Atlantic Xpat

Looks very nice but sadly rather too long a commute to the office.

Oink

I disagree with the narrative that pub closings are symbolic of a crumbling society, rather I see it as demand and supply. Due to certain historical logistical factors, the UK had far more pubs than it needed and most were horrible places, run by horrible landlords. In the last 40 or so years there have been cultural shifts and trends that enable people to travel more, to buy alcohol more conveniently and not spend every night down the local boozer. These shifts I see as beneficial, so the pubs that survive now have to be pleasant places to visit, where they provide good service and quality products.

To me, I like a nice country pub that is part of the local community, where all classes and cultures feel accepted and wanted. There’s nothing better than sitting in a corner of the pub of an afternoon or early evening, with a pint, talking to Alf while self-satisfyingly scoffing at the badly dressed young Herberts wasting their money in the fruit machine. As for smoking, I personally think it its great thing that pubs are smoke free.

Atlantic Xpat

On that point, I'm with you 110%.

Tangram

I do miss the Cotswold pubs I frequented when living there. Open fire in fireplace, man with dog under table etc etc

bats

Big tables then. To fit the man and the dog underneath.

luvmeboys

bumtishhhh

bats

Is that what they were doing?

luvmeboys

I hope so!
just had a message from a good friend of mine back home, the weather has been glorious today and her and hub and dog (mahoosive beast) had spent the evening in the beer garden watching the sunset..... homesickitis pains now....

Novocastrian

On the subject of British pubs, in 1972 I lived two doors down from one called the Queens Head in a village outside Oxford named Eynsham.

Last summer I was visiting Oxford and decided to stay a night in that village just for the heck of it.

So, of course, I popped into the QH for a pint of memory lane and found it unrecognizable, as you'd expect.

Sitting at the bar, I explained to the barmaid that the last time I'd been in there was 40 years ago. She called over to the landlord "This gentleman says he used to drink here 40 years ago!".

The landlord's reply was a classic of British humour: "I'm not wasting my time talking to him. He's not a regular".

geedee

The pubs I grew up in catered to both smokers and non-smokers, well before smoking became an issue. The Lounge was where kids under 14 could go, usually for a meal with the family, and as such they were all non-smoking, swearing was frowned upon, and there was no darts! The Public Bar was a different matter altogether.... smoke, swear, talk politics and football... a good old fashioned pressure relief system!

Mikeypm

I think the British Pub has gone the way of the Dodo

Oink

Why would you say that? There's loads of vibrant and busy pubs in England.

Mikeypm

The pubs and the very cultural they had has all changed. There are busy pubs but thy don't have the same atmosphere

Oink

I agree, the pubs I frequent when back home have a far better atmosphere these days. They're smoke free, there are women present and most people seem to be enjoying themselves rather than morosely drinking themselves into oblivion to try and forget their wretched poverty stricken lives.

Mikeypm

I agree I detested smoking in any public place and coming home from a night out stinking like an ash tray wasn't pleasant. Its nice having women present and not having people morosely drinking themselves to death. I steered clear and still would steer clear of a place like that.

What Im referring to is all these pub chains that all look the same and have no atmosphere and personality. The pubs I am talking about going the way of the Dodo are the ones you could easily meet with family and friends and neighbours in and have a good chat and good time without getting wasted. None of this loud music, cheap shots and kids pissed to the eyeballs. A nice local or country pub is what I think is declining and in its place yates bars, slug and lettuce etc