What's your local and its regulars like?
Discussion
Semi-rural village in East Herts, reasonably affluent, but now with only one pub. It's a 14/15th century coaching inn, so open fire, low ceilings, quite cosy. Trying (and mostly succeeding) to be a gastro-pub, but also accommodates drinkers.
Big garden, not that well kept, and an elephant from an early 20th century travelling circus is supposed to be buried under the swings. We're half way between Cambridge and London, and they used to travel betwixt the two through the village apparently.
Young, mostly good-looking staff, typically very friendly atmosphere.
Regulars are a very eclectic mix, but we all seem to get on, irrespective of status/background. Lots of very rich folk (new and old money), lots of people making their way up in the world, and lots who are now happily retired, and of course loads in-between. Unfortunately, most of the gents are Spurs, with a smattering of West Ham and the Arse, but there are a few Newcastle, but only one Sunderland (me). Much banter on match days.
Often see very nice cars in the car park - Astons, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc, but mostly staunchly middle class stuff like BMW, Audi, Volkswagen.
We do have a chap who turns up a few times every summer in an old Bentley Blower. Which is nice, as he's always happy to chat.
Beer/lager is £3.50 ~ 4.00 a pint. Sells a lot of Prosecco.
5 mins walk from my front door, and I'm in there 2~3 times a week, mostly at weekends.
Could be worse, I guess.
Big garden, not that well kept, and an elephant from an early 20th century travelling circus is supposed to be buried under the swings. We're half way between Cambridge and London, and they used to travel betwixt the two through the village apparently.
Young, mostly good-looking staff, typically very friendly atmosphere.
Regulars are a very eclectic mix, but we all seem to get on, irrespective of status/background. Lots of very rich folk (new and old money), lots of people making their way up in the world, and lots who are now happily retired, and of course loads in-between. Unfortunately, most of the gents are Spurs, with a smattering of West Ham and the Arse, but there are a few Newcastle, but only one Sunderland (me). Much banter on match days.
Often see very nice cars in the car park - Astons, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc, but mostly staunchly middle class stuff like BMW, Audi, Volkswagen.
We do have a chap who turns up a few times every summer in an old Bentley Blower. Which is nice, as he's always happy to chat.
Beer/lager is £3.50 ~ 4.00 a pint. Sells a lot of Prosecco.
5 mins walk from my front door, and I'm in there 2~3 times a week, mostly at weekends.
Could be worse, I guess.
Exeter City Centre
Slightly 'trendy'/hippy
£4 a pint but does a lot of craft ales and Cornish ciders, prices vary.
Great food, not typical pub grub, a bit trendy again, wood pidgeon, crayfish and calves liver feature on the menu.
Regulars; Young professionals, students living off mummy and daddy, hipsters and the odd old man.
It's decent and walking distance which helps.
Slightly 'trendy'/hippy
£4 a pint but does a lot of craft ales and Cornish ciders, prices vary.
Great food, not typical pub grub, a bit trendy again, wood pidgeon, crayfish and calves liver feature on the menu.
Regulars; Young professionals, students living off mummy and daddy, hipsters and the odd old man.
It's decent and walking distance which helps.
When Mrs Fox was gravid, her craving was for bottled Guinness, so one Friday night i went to our second nearest pub, having looked in at the nearest and wasn't impressed ( housing estate type.).. the second seemed a bit more encouraging so at 22.00 on a Friday i paid my first visit and opened the door and walked in.........to the sound of my own footsteps.
The pool game had stopped ,and the guy who was halfway through his pull back was frozen, as were the rest of the bar. Only the eyes moved, pints to lips halted as if they were the 1970's versions of the mannequin craze. The barmans voice was the only noise. and i ordered a bottle of the black stuff, and only just stopped him taking the top off.
As i waited for the change, i looked to my left and the other occupant of the bar was asleep face on it, in a pool of ale and his packet of fags and on top of those his lighter were also floating in this miniature lake.
I walked out and as the door was closing ,i heard the sound of ball hitting ball and voices. The pub had returned to normal and the stranger had left.
Bloody spooky and the next time in there was 30 years later.
The pool game had stopped ,and the guy who was halfway through his pull back was frozen, as were the rest of the bar. Only the eyes moved, pints to lips halted as if they were the 1970's versions of the mannequin craze. The barmans voice was the only noise. and i ordered a bottle of the black stuff, and only just stopped him taking the top off.
As i waited for the change, i looked to my left and the other occupant of the bar was asleep face on it, in a pool of ale and his packet of fags and on top of those his lighter were also floating in this miniature lake.
I walked out and as the door was closing ,i heard the sound of ball hitting ball and voices. The pub had returned to normal and the stranger had left.
Bloody spooky and the next time in there was 30 years later.
i don't have a local. I have had pubs and bars in the past where i've frequented, and maybe you get to know a couple of the staff, but i've always been a creature of non-habit really. The idea of a local pub with a seat you can't sit in because that "belongs to grumpy tony" or where you can't get to the bar because all the pisshead regulars are in the way... or where people look you up and down when you come in because you're not one of them... i hate it! I also don't drink frequently enough to become a regular anyway even if i wanted to.
silverfoxcc said:
When Mrs Fox was gravid, her craving was for bottled Guinness, so one Friday night i went to our second nearest pub, having looked in at the nearest and wasn't impressed ( housing estate type.).. the second seemed a bit more encouraging so at 22.00 on a Friday i paid my first visit and opened the door and walked in.........to the sound of my own footsteps.
The pool game had stopped ,and the guy who was halfway through his pull back was frozen, as were the rest of the bar. Only the eyes moved, pints to lips halted as if they were the 1970's versions of the mannequin craze. The barmans voice was the only noise. and i ordered a bottle of the black stuff, and only just stopped him taking the top off.
As i waited for the change, i looked to my left and the other occupant of the bar was asleep face on it, in a pool of ale and his packet of fags and on top of those his lighter were also floating in this miniature lake.
I walked out and as the door was closing ,i heard the sound of ball hitting ball and voices. The pub had returned to normal and the stranger had left.
Bloody spooky and the next time in there was 30 years later.
Sounds like my one and only visit to this Stoney Cross pub after the sun sets.The pool game had stopped ,and the guy who was halfway through his pull back was frozen, as were the rest of the bar. Only the eyes moved, pints to lips halted as if they were the 1970's versions of the mannequin craze. The barmans voice was the only noise. and i ordered a bottle of the black stuff, and only just stopped him taking the top off.
As i waited for the change, i looked to my left and the other occupant of the bar was asleep face on it, in a pool of ale and his packet of fags and on top of those his lighter were also floating in this miniature lake.
I walked out and as the door was closing ,i heard the sound of ball hitting ball and voices. The pub had returned to normal and the stranger had left.
Bloody spooky and the next time in there was 30 years later.
Nobody is a 'local' in there, no matter how close you live
Edited by littlebasher on Friday 30th December 21:52
Outskirts of a small town. Some call it a large village.
There's a further education college, WRU academy and large, new hospital sprung up over recent years.
Local pub is full of kids mostly. They sell fizzy InBev beers and play loud music at the weekends.
A local chromosexual bike club meets there on sunny evenings and Sundays.
I haven't been in for several years.
We have 2 pubs in the village / town centre - one used to have Tomos Watkin on cask, so we'd wander up there every so often. Last time they only had fizzy InBev stuff.
The pub the other side of town is a 'family dining' type of place. Someone was killed in there about 10 years ago. I've never been in it.
There's a further education college, WRU academy and large, new hospital sprung up over recent years.
Local pub is full of kids mostly. They sell fizzy InBev beers and play loud music at the weekends.
A local chromosexual bike club meets there on sunny evenings and Sundays.
I haven't been in for several years.
We have 2 pubs in the village / town centre - one used to have Tomos Watkin on cask, so we'd wander up there every so often. Last time they only had fizzy InBev stuff.
The pub the other side of town is a 'family dining' type of place. Someone was killed in there about 10 years ago. I've never been in it.
Blown2CV said:
i don't have a local.The idea of a local pub with a seat you can't sit in because that "belongs to grumpy tony" or where you can't get to the bar because all the pisshead regulars are in the way... or where people look you up and down when you come in because you're not one of them... i hate it!
Do such places actually exist? If they do, I'd counsel it's time to move. Like you, I can't think of anything worse.had ham said:
Semi-rural village in East Herts, reasonably affluent, but now with only one pub. It's a 14/15th century coaching inn, so open fire, low ceilings, quite cosy. Trying (and mostly succeeding) to be a gastro-pub, but also accommodates drinkers.
Big garden, not that well kept, and an elephant from an early 20th century travelling circus is supposed to be buried under the swings. We're half way between Cambridge and London, and they used to travel betwixt the two through the village apparently.
Young, mostly good-looking staff, typically very friendly atmosphere.
Regulars are a very eclectic mix, but we all seem to get on, irrespective of status/background. Lots of very rich folk (new and old money), lots of people making their way up in the world, and lots who are now happily retired, and of course loads in-between. Unfortunately, most of the gents are Spurs, with a smattering of West Ham and the Arse, but there are a few Newcastle, but only one Sunderland (me). Much banter on match days.
Often see very nice cars in the car park - Astons, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc, but mostly staunchly middle class stuff like BMW, Audi, Volkswagen.
We do have a chap who turns up a few times every summer in an old Bentley Blower. Which is nice, as he's always happy to chat.
Beer/lager is £3.50 ~ 4.00 a pint. Sells a lot of Prosecco.
5 mins walk from my front door, and I'm in there 2~3 times a week, mostly at weekends.
Could be worse, I guess.
are you in one of the Hadhams? Big garden, not that well kept, and an elephant from an early 20th century travelling circus is supposed to be buried under the swings. We're half way between Cambridge and London, and they used to travel betwixt the two through the village apparently.
Young, mostly good-looking staff, typically very friendly atmosphere.
Regulars are a very eclectic mix, but we all seem to get on, irrespective of status/background. Lots of very rich folk (new and old money), lots of people making their way up in the world, and lots who are now happily retired, and of course loads in-between. Unfortunately, most of the gents are Spurs, with a smattering of West Ham and the Arse, but there are a few Newcastle, but only one Sunderland (me). Much banter on match days.
Often see very nice cars in the car park - Astons, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc, but mostly staunchly middle class stuff like BMW, Audi, Volkswagen.
We do have a chap who turns up a few times every summer in an old Bentley Blower. Which is nice, as he's always happy to chat.
Beer/lager is £3.50 ~ 4.00 a pint. Sells a lot of Prosecco.
5 mins walk from my front door, and I'm in there 2~3 times a week, mostly at weekends.
Could be worse, I guess.
had ham said:
Blown2CV said:
i don't have a local.The idea of a local pub with a seat you can't sit in because that "belongs to grumpy tony" or where you can't get to the bar because all the pisshead regulars are in the way... or where people look you up and down when you come in because you're not one of them... i hate it!
Do such places actually exist? If they do, I'd counsel it's time to move. Like you, I can't think of anything worse.The same bloody locals for the past 20 years. Some are nice, some aren't but I've never seen a fight or anything particularly nasty. Fullers owned, but good selection of drinks. Not terribly priced considering there's some bloody expensive pubs in the neighbouring villages. Most walk in as the nearest village is a couple of miles away. I visit maybe once per month or so which is enough for me.
Edited by JakeT on Friday 30th December 22:14
Mine is one of three in our village - great landlord & lady, freehouse, always trying different ales, a good crowd of local regulars, chef who spent a lot of time in SE Asia and does some great curries, open fire, nice lounge area for eating, old school public bar, 10 minute walk from home & dogs welcome.
It used to be a proper tip, run by a landlord who spent most of his time drinking the profits - been a massive turnaround in the past 3 years or so.
It used to be a proper tip, run by a landlord who spent most of his time drinking the profits - been a massive turnaround in the past 3 years or so.
SS2. said:
Mine is one of three in our village - great landlord & lady, freehouse, always trying different ales, a good crowd of local regulars, chef who spent a lot of time in SE Asia and does some great curries, open fire, nice lounge area for eating, old school public bar, 10 minute walk from home & dogs welcome.
It used to be a proper tip, run by a landlord who spent most of his time drinking the profits - been a massive turnaround in the past 3 years or so.
that sounds nice... i could have a local like that! I possibly still wouldn't be a 'regular' as suchIt used to be a proper tip, run by a landlord who spent most of his time drinking the profits - been a massive turnaround in the past 3 years or so.
Ours has just reopened after shutting six weeks after we moved in to the village.
The previous owner was running the place in to the ground and succeeded after about six years I'm led to believe.
Our village has about 60 properties, mainly detatched barn conversions, farm houses, and individual builds along the four roads that meet a the crossroads where the pub is situated.
It has just reopened and they have put really bright lighting in, and apparently the food isn't great.
I have only been in twice, and the beer is OK, but I'd rather do the two miles in to the local town to the CAMRA best pub in the county pub, which is the next nearest. at least 8 beers on and pork scratchings from heaven.
The only time I won't go in there is on quiz night, when the place fills with t
ts who glare at you from the next table because they always sit there ( once a week ) and you have to pause your conversation every two minutes for another question on "Geeeyyyyography, yes - that's Geeeeeyyyography"
fk that.
The previous owner was running the place in to the ground and succeeded after about six years I'm led to believe.
Our village has about 60 properties, mainly detatched barn conversions, farm houses, and individual builds along the four roads that meet a the crossroads where the pub is situated.
It has just reopened and they have put really bright lighting in, and apparently the food isn't great.
I have only been in twice, and the beer is OK, but I'd rather do the two miles in to the local town to the CAMRA best pub in the county pub, which is the next nearest. at least 8 beers on and pork scratchings from heaven.
The only time I won't go in there is on quiz night, when the place fills with t
ts who glare at you from the next table because they always sit there ( once a week ) and you have to pause your conversation every two minutes for another question on "Geeeyyyyography, yes - that's Geeeeeyyyography"f
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