Bring back 'real' pubs.

[BroadScot]

No iain agree with you on dubonet but Our Grace would have brought the wine drinking forward a good few years matey

Ah, now THAT I do agree mate, She most definately would !

 

Iain.

[SteveO]

I agree with a lot  of what is in the original article. If you look hard, there are still one or two "real" pubs around in the Broads area, but these are mainly away from the water. I remember the pubs of the late '60's and '70s, when the food choices were a bag of whelks, cockles or mussels from the seafood man who did the rounds on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, or maybe a bag of crisps or a pickled egg. Entertainment was darts, crib or dominoes.  Landlords were often "characters" - older blokes who had lived a bit, often experienced bad stuff in the war and wouldn't have "fitted in" anywhere else.  Drinks choice was mild or bitter. I remember going into one place where a bloke ordered for a pint of lager and it came back containing a cherry on a cocktail stick. Lighting was "gloomy". We would not have had it any other way!

Steve

[JanetAnne]

The Commodore in Oulton Broad, until about sixty years ago, had a beer only licence, no women and it used to be packed! I remember it well, used to sit outside with my ginger beer whilst Dad played shove ha'penny with other boating and boatyard people. Worst thing that they ever did, gaining a spirit licence and putting down carpet in the lounge bar, complete with Hilda, the near humourless barmaid.  Would it, as an anachronism of a  past age, survive in this day and age? Whatever, I rather like it now, for me the nicest pub amongst other nice pubs in Oulton Broad.                       

Wow! I remember Hilda as well. And then there was David the landlord who must have been one of the most miserable hosts in the industry...

By the way chaps, if you do manage to get back to 'real' pubs I have a few bags of sawdust here for the floors that I could happily donate to the cause.

[JennyMorgan]

Mild and bitter, served as a 'hart ah tews' or, if you were a bit flush, 'point ah tews'. Why it was called 'Tews', or 'twos' for yew posh folk, is open to conjecture, perhaps because it was a mix of 'tew' different ales. 

As for characters, back in the Sixties and Seventies, Simon at the Surlingham Ferry, The Archers at Reedham, Susan at The Geldeston Locks, Harry at Coldham Hall and LSD Rich at the Oulton Broad's Wherry for example, all memorable folk of the highest order. I'm sure 'up North' had its fair share of characters too.

[NorfolkNog]

 I'm sure 'up North' had its fair share of characters too.

Ray "Winkle" Norman at the White Horse, Upton. He was certainly a character even when he was younger.

[JennyMorgan]

Is Winkle Norman related to Cock Robin?

[littlesprite]

The fastest growing area at the moment seems to be the micro-pub, certainly in Medway there are quite a lot springing up.

They serve real ale with no tele, no music, no gaming machines, no spirits, just a pint and a chat.

 

https://www.facebook.com/1050fromVictoriaPub

[Bound2Please]

The fastest growing area at the moment seems to be the micro-pub, certainly in Medway there are quite a lot springing up.

They serve real ale with no tele, no music, no gaming machines, no spirits, just a pint and a chat.

 

https://www.facebook.com/1050fromVictoriaPub

Micro pubs might work on the broads if suitable premises at a sensible rent were to be available, but also ease of access to the broads.

Then if all that was to be found, and no greedy landlord, beer kept well it would no doubt make some one a fair living for hours put in.

[VetChugger]

More recently, the shaggy haired fella with his wife at the "Nelsons Head" at Horsey was a character!

As well as an avid collector of all manor of objects, he was also something of an astronomer! Had me out on the beer garden with his telescope star gazing a couple of times after shutting. Ideal way up there as there was minimal light pollution.  Good grub as well, banned such evils as "squirty cream" from the place!

Reckoned to be retiring onto a narrow boat on the canals. Hope he is happy chugging between all those locks.

Anyone know if he managed it?

Was a "proper" pub with just a lounge and tap room.

 

Edited October 22, 2015 by VetChugger
missed a bit

[NorfolkNog]

Hi Trevor

I remember him. Did they call him Andy? I have a vague idea that the pub is/was owned by the National Trust but I could be wrong. I suspect he was possibly tenant or leaseholder. 

[Poppy]

I remember going into one place where a bloke ordered for a pint of lager and it came back containing a cherry on a cocktail stick. Lighting was "gloomy". We would not have had it any other way!

Steve

Now that's Just the sort of stunt Winkle at Upton would have pulled - and got away with it