Suspicous publicans

[arwkrite]

I was, many years ago, accused twice of being a Drug Squad member. I was at the time a young Copper but was on holiday both times. I walked into a pub by mistake in West Bromwich and found myself the only white person in the bar. The quicker thinking customers ran for the back door. The slower ones stayed then realised I was solo. It was my turn to leg it out the front door.
The other time I was in a group attending a Military Police T.A course. and the barmaid thought we were coppers pretending to be soldiers. Thinking about it she was pretty shrewd. It seems that the place had trouble with pushers selling to junior soldiers.

Uptill about 15 yrs ago I was a heavy smoker and just gave it up . I do have some pity on the poor souls out in the cold.However it has now become apparent just how much litter smokers produce. Take a look at any smoking area and you will see what I mean.

At one time if you produced a camera some idiot would always act the clown trying to mess up your photo. Now they suspect you of being from one of the multitude of agencies set up to watch people.

Bring back the Clowns , they were much better than a bunch of paranoid smokers.

[Conrad]

Hi Arwkrite,

Blimey, an (x-)copper, I better hold back on my Met baiting then, although it sounds like you're not in London so maybe not .

I have never smoked, although my dad was pack a day man and as I had asthma when younger it kind of swore me off it for life. It is actually a hard subject though, as I am sure it has lost pubs business - many people did like to socialise and smoke. Trouble is it is really nice in pubs that have adapted now, I have noticed that a load of the pubs round Bristol have redecorated and uncovered windows (Sportsman and Bunch of Grapes as 2 examples), I haven't asked them but it seems likely to me that part of this is just the reduction in smoke polution means that they can keep the windows clean. And speaking as someone who can feel their lungs tighten when it gets too smoky it is also a godsend.

Photography, I would be a bit of a hypocrite to moan too much as I know I cringe whenever I see a camera pointed at me. I do think that part of this is just a rebelious reflex though of being fed up at the sheer quantity of cameras that you feel like are being used against you these days, speed cameras, city center cameras, shop cameras, etc. You're not wrong though bring back the days of the clowns, I guess I'll think twice after this thread before scowling at any innocent cameras pointed in my direction.

[Farway]

I am also ex smoker [stopped over 35 years ago, when they were 4/2d a packet]

I find I enjoy pubs a lot more now, for me there was nothing worse than peering through a fog of fag smoke, in fact I avoided a lot of pubs for this

Now I find it a pleasure to eat in a pub without someone puffing away next to me

Talking of fag ends outside places, a prime example was my local cop shop, I was going to photograph all the dog ends littered about and send to local rag, but before I got round to it they cleared them up, probably just as well as on second thoughts I, and car, would be marked for life

[Filo]

Hi,

I gave up smoking when we lived in Bristol in 1983ish. I started to realize, that if I gave up the fags I would be able to afford to drink more.

Filo

[Conrad]

Hi,

I gave up smoking when we lived in Bristol in 1983ish. I started to realize, that if I gave up the fags I would be able to afford to drink more.

Filo

Cripes, loads of non-smokers round here, I am sort of surprised, not generally regarded as a drinkers demographic I would have thought. Although maybe that is a statement about those who enjoy their drink rather than being drunk?

Anyway never realised you had lived in this neck of the woods Filo, although I would have been at school then.

Conrad

[Filo]

Hi Conrad,

Yes we lived in Knowle, at the top of the Wells Road when I was a Supervisor, at Marsh Junction Carriage Depot. I imagine its closed now. Every where else I ever worked seems to be. We lived near a local shopping Centre. I think it was called Broad Walk or something like that. Had a nice little pub there too. I can't remember its name though. Served Courage Ales. One of the supermarkets there, sold Camerons, Lion Bitter in 440 ml cans. I've never seen it anywhere else since.

Senior school I imagine you mean, rather than the infants?

Filo

[Dave M]

Hi filo,

Ahh, Knowle, that'd be my part of Bristol then! I'm about a mile further out on the Wells Road, near to the Happy Landings. There used to be a pub opposite Broad Walk Shopping Centre, The Talbot Inn, now a Chinese restaurant.

I don't remember much about how things were in 1983 though, I was still in infants school!

Dave

[Filo]

Hello Dave,

I think The Talbot Inn sounds right.

Its a bit of an unusual photo for someone who claims to be in the infants in 1983. You seem to have a 60's or 70's hair style and poor dress sense. Your not kidding me are you?

There was another pub nearby that sold something called "Halls" what would that be?

Filo

[Conrad]

I am on the other side of Bristol so I shall sit back and let Dave try and handle South Bristol geography. In fact I am embarassingly close to the Rovers stadium, I would say close enough to hear them, but sadly they make no noise, but I am close enough to hear the Rugby fans when they cheer.

Also I was indeed just at senior school, Dave is the young'un round here.

[Soup Dragon]

Wow - go away for a day and the world and their dogs seem to post - not that i will get paranoid!

had my first suspicious gaffer today and took my first phot inside a pub, i really wanted to capture the decorative wood panel and the nice lady in riding boots