BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:2.1
N:The Friend at Hand
FN:The Friend at Hand
TEL;WORK;VOICE:020 7837 5524
ADR;WORK:;;4 Herbrand St, Bloomsbury;WC1N 1HX
URL:
NOTE:Owing to a bizarre psychogeographic quirk of time and space, it always seems to start raining just as I pass along Herland Street, tempting me into the Friend (so to speak), which as the name suggests, is indeed at hand. Maybe the landlord has done some sort of deal with the devil. Located at the rather unedifying backside of the Hotel Russell, the thing that most recommends this place is that it isn't the hotel bar. As a consequence, it is full of hotel guests who have seen sense and fled that truly hideous establishment for the comfy blandness of the pub. Traditional decor, food, Sky sports, real ales blah blah blah. It's okay, and the location is conveniently close to Russell Square tube, but its nothing to get in a lather about. Of more interest is the building across the road - the Horse Hospital, which used to be a real horse hospital back in the Victorian era, and which still retains many of its original features inside. It is now host to many bizarre events, including "the first Dadaist salon of the 21st Century". On 'happening' nights, a motley bunch of weirdos can be seen hanging about outside in the rain. The last time I was there, they provided far more entertainment than the football on in the pub.
END:VCARD