Great Expectations! By ROB LONGLEY, QMI Agency

LONDON - Getting the lay of the land near Sun Media headquarters today, I  made a mistake that may affect the quality of this blog post.

Okay, perhaps a couple of mistakes.

The first was walking by Tavistock House here in Bloomsbury, a place where Charles Dickens once wrote. Inspiring or intimidating there was no chance of living up to expectations.

Next was “scouting” pub possibilities, important research early in the Olympics as after a long day’s work, us scribes often need to be watered and fed.

If you pay attention in the weeks ahead, you way take notice that I am somewhat of a pub snob. I’ve been to the U.K. just often enough to recognize the demise of one of the great social institutions of the modern world: The Public House. They are closing all over England and too many of those that remain are run by big brewery conglomerates, destroying the charm and quality of what was once a great gathering and socializing place.

We may have found real ale on night one, but a real pub? The search continues.