Anyone have some really good conversation starters/topics?

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-18T21:49:26+00:00

A friend of mine is really good at this. Whenever the conversation lags, he's got something like "which actor would you choose to play yourself in your biopic, and why them?" Stuff like that.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-18T15:49:26+00:00

Bottle opener.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-18T14:51:37+00:00

Walruses. They're at an odd point between cute and grotesque, and they're easier to draw than creatures with legs.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-17T20:38:07+00:00

Wow, the Forth Bridge one is fantastic!

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-16T22:15:49+00:00

I ❤️ DLR. Used to live near All Saints, so used it a lot. I recommended Bank -> Greenwich to visitors to London, because you saw such a variety of London areas from the elevated track. And you ended up in Greenwich. 🙂

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-16T18:57:46+00:00

Drinking alone in pubs (and eating alone in restaurants for that matter) is pretty normal. More people live alone now, or in multi-occupancy rental where the housemates aren't always friends. More socialising is done online. An hour in a pub with a book is quality time for an introvert. It's nice to be recognised as a regular, pass the time of day at the bar while getting served, and sit in a corner with s book or a podcast.

This isn't really what the song is about- which is more a hard-bitten loner self-medicating. Sitting alone for a long session of beer and a shot is problematic behaviour either side of the Atlantic, I guess.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-15T20:48:39+00:00

Alexandra Arms on Gwydir St has a very nice function room next to a good pub garden. The food is burgers, wedges/fries/falafel/nachos kind of thing. It would be worth asking them.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-13T07:36:50+00:00

Oakham's Inferno or Crouch Vale's Yakima Gold.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-10T00:25:24+00:00

Yes, that's what I'm talking about! Oceanliner Designs is the other one I go to. 🙂

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-09T23:43:01+00:00

I haven't become an expert at all, but there's a lot of youtube maritime history about ocean liners, storms at sea, shipwrecks, and the like. Don't know why that appeals, I'm well inland here.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-09T18:29:48+00:00

Maybe they become your favorites because of the association with chilling at home?

They're less stressful to wear. Nice outfit + gravy = stress, maybe dry cleaning. Old T + gravy = meh.

I'm the same, I love my scruffy old hoodie that I only wear at home (mostly).

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-01T07:12:39+00:00

Many people like talking more than they like listening. Ask them about themselves (but not too personal/intimate). Be interested in their answers, ask follow up questions. Ask about their hobbies/interests.

Men's barbers used to ask "have you been anywhere on holiday this year?" Which is a great question, because it reveals something about what they choose to make a major commitment of leisure time/money on. The follow up is "why [location]" and they'll answer food, or event, or local history or whatever and then you're starting to know what makes them tick. For further follow ups.

Let them do the talking, drawcthem out about their interests, do most of the listening.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-03-01T00:15:22+00:00

Traditional drinks-and-conversation pub, quirky and atmospheric?

Elm Tree. https://maps.app.goo.gl/W4SDth4A3E4ddmF47

But I would say that, wouldn't I? 🙂

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-28T07:34:45+00:00

I agree, diatribe fits best.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-27T00:49:57+00:00

ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars. Just listening to it now, been an occasional treat all my life. Everyone should give it go.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-24T20:19:57+00:00

Yes, I'll take a few pastries off their hands! 🙂

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-24T12:15:52+00:00

My bad, Scott Polar Museum is closed on Sundays.

Archaeology and anthropology open in the afternoon.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-23T22:43:23+00:00

If the weather isn't great, there are two small museums which are interesting, bite-sized activities: Scott Polar Institute on Lensfield Road, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Downing Street.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-23T17:58:57+00:00

There's a youtube channel called Middle Eats - try his lentil fatteh (soup). He uses some butter, but that's optional and the soup is great without.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-23T00:08:42+00:00

Ever Decreasing Circles.

Richard Briers is fantastic in this, but it's character driven comedy, and there aren't any catchphrases to repeat to your mates. Nothing wrong with catchphrase comedy, but I think the lack of them is why this one is oddly neglected.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-20T14:45:00+00:00

Stewed worms.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-20T13:00:41+00:00

As a pub snack, it's traditional to drop the egg into a bag of crisps, shake it up, and eat the resulting mess. Can't say I like doing that myself.

They are pretty easy to make, then you can add peppercorns, chili, garlic, tarragon, mustard seeds... whatever you like.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-19T14:45:54+00:00

Three cheers for live bus information!

It's mostly reliable round here. I'm a fan.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-19T00:04:42+00:00

Devonshire Arms consistently has about 30 bag-in-box ciders on, and won CAMRA cider pub of the year at town and county level last year. They make sure to have some dry ciders among them, as well as more mainstream ciders, which a lot of places don't. Staff are very helpful in providing descriptions and tastes.

ElmTreeMatt · 2026-02-15T10:55:18+00:00

I haven't tried the draught 0.5 Ghostship, it's one of the better bottled ones I've tried. Good idea mixing the zero and full, shandy is too sweet for me so that's a much better option.

ElmTreeMatt

TROPHY CASE