tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post2799724097233049436..comments2024-03-29T08:01:51.705+00:00Comments on The Pub Curmudgeon: Halcyon daysCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-40810969271250569832011-03-15T09:26:56.378+00:002011-03-15T09:26:56.378+00:00"Because of course before the ban there were ...<i>"Because of course before the ban there were no pubs with non-smoking rooms or areas, were there?"</i><br /><br />Never found any reasonable attempt at such back in Rickmansworth (where I lived for those two years), though there was a restauranty-pub where you could escape the smoke if you ate dinner. As far as I was concerned there was no such thing as "smoke free" in a pub I could reasonably visit.<br /><br />People in larger towns/cities were better served I imagine, I did find some "no smoking rooms" on trips to London - though often the idea was very badly implemented. All very well having a room where people can smoke and another where people can't. But if there is open space, even just a doorway, between the "no smoking room" and some room where people smoke then it is a waste of time.<br /><br />I used to seek-out (mostly via Google) "no smoking pubs" when visiting London - great to find - but thin on the ground.<br /><br />Were it not for the smoking ban it is unlikely that I would have become a regular pub goer. I'm now a regular at two pubs that I love for both the community and the beer. But I'm just one measly customer (well two, my other half is also a keen ale drinker)... I don't disagree that the smoking ban appears to have been a bad thing for the pub trade economically. But, in my experience, there were few options for non-city-dweller-non-smokers prior to the ban.Yvan Sethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00010793966739437289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-65026840409883018712011-03-14T20:44:45.614+00:002011-03-14T20:44:45.614+00:00"During my first 2 years in the UK pubs were ...<i>"During my first 2 years in the UK pubs were only visited in fair weather, as drinking outside was the only option."</i><br /><br />Because of course before the ban there were no pubs with non-smoking rooms or areas, were there?Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-39077986207791911072011-03-14T14:42:08.558+00:002011-03-14T14:42:08.558+00:00As a non-smoker, a lover of "new world" ...As a non-smoker, a lover of "new world" hops, and general whore for anything new and different... I can't see any attraction to years before the present. Smoke-free pubs, different hops all over the place, and all kinds of wonderfully crazy stuff going on with strong beers. Then again, 2011 is the only one of the years listed where I've been in the UK (I moved to the UK mid-2005) so I can't look back nostalgically thinking "things were better back then..."<br /><br />The smoking ban really is a big issue for me on the pub front... prior to the ban I simply didn't go to pubs. It wasn't worth the suffering. During my first 2 years in the UK pubs were only visited in fair weather, as drinking outside was the only option. The smoking ban was where my appreciation of "real ale" really kicked off.<br /><br />[That said... I also don't like the government telling people what to do too much, I'm against the smoking ban on that front. It's the old shoe-in-the-door argument - what will be banned next? How far will the nanny state go? Back home in Australia the government made unpasteurised cheese illegal! We don't want to see that sort of thing going on...]Yvan Sethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00010793966739437289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-89201814457696073682011-03-13T18:37:36.083+00:002011-03-13T18:37:36.083+00:00Sorry, forgot to mention, follow-up blog:
http://...Sorry, forgot to mention, follow-up blog:<br /><br />http://studentbrewer.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-not-good-time-for-pubs-then.htmlEddie86https://www.blogger.com/profile/03552007546467495543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-40740963918203977742011-03-13T18:36:36.954+00:002011-03-13T18:36:36.954+00:00Have they retreated, or has technology advanced pa...Have they retreated, or has technology advanced past them? Colour/HD/multi-channel tv, game consoles 'for the whole family', internet, social networking...Eddie86https://www.blogger.com/profile/03552007546467495543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-15618010725991866012011-03-12T15:51:05.489+00:002011-03-12T15:51:05.489+00:00@Eddie86 - I can understand where you're comin...@Eddie86 - I can understand where you're coming from. From a narrow point of view as a "beer enthusiast", 2011 undoubtedly offers more delights than any of the previous years in the poll. <br /><br />But, as a wider sociological phenomenon, pubs have greatly retreated from the position they once occupied.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-75567049869041826542011-03-12T08:09:58.503+00:002011-03-12T08:09:58.503+00:00I went for 1961 for the reasons Tyson stated. 1951...I went for 1961 for the reasons Tyson stated. 1951 would have been my second choice though in fact joint top more or less for exactly the same reasons.<br /><br />Fools seldom differ.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-28739983079391658242011-03-11T21:02:11.779+00:002011-03-11T21:02:11.779+00:00I've had a couple of people register surprise ...I've had a couple of people register surprise with me over that blog, so I'm going to do another one shortly arguing another side to it.Eddie86https://www.blogger.com/profile/03552007546467495543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-86325132167765896592011-03-09T09:16:50.581+00:002011-03-09T09:16:50.581+00:00drinking lychee-flavoured quintuple hop Imperial I...<i>drinking lychee-flavoured quintuple hop Imperial IPA in a smokefree atmosphere in one of the three remaining pubs in their town</i><br /><br /><b>Lychee</b>-flavoured you say? Twissup!!!!<br /><br />About 20 years ago, a colleague who thought I was a dreadful middle-class ponce took me to his regular boozer; as we went in the door he said to me contentedly, "Now THIS is a WORKING-MAN'S PUB." Wonder where he'd take me now?Philhttp://ohgoodale.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-44352611812602891632011-03-09T08:20:48.787+00:002011-03-09T08:20:48.787+00:00Yes, I think those answering 2011 are thinking of ...Yes, I think those answering 2011 are thinking of the beer choice available at home as well as the pub. Perhaps the question should have been in two halves?Sat In A Pubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123038980796000837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-22614519391908862842011-03-08T23:30:33.942+00:002011-03-08T23:30:33.942+00:00It might actually have also been interesting to as...It might actually have also been interesting to ask the question with 2011 excluded, and 1911 included.<br /><br />I think there is no doubt that if you are exclusively buying beer to drink at home then 2011 is best.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-50737487913178627032011-03-08T23:17:17.998+00:002011-03-08T23:17:17.998+00:00An interesting question. Logically, I would sugges...An interesting question. Logically, I would suggest that 1961 should be the most appealing, as it would appear to offer the best of post war qualities and is still before the formation of the “Big Six”. It would be interesting to see the demographics of those who voted for 2011 for that suggests not only laziness, but a younger outlook with little to compare it to. <br /><br />Taking the question at face value-about pub going-I have plumped for 1951 for similar reasons as Phil. There were simply more pubs around and there were some specific pubs that I would particularly have liked to see.Sat In A Pubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123038980796000837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-3752784802544639002011-03-08T19:48:41.228+00:002011-03-08T19:48:41.228+00:00As a comment on the results so far, I always expec...As a comment on the results so far, I always expected 2011 to be in the lead (no doubt all those who are happy drinking lychee-flavoured quintuple hop Imperial IPA in a smokefree atmosphere in one of the three remaining pubs in their town) but I am a little surprised about how evenly the other votes are spread across the various years.<br /><br />A few comments on why people have chosen particular years would be interesting.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-62597078456555457252011-03-08T09:39:44.021+00:002011-03-08T09:39:44.021+00:00Can I go to that date in the future you mentioned ...Can I go to that date in the future you mentioned when all pubs had closed? It will be nice to see the campaign for cooking lager as the largest and most successful consumer organisation, the price of grog in Tesco & whether CAMRA have a pub replica experience in the real/ale pub museum.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-37736802661641151792011-03-08T00:54:02.806+00:002011-03-08T00:54:02.806+00:00Pubs in 1951 would be pretty grim - something like...Pubs in 1951 would be pretty grim - something like 80% of the male population smaoked so I think that even you Mudgie might baulk at the dense fug that hung over most of them. <br /><br />In the cellar hygiene was variable and cooling was rare while pouring back was commonplace. If you read old brewery histories it is clear that by 1952 many has been starved of investment for years and were churning out poor beer from infected brewhouses.<br /><br />Mind you - a trip back in time would enable me to try one of the great lost (bottled) beers - Benskins Colne Spring AleJohn Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00132845616834779091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-73886194366587236242011-03-08T00:41:12.395+00:002011-03-08T00:41:12.395+00:00As a non smoker and someone who enjoys the whole r...As a non smoker and someone who enjoys the whole range of great new beers brewed by the micros I will plump for right now...<br /><br />2nd choice would be 1951 to get a sense of historydredpenguinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00317014192310735266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-78450904371189256432011-03-07T23:31:31.753+00:002011-03-07T23:31:31.753+00:00Not willing to take on the arrow of time I'm v...Not willing to take on the arrow of time I'm voting to stick where I am!Mark, Real-Ale-Reviews.comhttp://real-ale-reviews.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-38441327507064549682011-03-07T22:24:47.721+00:002011-03-07T22:24:47.721+00:00Voting for 2011 displays a severe lack of imaginat...Voting for 2011 displays a severe lack of imagination! I went for 1951 in a spirit of putting my time-travel where my mouth is - in terms of cask ale and local breweries, that's the world we have lost. But on reflection I'm not sure I'd want to live there.Philhttp://ohgoodale.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-5983769872901669272011-03-07T21:50:02.308+00:002011-03-07T21:50:02.308+00:00I can see the attractions of 1911 - pubs open all ...I can see the attractions of 1911 - pubs open all day, average strength of beer about 5.5% - but I confined it to years that were within living memory. And I doubt whether many would have preferred 1921, 1931 or 1941.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-60204090177124181852011-03-07T20:47:44.145+00:002011-03-07T20:47:44.145+00:00Can I go back to 1911?Can I go back to 1911?Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13844169940650659196noreply@blogger.com