Yes, we’re mainly doing Norfolk at the moment, until sanity is restored with trips to Manchester and Worcester tomorrow.
The post on the Lillie Langtry Bar in Harleston’s tat antique market prompted a fascinating debate about what constitutes a pub, which descended into an argument about horseboxes. I liked Dave’s comment that a pub is a place that people use as a pub, which makes sense to me. Building, décor, beer range, the type of customers are less relevant.
The problem, of course, is that increasingly people use pubs as places to dine rather than to drink, and that’s what keeps pubs going.
Exhibit 1 is the King’s Head at Brockdish, a couple of miles south of Harleston, but a different world to that towns pub offer.
This is a dining pub in the coastal Suffolk style (think Snape), tucked into Norfolk nothingness (sorry). That means piped jazz, tasteful paintings you can buy, wooden beams, chandeliers and “menu of the day”. There’s a big sofa by the hottest fire you’ll come across outside the Dead Poets, used by folk choosing their lunch, and the large dining tables shown above.
That doesn’t sound very pubby, but it was actually a pleasant enough spot for a cool half of local Moongazer Pale (NBSS 3), which was better than I guessed.
Simon will love it if he ever gets here. Earnest discussions on the next table about Christmas arrangements, cottage rental in Devon and art shops were predictable, but no less entertaining for that. If those topics don’t say upmarket, the ladies were drinking Aspalls (sorry Mrs RM). I rest my case.
At the other end of the pub scale, Banham’s Garden House is very definitely pubby, despite its many idiosyncracies. The pub is also known as the Cider House, to clearly distinguish it from what used to be the famed Cider Shed on the other side of the village. I was confused, and hopefully I won’t be the only one.
Apart from the Harleston-standard memorabilia, it had many of my favourite pub features. Beer and cider from the barrel, that weird Goose Island tap, and ice cream in the garden (not October). It was also as cheery as you could hope.
A chap came up to say hello who’d met me at the Maypole during the Cambridge Beer Fest; wish I could remember that.
I felt I had to try the Burnards cider, from the aforementioned Shed down the road. Very good too, though it may yet come back to haunt me that I didn’t try the real ale here if I ever get close to finishing the Beer Guide. Perhaps BRAPA can advise.
retiredmartin 
ET, of course.
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I was thinking “Bicycle Thieves”
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With your sly reference to the Cider House I was opting for The Cider House Rules. 🙂
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Very good. Have point from anyone who said ET.
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BRAPA has been gone too long. My life has had an empty place.
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You could always do your own blog with Dick, all about your adventures buying cans of Bud down the Walmart 😉
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You’re not allowed time off either. We might do that Walmart thing if you and BRAPA are both gone. That should keep you guys working.
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🙂
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You do have to get there before they run out! Dave and I spotted a young man(in Newark, I think) carrying a case of Budweiser. All we could do was look at each other in amazement and continue on our way to a pub for a real beer.
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In an earlier comment section, you mentioned that Tom has a blog(probably not about Bud/Walmart). It may have been missed, but I requested the link. So, Tom, if you have a blog, are you willing to share it?
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Dick, I can confirm that I do have a website, but it is very rarely updated and I’m non as good in any way as Simon or Martin. It is http://wearegoingtolose.blogspot.co.uk/
Martin, I believe the BRAPA code of conduct allows a pint of lemonade to be ordered, I don’t see a problem with cider personally and I’d say the tick counts. I may find myself overuled however.
As drinkers are welcomed rather than put on the fire for the next day’s dinner, I’d say you’re spot on with your phrase ‘dining pub’ for exhibit 1. Not that dining should be encouraged. Cheese toasties followed by biscuits, that’s the way forward.
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Tom, thanks for the link. You may not post often, but it is still Tom 3, Dick 0. We may use the word “infinitely” more instead of just 3, due to the nerve factor that it takes just to get started.
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I’m a fan of Tom’s language, and I hope Tom posts a few more. Not many bloggers post as often as Simon or Pub Curmudgeon, more’s the pity.
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Martin, you should include yourself in the posting frequently list. We all appreciate it. I agree, Tom should post more.
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Grimsby expects !
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Have you ever been to Busch Gardens Dave ? Smells amazing,
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I have not.
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I thought you lived in America ? Isn’t it just down the road ?
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