Fancy A Pint?

The Champion Pub, 12-13, Wells St, London, W1T 3PA

“Fancy a pint?”

 “Good idea. Where and when?

“Six-thirty at the Red Lion okay?”

“The Red Lion? Haven’t you heard? It closed down last week. The windows have been boarded-up and everything. How about the Plough?”

“When was the last time you went there? They knocked the Plough down ages ago and replaced it with a swanky new apartment block.”

Really? Blimey! The Colgrave Arms?

“Now a multi-storey car park.”

“The Red Cow?”

“Gone.”

“Do you fancy a coffee instead?”

Last night I visited the Pub Life photography exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. The excellent photographs were the result of a competition run by British Beer & Pub Association for amateur and professional photographers alike to celebrate that Great British institution, the pub. The full range of “pub life” was represented in the photos, from snoozing regulars, pub games, lazy Sundays, even pub cowboys engaged in a Wild West shoot-out. As I wandered round I couldn’t help finding it ironic these pictures were on display in a defunct brewery. We are in the midst of a recession that could actually mark the end of the Pub Industry and I can’t help feeling a little bit of the British way of life is ebbing away.

In 1980, the UK could boast 69,000 pubs, but by 2010, that number had dwindled to 52,000. According to the BBPA, though all regions are suffering losses, the rate is highest in the North West and London. Back in March the estimated rate of national closures was 25 a week with five of those being pubs in London. That was before the Chancellor stuck his knife in and increased beer duty by seven per cent in the budget – not to mention the earlier VAT increase!

I love a good pub – not just as a customer, I have worked in a few and I have even managed two as a licensee for a major pub retailer. A good pub is one with a friendly welcoming atmosphere and represents the surrounding community whether it’s on a high street, back street or council estate. Here in London we have some great examples of well run, atmospheric pubs and I have quite a few favourites across town. Recently though, on my daily travels around town, I’ve noticed more and more closed down, derelict or redeveloped pubs than ever. In a country where eight out of ten adults consider themselves pub goers, it’s very worrying.

In 2008, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) had listed 5,500 pubs spread over the 33 boroughs of Greater London, including many of the most historic and well-preserved pubs in the UK. There are some important gems of antiquity – but not so important they are immune from redevelopment. Many pubs are a focal point for the surrounding communities, home to darts and pool leagues, sponsors of local football teams and sponsors of charities. And let’s not forget; all of them are local employers. As pub goers feel the recessionary pinch, publicans look for other ways to profit from their prime-location city sites and licensed premises are redeveloped into apartments, coffee shops, supermarkets and other bland incarnations. I passed one ex-pub the other day that had been converted into an enormous betting shop. Is that progress?

At the current rate of closure the last British pub is due to call time! forever in 2037. Until then I intend to make the most of our inns, taverns, gin palaces, grog shops and pubs. I am going to make a concerted effort to visit pubs that have been recommended but I never get round to. Rediscover old favourites I haven’t visited in ages. Generally make the most of pubs while there are still some left. Perhaps I’ll see you there. Mine’s a pint. Cheers!

The Pub Life exhibition is on until 22nd May 2011 at The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, LondonE1 6QL. 

http://www.trumanbrewery.com/cgi-bin/events.pl

Royal Wedding Fever.

Waving The Flag.

After weeks of speculation the day of the Royal Wedding  finally arrived, and what a success it turned out to be. With all the organisation involved in such a large and complex event surely something had to go wrong, but no, everything went seamlessly well. If there were any “hiccups” they certainly weren’t evident to us, the general public.

Dressed to impress.

 I have to admit to a certain amount of  “Royal Wedding fatigue” over the past few weeks as the press spun out the story and speculated on the dress, it’s designer, the guest list, the colour of the Queen’s hat, and all the other ponderables. Too often had I switched on the TV to be regaled with interviews of Kate’s family butcher, or milkman, or manager of the local supermarket on the high street, or anyone with an opinion or tenuous connection to the event, as newscasters scrabbled for a “Royal” story.  It got to the point where almost nothing else seemed to be happening in the world. All the international problems of Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Japan, etc., almost paled into insignificance as London prepared for The Royal Event of 2011.

I had become jaded to the point of indifference by the media coverage. This is a world where wars are being fought, tornadoes are tearing America’s south, Japan is recovering from terrible events and here we were focused on a wedding. But wasn’t that the point? With all the “bad news” around wasn’t it time for something good? Something that would bring people together? Something for people to celebrate? Cue the British Royal Family.

 

On Thursday evening, after work and purely out of curiosity, I wandered down the Embankment to Westminster to see for myself exactly what was happening on the eve of The Wedding. The sight that greeted me was incredible. I knew there would be crowds, tents on the pavement, flags and fancy dress, the TV and papers said so, but nothing had really prepared me for the scale of it all.

Eager anticipation.

 Hoards of people jostled for pavement space, spilling onto the traffic-clogged roads as police officers tried to assert their authority. Music from inside the Abbey boomed from loud speakers hung from cranes. International camera crews waded through the throngs of sidewalk campers, aiming cameras and microphones at anyone and everyone, as press photographers snapped and snapped and snapped. The Union Flag was predominant but I saw flags from many other nations – Canada, Australia, USA, Japan, and more – drapped from railings and hung from tents. Evident, amongst all the chaos, was an over-riding sense of happiness and anticipation. Perhaps here was the antidote to all that “bad news” from around the world – at least for a weekend.

Dress uniform.

 As I passed through the crowd with my Olympus OM30 I inwardly cursed the fact that I hadn’t brought any extra film with me as it was only on a whim I was there at all. There were only a few frames left on the Tri-X my camera was loaded with too! Heigh-ho! I’d just have to snap what I could. But there was so much to choose from, so many scenes, so many incidents, so many cheerful characters! It was my own fault for not preparing and where was I going to buy film on a bank holiday? After exhausting my film I headed home happy, actually anticipating the following day’s ceremony, with all thoughts of “Royal Wedding fatigue” banished.

"Did you see the kiss?"

 The following morning I was installed on the settee in front of the telly from 7.30 am. Watching the build-up, seeing people emerge bleary-eyed from tents, or wrapped in flags for warmth and clutching mugs of thermos dispensed tea,  I was decidedly jealous of all those who were there. I figured that if you weren’t there now it was probably too late to get close, let alone a view.  I would not have the proud boast to future generations; “I was among the many lining the route”. There was also the option of watching it on one of the communal big screens at Trafalgar Square or Hyde Park and enjoying the party atmosphere, but elbow room would have been at a premium there too. So I ruefully settled for watching events from the comfort of my own living room.

What a great show it was! Does anyone do pagentry better than the british? Princes William and Harry looked great in their uniforms and Catherine, of course, looked beautiful. Everyone remembered their lines and the bridesmaids didn’t play up. Everything seemed to tick-along nicely to schedule and everyone enjoyed it, including the bride and groom.

"God has brought them together."

 The scenes of the coach ride back to Buckingham Palace with the newly-weds waving to the thousands of well-wishers lining the route were amazing and spured me into action. I had to go there and get a sense of it all for myself. I grabbed the only camera I had with any film in – my Rolleiflex TLR – not the “weapon-of-choice” for the job in hand but needs must. So armed, I headed for the centre of London.

As I weaved my way round Trafalgar Square, passed Admiralty Arch and on to the Mall, the atmosphere was electric. People were thronging up and down and the over-all mood was joyous and happy. Even after balcony kisses and the Aston Martin spin, everyone was milling about waving flags, enjoying the historic day and not showing the slightest intention of leaving. Also the police, eschewing their usual hi-viz yellow in favour of blue serge and white gloves, appeared relaxed as they went about there duties, even finding time to pose for tourist’s photos.

Congratulations to the Royal Family and thanks for a terrific day. The country may be on the brink, people are dying of hunger, wars and natural disasters may ravage the world, but for while we had something to smile about.

"Evening All"