Huntingdon Tour 2015

Cambridge City moving to St Ives Town ground from Histon this season, made for a difficult Tour destination. The nearest station is in Huntingdon, a good taxi ride from St Ives. The Regiment still fancied the day out, so it was done.

As we were leaving via Luton, we met up at the Sicilian Cafe for breakfast and boarded the train to London. The connecting train back out from London to Huntingdon was a little wait away so we jumped in The Parcel Yard, towards the back of King's Cross station. The pub is built inside the old parcel sorting office at King's Cross station by Platform 9 3/4. It stocks Fuller's entire range of cask beers and most of their bottled beers in a very imaginative conversion of an old industrial space across two floors. We sampled the Gale's Seafarer, as well as the guest ale of St Austell's Ruck and Roll,

Once safely in Huntingdon we made our way to The Falcon. This 16th century former coaching inn is said to be the site of Oliver Cromwell's recruiting station and the gates from the Market Square were once the entrance to Huntingdon Prison. We were greeted by what must have been an ex prison officer, a grumpy ginger bird who was disgusted that we had dared ti interrupt her conversation.

We enjoyed  Phipps's Gold Star, an amazing Oyster Stout from Marston's and Buntingford's Highwayman. Once we had been sufficiently refreshed we bundled in a couple of taxis and headed off to St Ives. The game its self was a dull 1-1 draw and we soon found ourselves looking for another watering hole.

Opposite the fish and chimp shop was the Royal Oak, another pub that claimed to be associated with Oliver Cromwell. He certainly got around a bit! Parched from shouting and singing from the football we quaffed pints of Taylors Black Dragon Mild and Claridge's Crystal by Northamtonshire's Nobby's Brewery.

Multiple portions of fish and chimps were secured before the cab ride back to the station. As is our habit, on the return to London, we fancied a top up. We would normally frequent the Euston Tap, but opted to try some other suggestions from the Good Beer Guide. First up was Mabel's Tavern on Mabledon Place, just off the Euston Road and is a Shepheard Neame house so plenty of Spitfire and Whitstable Bay was on show.

A quick pint of Czech Kozel in the Royal George, before a quick trot back to St Pancras for the train home. That was until we bumped into Piano Man, who insisted on playing a song for us as we danced around the concourse.