Pubs of old London and elsewhere

[AleisterCrowley]

I think the Goose was the first of the chain.
Ah, Dogbolter with the weird 'double vision' pump clip. I stuck to Goose, the house bitter
There were some good places for food round there too - Terry's cafe and Olley's chippie.
Happy days. Better days...

[swill453]

In our town in central Scotland, population c19,000, we have 11 pubs

Oops, now 10

Scott.

[Lootman]

There was (is) a lovely old pub on Borough High St with galleries etc - Greene King so average beer

The Borough High St pub I think is the old coaching inn, now full of tourists, called The George Inn. Still worth a visit though.

Yes, that's it, I was a regular there in the 1980s because I practiced martial arts at a dojo around the corner from there. After a couple of hours of throwing each other around, we'd go there and throw a few pints down.

Then drive home of course.

[AleisterCrowley]

It was a good area to work in when I was there (early 90s) although a bit run down in parts.

[Clitheroekid]

I used to live in a very pleasant residential area of Blackburn (yes, there are a few!) and there was what was known as The Revidge Run, so called because it centred around Revidge Road.

I'm talking now about 30 - 40 years ago, but the Run consisted of at least the 4 pubs that were on Revidge Road as such, and often expanded into one or more of perhaps a dozen pubs that were within a few hundred yards of Revidge Road.

They varied, but the Run included some really good pubs, with lots of character.

There are now no pubs at all left on Revidge Road, and it appears (having just Googled it) that there is maybe one left of the previous dozen or so nearby pubs.

Of course, many thousands of pubs have closed for financial reasons during that period, but the main reason for these closures is the fact that the Asian population has expanded into the area. I assume that the large majority are Muslims and non-drinkers, so the demand for pubs has just vanished.

I feel very sorry for the population who remain - mainly because they can't afford to move - in this sort of situation, as their community and whole way of life has been changed against their will. I'm in no way blaming the Asian incomers, who are simply living as they choose to do quite peaceably and with no intent to harm people, but such demographic changes do invariably - and to my mind understandably - cause a lot of resentment. There are still two very distinct cultures, and integration has been minimal, despite predictions that the descendants of the original immigrants would adopt Western culture. Why would they? The contemporary local white `culture' is hardly something to aspire to!

Although there's very little overt hostility between the two cultures it's not a good situation, and as the proportion of the population that's Asian increases rapidly so does the `white flight' from towns like Blackburn. The logical conclusion is that whole towns will in a few years' time be `Asian' towns, with hardly any non-Asian people living there. This surely can't be good for society as a whole.

I really don't know what the answer is - and sorry to have gone OT, but it's a real concern for a huge number of people, and one that's generally swept under the carpet, as being in the `too difficult' category.

[sg31]

Bradford has similar problems to Blackburn. I'm not sure if it is Muslims generally that do not integrate or just ones from certain countries. In my experience there is a marked contrast between that situation and the Indian immigrants. Indians do seem to intergrate with the British culture , they go from Indians living in this country to English people of indian heritage in the course of 3 or 4 generations.

If my experience is correct it would be interesting to see why there is a difference and try to overcome it.

[didds]

Yes, Touche Ross. I was trying to remember the Hoop & Grapes (Farringdon Rd) but hardly ever went in there ,

If its the pub Im thinking of, my dad worked about 100 yaers from there - him and his workmates nicknamed it the "Hope & Grope" !

[tjh290633]

Bradford has similar problems to Blackburn. I'm not sure if it is Muslims generally that do not integrate or just ones from certain countries. In my experience there is a marked contrast between that situation and the Indian immigrants. Indians do seem to intergrate with the British culture , they go from Indians living in this country to English people of indian heritage in the course of 3 or 4 generations.

If my experience is correct it would be interesting to see why there is a difference and try to overcome it.

I don't think it is so much that they don't integrate, more that they congregate together. This has advantages for them, in that they can have shops that cater for their tastes, places of worship and many friends nearby.

The childen are often well educated and their influence may bring about dispersal, but that takes time.

TJH

[didds]

[
I remember the Goose & Firkin. At one time there were 8 Firkin pubs in London.

Fox & Firkin in Lewisham was another - I used to occassionally frequent both. The goose at least used to have a bloke playing a piano for a sing-a-long in some sessions (Sunday lunchtimes?)

There was also a Firkin pub in Bristol some time in the early 80s, near the docks - the Flece and Firkin?

didds