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11-04-2022, 21:44
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/that-mid-afternoon-pint.html)
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Now that I am semi-retired and am able to enjoy a couple of extra days off at the end of the week, I’ve also been able to appreciate that rarest of experiences, the mid-afternoon pint. Being able to enjoy a drink between the hours of 3 & 5pm, is something that those individuals whose drinking career began after August 1988, will take for granted; for that is the date the archaic legislation forcing pubs to close during the afternoon, was finally repealed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxIuTXcRdwSrER0HT8NCRKAg5iq2p9IYQbxPWJT6sh8 DbAZixJPIl2QGlcIlTGq-76I0lyr5saGdwc_17IGHLCUzkQTv_mCKNclSkc8jQvk8sa-EuUtU6tnMcEIZCmb5nR7TEm-Q8ITzsoxSWwdWtzSEpB-rr1LWlvMaIYT9dPdBVeG1G4ffE5e7f/w400-h225/Red%20Lion%20int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxIuTXcRdwSrER0HT8NCRKAg5iq2p9IYQbxPWJT6sh8 DbAZixJPIl2QGlcIlTGq-76I0lyr5saGdwc_17IGHLCUzkQTv_mCKNclSkc8jQvk8sa-EuUtU6tnMcEIZCmb5nR7TEm-Q8ITzsoxSWwdWtzSEpB-rr1LWlvMaIYT9dPdBVeG1G4ffE5e7f/s4000/Red%20Lion%20int.jpg)
The Defence of the Realm Act, or DoRA for short, came into force in 1915, as an "emergency measure" during World War One. It was designed to prevent workers in essential areas, such as munitions manufacture, from enjoying an extended afternoon session in the local boozer. Prior to this act, public houses were able to trade all day, the same as they can today.
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It therefore seems incredible that it took 73 years to repeal this dubious piece of legislation, which was promoted by an emboldened temperance movement, and probably had minimal effect on the outcome of the “meat grinder,” that was the Great War. The fact that this emergency piece of legislation hung on for so long, is testament to the inertia and conservatism underlying the British way oflife, even at the height of the so-called “permissive society.”
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For those of us who reached 18 years of age prior to 1988,the legal age for being able to enjoy an alcoholic drink on licensed premises, afternoon drinking was a real novelty, and something to be cherished. It is certainly something that those born after 1970 will never fully appreciate in quite the same way as us older drinkers. Even when the legislation was changed, those of us who were working were only able to take advantage of this newfound sense of freedom on Saturdays, or days off, and we had to wait a further seven years before pubs were allowed to open all day on Sundays.
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I can still remember my first, legal, afternoon pint, which I enjoyed at the Harp, the famous free house on the edge of London’s Covent Garden, although after 34 years I can’t recall what the actual beer was! Even so, it was still a precious moment and part of the reason why I still appreciate that mid-afternoon session, probably more than any other. Many pubs are relatively quiet, mid-afternoon as the lunchtime rush is over, and those workers who are still allowed to drink during the working day, will have returned to their offices or factories. The staff behind the bar will be using the slack period wisely and will be gearing up for the evening trade. In short, there is generally a nice, quiet, and relaxed feel about a pub during the middle of the afternoon.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9hLw6rAOCciKJTBwtXMTa2j7wjJZqV7j7a2Q3ZgYiA 6i3vSqVHvdehDzkgO5h19VuhffbhD9ohGByG9q9nY96Xk6WGwa HMDxHZpaLTLnJiYYwaAy2Af938MsgxV3SQ-M7VV23gOgFbHRNVGlpkl8abiO30fuDDo0GRxojksoYluQwxcoI mTm8vkF/w400-h240/Swan.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9hLw6rAOCciKJTBwtXMTa2j7wjJZqV7j7a2Q3ZgYiA 6i3vSqVHvdehDzkgO5h19VuhffbhD9ohGByG9q9nY96Xk6WGwa HMDxHZpaLTLnJiYYwaAy2Af938MsgxV3SQ-M7VV23gOgFbHRNVGlpkl8abiO30fuDDo0GRxojksoYluQwxcoI mTm8vkF/s4557/Swan.jpg)
I enjoyed such a session last Thursday, at Fuggles Beer Café in Tonbridge, having popped out to s. collect a few household items for Mrs PBT’s. We were supposed to have been going out, but the end of the financial year is always a busy time when you’re a self-employed bookkeeper with a client base of builders and other tradesmen, who turn up on you doorstep with a carrier bag stuffed full of invoices and receipts, liberally sprinkled with plaster and cement dust.
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Eileen really has the patient of a saint when it come to dealing with these cheeky chappies, especially when they discover the taxman is after them for last quarter’s VAT bill. She is also something of a miracle worker when it comes to making sense of those stuffed carrier bags, that pass for accounts in many tradesmen’s eyes! The items that she wanted from the town, didn’t amount to much, but after a morning spent catching up on household and garden chores, it was good to get out of the house. Fuggles fitted the bill perfectly, especially in view of what I have just written, and true to my expectations there was only a handful of people in there. My other motivation for visiting Fuggles was to see whether they still had any Time & Tide beers on tap. The latter are a brewery based just outside Deal, in the far east of Kent, and as well as turning out some cracking beers, were also one of the featured breweries, from the recent Tonbridge Beer Weekend.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL0b2aeZ-4WQ4rrc-INcEu0irp-IPev-aBfAOEnBVcYD7yNrHZAMPKm1TYVDTTuNsYyZp_zfQf1P3a2eUs IG9nNT5xgS9soQHWpfLnL0nruoVqeXdp2b9vXUZ9cSxGwhhKri drWcibbvyKw-C2m8duTjz5pRKb-u7VRuM6ej6zQdXqxBkD_FJoPBo/w400-h300/20191122_152105.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL0b2aeZ-4WQ4rrc-INcEu0irp-IPev-aBfAOEnBVcYD7yNrHZAMPKm1TYVDTTuNsYyZp_zfQf1P3a2eUs IG9nNT5xgS9soQHWpfLnL0nruoVqeXdp2b9vXUZ9cSxGwhhKri drWcibbvyKw-C2m8duTjz5pRKb-u7VRuM6ej6zQdXqxBkD_FJoPBo/s4050/20191122_152105.jpg)
My luck was in, and I was served a very pleasant pint of Walmer Patchwork Pale Ale. As well as being in good condition, it was the perfect mid-afternoon pint, weighing in at just 3.7% abv. I sat there enjoying my beer whilst soaking up the atmosphere. As well as me there were two groups, sat at opposite ends of the pub. They were later joined by a single fella who ordered himself a flight of three different beers, and then stood at the bar drinking them. I didn’t stay for another, as I knew I would be driving, later that evening, but as well as reminding me of previous mid-afternoon sessions – not just at Fuggles, but at various other places as well.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBut8joVSMpADgBw2aNvoF0WtnsIF2xwE_PFzd_GiYX-RI-8TI8YTYGUDvXjUkIY9y62gjGuFtRE0tXEeleCAAfP1tBeeKwG3 RjxRjQyrVZoxoGa7QnFEOQmeVHqqPkvJycOytmxISzVp12KlLI 4dTZgZVAaUUutB0j1zQqFgRcpElsD3-3r5TfHCJ/w400-h300/IMG_20200306_152715.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBut8joVSMpADgBw2aNvoF0WtnsIF2xwE_PFzd_GiYX-RI-8TI8YTYGUDvXjUkIY9y62gjGuFtRE0tXEeleCAAfP1tBeeKwG3 RjxRjQyrVZoxoGa7QnFEOQmeVHqqPkvJycOytmxISzVp12KlLI 4dTZgZVAaUUutB0j1zQqFgRcpElsD3-3r5TfHCJ/s4000/IMG_20200306_152715.jpg)
The four “Proper Days Out” I have attended with members of the Beer & Pubs Forum, provided further examples and opportunities, for enjoying a few more mid-afternoon pints; occasions made all the more enjoyable, by the company I was with. Pubs that are especially worthy of mention include the Wheatsheaf at Shifnal, a pub on CAMRA’s Inventory of National Heritage Pubs. With beers from the Marston’s-Bank’s stable and a welcoming log fire, blazing away, the pub provided a welcome refuge from the damp and rather cold conditions outside.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyRLDjuZWhow7K64xZDZyqHetm2ziwzTBsZEE_g0C4b i1nMUJTB1C0glrHnnpcmK1tsNSlFtY49L_9oCop4d1qVJ9aPaN hRyWu8U-kf4V3pNJ-xqUgXlQXcodVl6eY3iiqeRQVjCpXg5l1Wg5F83XuSfSVEOTcgS cLAibXDfvMNtaCpcPIxPsC-QE/w400-h229/Bell%20ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyRLDjuZWhow7K64xZDZyqHetm2ziwzTBsZEE_g0C4b i1nMUJTB1C0glrHnnpcmK1tsNSlFtY49L_9oCop4d1qVJ9aPaN hRyWu8U-kf4V3pNJ-xqUgXlQXcodVl6eY3iiqeRQVjCpXg5l1Wg5F83XuSfSVEOTcgS cLAibXDfvMNtaCpcPIxPsC-QE/s3854/Bell%20ext.jpg)The second pub is a complete contrast, and was visited on a different trip. The Elms Inn, at Burton-on-Trent, is a large imposing Victorian pub, set on a hill, overlooking the river Trent, some distance below. It’s large windows, gave a bright and airy feel to the place, and was just the thing on a sunny day that had followed weeks of incessant rain. The day was also the calm before another approaching storm, that of the Covid-19 pandemic that was about to unleash itself on the world, but in a pub buzzing with the conversation and laughter of people having a good time, such concerns seemed a world away. Another bonus was the Draught Bass which was in fine form.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy3hdnlAKwe-4cV81O8StSnGhT-YcO2wgeC4JExMSu7zMUwP0LPgjAG3wIjSu8kHidN1IN9BFcet5 vrQSNOj1k8ApKArUfnXX9aAw-AS7OB5-H59gy3FkXpRPC5SK6DgsClhlXt4Htf9YqZj38lHzT3yg86qG7u 0ihZp5qbvriUHAtvBushYC5BOs/w400-h225/Star%20larger%20room.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy3hdnlAKwe-4cV81O8StSnGhT-YcO2wgeC4JExMSu7zMUwP0LPgjAG3wIjSu8kHidN1IN9BFcet5 vrQSNOj1k8ApKArUfnXX9aAw-AS7OB5-H59gy3FkXpRPC5SK6DgsClhlXt4Htf9YqZj38lHzT3yg86qG7u 0ihZp5qbvriUHAtvBushYC5BOs/s4000/Star%20larger%20room.jpg)Finally, the most recent Proper Day Out, which involved a trip west and a visit to, amongst others, the New Inn which is just a short hop from Bath city centre. This was another atmospheric pub, with an interesting range of beer, and just the place for whiling away an hour or so, on what was another damp and gloomy afternoon.
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the drift, and doubtless have candidates for favourite mid-afternoon pubs, along with pleasant memories of these places. Perhaps this nostalgia and longing for these quiet and relaxed sessions is a sign of growing older, but for me such periods are something to both savour and enjoy.
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc46eUfTckoh-CtGYo68qd13ENos-_7k0097kDKtOxbhCaqL5Yqv-f2A7JJBDwlE74W5eaL5eI2xNTSn9ltoNK7_7ZKcFbXPQzdTh5h rtX8tlBj3PUixBsLXN4_RH0bhHP51rMGH0pO2XPcazWQbxo67s MqYO5pCo1ORI45kIMyII0aAd6zCzylpQ/w400-h225/IMG_20220407_150512.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc46eUfTckoh-CtGYo68qd13ENos-_7k0097kDKtOxbhCaqL5Yqv-f2A7JJBDwlE74W5eaL5eI2xNTSn9ltoNK7_7ZKcFbXPQzdTh5h rtX8tlBj3PUixBsLXN4_RH0bhHP51rMGH0pO2XPcazWQbxo67s MqYO5pCo1ORI45kIMyII0aAd6zCzylpQ/s4000/IMG_20220407_150512.jpg)
Now that I am semi-retired and am able to enjoy a couple of extra days off at the end of the week, I’ve also been able to appreciate that rarest of experiences, the mid-afternoon pint. Being able to enjoy a drink between the hours of 3 & 5pm, is something that those individuals whose drinking career began after August 1988, will take for granted; for that is the date the archaic legislation forcing pubs to close during the afternoon, was finally repealed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxIuTXcRdwSrER0HT8NCRKAg5iq2p9IYQbxPWJT6sh8 DbAZixJPIl2QGlcIlTGq-76I0lyr5saGdwc_17IGHLCUzkQTv_mCKNclSkc8jQvk8sa-EuUtU6tnMcEIZCmb5nR7TEm-Q8ITzsoxSWwdWtzSEpB-rr1LWlvMaIYT9dPdBVeG1G4ffE5e7f/w400-h225/Red%20Lion%20int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxIuTXcRdwSrER0HT8NCRKAg5iq2p9IYQbxPWJT6sh8 DbAZixJPIl2QGlcIlTGq-76I0lyr5saGdwc_17IGHLCUzkQTv_mCKNclSkc8jQvk8sa-EuUtU6tnMcEIZCmb5nR7TEm-Q8ITzsoxSWwdWtzSEpB-rr1LWlvMaIYT9dPdBVeG1G4ffE5e7f/s4000/Red%20Lion%20int.jpg)
The Defence of the Realm Act, or DoRA for short, came into force in 1915, as an "emergency measure" during World War One. It was designed to prevent workers in essential areas, such as munitions manufacture, from enjoying an extended afternoon session in the local boozer. Prior to this act, public houses were able to trade all day, the same as they can today.
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It therefore seems incredible that it took 73 years to repeal this dubious piece of legislation, which was promoted by an emboldened temperance movement, and probably had minimal effect on the outcome of the “meat grinder,” that was the Great War. The fact that this emergency piece of legislation hung on for so long, is testament to the inertia and conservatism underlying the British way oflife, even at the height of the so-called “permissive society.”
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For those of us who reached 18 years of age prior to 1988,the legal age for being able to enjoy an alcoholic drink on licensed premises, afternoon drinking was a real novelty, and something to be cherished. It is certainly something that those born after 1970 will never fully appreciate in quite the same way as us older drinkers. Even when the legislation was changed, those of us who were working were only able to take advantage of this newfound sense of freedom on Saturdays, or days off, and we had to wait a further seven years before pubs were allowed to open all day on Sundays.
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I can still remember my first, legal, afternoon pint, which I enjoyed at the Harp, the famous free house on the edge of London’s Covent Garden, although after 34 years I can’t recall what the actual beer was! Even so, it was still a precious moment and part of the reason why I still appreciate that mid-afternoon session, probably more than any other. Many pubs are relatively quiet, mid-afternoon as the lunchtime rush is over, and those workers who are still allowed to drink during the working day, will have returned to their offices or factories. The staff behind the bar will be using the slack period wisely and will be gearing up for the evening trade. In short, there is generally a nice, quiet, and relaxed feel about a pub during the middle of the afternoon.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9hLw6rAOCciKJTBwtXMTa2j7wjJZqV7j7a2Q3ZgYiA 6i3vSqVHvdehDzkgO5h19VuhffbhD9ohGByG9q9nY96Xk6WGwa HMDxHZpaLTLnJiYYwaAy2Af938MsgxV3SQ-M7VV23gOgFbHRNVGlpkl8abiO30fuDDo0GRxojksoYluQwxcoI mTm8vkF/w400-h240/Swan.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9hLw6rAOCciKJTBwtXMTa2j7wjJZqV7j7a2Q3ZgYiA 6i3vSqVHvdehDzkgO5h19VuhffbhD9ohGByG9q9nY96Xk6WGwa HMDxHZpaLTLnJiYYwaAy2Af938MsgxV3SQ-M7VV23gOgFbHRNVGlpkl8abiO30fuDDo0GRxojksoYluQwxcoI mTm8vkF/s4557/Swan.jpg)
I enjoyed such a session last Thursday, at Fuggles Beer Café in Tonbridge, having popped out to s. collect a few household items for Mrs PBT’s. We were supposed to have been going out, but the end of the financial year is always a busy time when you’re a self-employed bookkeeper with a client base of builders and other tradesmen, who turn up on you doorstep with a carrier bag stuffed full of invoices and receipts, liberally sprinkled with plaster and cement dust.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7u-24n98XTctJT2i26cWuuA2uFPFaUhNkkJK6u58MVi8CfIXIcOIp UksD_qOOoWTZMN7phffMphHysEENaoWnVQE3o1rh9K0cCNQzuf-jw5asjNWwSs7FlIXSls3N3Sb4cjJk5Mf0fefWwlucyQA3kAjh1 ogzcMHqAp2lS8dhJ26E1xgcJeEumY5/w225-h400/IMG_20220407_150453.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7u-24n98XTctJT2i26cWuuA2uFPFaUhNkkJK6u58MVi8CfIXIcOIp UksD_qOOoWTZMN7phffMphHysEENaoWnVQE3o1rh9K0cCNQzuf-jw5asjNWwSs7FlIXSls3N3Sb4cjJk5Mf0fefWwlucyQA3kAjh1 ogzcMHqAp2lS8dhJ26E1xgcJeEumY5/s4000/IMG_20220407_150453.jpg)
Eileen really has the patient of a saint when it come to dealing with these cheeky chappies, especially when they discover the taxman is after them for last quarter’s VAT bill. She is also something of a miracle worker when it comes to making sense of those stuffed carrier bags, that pass for accounts in many tradesmen’s eyes! The items that she wanted from the town, didn’t amount to much, but after a morning spent catching up on household and garden chores, it was good to get out of the house. Fuggles fitted the bill perfectly, especially in view of what I have just written, and true to my expectations there was only a handful of people in there. My other motivation for visiting Fuggles was to see whether they still had any Time & Tide beers on tap. The latter are a brewery based just outside Deal, in the far east of Kent, and as well as turning out some cracking beers, were also one of the featured breweries, from the recent Tonbridge Beer Weekend.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL0b2aeZ-4WQ4rrc-INcEu0irp-IPev-aBfAOEnBVcYD7yNrHZAMPKm1TYVDTTuNsYyZp_zfQf1P3a2eUs IG9nNT5xgS9soQHWpfLnL0nruoVqeXdp2b9vXUZ9cSxGwhhKri drWcibbvyKw-C2m8duTjz5pRKb-u7VRuM6ej6zQdXqxBkD_FJoPBo/w400-h300/20191122_152105.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL0b2aeZ-4WQ4rrc-INcEu0irp-IPev-aBfAOEnBVcYD7yNrHZAMPKm1TYVDTTuNsYyZp_zfQf1P3a2eUs IG9nNT5xgS9soQHWpfLnL0nruoVqeXdp2b9vXUZ9cSxGwhhKri drWcibbvyKw-C2m8duTjz5pRKb-u7VRuM6ej6zQdXqxBkD_FJoPBo/s4050/20191122_152105.jpg)
My luck was in, and I was served a very pleasant pint of Walmer Patchwork Pale Ale. As well as being in good condition, it was the perfect mid-afternoon pint, weighing in at just 3.7% abv. I sat there enjoying my beer whilst soaking up the atmosphere. As well as me there were two groups, sat at opposite ends of the pub. They were later joined by a single fella who ordered himself a flight of three different beers, and then stood at the bar drinking them. I didn’t stay for another, as I knew I would be driving, later that evening, but as well as reminding me of previous mid-afternoon sessions – not just at Fuggles, but at various other places as well.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBut8joVSMpADgBw2aNvoF0WtnsIF2xwE_PFzd_GiYX-RI-8TI8YTYGUDvXjUkIY9y62gjGuFtRE0tXEeleCAAfP1tBeeKwG3 RjxRjQyrVZoxoGa7QnFEOQmeVHqqPkvJycOytmxISzVp12KlLI 4dTZgZVAaUUutB0j1zQqFgRcpElsD3-3r5TfHCJ/w400-h300/IMG_20200306_152715.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBut8joVSMpADgBw2aNvoF0WtnsIF2xwE_PFzd_GiYX-RI-8TI8YTYGUDvXjUkIY9y62gjGuFtRE0tXEeleCAAfP1tBeeKwG3 RjxRjQyrVZoxoGa7QnFEOQmeVHqqPkvJycOytmxISzVp12KlLI 4dTZgZVAaUUutB0j1zQqFgRcpElsD3-3r5TfHCJ/s4000/IMG_20200306_152715.jpg)
The four “Proper Days Out” I have attended with members of the Beer & Pubs Forum, provided further examples and opportunities, for enjoying a few more mid-afternoon pints; occasions made all the more enjoyable, by the company I was with. Pubs that are especially worthy of mention include the Wheatsheaf at Shifnal, a pub on CAMRA’s Inventory of National Heritage Pubs. With beers from the Marston’s-Bank’s stable and a welcoming log fire, blazing away, the pub provided a welcome refuge from the damp and rather cold conditions outside.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyRLDjuZWhow7K64xZDZyqHetm2ziwzTBsZEE_g0C4b i1nMUJTB1C0glrHnnpcmK1tsNSlFtY49L_9oCop4d1qVJ9aPaN hRyWu8U-kf4V3pNJ-xqUgXlQXcodVl6eY3iiqeRQVjCpXg5l1Wg5F83XuSfSVEOTcgS cLAibXDfvMNtaCpcPIxPsC-QE/w400-h229/Bell%20ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyRLDjuZWhow7K64xZDZyqHetm2ziwzTBsZEE_g0C4b i1nMUJTB1C0glrHnnpcmK1tsNSlFtY49L_9oCop4d1qVJ9aPaN hRyWu8U-kf4V3pNJ-xqUgXlQXcodVl6eY3iiqeRQVjCpXg5l1Wg5F83XuSfSVEOTcgS cLAibXDfvMNtaCpcPIxPsC-QE/s3854/Bell%20ext.jpg)The second pub is a complete contrast, and was visited on a different trip. The Elms Inn, at Burton-on-Trent, is a large imposing Victorian pub, set on a hill, overlooking the river Trent, some distance below. It’s large windows, gave a bright and airy feel to the place, and was just the thing on a sunny day that had followed weeks of incessant rain. The day was also the calm before another approaching storm, that of the Covid-19 pandemic that was about to unleash itself on the world, but in a pub buzzing with the conversation and laughter of people having a good time, such concerns seemed a world away. Another bonus was the Draught Bass which was in fine form.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy3hdnlAKwe-4cV81O8StSnGhT-YcO2wgeC4JExMSu7zMUwP0LPgjAG3wIjSu8kHidN1IN9BFcet5 vrQSNOj1k8ApKArUfnXX9aAw-AS7OB5-H59gy3FkXpRPC5SK6DgsClhlXt4Htf9YqZj38lHzT3yg86qG7u 0ihZp5qbvriUHAtvBushYC5BOs/w400-h225/Star%20larger%20room.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy3hdnlAKwe-4cV81O8StSnGhT-YcO2wgeC4JExMSu7zMUwP0LPgjAG3wIjSu8kHidN1IN9BFcet5 vrQSNOj1k8ApKArUfnXX9aAw-AS7OB5-H59gy3FkXpRPC5SK6DgsClhlXt4Htf9YqZj38lHzT3yg86qG7u 0ihZp5qbvriUHAtvBushYC5BOs/s4000/Star%20larger%20room.jpg)Finally, the most recent Proper Day Out, which involved a trip west and a visit to, amongst others, the New Inn which is just a short hop from Bath city centre. This was another atmospheric pub, with an interesting range of beer, and just the place for whiling away an hour or so, on what was another damp and gloomy afternoon.
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the drift, and doubtless have candidates for favourite mid-afternoon pubs, along with pleasant memories of these places. Perhaps this nostalgia and longing for these quiet and relaxed sessions is a sign of growing older, but for me such periods are something to both savour and enjoy.
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