South Cotswold Pubs Through Time is the perfect combination of English inns and quintessential Cotswold scenery. In a celebration of the special variety of pubs in this locality, timeless old photographs of these honey-stoned buildings are paired with modern equivalents, making this a journey back in time as well as around these pretty towns and villages in Gloucestershire. In his fourth book in the series of Gloucestershire pubs Through Time Geoff Sandles has selected the South Cotswolds; a large geographical area encompassing Cirencester, Fairford, Lechlade, Tetbury, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge. From traditional town pubs to lavish country inns, join Geoff as he explores how pubs have had to adapt to cater for changing modern lifestyles.
Continue Reading →
Eager to prove or disprove many myths that had circulated over the years about Doncaster pubs, renowned South Yorkshire writer Peter Tuffrey embarked on an intensive research programme in the mid-1980s to gain a erudite view of the subject. Along the way he has gathered a mountain of invaluable information from a variety of reference sources, including newspapers, architectural plans, and licensing registers which have helped provide a solid foundation for this book. It should also be mentioned that many people have helped Peter with his research, including the late Doncaster historian James Edward Day, Doncaster Civic Trust Secretary; Eric Braim, LVA President; Terry Oates, Doncaster Trades & Labour Club President; Geoff Elvin and many more. The illustrations range from unique sketches of pubs existing before the advent of photography to pictures Peter took in the late 1990s with the help of former Doncaster Evening Post photographer Geoff Harrison. These show landlords and landladies posing outside their pubs with an army of regulars. Amazingly, some of these pubs have since closed, been demolished or renamed, making the record even more significant. But looking back, Doncaster’s pub scene has been one of constant change and sadly, in the present economic climate, its decline seems likely to continue in the years ahead. The book will be full to the brim with information for local pub buffs and historians alike. So raise your glasses and toast Peter Tuffrey’s new book, Doncaster Pubs.
Continue Reading →
In both Doncaster District Pubs and the previously published Doncaster Pubs, Peter Tuffrey enlists the help of friends James Edward Day, Eric Braim and Geoff Elvin, and offers the reader as much information about Doncaster’s pubs as possible: the earliest located reference; opening, rebuilding, alteration and demolition dates. He also details interesting facts about the pubs and the landlords who ran them.
The accompanying illustrations have come from many sources and include architectural drawings as well as photographs from glass plates and picture postcards. Peter’s favourite pub picture is the one of the Star Inn at Conisbrough. It is an incredibly sharp and well composed picture and betrays nothing of what was to happen several years later. The inn caught fire, was completely destroyed and one of the servant girls perished.
Nevertheless, he hopes everyone enjoys the book and Doncaster district pubs have a bright future. He is sure everyone will raise their glasses to that.
Continue Reading →
In 1800 residents of Cirencester in search of ale could choose from seventy-three public houses. In 2012 that choice had dwindled to seventeen. In 1976 Philip Griffiths began his quest to find out more about the closures while enjoying a drink at the bar of the survivors. Old postcards, photographs and directories provided the first clues and digging deep in the archives revealed the location of some of the absentee landlords. The ‘lost’ pubs provide a colourful litany of names: Three Cats Head, the Pound of Candles, Jacobs Well, and the New Conduit. The ‘recently lost’ but still strong in people’s memories include the Queen’s Head, the Forester’s Arms, the White Lion and the Woodbine. This walking tour of the town’s hostelries, old and new, is sure to bring back fond memories for patrons of the old watering holes of this quaint Cotswold town.
Continue Reading →
Clerkenwell and Islington are two of London’s most historic districts; areas where radicalism once thrived and heavy industry flourished, where poverty and lawlessness were commonplace. This diverse and colourful history can be traced in the area’s many pubs. The ancient parish of Clerkenwell, located just outside the City of London’s walls, was historically the home of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Later, it became famous for its watchmaking and printing industry. Dickens knew Clerkenwell, and it features in Oliver Twist, while it was here that Vladimir Lenin sowed the nascent seeds of Communism and in Little Italy Garibaldi was welcomed as a hero. But revolution and picking pockets is thirsty work, and the area’s pubs were plentiful and varied. Islington, further north, was once a country retreat far away from the noise and industry of the City, but today this once solidly working-class area, favoured by the rich and the famous, is boisterous and busy and boasts a mixture of traditional hostelries, gastropubs and craft beer bars.
Clerkenwell and Islington Pubs takes an historical, and sometimes contemporary, look at some of the area’s most interesting watering holes; drinking destinations that down the years have played host to a varied cast of characters that includes the likes of Samuel Pepys, Joe Orton, The Clash, U2 and even James I.
Continue Reading →
Cheltenham Pubs Through Time is a unique and nostalgic collection of old and new images, illustrating the evolution and changing use of the town’s pubs. The author contrasts archive photographs with colour images taken in the 1970s, a time that the majority of Cheltenham pubs were owned by Whitbread. The story is brought right up to date with the advent of the pubco’s, and the sad demise of once popular pubs like the Greyhound.Geoff Sandles is passionate about beer and pubs. In his spare time he has devised a much acclaimed website, gloucestershirepubs.co.uk, which attempts to document the history of pubs in the county, past and present. He also edits a newsletter for the Gloucestershire Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale called The Tippler. Join Geoff on this affectionate tour of the taverns of this popular spa town.
Continue Reading →
Blackpool isn’t a particularly old town and its rapid development has primarily been fuelled by tourism in the last 150 years or so. To cater for the millions of visitors that arrive each year, Blackpool has more licensed premises than anywhere else in the country outside of Central London. Like most other towns though, redevelopment of areas and the changes in social behaviour has led to many pubs being closed or restyled.
Allan Wood and Chris Bottomley present an excellent collection of photographs from which the reader will glimpse some of Blackpool’s ‘lost’ pubs as well as the town’s more popular watering holes and established locals
Continue Reading →
Manchester’s Best Beers Pubs and Bars
With a fantastic cover design by Dionne Kitching we couldn’t resist upscaling it to an A3 poster.
You can order your copy of this iconic design today for only £9.99
These will be printed on premium 200gsm gloss paper.
We have a limited print run of 100 so be sure to get your copy today!
Please note this produce is sold as an A3 poster and does not include the frame in the image.
Continue Reading →
by Matthew Curtis
There is no doubt that the most recent decade in Manchester’s long and fascinating beer history is one of its most thrilling. It truly feels like the city has become an epicentre of contemporary beer culture, not just in the North-West but for the nation as a whole. Most interesting is how the scene has shifted in its most recent years, especially following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Like much of the country, Manchester bore the weight of numerous lockdowns until society gradually returned to normal following the rollout of the vaccine.
This guide will introduce you to Manchester’s beer scene and guide you around the long-established as well as new, exciting pubs, bars, breweries, and more.
With an introduction by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham this book will set a marker for any beer enthusiast’s exploration of the North-West.
From traditional pubs serving top-quality cask ale, to the latest on-trend bottle shop bars and funky brewery taprooms, Manchester is bursting with great beer and this new book will direct you to the very best.
Includes:
- Detailed reviews of nearly 200 must-visit pubs, bars, taprooms, cafés, bottleshops and other outlets with great beer
- Background features exploring Manchester’s rich brewing history and modern beer scene
- Colour photography and detailed maps throughout
Continue Reading →
This book has been shortlisted for the debut drink book for the Fortum & Mason awards 2024
The Desi Pub began as a story of resistance. First established in the 1960s to break the racist colour bar, which saw many non-white customers refused service, they have since evolved into a modern-day celebration of multiculturalism. This is how ‘desis’ – people with Indian heritage – saved failing pubs and turned them into a joyful festival of mixed grills, naans and curries all washed down with plenty of beer.
In this new book, the first of its kind, British-Asian journalist and Beer Writer of the Year (2023) David Jesudason travels the length and breadth of the country, visiting ‘desi pubs’ run by British-Indian landlords who have stamped their unique identity on a beloved institution and helped to challenge our preconceptions of the pub customer: from rowdy cricket fans to vibrant bhangra nights via football supporters enjoying pre-match mixed grills and beers.
Desi Pubs will take you on a journey to parts of Britain that are seldom visited. This is a celebration of Britain and the forgotten people who created our modern multicultural country.
Richard Croasdale, Ferment: ‘A phenomenally compelling writer.’
Boak and Bailey: ‘One of the most exciting books about beer and pubs in recent years.’
Roger Protz, Protz on Beer: ‘Deeply researched and beautifully written.’
Phil Mellows, Morning Advertiser: ‘The most important volume about pubs for half a century.”
Jonathan Nunn, food writer and editor of Vittles: ‘A sensitive and compelling oral history of British-Asian culture.”
Continue Reading →
