There’s been a lot of concern about the number of people returning to pubs. often highlighting the concerns of the vulnerable and the perception that pubs aren’t as enjoyable as they were.
Now, Pollyanna is my middle name (it’s not. It’s Polly). I reckon 2020 is the golden year for music, that our country has never looked better, that people of all ages have been unfailingly nice during Lockdown*.
Honestly, I’ve loved going back to pubs this month, even the ones that don’t provide the crucial tick and pink marker.
During the lockdown I promised myself I’d pay return visits to some local pubs I’ve neglected, so I can’t be a hypocrite when the Cambridge News reports some “popular pub” closing and I think about signing a petition for an ACV.
Let’s do the Brewery Tap, just across the fields from me (but 15 minutes on foot via the A10).
The local Enterprise pub, last surveyed by local CAMRA in 2017 and last visited by me when the play area opened a decade earlier.
It used to be the local for Waterbeach barracks, and as the closest pub to the slowly expanding housing on the old RAF site it might expect some uptick in trade.
But new residents often don’t visit pubs very often, and the crowd in the Tap looks pretty much the same as it is whenever I walk past. I like that in a pub.
Handwash, Track & Trace, No Standing At The Bar, the Landlord scrubbing the tables clean. All good if you ask me.
As is the beer range.
And the bench seating.
As you’ll see, no Old Boys and no-one enjoying themselves in pubs anymore.
The Tim Taylor’s Landlord was cheap and cheerful, but I switched to Guinness as The Villa vainly tried to hold on to their chances of Prem survival.
Everton v Villa is the most played League fixture, and the worst. Iron Maiden and Florence’s Machine played at newly reduced volumes.
Everyone talked to each other.
It was great. In fact with mine the only Waterbeach accent I could have been in North Shields, if not Tynemouth.
I sent BRAPA a text message;
“I’m in Waterbeach’s rough pub, the Brewery Tap. Haven’t been inside for 15 years, only twice ever. “Dude like a lady”, Everton v Villa and an argument about what scraps are. NO ONE is local. A girl with stars on her cheeks shouts “BATTER” and talks to Hi Vis blokes about her bairn. The cask is OK, Guinness good. The best pubs are miles outside the GBG.”
It’s not rough, and the refurb during Lockdown is so good I’ll pop back for more Guinness. If Curry Charles stays over I’ll make him try the Wherry though.
*To be fair Mrs RM had an order for 200 toilet rolls already in the pipeline so I never had to fight for loo paper.
retiredmartin 
People could be unfailingly nice, and largely if not for others urging them not to be.
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Great version of the classic Band track.
Thanks for sharing.👍
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When are you doing that complete pub crawl of Dundee then?
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When they get a Sam Smiths.
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Too expensive these days.
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Great version of the classic Band track.
Thanks for sharing.👍
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Only just discovered Playing For Change – it’s a goldmine. The Robert Johnson tribute is knockout.
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You’re starting to intrude disturbingly close upon LAF writing territory. Permissible by blogging rules?
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Each year I have to do one “proper boozer” and LAF has to visit one craft bar and find it shut.
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That wins an award for the longest text message in 2020…did he just reply with an emoji 😄
Totally agree that most of the best pubs are often never considered for GBG
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He just ignores me now.
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Price of fame!
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Is this some sort of epiphany then -will you be tossing your marker away ? on the age thing -we have noticed an absence of old codgers (apart from the Beer garden of the Ship in Deal last week -you would have loved the banter in there )
Anyway the 2 old folk in ME16 are flying the flag -Canterbury on Friday -Fordwich Arms -we have a rather large voucher to spend -not sure what beer offering,if any,will be !
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Ooh, like the Fordwich, Pauline. That’s the tiny town, isn’t it?
The Southworths have a story about the Ship. Bit of a mixed bag.
The pink marker will be back soon enough, but those new pubs get further and further away….
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yes -& the pub is very “gastro ” now -our voucher for £130 may not be enough .Add taxi & train fare & it is not a cheap day out but it may be the first outing of the pashmina if it turns a bit chilly..The clientele of the Ship were a bit uncouth to be honest but it was all very jolly !
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“Iron Maiden and Florence’s Machine played at newly reduced volumes.” –This was interesting to me. Do the new policies include reducing the volume of music so that people aren’t inclined to project their voices? Or maybe it’s a new policy specifically directed at the music of Iron Maiden and Florence + the Machine? 😉
I would normally regard “The best pubs are miles outside the GBG” as an existential threat to your whole quest, but something tells me ‘wanting to tick all the GBG pubs’ and ‘believing that GBG pubs are the only good pubs’ are two entirely different matters.
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It is indeed a condition of reopening that folk don’t sing along to classics like “Can I play with madness” and Dog days are over” so jukebox volumes have been reduced by 27.5%. Loads of detail on pub Facebook pages 😊
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Exactly. Two entirely different matters.
I suspect Simon would be far happier visiting the pubs outside the GBG, the ones where Hi Vis man and drunk woman and CAMRA man live in harmony.
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Many a pint downed1975 to1980
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Did you ever go in the Slap Up back then ?
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