retiredmartin

Pub Curmudgeon has recently written how Covid safe pubs can seem very welcoming, or otherwise, on their return.

“And customers will remember where they were welcomed, and where they were treated like something the cat dragged in“.

My particular bugbear is the blanket exclusion of drinkers from the pub itself, seen in a significant minority of pubs in the South West.

Mrs RM and I saw this “outdoor drinking only” phenomenon, which will be severely tested by October, in Linton last Sunday.

Our walk round the Abingtons failed to find an open pub, which seemed like a Sunday wasted, so we attempted a curry in Linton.

No luck there either, so we headed to the Co-op.

“Ooh, open pub” said Mrs RM “let’s go in“.

“But it hasn’t graced the GBG since you were at Tunbridge School for Girls” I said.

“But it’s OPEN” she persisted.

Sort of open.

Tented area for an Abba tribute, lovely garden area, portaloos outside.

Portaloos ?

Yes, no entry to the pub at all, not even a wee. “It’s too small” said the local, which should worry half the pubs in the country as it looked very average size to me.

Never mind, it’s a speculative pre-emptive tick under the new “Outside is OK until a vaccine arrives” rules, and since everyone else was smoking it hardly made any difference.

I think Mrs RM must have been a bit light headed, as she went for Thatchers. How do you confuse “Your strongest grapefruit murk, please” for “Thatchers” ?

Two pints, crisps and scratchings, a tenner.

Alf Turner’s award winning scratchings, no less. I thought all scratchings came from Bloxwich by law, but Alf is an Aldershot lad.

Anyway, a socially distanced but proper pub lunch. NBSS 3+ for the IPA, which will SURELY get the Waggon & Horses in the GBG.

No ?, oh.