What brought Pubs Galore to your attention?

[sheffield hatter]

I was the office pub crawl researcher and I used to look at pub review websites occasionally. This led me to upload a few photos to BITE, one or two of which appeared within a few days but others took months or never appeared at all. After searching through Google I looked at the PG site and, although at the time it wasn't as populated as BITE, I added my photos that I had already taken to the same pubs on PG but this time the response was prompt and courteous. With that inspiration I decided to try to do my bit to put my home town on the map...

Much the same in my case, except that I never felt tempted by BITE. On the occasions when a google search led me there, I was always disappointed with what I found and decided to ignore it. When another search led me to Pubs Galore I was impressed by the presentation of the information, and, after joining, by the enthusiasm of the admin and the congeniality of the users.

I wouldn't claim to have put Sheffield on the map, but I (and others!) have now got the Sheffield page to the point where there is only one pub without a photo (except for closed pubs that are no longer physically capable of being photographed). I'll try to get a photo of the last one before the year is out.

I'm not going to set myself a similar target for reviews, as too many are bars or night clubs I have no desire to visit, but I'll give the others a go over the next year or so.

Happy days!

[Rex_Rattus]

Like most others I too migrated from BITE. I didn't managed to get banned from there, but for those who did it's almost as good as getting a special award!

There are a few regulars from there who didn't make the transition for one reason or another. I gave Guide Dog Saint a bit of gentle encouragement to join us after Maldenman and I met him on a train coming home from London one night, but he doesn't seem to have made an appearance. And I have another couple of drinking chums who I still have hopes of persuading to dip their toes in the water. We'll see. As Andy says, it would be good if someone was enticed into the forum by the calling cards, but even if it encourages a few people to visit the main site then it's achieved something worthwhile.

I do still have one personal target for 2011, which I expect to achieve in the next day or so....

[Maldenman]

Hurry up then, it's not when you went it's when you post! Congratulations anyway, you have my admiration for your dedication. GDS might be more inclined to join if you amend your wording Rex!

[Spinko]

I don't actually remember, but I do know that when I stumbled cross this site I saw the name Quinno and knew I was at university with that bloke about 5 years previously!

His Aberpubs.blogspot page about Aberystwyth pubs is in my opinion still one of the best reviews out there for ay town's pubs. It's not always as easy to find out, when going to a new town, what the best to go to are. Camra webguides are OK but fixated on Real Ale.

[Quinno]

I followed others over from BITE, though a took about a year's hiatus from pub reviewing as I'd got so fed up.

Glad to be back though.

I've pestered a number of people over on the other side to switch and I think I may well have had a hand in getting Blackthorn on here...?

[Millay]

So did I. He's on my Facebook friend list and recently uploaded a photo of a pint in a BITE beer glass so it would seem his loyalty is still yet to be sufficiently eroded.

Lee has a long history with BITE so I can understand his loyalty. I joined in 2003 and he was there then. His reviews of Prague microbreweries came in very handy when I was researching a trip the following year.

[Rex_Rattus]

GDS might be more inclined to join if you amend your wording Rex!

Done. Reads better now?

[Blackthorn]

I've pestered a number of people over on the other side to switch and I think I may well have had a hand in getting Blackthorn on here...?

You do yourself a disservice Quinno, you didn’t just have a hand in it, you were entirely responsible. I started off on BITE simply because they were always at the top of the search results whenever I Googled a pub. I was a relative latecomer there, and browsed the site for reviews long before I started contributing.

To be honest, I’d never heard of PuG until Quinno brought it to my attention (via the BITE message board). The only other one I’d ever looked at was the British Pub Guide, although I didn’t like the layout of that, and there seemed to be virtually no reviews on there.

I do still look at BITE, simply because, around Bristol at least, there seem to be far more regular contributors. It’s not unusual to find a Bristol pub on PuG with no reviews (except my own perhaps! ), whereas that’s rarely the case on BITE and often there will be several. I have tried to get a few of the other local guys over without much success, although I notice that Adam Bell (aka “Fat Beer Badger”) has started contributing on here now, although he seems more prolific on BITE.

In case I never mentioned it, thanks very much Quinno for bringing this site to my attention, it’s been a pleasure.

[Quinno]

You do yourself a disservice Quinno, you didn’t just have a hand in it, you were entirely responsible.

His Aberpubs.blogspot page about Aberystwyth pubs is in my opinion still one of the best reviews out there for ay town's pubs. It's not always as easy to find out, when going to a new town, what the best to go to are.

[Brewguru]

Again, a loss of patience with the drivell over the other side. Plus a very early discussion with Conrad about Hop Chemistry got me hooked. Yes BITE tends to have more reviews but the non troll ones do tend to be more the one off Sunday lunch gripe ones (a few of which do appear here as well sadly). I still look at BITE due to work, but have long since stopped reviewing there, as for the trolls - they are still there. I was following a thread on the Royal Oak, Motcombe near Shaftesbury which is impressive in its vitriol and abusiveness, but has now amazingly been cleaned up (there is life Jim, but not as we know it).

The Quality of the reviews, and of course this forum, is the best aspect of PuG. I may not be a prolific contibutor but I generally look through every day's posts. Long may it stay this way.