The Guest List…
Keith Allen’s favourite drinking dens
The documentary maker and author has supped in many pubs
in his 54 years on the planet. Here’s his most memorable 10
THE ANCHOR TAP,
BUTLERS WHARF,
LONDON
I used to print fluorescent posters for
punk bands like Generation X in 1977
and would basically live under the
printing desk. The
solvents that we used
would get me high as
a kite, so it was a relief
to go in the pub for a
couple of pints of
London Pride – you’d
come out more sober
than when you went
in. It was a pub full of
brewery workers and
it opened and shut
when it liked.
WIBBLEY WOBBLEY,
ROTHERHITHE, LONDON
This is an amazing floating pub
(above) that’s on an old ferry in south-east
London. It was owned by Malcolm Hardee,
a legendary club owner and comedian,
and all the boat owners and locals used
to congregate down there. There was
a great community spirit with gigs and
performances by people like Jools Holland.
I even played keyboards on quiz nights.
2
1
Pugwash had been
moored for months
THE ROCK,
ALLTWEN, SWANSEA
This tiny village pub was on the
side of a hill and it was where I used to go
and drink Brains SA with my tutor at
college. Anyway, he introduced me to this
guy called Phil who was around 11 at the
time, but he grew up to be an amazing jazz
guitarist. So when I was putting together
Lily’s [Allen, his daughter] first ever – and
as yet unheard – album, I called him up and
he came to London and played on it. I think
the place is a rugby club now.
3
46 / www.ShortList.com
Christopher
Biggins:
famous
“Frida, did you
bring my lilo?”
THE GEORGE, TENBY
In the Sixties, Tenby was a young
town, it would attract younger
people from all over the place – from
Scotland to the Midlands – and the women
that used to congregate there were
fantastic. I remember I first heard Rod
Stewart’s Maggie May in there and that
some of the women who came in for a
drink were unbelievable. One night there
was the best street fight I’ve ever been
in – if I remember rightly it covered over
200 yards and involved 50 people. It
was like the wild west.
4
THE LIFEBOAT
TAVERN, TENBY
Once upon a time, when I was
about 17, I used to work on the mackerel
boats. I was a tout for the fishermen and
sold their fish on the dock. I was very
good at it, too. On rainy days, when they
couldn’t take the boat out, we’d all go
to the pub (below) for a good session – I
was becoming a lager lout back then.
I used to do it every summer and I loved it,
there was a wonderful sense of belonging.
5
“So, Letterbox.
Do you come
here often?”
Cone hid from the
drunken students
THE WOOLPACK, SLAD
This is near where I live and it’s
one of those rare remaining pubs
that don’t have a jukebox, TV, pool table
or any of that nonsense. And, of course, it’s
a world-famous pub with connections to
Laurie Lee, who wrote Cider With Rosie.
In fact, he’s buried across the road. They
have a jam night, serve brilliant food and
I love the place so much I regularly work
behind the bar.
6
7
THE GROUCHO
CLUB, SOHO,
LONDON
I’ve got to have the Groucho
in here. It was kind of a club
of convenience for me when
I was in London. I’d eat in there,
drink in there, live my life in there,
“Who ordered two
litres of brussels?”
and I’d put it all on tick until
I had the money to pay it off!
I guess the best thing about it was that you never knew what sort of a person you’d
be when you came out. I mean, me and Alex [James] came up with the idea of Vindaloo
in the snooker room, I met Damien Hirst in there… it’s a life-changing place.
THE BEACH BAR,
CAP-D’AIL, FRANCE
This town is near Monaco and it’s
beautiful. The bar (above) is beautiful too,
with a fantastic seafood menu. Better still,
there are very few tourists as you have to
walk down a cliff to get to it or sail there by
boat. My drink of choice? Ice-cold rosé…
8
THE WATERLOO INN,
LLANELLI
This is the pub I first drank in.
I was about 15 and had my first job as a
lithographic printer. Calling in on the way
home from work used to make me feel like
a man – I met two guys who took me on
tour as a roadie for Geno Washington. I
also fell in love with a bitter called Felinfoel.
9
THE WARWICK CASTLE,
PORTOBELLO ROAD,
LONDON
This was my local in 1976. Joe Strummer
from The Clash used to go there, as did
all the guys from Rough Trade and a bunch
of Irish fellas. You can imagine what it was
like. In fact, I got into a spot of bother in
there one night and someone bit my c*ck.
I had to go to the hospital and the nurse
refused to put in the stitches. In fact, I’ve
still got a scar to this day…
10
Grow Up by Keith Allen is out now through
Ebury Press, priced £6.99
“Where’s Flipper
with my pint?”
INTERVIEW: SIMEON DE LA TORRE PHOTOGRAPHS: ALAMY, CORBIS
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