The Pub Curmudgeon: Once bitten, twice shy?

Saturday, 15 January 2011

Once bitten, twice shy?

Another pub name gem courtesy of Google Street View. Somehow I doubt whether visiting American tourists will be too keen to call in at this Bury pub.

6 comments:

The Hearty Goodfellow said...: Apparently their scratchings are divine...; 15 January 2011 17:12
ChrisM said...: Had a friend who used to work there. Never been in myself, though.; 15 January 2011 17:24
RedNev said...: Don't Americans like fish?; 15 January 2011 18:57
Tyson said...: Just one of many charming Bury hostelries. Remember to book early.; 15 January 2011 23:16
Martyn Cornell said...: Thank you Red Nev, I was trying to think what it could possibly be named for. Although the Oxford English Dictionary puts up another possibility:

Roach - Brit. regional. Mining. A seam or bed. Also roach of coal.; 21 January 2011 15:42
Curmudgeon said...: I suspect in this case it may come from the nearby River Roch (pronounced Roach). The town of Rochdale (pronounced Rotch) takes its name from the same river.; 21 January 2011 15:46

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"If I see one more politician who voted for the smoking ban crying crocodile tears about the state of the pub industry, I may throw up." (Chris Snowdon)

"The final nails have now been hammered into the coffin of the freedom to smoke in enclosed public places. This piece of legislation must be one of the most restrictive, spiteful and socially divisive imposed by any British Government. (Lord Stoddart of Swindon)

"Raising taxes on alcohol to prevent problem drinking is akin to raising the price of gasoline to prevent people from speeding." (Edward Peter Stringham)

"There's a saying that, given time, all organisations end up as if they were run by a conspiracy of their foes." (Rhys Jones)

"A Puritan is someone who lives in mortal fear that somewhere, sometime, someone is enjoying himself." (H. L. Mencken)

"No pleasure is worth giving up for the sake of two more years in a geriatric home at Weston-super-Mare." (Kingsley Amis)

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Over the years, I have had numerous examples of bottle-conditioned ales from micro-breweries. With a single exception (Hop Back Summer Lightning, which is from what has now become an established brewery), pretty much every single one has been poor, either ludicrously fobbing, cloudy or totally devoid of condition. From that experience, I would seriously warn anyone against drinking BCAs from micro-breweries. So, if you think your beer is different, send me a bottle. I’ll store it upright in a dark, cool place for at least seven days, then attempt to drink it, and report on the consequences. My e-mail address is info AT pubcurmudgeon DOT org DOT uk

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This is not a beer blog. It's a view of life from the saloon bar, not entirely about the saloon bar - which of course is a metaphorical place as well as a physical one. It is as much about political correctness and the erosion of lifestyle freedom as it is about pubs and beer. And, while I enjoy cask beer, I don't assume that it is the only alcoholic beverage worth consuming.

I'm a non-smoker, but not an antismoker. I believe the owners of private property should be entitled to choose whether or not smoking is permitted on their premises. If any supporter of pubs still thinks the smoking ban was a remotely good idea, just look around at all the pubs that have closed since 1 July 2007. The smoking ban is what prompted the creation of this blog back then and, while it touches on many other topics, it remains essentially its core theme.

I condemn drunken driving, but there is no evidence that driving after consuming a small quantity of alcohol is dangerous, and the campaign to discourage driving even within the British legal limit has been a major cause of the decline of the pub trade in recent years. Reducing the current legal limit - a proposal fortunately rejected by the Coalition government - would lead to the closure of thousands more pubs and would not necessarily save a single life. In my view, this is at least as much a threat to pubs as the smoking ban.

As you will probably gather from reading the blog, I live in Stockport, Cheshire, a thriving town which is definitely not part of Manchester and has one of the finest collections of characterful pubs in the country.

The blog is written purely for my own entertainment and to get things off my chest. It walks a tightrope between libertarianism and conservatism. It is nostalgic, idiosyncratic and at times inconsistent. You are welcome to disagree, but if you don't like it, you don't have to read it.

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The Pub Curmudgeon

Saturday, 15 January 2011

Once bitten, twice shy?

6 comments:

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