>IMO it's the English style to be indirect. Unless they want to crush your nuts, and then there is no one more skilled.
>
>The pubs I went to were the pubs near where I worked -- almost all urban areas. London, Manchester, Leeds. Usually it was with coworkers. Pubbing after work or even at lunch on a special occasion like birthdays, promotions, resignations, and getting sacked was a normal social activity. Sort of a communal living room.
>
>BTW, Thunderbird flagged "neighbourhood" as a misspelled word. Please try to improve your spelling (LOL).

What would some puppet know about anything. ;)

>
>
>>Well, I admit, I assumed they were independent. They were small local neighbourhood pubs in the middle of nowhere, with an atmosphere that just didn't seem to be what I picture chains to be like. Were the pubs you're talking about in any specific area? I was wandering around in residential areas mostly well away from touristy type areas. Not only can I not tell you now where I was wandering, I didn't know then either.
>>
>>>How many of them are independent? When I was doing a lot of work in England -- granted this was in the 1980s -- most pubs were owned by the major beer makers.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Good for them! Those local independent pubs, it seems to me, are a cultural treasure. They should not be changed lightly.
>>>>
>>>>>Its quite widespread . One of the weird aspects is that many small brewers of beer have sprung up over the last few years while the number of independent pubs has declined.
>>>>>
>>>>>Here's a link about some locals fighting to save their pub from the attentions of the big breweries.
>>>>>
>>>>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewes_Arms_controversy
>>>>>
>>>>>>>still called pubs. have to look a bit harder for a good one as a few too many have been taken over and themed. If your ever in England get hold of a CAMRA(CAmpaign for Real Ale )Guide that should set you right.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Is that everywhere? When I was on London back in the late 70's or early 80's (I should be sure, but I'm not), I spent my time by getting on the tube, riding to a station with an interesting name, getting off there and getting myself totally lost. Of course that's not a problem since if you continue in a straight line for a while, you'll hit another tube station. Anyway, every so often on one of these walks, I'd drop into a sort of neighbourhood pub, and it was great. I hope those haven't changed. Hopefully it's only the ones around Victoria station, the theatre district,and the other tourist areas.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Nick
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I love the name of the pubs. Are they called 'pubs?'
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>PS -- just reading those station names makes me nostalgic. I worked in central London the summer I was 23, near Blackfriars station, and those tube stop names are like lines of poetry to me. What a fantastic summer. The one that jumps out at me for some odd reason is Finsbury Park, which I went up to only once. It was for a Friday night Kinks show at the Rainbow Palace. The show was terrific, although the venue was not what I expected. Given that is was where Eric Clapton played his comeback concert I was expecting something more stylish. Not so. It was basically a dump. No seating on the main floor, broken seats in the optimistically named mezzanine. It didn't bother me. That was my first and last mosh pit. Everyone should mosh once. I was in my work suit, Mr. White Bread in a mass of punks and Mohawks. Ray Davies was within spitting distance. It was an awesome experience.