Pubs

[highseas]

our old pub the braco hotel become the frog and thistle (landlords french wifes scotish ) and started selling food this was firstly a good thing, as a lot of shoots went their for the lunch insted of the cromlix hotel. but it was over priced!

 

then the loacles had to be presentable to get in

the fire was not lit

and their was no lock-ins!

 

last time i was in it had gone back to form the fire was back they had a darts board and it was heaving with all the village, they stopped serving food too. unless it was a lock-in the every one chipped in a £5 and got a massive platter of chicken and chips

 

i met my ex in that pud hell i met my last 3 exes in that pub ive laughed in that pub ive even cried in that pub, ive got roped into singing and playing with the folk band, ive passed out and slept on the pool table ive had a knife throwing comp on the dart board and had a couple of good fights,one was a fancy dress doo ill tell ya you have not lived untill you have seen your boss dressed as zoro beating the **** out of some guy dressed as a pirate but more inportantley it was our pub its all their was in braco, and now its gone no more liquid lunch with the shooting times on wednsday, no more after shoot ****-ups.and no more drunked adventures with the ladies of the town on the quad "wana come for a ride love? "

[unapalomablanca]

Yeah, these posts confirm what i think. We have allowed tossers to take away what we loved. Its not a nostalgic look-back, its a fact, going to the pub WAS great and NOW its ********!

[unapalomablanca]

now the other thing about Brit Pubs is the service,,,,,, or lack thereof.

 

very frustrating for a "North American" " Canadian" coming to Britain and sitting down at a table waiting to get a beer,,,,,,, NO BEER CHICKS :o :o

 

Unfortunately you get very spolit here, all bars have good looking gals running around at your whim getting you as much Ale/vino/spirit as you require to become Horizontal.

Hence the term "Vino Colapso" pourmorefor......... run a Tab, clear at the end of the night, add 15% loverly juberly

 

now enter the British Pub scene, not too sure how the tab thing would work, the guys i know back home would run it as high as poss and head for the hills

 

do get miffed at the lack of service though, Wetherspoons especialy in my old town of Staple Hill,, seems they need minders running the bar when it gets busy, the staff cant handle things without help of local muscle,,, complete Muppets as i recall seeing, will take a look next week when i pop in for a spritzer or two

 

Martin.

Oh come on, as bad as uk pubs have got, north america and canada will never ever serve beer. o.k.! Its just vile fizzy slash water.!

[Supersonic]

Oh come on, as bad as uk pubs have got, north america and canada will never ever serve beer. o.k.! Its just vile fizzy slash water.!

 

I'll vouch for that,and always with the aircon set to 'Siberia'.

 

Nige

[Fatcatsplat]

Oh come on, as bad as uk pubs have got, north america and canada will never ever serve beer. o.k.! Its just vile fizzy slash water.!

 

 

I'll vouch for that,and always with the aircon set to 'Siberia'.

 

Nige

Cobblers!! You boys ain't been West for a while - The beer over there can excel over British beer a lot of times. Forget Bud, Molson, Dixie and all that old tat - Lots of very, very accomplished national, state and micro-breweries over there.

 

Main reason for the decline in the pub IMO is that there are very few true Landlords/Landladys - Loads of managers and tenants in Pitchers and Pianos and All Bar Ones as well as all the turgid rubbish thrown at you by Punch, Enterprise and their tawdry lot, but nobody with a vested, lifelong interest in their own pub and their customers that have always and will always drink there.

 

 

Well, that and the decline in pickled onion monster munch

[the last engineer]

I'll vouch for that,and always with the aircon set to 'Siberia'.

 

Nige

 

 

ice ice Baby,,,,, nothing like a cold pint and freezing conditions, inside or out, makes a man outta you..........

 

me i cant stand the beer stuff,,,, Stella only on that front,,,,, a nice Malbec from the Argies,,, or a shot or seven of Oban.

having said that Smokehead is a good tipple too......

 

the Americans dont like Canadian beer too much,,, they fall over to quick,,, a little stronger than the dishwater served sout,,,,,,

that'll pickle a few..

 

Martin.

[unapalomablanca]

ice ice Baby,,,,, nothing like a cold pint and freezing conditions, inside or out, makes a man outta you..........

 

me i cant stand the beer stuff,,,, Stella only on that front,,,,, a nice Malbec from the Argies,,, or a shot or seven of Oban.

having said that Smokehead is a good tipple too......

 

the Americans dont like Canadian beer too much,,, they fall over to quick,,, a little stronger than the dishwater served sout,,,,,,

that'll pickle a few..

 

Martin.

'cant stand the beer stuff'. What are you?

[bobt]

now the other thing about Brit Pubs is the service,,,,,, or lack thereof.

 

very frustrating for a "North American" " Canadian" coming to Britain and sitting down at a table waiting to get a beer,,,,,,, NO BEER CHICKS :o :o

 

Unfortunately you get very spolit here, all bars have good looking gals running around at your whim getting you as much Ale/vino/spirit as you require to become Horizontal.

Hence the term "Vino Colapso" pourmorefor......... run a Tab, clear at the end of the night, add 15% loverly juberly

 

now enter the British Pub scene, not too sure how the tab thing would work, the guys i know back home would run it as high as poss and head for the hills

 

 

Martin.

 

as I walk in the door, (I only go twice a week)I am handed a pint, if my glass is empty, it is swapped for a full one,

every now and then someone asks the barmaid whos turn is it to pay? they always know,

usually about 10,30 to 11pm supper is produced, cheese and buiscuits, or game pie, sometimes pate and toast.

last one out turn the lights off.

[Zapp]

Cobblers!! You boys ain't been West for a while - The beer over there can excel over British beer a lot of times. Forget Bud, Molson, Dixie and all that old tat - Lots of very, very accomplished national, state and micro-breweries over there.

 

+1

 

There are some well established micros in the US and Canada turning out stunning beers these days, and more coming online all the time

[Thunderbird]

The best pub I've been to recently is the Marisco Tavern on Lundy Island. You traditional pub boys would LOVE it!

[Fisherman Mike]

The best pub I've been to recently is the Marisco Tavern on Lundy Island. You traditional pub boys would LOVE it!

 

 

The walk home after is a killer though

[the last engineer]

'cant stand the beer stuff'. What are you?

 

never quite got the hang of pouring room temp beer down my throat,,,,, a refined pallet for the cool lingering tatse of Stella Artois, perfection in a glass,,,, now

 

dark spiced Rum,,, Oban single malt,,,,, and Vino from many lands,,, and a nice glass of Port,,,,, nothing wrong with my tastes my friend....

 

 

Martin.

[Ricko]

...a nice Malbec from the Argies...

 

Oh dear, oh dear. I still empty the shelves of Argentinian Corned Beef and put it on the floor in the supermarket.

[Thunderbird]

The walk home after is a killer though

 

Especially if you forget where you put the keys to the helicopter.

[the last engineer]

Oh dear, oh dear. I still empty the shelves of Argentinian Corned Beef and put it on the floor in the supermarket.

 

 

well, it all about choices and taste i guess, personally i cant stand the Bloody French but it wont stop me drinking the vino......the good ones anyway,,,, though the Americans have their number in the White,,,,,,

[Thunderbird]

Not a lot of people know but the California wine industry saved Bordeaux after the phylloxera bug by returning vines they originally got from the French.

[margun]

The 3 pubs around my way are still doing booming trade. I'm an ex smoker and the ban never put me off - I always hated indoor smoking anyway.

Each of my locals is doing well for different reasons (discussed with the lads over many a beer ):

 

Pub #1:

 

Hardcore of locals, a sense of 'use it or lose it', NO music, NO sport (except major events), OK food, OK wine, good landlords who are always happy to have a chinwag with the locals, SUPERB REAL ALE. The system for keeping a good beer is there - the landlord Phil always has 2 guest ales on, knows his stuff and takes pride in the way they're kept. He'll bin a barrel if it's ****. Because he has a reputation for great beer, it pulls more in and that means the barrels turn over in 2 days max, so it's always fresh and helps keep the reputation. Ye olde English pub, 1700s on a quintessentially English village green.

 

Pub #2:

 

Steady good beer (no guest turnover), good food, great wine and fit barmaids. To qualify as staff (apart from the owner) you must be 18-25, blonde, slim and well endowed. Also was renovated recently and is very cozy but modern, blend of beams, big fireplaces, trendy artwork and fit barmaids. Also helps that it's in a wealthy village I suppose.

 

Pub#3:

 

Until recently, was geared more towards eating, the food is EXCELLENT. The landlord was a small posh man in his 60s, completely eccentric with a raging drink problem. He appeared on the telly once as the most eccentric landlord in Britain. He was a 15 pint a day man, he carried on smoking behind the bar after the ban and ejected anyone who complained (sounds bad but round here you didn't go there if you didn't approve of Robert's smoking or were easily offended or had a foreign wife). He once refused a load of Germans entry for a beer and chased them up the road on their bicycles performing a Nazi salute. With Robert at the helm, the beer was terrible, the wine was vinegar, but the superb food, insistence on English standards (no chips for example, so don't ask) and quirky way the place was decorated ensured a passing trade of the curious.

However illness means that Robert's daughter has taken over, de-cluttered the place a bit(it did resemble a museum of old England past)and got some beer jackets and ceased the racism towards foreign customers. The food is still excellent if a bit pricey but trade is really picking up.

 

I don't earn a huge amount of money, but I still think it's essential to use your local, even for a beer or 2 and bowl of chips once a week. People would soon moan if they all closed up, I know I would. We're so far from anywhere I wouldn't have anywhere to go to escape the missus or sit and read the paper. Plus don't forget no bottle conditioned beer comes anywhere near a fine cask ale. Use it or lose it!

Edited December 7, 2011 by margun

[unapalomablanca]

never quite got the hang of pouring room temp beer down my throat,,,,, a refined pallet for the cool lingering tatse of Stella Artois, perfection in a glass,,,, now

 

dark spiced Rum,,, Oban single malt,,,,, and Vino from many lands,,, and a nice glass of Port,,,,, nothing wrong with my tastes my friend....

 

 

Martin.

Very opinionated man, slagging off the home of beer. We must be inferior cos we havent emigrated!!

 

The 3 pubs around my way are still doing booming trade. I'm an ex smoker and the ban never put me off - I always hated indoor smoking anyway.

Each of my locals is doing well for different reasons (discussed with the lads over many a beer ):

 

Pub #1:

 

Hardcore of locals, a sense of 'use it or lose it', NO music, NO sport (except major events), OK food, OK wine, good landlords who are always happy to have a chinwag with the locals, SUPERB REAL ALE. The system for keeping a good beer is there - the landlord Phil always has 2 guest ales on, knows his stuff and takes pride in the way they're kept. He'll bin a barrel if it's ****. Because he has a reputation for great beer, it pulls more in and that means the barrels turn over in 2 days max, so it's always fresh and helps keep the reputation. Ye olde English pub, 1700s on a quintessentially English village green.

 

Pub #2:

 

Steady good beer (no guest turnover), good food, great wine and fit barmaids. To qualify as staff (apart from the owner) you must be 18-25, blonde, slim and well endowed. Also was renovated recently and is very cozy but modern, blend of beams, big fireplaces, trendy artwork and fit barmaids. Also helps that it's in a wealthy village I suppose.

 

Pub#3:

 

Until recently, was geared more towards eating, the food is EXCELLENT. The landlord was a small posh man in his 60s, completely eccentric with a raging drink problem. He appeared on the telly once as the most eccentric landlord in Britain. He was a 15 pint a day man, he carried on smoking behind the bar after the ban and ejected anyone who complained (sounds bad but round here you didn't go there if you didn't approve of Robert's smoking or were easily offended or had a foreign wife). He once refused a load of Germans entry for a beer and chased them up the road on their bicycles performing a Nazi salute. With Robert at the helm, the beer was terrible, the wine was vinegar, but the superb food, insistence on English standards (no chips for example, so don't ask) and quirky way the place was decorated ensured a passing trade of the curious.

However illness means that Robert's daughter has taken over, de-cluttered the place a bit(it did resemble a museum of old England past)and got some beer jackets and ceased the racism towards foreign customers. The food is still excellent if a bit pricey but trade is really picking up.

 

I don't earn a huge amount of money, but I still think it's essential to use your local, even for a beer or 2 and bowl of chips once a week. People would soon moan if they all closed up, I know I would. We're so far from anywhere I wouldn't have anywhere to go to escape the missus or sit and read the paper. Plus don't forget no bottle conditioned beer comes anywhere near a fine cask ale. Use it or lose it!

Why cant we have the names and of these boozers?

[the last engineer]

Very opinionated man, slagging off the home of beer. We must be inferior cos we havent emigrated!!

 

 

hmm not sure how to take that,, an insult or jibe,,,,did i touch a nerve big guy ??

 

we all have our own opinions, thats what makes us unique does it not?? if i'm not allowed one i didnt get the Memo Mate.

 

as to slagging off your "home beer" you didnt read well, i said "I never got the hang of pouring room temp beer down my throat" ,,, my throat, my taste, my opinion, if you dont agree thats your right, take it all in good fun buddy, nobody is "SLAGGING" as you put it, anything...

 

emigrating is not such a bad thing mate, works for a lot of people, nothing to do with inferiority...

 

Martin

[hendersons]

Couldnt agree more...there are one or two still around here...The Keepers Arms near Fairford, The Smoking Dog in Malmesbury... great memories for me growing up in the middle of nowhere. The pub was the centre of the community..if you wanted anything done there was someone in the pub who could do it...If you wanted to Join the local Cricket or Footy team they met in the pub...If you need a lift, or a part time job, or to borrow a tool or arrange a shoot, there was always someone in the pub...I remember organising my first wedding...the vicar was always in the pub!...I met my first Boss in the pub, my second wife in the pub ..and gave my gramp a good send off in the pub.

 

Fridays and Saturdays you sang, and had a cigar and a and put the world to rights...Sunday Lunchtimes set you up for the afternoon roast and a good sleep...If you were unmarried or had a understanding wife you spent Sunday night in the pub ( and the wife came too )

 

Weve made progress in this life but in some ways weve gone backwards, never to be recovered.

 

Glad you mentioned the keepers Mike im going in there on Sunday for my first time.Hope they have enough beer to fill my barrel belly