My local is arcadia in Headingley. Serves top quality beer and it's not full if students
Ours ain't bad,pretty reasonable beers apart from the Jennings. Food great most of time and guy that runs it amiable to muddy bikers, hikers, shooters, dogs, and his gobsh.t regulars (me and others). It's part of the village and would be a great loss if it went. On a Thursday you can often have great bit of music from some of the regulars and any passing musician.
Edit. Some on here have been in on the Dales visits.
Dont personally want to associate with people who think downing crap alcohol most nights is the only way to have a circle of friends. I seem to have more friends and do more stuff with them than my work colleagues who are regular pub goers. Really don't see the fuss, would not bother me if more shut.
I bet they are glad you don't turn up...
As a contrast my last few locals have been excellent places with friendly people and a great place to visit. downing crap alcohol most nights not essential.
Before I left Cumbria I reckon it was the 1761 in Cockermouth, shame it shut.
In Launceston Tas it was the Excellent St John's - probably seen as a hipster beer bar but it was a proper local, stools at the bar, staff who knew you and chatted - the how are you? was not a greeting but a real question. 12 taps of craft beer, 2 taps of real cidre and 100 or so bottles to choose from. Food was ace too done by a selection of local takeaway vans that severed great fresh awesome food.
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/16401632815_c7c4cf7e67_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/16401632815_c7c4cf7e67_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/qZmE1F ]Launceston Friday[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewsmith/ ]Mike Smith[/url], on Flickr
Current one is the Winston in North Hobart - Great staff, great regulars, good beer, they just opened their own brewery and have a great rolling selection along with awesome food.
Sneak preview of the new Brews
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1456/24146300751_a9b12380cf_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1456/24146300751_a9b12380cf_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/CMJ6Yc ]The Winston Brews cheers Kris[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewsmith/ ]Mike Smith[/url], on Flickr
Got a couple of others where we stop after a ride too, always made to feel welcome as we stack up the bikes and take over.
There are many bad ones out there, look after the good ones, you will miss them when they are gone
One from my travels
The Old Dungeon Ghyll
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/618/20687544686_a657d3b0b8_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/618/20687544686_a657d3b0b8_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xw65hW ]Music night[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewsmith/ ]Mike Smith[/url], on Flickr
My local is next door to a bike shop!!
"I'm just popping out for a chain link darling....."
Decent thai food, decent ale and music... 😀
I've just moved to Milton Keynes.......
That'll be a no then!
Actually local isn't too bad, but not a patch on when I lived in north London
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salisbury
Kimbers.... See my post on page 1 regarding Milton Keynes. It's not to everyone's liking as it is mainly a music venue but if you like heavy rock, metal or most alternative music you should check it out. Dread zone are playing in about 5 weeks which will be good.
I would probably go to a pub more often if they didn't sell soft drinks at such crazy prices. I don't always want a beer and sometimes I am driving later. its ridiculous that most pubs sell soft drinks at the same price as a pint - £2.50+ for a pint of Coke is either profiteering or you're being used to subsidise the alcohol prices. Maybe pubs wouldn't be shutting if they didn't take the mick.
My uncle lived in Canada and if a group of friends went in a bar, the designated driver would get free soft drinks all night. Seems like a good idea.
We don't get down as often as we should at this time of year but it definitely has some appealing assets:
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Sitting outside on a sunny day, knacked from a ride and watching the trains come by is lovely.
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My nearest pub is probably the Blue Pig aka Midgehole Working Men's Club - great quirky little place and cheap as chips. I don't get there that often though - the pub I probably go to most is Old Gate. Great selection of beers in there and under £3 for a well-kept pint of Magic Rock Ringmaster.
The Fox and Goose is further away - probably 25 mins walk from my house but feels most like a 'proper local'. Very friendly, lots of dogs, live music only, I'm not sure if they even sell lager. And I have shares in the place. 🙂
Dont personally want to associate with people who think downing crap alcohol most nights is the only way to have a circle of friends. I seem to have more friends and do more stuff with them than my work colleagues who are regular pub goers. Really don't see the fuss, would not bother me if more shut.
Wow! you sound like a right old laugh a minute! I'm not surprised you've so many friends.
Just out of interest... how many pubs have you been in? Its more than one, right?
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Never understood the obsession with the "local". Smelly dark places selling you overpriced drinks you don't need
See, the pubs like that I, and more importantly my wife, won't frequent. Warm, friendly places with good drinks and welcoming clientele however are great.
Could do better.
The Cascade Hotel is adequate for an after ride jug or 2, but don't ask for food after 8pm.
So lucky to have 6 great pubs (all real ales, open fires etc.) within a 3 mile radius of home - makes for some lovely walks out. Wouldn't really class one as the 'local' however, frequent the closest one the most, but also like to change it up!
RM.
but don't ask for food after 8pm.
you can ask...
Binners - most of them in Huddersfield multiple times!
Maybe it's the more country type pubs that are nicer, town ones tend to be a bit grim.
There's a couple of nice ones in Hudds town centre or just outside but that'd need a drive to them which kinda doesn't make them local any more.
Seems to be a good tea/coffee shop selection nowadays and they all seem to do a decent trade - maybe they are the new pubs?
Back to two in the village again. Just need to [s]murder the kids[/s] get a baby sitter and we might even get to go to one of them.
We have two pubs. One is a very well behaved, does good food, real ales and is child friendly. The other one is a debauched drinking pit.
We like both.
We have 1 pub in the village, the next nearest is 2.5 miles...
The 1 pub we have is OK.. nice enough.
Last went there in about Sept, maybe Oct I think. I don't really do socialising with random people and stuff in honesty.
Just moved, so for the first time in 3 years have a proper local old style boozer half a mile away - The Royal Marine near Chertsey, Surrey.
Previously I have been spoilt - for example, lived next door to a good one, with my own garden gate access into the beer garden. 🙂
My local is ok but not great. Foods ok but I don't like their beer. The standard is moorlands original which is probably my least favourite pint going. The guests are never kept very well and are stupidly expensive. Weeksy,you need a recount. You've got 2 pubs in your village although neither are that good.
3 in my village - mostly mice places and there are some lovely country pubs an easy bike ride away - very nice
plumber in his local
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Local is OK, food's a bit naff (on a par with really basic home cooking, the sheppy pie is just mash on top of mince/gravy, no fancy stuff, veg is all boiled from frozen stuff). Beer is mostly OK, not much of a choice but at least 2 cask's.
Local in the next village is a bit more upmarket, poncey (but really good) pub food, but serves green king IPA (why do all green king ales taste the same and all slightly oxidised). They're like Sol or Corona*, so bad that actually people start to think that's how expensive beer should taste.
*The technical term for their unique taste is "Skunked", it's what happens when you put a clear bottle of hopped beer in the sunshine, the lime is there to mask the flavor.
Ah that means I'm a billy-no-mates miserable e****er then - no local pub
(they try and have a local pub in the village hall a couple of hours a week; like most village halls it's a brick built soulless 70's/80's design)
The nearby larger village has 3 pubs but none worthy of the good local name...
I've always viewed my local as an extension of my front room..
I would visit daily
It was a place to relax, laugh til your ribs hurt, share your problems or your ideas, hear the gossip or catch up on views of the world news.. Maybe even snarl and raise your hackles a bit if that's what took your fancy..
The camaraderie was second to none and everyone was fiercely loyal.. There was no problem too big or too small that wouldn't get plenty of eager offers of help..
You could borrow money, trade almost anything, find work, love, inspiration or simple companionship and shelter etc etc
A true community hub
In fact the landlady would call us if we weren't waiting outside at opening time to check that we were OK! 🙂
I use the past tense because I have drifted out of the scene due to young kids and financial constraints, and the scene has definitely slowed in my favourite boozer because the most recent tenants have a bit of a lacklustre approach to ale..
I'll definitely get back into it when finances allow though, we've got our eye on a very suitable hostelry for our patronage and as for the long term outlook, I've got no worries about being old and doddery cos I will be happily sat in the boozer when that time comes
Heh!! 🙂 This was me before the smoking ban.. ahh the good old days 😆 Frank Gallagher is the voice of the drinking class for sure
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I think for me a defined a good/great pub as somewhere you can turn up on your own, have a beer, relax and have a good evening.
