Pubs were an important part of our social history because they were, and still are to some extent, the working man’s front parlour. In the pub or beer house our ancestors could meet with their friends, with an endless supply of liquid refreshment to dull their senses and blot out the misery of their daily grind.The pubs of Nuneaton were, and still are, a resort of comfort in times of relaxation, in distress and marital infidelity. Back then they became political headquarters, a home of sporting clubs and friendly societies and a venue for entertainments such as darts and dominoes – which were all taken seriously.
Pub-goers, like actors on a stage, played out their part at the bar as the soap opera of their lives was forgotten. In Nuneaton Pubs, Peter Lee explores how public houses thrive today, with a new clientele, new decor, and different (or indifferent) beer, and shows that the pub continues to form an essential and integral part of the history and social fabric of our towns.
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Pubs of Portsmouth From Old Photographs offers a captivating glimpse into the history of some of Portsmouth’s most famous pubs. This charming collection of photographs provides the reader with a visual representation of Portsmouth’s pubs. Drawing upon an eclectic collection of photographs, Ron Brown presents the reader with an insight into the history and life of the pubs in this area. Pubs of Portsmouth From Old Photographs provides something for everyone, whether they have lived in Portsmouth all their lives, or whether they are just visiting this vibrant town. It also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever-changing society.
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London’s pubs and other drinking places, just like its people, its history, traditions and institutions, are fascinating and extraordinarily diverse. This book provides a readable introduction to aspects of the role they have played in the history of the metropolis. What were the differences between taverns and alehouses? What was a ‘gin palace’? Where do coffee-houses fit into London’s liquid history? Have any of London’s great coaching inns survived? Who was ‘Polly’ and why did she draw customers to ‘Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese’ in Fleet Street? Who was Charlie Brown of the Railway Tavern in the West India Dock Road? This wide-ranging book traces the evolution of London’s drinking houses from the earliest times. It suggests that some of the best of today’s hostelries have a history, atmosphere and tradition that mean that visiting them and appreciating the role they have played is essential to an understanding of London as it is today.
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Haunted Pubs, Inns & Hotels of Derbyshire takes you on a spookily paranormal pub crawl with a difference. Whether it’s to a scenic country pub, a traditional old coaching inn or a more modern establishment, these are the places where people have seen ghosts, heard them, smelt them and – most frightening of all – felt them. We delve deep into the mysterious phenomena that have baffled investigators, and terrified landlords, cleaners and customers for years. Here the hidden secrets behind these strange goings-on are explored and revealed in chilling detail. Some tales will leave you shocked and shaken, while others are as entertaining as they are bewildering. History, folk memory, anecdote and eyewitness evidence are all pieced together in these eerie and evocative true stories. We stop off at old coaching inns, pubs and alehouses, encountering spectral highwaymen, monks, Cavaliers and Roman soldiers. We uncover the ghostly fate of serving wenches, old regulars, heartbroken maids and murder victims. We find hotel rooms haunted by benevolent, playful and curious spirits as well as plagued by poltergeist activity. Jill Armitage invites you to join her on this journey and share in her fascination for the strange and spooky. Haunted Pubs, Inns & Hotels of Derbyshire will surely delight and frighten in equal measure.
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Public houses, taverns and inns have been around for hundreds of years. From the inns that thrived on marketday trade to those on the old stage-coach routes, Huntingdonshire had a wide range of welcoming establishments and in 1900 had over 250 pubs, in addition to the numerous beer houses which were often run from the front rooms of ordinary houses. Labourers needed plenty of beer to keep them going – it was far safer to drink than the water! With images drawn from the Huntingdonshire Archives, the Norris Museum and private photographers, this book offers a captivating glimpse into the history of each pub. Many of them have now disappeared, some have been demolished to make way for new development and others have become private dwellings with no trace of their past remaining. The authors take you on a nostalgic tour of Huntingdonshire pubs.
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The Gloucestershire Forest of Dean is one of Britain’s last ancient crown forests. Covering some 27,000 acres, this historic woodland has been a royal hunting ground, a source of timber for shipbuilding as well as a home to iron and coalmines. The villages and small market towns of the Forest boast a close-knit community and a rich and varied history. It is unsurprising, then, that the area has pubs dating back some 900 years that still retain their place at the heart of these neighbourhoods. Today these characterful traditional pubs and inns offer a warm welcome to the tourists who flock to this area of natural beauty, offering them a chance to mingle with the locals and maybe even meet the odd ghost of the Forest’s vibrant past! Join Geoff Sandles as he introduces the pubs of the Forest of Dean, using old postcards and beautiful modern colour photography to tell their unique story.
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Local historian Geoff Sandles returns with the final book in the series of Gloucestershire pubs Through Time, and takes us on a journey down the River Severn from Tewkesbury to the Vale of Berkeley, covering the pubs in the City of Gloucester and its suburbs. From isolated riverside inns to bustling city pubs this selection of archive images is sure to impress, and will bring back memories of the bygone era and the humble public house. With the rise of supermarket trades, the habit of drinking and the pubs themselves have changed significantly in recent years. It is with this in mind that such buildings drenched in social history should not be forgotten. With beautiful scenery and an array of welcoming inns, now is the perfect time to thumb through this collection of timeless old photographs that take you on a journey around Gloucester, Tewkesbury and the Severn Vale.
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From both social and historical perspectives,the public house has long played an important role in the life of the ancient parish of Halifax. This second volume of Halifax Pubs covers a different set of pubs to the first volume and provides an invaluable insight into the history of the town and its surrounding communities. Covering areas previously unexplored, the book touches upon some of the local and national events that have influenced Halifax’s brewers, publicans and customers. Illustrated with over 200 old photographs – many previously unpublished and dating from as far back as the 1850s – this fascinating collection will rekindle memories of events, incidents, celebrations or simply the hostelries themselves. Stephen Gee – author of Halifax Through Time and whose ‘Gee Collection’ is an invaluable resource for historians of the parish – provides an endlessly fascinating account of the town’s hostelries that includes tales of riots, forgery and murder.
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Lavishly illustrated with old photographs, postcards and promotional advertisements Dorset Pubs and Breweries highlights and records the events and changes that have occurred within Dorset’s brewing industry. It also offers the reader a valuable insight into not only the industry itself but also into the lives of the people who worked within it. Photos of well known breweries, of many smaller breweries, of pubs, the workers, the owners and transport all feature here, as do images of related labels, beer-mats and advertising signs. Dorset Pubs and Breweries is an absorbing record of a bygone age and is sure to delight anyone with an interest in brewing and its history.
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