I am a devout taster of the good-old English brew. This is a brief guide on some of the best places I have tipped my seas!! I absolutely adore Ales and as you will see, so did the old boys of bygone years...

Listed in this short guide are 5 unique pubs that I believe deserve a visit should one find oneself tempted by the lure of a pint. My chosen 5's been around for a long time and they are chosen for their history as well as for providing a genuine English experience alongside taste!!

THE TRADITIONAL PUB: For many a long years, those three lovely letters PUB (not to be mistaken with the four letter PUBE) has played a pivotal role in the English establishment. It is a haven, a fantasia where goblins & sea-merchants, whores & city-slicks, cowboys & pigeons meet to celebrate, socialise, exchange business deals, play games, gamble, relax and most importantly... get hammered, sloshed, 'rat-arsed', jovial or simply, pissed-up drank!! Most pubs today accommodate families (which includes little, drooling monsters in high-chairs) & serve traditional English meals throughout the day.

TRADITION IN SHORT: The word PUB is a Victorian terminology, an abbreviation of 'public house'. Tis was the Romans (dressed in disco frocks and platform shoes, as they did back when) who first introduced public houses when they invaded England, some two thousand years ago. (Bloody Romans! They were good for something! Bleeding!) The common thread between the Romans and others who invaded after them, was they all loved drinking (which is fairly decent I feel). They had a unique or rather particular taste for the local ALE; brewed using water, malted barley and yeast.

THE ALEHOUSE: Historically, the alehouse was informal (just like an interview without questions), usually being the home of the brewer where the locals would gather and consume the brew. Interestingly, Christianity had a strong affiliation with the ales' popularity as ales were regularly brewed to raise funds at church festivals & activities, such ales were termed, 'scot ales'. (Christians eh? Any excuse!)

THE INN: Trade increase during the 12^th Century saw huge traffic of both, goods & travellers across England. This placed increasing burden on monasteries already accommodating these pilgrims so a new sort of provision was established, 'The Inn'! Originally, Monks managed inns, offering food, shelter & drink. Many of the old inns still do business to this day, offering hospitality to visitors. Sadly, the monks moved on long ago. (Rumours have it that these same monks have been living in caves ever since and they feed off bats and giant dodos).

THE TAVERN: Taverns appeared much later, 16^th Century perhaps, in the uprising of towns and urban societies. Comparison between Taverns & Alehouses is that the former was a place where the professional class (posh twats) would leisure with pleasure whereas the latter was a definite place of need for the poorer folk.

So, here we go. This is the real deal below... 5 of my favourite, most pleasurable drinking places where not only do they serve the best brew Britain has to offer today but they also provide comfort, friendliness and historical substance. Most of them are also located in some of the most idealistic spots of the 'real London'!! (Real London being filthy, derelict, infested and most importantly... well, I hope you make it out alive!!)

Cosy little pub full of character and imbedded in a rich history. Built round & about 1670 for workmen and masons working on the rebuild of St. Brides Church (designed by Sir Christopher Wren), after original church was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Old Bell's a licensed tavern for over 300 years & lies in the heart of fleet street.

Ales Served on Tap: Adnams Bitter, London Pride, Timothy Taylor's Landlord plus guests

Location: 95 Fleet Street, City of London, EC4Y 1DH      Tel: 020 7583 0216

Travel: Tube - Blackfriars & St Paul's. Rail - Blackfriars.  Bus - 4, 11, 15, 17, 23, 26, 76, 100.

Openning Times: Mon-Fri 11am to 11pm. Sat 12pm to 6pm. Sun Closed.

Food Served: Mon-Fri between 12pm & 9pm

London's only galleried coaching inn to survive situated on the south side of the River Thames, close to London Bridge. After a destructive fire, blazed over Southwark, The George was rebuilt in 1676. It is hidden in a cobbled courtyard, off Borough High Street. The ground floor divides into series of connecting bars.  The Middle Bar was a Coffee Room, a haunt of Charles Dickens. The Old Bar was once the waiting room for passengers and coachmen. Coaching inns went downhill as railways progressed and The George narrowly escaped total demolition, now securely a National Trust property.

Ales Served on Tap: Green King, Abbot, IPA, George plus guests.

Location: Borough High Street, Borough, London SE1 1NH Tel: 020 7407 2056

Travel: Tube & Rail - London Bridge . Bus - 21, 35, 40, 133, 343

Openning Times: Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm. Sun 12pm to 10.30pm

Food Served: Daily between 12pm & 5pm.

With wonderful views across the Thames and rebuilt in 1676 after the fire which blazed down the area, this pub is steeped in history! The original structure's been enovated over time resulting in a labirynth of small beamed rooms. One, named after Dr. Johnson (lexicographer and writer) who drank here frequently, a friend of the Thrale's (the owners). Displayed is a copy of Johnson's dictionary. From this pub, Samuel Pepys viewed the destruction of the Great Fire of London in 1666. He described the awful heat and "fire drops" descending upon him whilst boating on the river. He took refuge in "a little alehouse on bankside ..and there watched the fire grow". The Anchor is neighbour to Shakespeare's Globe theatre and a little further up sits Tate Modern gallery. Possibly the most modernised of all the pubs on my list, it still sustains a small element of the old and one can feel the presence of the ghosts of yester-year. The river views are irrisistable.

Ales Served on Tap: Courage Best, Directors plus guests.

Location: 34 Park Street, Borough, London SE1 9EF        Tel: 020 7407 1577

Travel: Tube - London Bridge. Rail - London Bridge, Cannon Street. Bus - 17, 21, 35, 40, 43, 133, 141, 149

Openning Times: Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm. Sun 12pm to 10.30pm.

Food Served: Mon-Sat 12pm to 2.30pm & 5pm to 10pm. Sun 12pm to 9.30pm

Cute & small 17th Century riverside pub with unspoilt surroundings, good food and excellent beer. The Dove boasts a long list of celebrity customers including Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway and A.P. Herbert, whose novel The Water Gypsies features a pub called the 'Pigeon' (i.e: the Dove)! William Morris lived next door. James Thomson, who wrote Rule Britannia lodged and is rumoured to have died here. Another claim to fame is featured in the Guinness Book Of Records for the smallest bar in Britain, a cosy 4 ft. 2ins by 7ft. 10ins. The saloon bar with a low ceiling and dark oak beams is simply furnished. An open fire place warms off the chilling winter.

Ales Served on Tap: Fuller's range

Location: 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London. W6 9TA    Tel: 020 8748 9474

Travel: Tube - Ravenscourt Park. Rail - Kensington Olympia. Bus - 27, 190, 267, 391, H91

Openning Times: Mon-Sun 11am to 11pm

Food Served: Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm & 5pm to 10pm. Sat 12pm to 10pm. Sun 12pm to 7pm

One of the most notorious pubs in London. Dates back from 1543 and built as a modest tavern. In the 17th century it was reputated as a joint for smugglers and villains, and became known as 'Devil's Tavern'. In the 18th century, fire struck the Devil's Tavern and so it was rebuilt and renamed the Prospect of Whitby after a ship, moored nearby. One famous customer was Judge Jeffreys, the 'Hanging Judge', known for his rigidity and his exchanges with ringleaders of the Monmouth Rebellion (1685) in their failed overthrow of the Catholic King, James II. The Glorious Revolution meant James II flee to France. Lord Jeffreys attempted to follow but got caught whilst hiding in a coal cellar at the Prospect, dressed as a coal-heaver. He was taken to the Tower where he died from illness. A hangman's noose swings over the river, reference to gruesome times past. Customers today prefer the riverside bars. A small balcony provides seating above the river where can be heard the lapping water. Inside is a comfy seating area with open fire, and another bar has a servery and raised dining room. Outside is a lovely terrace with tables.

Ales Served on Tap: London Pride, Old Speckled Hen, Bombardier

Location: 57 Wapping Wall, Wapping, London. E1W 3SJ Tel: 020 7481 1095

Travel: Tube - Wapping. Rail - Limehouse. Bus: D3, 100

Openning Times: Mon - Sat 12pm to 11pm. Sun 12pm to 10.30pm

Food Served: Daily between 12pm & 9.30pm

And that is London's Pub Guide in a nutshell! Hope you've enjoyed the tour... but there's nothing better than brushing the dust off the old taste buds and venturing into the wilderness. Once there, you may get to feel, see and indulge, to drink the paletteable taste of London's past stories!!