IRISH PUB OF THE WEEK: Sir Colin Campbell , 📍Kilburn

Lets start with the name. Not your usual moniker for an Irish Pub, but the Colin Campbell is legendary amongst historic Irish Pubs of London Town. Named after a British Military-man , who distinguished himself at Balaclava, although presumably his face was covered at the time so maybe it wasn’t him? Col Cam also went on to feature in both the.first and the second Opium War in China, where he gallantly chased that Dragon and fought for the right for British merchants to flood China with honest, decent British Heroin . One wonders if any of the modern day Kilburn heroin defenders will end up so lionized as a pub logo . Different times .

Jonesing for a pint, I head back for the.first time in about 10 years, to Kilburn, no longer County Kilburn, yet amidst the Halal Butchers and theatres-cum-modern day evangelical revivalist Pentecostal churches I spy ” Hartes Irish Meat Market”, the the most upscale Irish Meat Market since (insert here your fav small town Irish rural nightclub – I’ll go for “Baywatch Nightclub” , Banna Strand. Ironically Banna was where Rodger Casement was intercepted after disembarking a German I boat in 1916. By the British Army “Baywatch” , no less) But I digress….

The pub starts off quiet for a Friday night, for the third weekend in a row, the Irish Pub is relatively more sedate than its heyday, which is a worrying trend. Blame it on the work from home brigade, but I too WFH, and I bloody made it out. It picks up , with a varied clientele, perfect for catch up , soundtracked by the finest Britpop- Ocean Colour Scene , Stereophonics, Cast….In nearby Cricklewood, when we first came.to.London, we would awake at 6 am to take to the street corners to pimp our wares as labourers, only to be outshone by non English speaking.rugged Albanians . And rightly so . Last time I was in this pub , memorably Thierry Henry handballed France into the World Cup at our expense, but everyone has gotten over it and its all fine.