The Globe, London Bridge, London

Call me crazy but I like old man pubs. I like 'em dark, a bit dirty, sticky to the touch. I like 'em when they’ve stuck to doing what they do, without becoming a gastro-this or a design that.

So with some time to kill between a great lunch and a train from London Bridge Station, I thought there could be nothing nicer than hanging out at The Globe in Borough Market with my mac and GPRS dongle (no wifi here I imagine).

On the inside The Globe is tatty and grim with the obligatory loners sitting at their tables-for-one with a cheap pint, staring off into space as if contemplating “where it all went wrong”.

Where it all went wrong for me apparently was the moment I plugged my gadget into their precious wall without asking for permission. Half an hour in I was approached by the bizarre, old, lady-creature behind the bar, she said:

“I see you’re using our electricity” - no flies on her then.
“Uhhhh, yes, is that a problem?” I asked.
“This is not an internet cafe” she pointed out, not even slightly joking.

A few sentences later and I was packing my stuff and leaving. I called a couple of people to check that it was indeed the year 2008. They assured me it was. I looked around for a hidden camera in case I was being filmed for a TV show and there were none.

Unbelievable. There were only three people in the pub, including me. The other two were doing the staring thing.
Would it do any harm to allow me to use their electricity? I think not.

Never again Globe hole. Never again.

Where are all the actors? Oh…not that Globe in Southwark…the pub one…Situated near Borough market & Southwark Cathedral - the Globe is less touristy than you might suspect. Half crouching under the railway bridge, the globe looks pretty tired from the outside, and that’s repeated inside - where it’s a very traditional English pub and there are a collection of random antiques (including numerous globes of course) up in the open wooden rafters.

The service is pretty speedy and the prices are good value for London, especially in the area. For smokers - its got plenty of outside space which is under the cover of the railway bridge, although if its really raining you’re going to get dripped on.

For reasons of needing a loo break whilst doing the rounds in Borough Market my bladder decided to stop off at The Globe, but I’m afraid there is little there that would entice me to stay beyond one drink. There’s the usual mediocre selection of beers you can expect from a pub chain. Toilets could do with a refurb.. not pleasant. As for the ‘traditional’ pub appearance it’s all faked to rake in the tourist pounds. Only go if your bladder is being temperamental :)

The Globe is more of a drinking pub than a tourist pub. Its close to the Borough Market and the South Bank and there’s usually loads of tourists around the area, but this pub gets more of the local traffic, varying from residents to city suits from the nearby offices. The shape is like a half circle with the bar in the middle and its a place to meet for a swift one away from the madness or trendiness of some of the other pubs in the area.