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| The Old Ship was at that time a Walkers house |
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Pub invasions
Tandleman has written a post about how the Baum in Rochdale, which has won the title of CAMRA National Pub of the Year (I wrote about it here last month), has been invaded by large numbers of young customers who come in asking for "Fosters and Blue WKD, cheap lager by the bottle, lurid drinks enhanced by caffeine and loud thrumming music. The Baum doesn't offer any of these." He goes on to reflect upon how we tend to feel proprietorial about our local, even though in reality it isn't actually "ours" at all, and feel uncomfortable when it seems to have been taken over.
I had a similar experience many years ago when I used to drink regularly in the Old Ship Inn in Southport. One Saturday, I set out for my usual late lunchtime drink, but when I reached the Ship, there was no one there I knew and the place was jammed full with unfamiliar loud men and a few woman all wearing orange. I'd forgotten it was the 12 July, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne when Orange Lodges come from all over to parade in Southport. The Orangemen were looking at me strangely and rather more closely than I felt comfortable with. I glanced down at the T-shirt I had on, which was simply whatever happened to be on the top of the pile when I got dressed. It was bright green.
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I saw the Southport Orange Parade on the BBC2 railway series last night. I think the ticket inspector had it right when looking at the intoxicated people staggering around the station he wondered how many had any idea what the Williamite-Jacobite war in Ireland was about.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right.
ReplyDeleteWhen Richard III was found under a car park, I read a comment on a thread that said the queen should intervene and decide where her ancestor will be buried. I pointed out that Richard was not her ancestor; her ancestor was the warlord who rose up against him and had him brutally slaughtered, and that her place on the throne was due to that violent killing. I was probably completely wasting my time.