DRINK: Colonel Fawcett’s (free) gin day
The Fawcett’s widely known for its gin (although we’re partial to its steak, too); it was one of the first pubs in the area to have a dedicated bar to mother’s ruin, in fact. So you could do worse than pop by this boozy all-dayer if you’re partial to the hard stuff in all its giddying guises. Sample the finest gins, free from 2pm (warning: it usually runs out by 5pm), plus BBQ and DJ from 6pm. 28th July. Randolph St NW1, more here.
EAT: Truscott becomes Hero
The old Truscott Arms in Maida Vale was a solid dining option, so when it closed we were sad – especially as its newish sibling, Truscott Cellar (on Haverstock Hill) went down with it. It’s now been reinvented as the Hero of Maida, from the people behind The Coach in Clerkenwell. While the downstairs remains pubby, the first-floor room is now grandly uber west-London. And a recent dinner there proved a hit: beef tartare had a fiery kick, while crispy-skinned cod was softened with cavolo nero, clams and bacon. Hero of Maida, 55 Shirland Rd W9, more here.
SEE: Burgh House bullet casing
Did you know you can now study the casing from the historic bullet fired by Ruth Ellis that killed David Blakely outside the Magdala Tavern in 1955? Ellis subsequently became the last woman in the UK to be hanged. It’s a newish addition acquired in the run-up to the Burgh’s 40th anniversary in 2019. The general museum itself is fascinating, with 4000 artefacts and items, from pottery to postcards, charting the development of Hampstead from prehistoric times to the present day. Open Wed-Fri & Sun (12-5pm), Burgh House, New End Square NW3, more here.
Main Image: Colonel Fawcett
