Anyway ...... today's ramblings stem from last night - we went to my future son-in-laws 21st birthday party. It was very chilled and I enjoyed it, sitting in their local pub where we had been allowed to bring food. We sort of "took over" the back room.
However, it also made me quite sad. The pub was quite empty other than our little party. This was a Friday night when pubs should be full and all manner of customers enjoying themselves ....... nostalgia started kicking in !
I know that out of town local pubs are struggling ..... you only have to drive down the main drag of Bedford Road to see 5 pubs closed and boarded up. These were 5 pubs that, in my day, had thriving business - they may have been real "spit and sawdust" pubs but they had customers and atmosphere! Going to the pub was part of my teenage years (and more recent, later years too - you may recall those sambuca nights !!)
But going to the pub does not seem to be a part of my kids teenage culture - is it because they have become too expensive - is it because the pubs that are "rammed" are those themed pubs in town - or is it partly the publicans or bar-persons attitudes themselves?
Last night - the barman was pleasant and affable BUT I know of many local spit and sawdust pubs that are not so welcoming and am sure this has not helped some of those pubs that have closed down.
At one point in my life my local was the New Inn in Bedford - the landlord and landlady made it their business to be UNwelcoming to regulars, as that seemed to be part of the charm ..... however, to any new visitors they would generally make them feel welcome and part of the whole "team" (unless they took an instant dislike just by looking at them - which did happen quite often come to think of it !). They would only start their "husband and wife" bickering when they were confident that those in the pub knew them well enough. Very Fawlty Towers.
I also encountered a similar process when we made "The Smiths" our local a few years ago. Again husband and wife teamed as landlord and landlady ... and somehow the pub atmosphere was friendly and welcoming - even if they were bickering .......... in fact sometimes that bickering became part of the evening's entertainment. Sadly they gave up running the pub and we (among others) stopped going regularly. Of course we met some lovely people there and happily I have remained friends through the magic of facebook - but we hardly ever see those people any more and so the social link of the pub culture has diminished for us.
The last time we popped into that pub the person behind the bar (I do not know if this person was landlord or just staff) was very abrupt, almost as if we were disturbing him - when there were just 3 other people in the room!
I know that the girls and their partners also encountered the same reaction and decided that they would therefore not bother making that their local and in fact did not bother with any pub after that .... thereby missing out (in my opinion) on a whole aspect of teenage/young adult life.
Mark in particular spent much of his free time in the pub - not just drinking - but because he was a member of the darts team, the skittles team, the pool team, the pub cricket team etc etc etc !!! My whole social life pretty much revolved around the pub, certainly for a good 5 years - from the Crown to the New Inn and until I had Jessica .......... even then - we would still go to the pub where Gill, the landlady, was happy to babysit for Jess in the flat upstairs while we had a "night out" - a home from home!
That is nostalgia for you - my 3 do not feel they have missed out - they have more money to spend as they do not spend a tenner or more over a weekend on pub priced drinks (well that was in my day so it would be double now !) They have different social gatherings and get-together's. They have a good strong bond and group of friends who visit their homes, without the need for a meeting place where, as a bonus, they could purchase a drink !
BUT - I wonder if they miss out on the mix of folks that we met through "The Smiths" or the "Flower Pot" (I do not include the Crown as they were ALL bikers) or "The New Inn. There were people of all ages, all sorts of backgrounds and the kind of banter that you could see in that TV series "CHEERS"
Yes - we did have a chap who would sit at the bar and philosophise about everything AND the guy who was the EXPERT on anything. It was an education in itself and a lesson in tolerance, life and social skills.
So, although they do not see it, I do think they have missed out and am hopeful that they will visit The Anchor more often and get to know the barman, landlord, landlady and locals and experience some of the positive side of pub culture that for me is lacking in the soulless themed pubs in the centre of town.
However, it also made me quite sad. The pub was quite empty other than our little party. This was a Friday night when pubs should be full and all manner of customers enjoying themselves ....... nostalgia started kicking in !
I know that out of town local pubs are struggling ..... you only have to drive down the main drag of Bedford Road to see 5 pubs closed and boarded up. These were 5 pubs that, in my day, had thriving business - they may have been real "spit and sawdust" pubs but they had customers and atmosphere! Going to the pub was part of my teenage years (and more recent, later years too - you may recall those sambuca nights !!)
But going to the pub does not seem to be a part of my kids teenage culture - is it because they have become too expensive - is it because the pubs that are "rammed" are those themed pubs in town - or is it partly the publicans or bar-persons attitudes themselves?
Last night - the barman was pleasant and affable BUT I know of many local spit and sawdust pubs that are not so welcoming and am sure this has not helped some of those pubs that have closed down.
At one point in my life my local was the New Inn in Bedford - the landlord and landlady made it their business to be UNwelcoming to regulars, as that seemed to be part of the charm ..... however, to any new visitors they would generally make them feel welcome and part of the whole "team" (unless they took an instant dislike just by looking at them - which did happen quite often come to think of it !). They would only start their "husband and wife" bickering when they were confident that those in the pub knew them well enough. Very Fawlty Towers.
I also encountered a similar process when we made "The Smiths" our local a few years ago. Again husband and wife teamed as landlord and landlady ... and somehow the pub atmosphere was friendly and welcoming - even if they were bickering .......... in fact sometimes that bickering became part of the evening's entertainment. Sadly they gave up running the pub and we (among others) stopped going regularly. Of course we met some lovely people there and happily I have remained friends through the magic of facebook - but we hardly ever see those people any more and so the social link of the pub culture has diminished for us.
The last time we popped into that pub the person behind the bar (I do not know if this person was landlord or just staff) was very abrupt, almost as if we were disturbing him - when there were just 3 other people in the room!
I know that the girls and their partners also encountered the same reaction and decided that they would therefore not bother making that their local and in fact did not bother with any pub after that .... thereby missing out (in my opinion) on a whole aspect of teenage/young adult life.
Mark in particular spent much of his free time in the pub - not just drinking - but because he was a member of the darts team, the skittles team, the pool team, the pub cricket team etc etc etc !!! My whole social life pretty much revolved around the pub, certainly for a good 5 years - from the Crown to the New Inn and until I had Jessica .......... even then - we would still go to the pub where Gill, the landlady, was happy to babysit for Jess in the flat upstairs while we had a "night out" - a home from home!
That is nostalgia for you - my 3 do not feel they have missed out - they have more money to spend as they do not spend a tenner or more over a weekend on pub priced drinks (well that was in my day so it would be double now !) They have different social gatherings and get-together's. They have a good strong bond and group of friends who visit their homes, without the need for a meeting place where, as a bonus, they could purchase a drink !
BUT - I wonder if they miss out on the mix of folks that we met through "The Smiths" or the "Flower Pot" (I do not include the Crown as they were ALL bikers) or "The New Inn. There were people of all ages, all sorts of backgrounds and the kind of banter that you could see in that TV series "CHEERS"
Yes - we did have a chap who would sit at the bar and philosophise about everything AND the guy who was the EXPERT on anything. It was an education in itself and a lesson in tolerance, life and social skills.
So, although they do not see it, I do think they have missed out and am hopeful that they will visit The Anchor more often and get to know the barman, landlord, landlady and locals and experience some of the positive side of pub culture that for me is lacking in the soulless themed pubs in the centre of town.
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