St Helens is about 4 miles from me and Wigan about 5.5 miles but the pubs in both are good enough to justify stretching my definition of local.
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non local drinker
Unfortunately my favourite local pub was scheduled to close for renovation and new management in June so that's gone for good unless the changes aren't too bad. I will see if and when it reopens.
My nearest decent pubs otherwise are in York or Harrogate, not exactly walking distance for me.
Just visiting fairly often, mode of transport is neither here nor there.
Well, that explains why you chose just two pubs, Mick. After all, none of us are going to be visiting 10 pubs three or four times a week!
My 10 accounted for 214 out of my 847 pub visits last year, and were my most frequently visited pubs in my home town (though I listed them without reference to my spreadsheet). This year the same 10 have accounted for 63 out of 233 pub visits up to 20 March, though if I'd based my 10 on this year's figures I would have to have included the Old Grindstone at the expense of the Ecclesall Ale Club.
Dubliners, Thornaby
Golden Smog, Stockton
Hope and Union, Stockton
Top of the Hops, Stockton
The words "local" and "regular" mean different things to each person depending on your environment. I have 4 pubs in 5 mins walk then next pubs are 30 to 40 mins walk. I class local favourites as 15 minute walk, bus or train ride (or drive if someone else is driving!) + odd exceptions.
First pub - 3 minute walk from home
Last pub - 3 minute walk from Carrog station at the end of "regular" steam train ride!
The Bridge End Inn
The Vaults
Black Lion
Duke Of Wellington
The Ponsonby Arms
The Sun Inn
The Corn Mill
Chainbridge Hotel
Aqueduct Inn
The Grouse
My favourite pub within walking distance of home is The Old Cross Tavern,sadly it is small and would struggle to fit more than 15 punters with 2m distancing.
The Black Horse has however a generous back garden ,not at all obvious to non locals so an ideal spot for a bit of social distancing from early July
Out boating ,there maybe a lot of scope for exterior drinking and I do have a supply of leather tankards if take outs are the only option.Lets hope this good weather extends well into July.Canals are due to reopen to more than short hops from June 1st .
We live midway between two villages with three pubs between them,say a minimum forty minute walk.I can't say that we've used any of them this past twelvemonth. We seem to have to travel further afield for an engaging pub,and if push came to shove, I would say that Larkins' Alehouse would be my "local", given that I often drop in on a Saturday lunchtime, when it is quiet. A good range of fairly local beers, and I am recognised.
I think it is doing "take outs" on some evenings of the week, but I'm not sure.