

No Picnic were probably waiting for you to leave. The Rocker pubs round our way have all gone a bit Simon Le Bon.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 1 September 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Simon Le Bon has gone a bit Rocker though, so perhaps there's been some kind of kosmik kompromise.

We had a good game of No Picnic bingo (i.e. we had to guess which of the assorted rockers present in the pub were in fact members of No Picnic). Sadly we don't know who won. I still reckon I did, though my best guess might have been blown when the fellow with really long wavy hair went behind the bar and started serving.

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 1 September 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"poorly done" = opp.of "well done" = rare?

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 8 September 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

i really am looking forward to this angus steak house — for the discovery value if not for the food — visit and will write it up when it occurs (in abt three weeks time prob)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 8 September 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

We should actually do the World Cup Dining Club as a regular feature for Freaky Trigger natch.

Plus of course the Jesus Cup. (More on which very soon).

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 8 September 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I have forgotten the details of the Jesus Cup, perhaps thankfully.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i fear i may remember them...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Tell! Tell! (BTW I'm currently researching a brilliant religion-related pub crawl).

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I meant to say the cheap food section should include the chicken samosas from those chain shops that are in the bus stations whose name escapes me. 75p and they're super.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The idea of the Jesus cup is to feed lots of people for the smallest amount of money. After much discussion (/drink) the format was something like do a dinner party for eight - three courses - for the smallest amount, ajudicaion used for the value of stock cupboard ingredients. The main rule is that no-one at the party must realise that this is being done, and if anyone comments on the poverty of the meal, you are out.

The cup is named after the famous dinner party thrown by Jesus with some loaves and some fishes, which at current price for fish would not go anywhere near winning the Jesus Cup.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

unless it was hoki...

i thought it was more just "feed ppl with loaves and fush", but yes, it all comes flooding back now.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 8 September 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheese Slice update: Isabel claims that it is more fun to put the whole slice into your mouth and break it up with your tongue.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Toby's anecdote: classic!

― David. (Cozen), Monday, 15 September 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I have forgotten my login name and I have a piece written, can someone invite me again?

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, nevermind

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Re. Magnus - adults are still expected to eat choc ices! They're just expected to pay about 8 times as much for them now cf the rise of MAGNUM or MUGNUM as it should be known, the biggest con I have seen in all my long marketing experience.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 25 September 2003 06:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Grrr! I could contribute to Pumpkin but Tom has not sent me an invite. Ah well!
Ah the price... We can't resist - or rather couldn't - eating Magnum's with nuts in'em. Yummy! I haven't tried the green ice type because I am so used to the *real (non-pumped out of a gigantic machine-style) deal*. Has anyone ever tried ice-cream with shaved ice? My dad's absolutely obsessed with it. Personally I think THAT ice is a con: you get 90 percent watah and a few drops of icecream.

― nathalie (nathalie), Thursday, 25 September 2003 06:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Will rectify invite situation today - sorry Nathalie!

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 25 September 2003 06:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The Magnum is different from a choc ice and you know it. Whether the price is justified or not.

― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 25 September 2003 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Thicker chocolate coating, nicer chocolate, creamier ice cream, A STICK!

― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 25 September 2003 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The stick makes choc ices HARDER to eat though!

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 25 September 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 278 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Fuckers! On what grounds? Surely not of taste!

― Ricardo (RickyT), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

There is now the Falmin' Hot Raoyale though to tickle ver tastebuds.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

pah, it can't hold a candle to mustard mayo

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Shite! I never got to try one! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

rest assured i'm taking this all the way to City Hall

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you made them up.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

fair cop guv

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The Flaming Hot Royale's posters originally said "Only available under 5th December". But unfortunately they only became available on the 4th of December, at least in Cardiff anyway, so BK have hastily stuck little stickers over the date now. I'll try a Flaming Hot thingy tomorrow and report back. OK?

(Why am I suddenly the BK tester around here? Not that I mind...)

― Rob M (Rob M), Tuesday, 9 December 2003 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't bother with the BK Flaming Hot Royale - they're crap. I'd happily take them to the Trade Descriptions people as it's neither Flaming nor Hot. The campaign to re-introduce the Winter Whopper starts here.

― Rob M (Rob M), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

ah, this has just reminded me about something, publog post ahoy in a short while (i think it's going to be a little contentious...)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it "why CarsmileSteve no likee the Swimmer?"

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I say, the RSS feed for this blog seems to be broken. When I try to subscribe to it, I get the Brown Wedge feed instead. Any chance of a fix?

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

OOPS! use the link on the FT front page, the link on the blog is indeed to the wedge's rss.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Wahey! That worked, cheers.

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I often wonder if there is much use of the rss feeds, but unfortunately there's no way to check rss usage. All the stats we have come from the free sitemeter service which only works on the HTML pages.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

!!! I would never have sanctioned all this RSS malarkey if I knew it might be taking away from my precious, precious sitemeter hits!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

B-but, the extracts are only TEASERS - 256 chars max with a link to the blog, so it drives more ppl to the site. eep. (that sounds believable)

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think there's anything too controversial about your post Steve - I have always been disappointed by BK Bacon Double Cheeses myself and learned early on that you had to always ask for extra ketchup to stop them being so dry. The day BK let you get extra bacon/cheese on anything is the day I ate my last Bacon Double.*

*(not quite - every now and then BK go price mental and do them for 99p at which they're just about worth it)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

almost exactly what tico said. but it's the XL that's way too big and dry - the regular bacon double cheeseburger is ok, tho extra ketchup is still usually a good idea.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh God the XL is monstrous.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Ack! Save us all! Baran has just blogged about CHIMAY!

Actually, Chimay tastes absolutely gorgeous BUT on the one occasion I've ever drunk it, which was only about a month ago, it gave me the most gutwrenchingly nasty hangover I've had in years. I don't think I could cope with going near the stuff again for a while.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The San Miguel hangover I had after Monday's FAP was appalling considering I only had 4 pints of it. Did any of you lot slip me a mickey?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

san miguel is harsh though!

― charltonlido (gareth), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

No Barry, it is NASTY LAGER!! No wonder! I vowed not to drink any and mostly kept to promise - the one pint of lager I had was shopped to me by Charlie but I was promised a real b33r, in my defence. I admit I wasn't complaining at the time but give me more than one of those pints of lager and I die.

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I was enjoyingthe San Miguel on Monday? URALLGAY

― chris (chris), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I was on the San Miguel all night on Monday and it didn't do me any harm.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

UROCK

― chris (chris), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

San Miguel is nasty.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I really don't enjoy more than one pint of lager at the best of times, I'll admit.

Then again i have just remembered I had a few cocktails after the several pints of shit lager but still not enough to cause such unproportionate pain and suffering.

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

URUGUAY!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey good one on white zinfandel Pete. I'm planning on getting a bottle in for tonight! Score.

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 11 December 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

That's me, the backlash backlasher.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 11 December 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Vicky, you should try the ginger wine on its own (maybe with an ice-cube for edge). As lovely as the Whiskey Mac is, Ginger Wine is the childhood taste of dressing up a Christmas tree for me.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 15 December 2003 10:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I will Pete, once I've bought a bottle. But it would have to be pretty special to beat a whisky mac. Which reminds me, I need to buy a cheap blend too so I can make them at home.

― Vicky (Vicky), Monday, 15 December 2003 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

It doesn't beat it, it is more of an aperitif. It is also great kiddy bouze, if the kids like the taste of ginger.

(I meant to buy a bottle yesterday but didn't get round to it.)

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 15 December 2003 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

God, I hate to think how many bottles of cassis we got through at uni! It was the miracle booze, which meant that you could buy dirt cheap white wine and make it palatable AND more alcoholic at the same time!

― Vicky (Vicky), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Blimey V. you are well hardcore. Respect.

― alext (alext), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you ever gone to the Notting Hill Carnival on a blazingly hot August day, and tried dancing for hours on end?

What you really need are two bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra from the fridge.
With pints, you can't really dance without spilling everything.
With only one, you end up doing that continually lurching in the direction of the bottle holding hand as your balance is thrown out.
But with two, you can wait twice as long between fights to the bar, you're balanced for as long as you remember to alternate your swigs, and you get to do Bez impressions.

For best results, you need to couple with a completely mashed up sound system, or maybe just couple.

If you like Guinness Extra (aka the bottled stuff before they worked out how to cram the English one pour travesty into cans and bottles), try it in summer, on the grass, with cream crackers. It's a winner.

And although it's known in London as Nigerian Guinness, it's the same stuff they sell on the continent, and most of it comes from Dublin, where they've promised to start selling it now that we have a significant immigrant population, but they haven't. Bastards.

etc. S.

― Oy! Nob Slime!, Wednesday, 17 December 2003 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a bottle of it in my fridge currently.

Are you whom I suspect you are?

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

White Spirits: search & destroy

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

We can't post to freakytrigger.co.uk for a few days while we sort out our move to a new server, so for Advent Calendar of Alcohol fans a question - would you like to wait and read it on the publog, or should we put it here?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 19 December 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha - advent calendar of alcohol fans. haha.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 19 December 2003 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh well I liked it.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 19 December 2003 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I love it! I'm wondering whethering I can write something about my night on the aforementioned Caribou for the 24th, but you've probably planned something, and anyway I don't remember it that well :(

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 19 December 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I've been to Miso. It's fucking rubbish.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 30 January 2004 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, that was my general impression.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 30 January 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Greate site. Thank you :)

― James, Friday, 11 November 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

Hi! Nice work! If you looking cheap price on drug look here

― Luigio, Thursday, 17 November 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

[soon all hyperlinked spam will be gone, then where will you be, eh?]

― Norman, Tuesday, 22 November 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

spam

― Ginger, Monday, 9 January 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

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