Strange days

I have had an interesting but disturbing day today, with a little bit of unintentional black humour thrown in. I will try to mention a pub at some point!

My intention was to take a moderately long distance bus journey to Gloucester, I was waiting for the bus but it didn't arrive, so I walked to another bus stop. I suddenly heard a commotion coming from a short distance away, a man was shouting for someone to call the police. When I turned the corner, I saw three police officers restraining a man on the ground. This came as a bit of a shock to me, because I live in a sleepy village in Gloucestershire – not London or New York! With the death of George Floyd still fresh in my memory, I approached the scene and asked what was going on. Why did I do this? Because I saw someone being restrained against their will. The officers looked at me as if to say why was it any of my business. Then one of them asked if I knew the man, I said I didn't. The man being restrained, suddenly piped up with “I'm God” or something like that. It suddenly dawned on me, that maybe this man was being restrained for his own protection. He thanked me for intervening, then said one of the officers didn't believe he was God! I quickly left the scene after that!

I caught the bus, and arrived at my destination some time later. I decided to buy some sandwiches, so went into the local supermarket. On my was to the checkout, I saw some hand wash and face masks in a packet, I put them in my basket and paid for them. It wasn't until much later, that I discovered that the masks were made in China!! Oh the irony! I got some of life's trivia out of the way (i.e. paying bills), then I caught another bus to another destination. It was whilst on this bus, that I overheard a conversation which has made me think about the pandemic. The person in question, managed to get on the bus, without a face mask – they said they were exempt for some reason.

This of course, caught my attention. They were discussing the legality of the wearing of face masks, and other issues concerning the pandemic. I found myself inwardly agreeing with much of what they were saying. It may sound like a conspiracy theory, but I have always believed there is more to this pandemic then we have been told. I often wondered what the Government and other authorities would be doing, whilst the majority of us were imprisoned at home for several weeks. I think part of it is to do with preparing Britain to become a cashless society. Also to ensure that everything has to be done over the internet, from banking to filling in an application form to work in a charity shop – I kid you not, it happened to me today! What a bleak prospect.

During my travels by bus today, I noticed a new development at Gloucester Quays, there is a new Beefeater in town (whoop-de-do). It is not the fact that it is a Beefeater that surprised me, but where it is – it is on the former Baker's Quay site. This fine old building was partially destroyed in a fire a few years ago. They have renovated it to incorporate some aspects of the old building, I have a photo of it before It was fire damaged, I will post it when I have photographed it in it's present incarnation.

Baker's Quay, Gloucester 2015

Beefeater August 2020

September 17th 2024

This branch of Beefeater recently closed as part of Whitbread's streamlining process.

Roaming around the Forest - Part One

One of my favourite excursions in Gloucestershire, is to The Forest Of Dean. The area covers 42 square miles and takes in parts of Herefordshire (notice that I am using imperial measurements instead of metric, I can be difficult like that!) One of the aspects I enjoy about the Forest is the natural beauty. There are several bus routes into many parts of the Forest, but some of them are infrequent and stop after a certain time. It has been several months since I have visited, and I believe some of the bus numbers have changed. A good place to begin an exploration into the Forest, is Newnham on Severn – well it is as good a place as any!

Newnham on Severn

Most of the buses to the Forest can be caught from Gloucester bus station, the bus to Newnham takes in Westbury-On-Severn, Blakeney and Lydney amongst other places. Just before you arrive in Newnham, is Broadoak and The White Hart Inn. The pub benefits from having some spectacular views of the River Severn. When I first visited this pub in 2014, it was a little on the shabby side and painted a rather unflattering mustard colour. The interior was dated, but quite cosy, an unusual fixture is a well inside the pub, and the times for the Severn Bore were listed on a notice board. I have never seen the Severn Bore, I hope to one day. The pub is now under new management and has undergone an extensive refurbishment, and has been painted grey.

The White Hart Inn, Broadoak Newnham On Severn 2014

The White Hart Inn 2017

The village of Newnham is just a short bus ride from Broadoak, it is a very distinctive place, and has lots of character. There are businesses and amenities in the village, but the bus service stops before 7pm, or at least it did when I attempted to stay at a B&B once. That was an adventure in itself, quite a quirky place with eclectic furnishings and bric-a-brac – which is typical of Newnham. The next pub on the itinerary is the Railway Inn, which can be found along Station Road which is just off the High Street. The Railway is a good old fashioned pub, with friendly talkative locals. They have a beer garden, which is useful in the current circumstances. They did have an Indian restaurant on the premises, I am unsure if this is the case at the moment. The pub did close for a while last year, but has thankfully reopened.

The Railway Inn, Newnham On Severn 2015

There is a rather good Micro pub in Newnham called The Black Pig Ale Bar, it is situated in the beer garden, at the back of The Ship Inn pub which has now closed, and is to be converted to a shop, coffee shop and cafe. A similar conversion was done on the George Hotel in Newnham, which is now a cafe and community hub. It is a sympathetic conversion of a former pub, if only other conversions could be the same. I wonder what they will do with the former Victoria Hotel, which has been closed for many years, work seems to have started on some sort of development.

The Ship Inn, Newnham On Severn 2015

The George Hotel, Newnham On Severn

Just like many areas in Britain, Newnham has lost a fair few of it's pubs, in fact The Forest of Dean seems to be a more vulnerable area than other parts of Gloucestershire. Maybe it is because some of them are not on a bus route, and are difficult to get to. Many of the Forest pubs have limited opening hours, some of them don't open till the evening. I am really concerned for the future of these pubs

Paradise Postponed

The lock down restrictions were eased even further on Saturday, when many of the pubs reopened in Britain. Not all of them reopened, there are some that have worrying not reopened – even though they have a beer garden. The pubs with gardens that have reopened, have strict guidelines – you have to book tables in advance, and time slots for when you can visit a pub ect. My partner and I, are currently self isolating because we are awaiting the results of a covid-19 test, so our return to any pub has been delayed. I'm not sure if it wise to visit pubs at the moment anyway, regardless of the results of a test. 

One of the places I am missing most at the moment, is Weston-super-Mare, it is one of my most favourite places in England. I went there a couple of times as a child with family and friends, but it wasn't until a return journey in 1995, that I fell in love with the place. I had recently watched a programme about Birnbeck Pier, and how it had fallen into disrepair – it closed in 1994. So I travelled by train to see the Pier and become re-acquainted with Weston, and so began a lifelong love affair! I love some of the quirky architecture, the shops and cafes, Sand Bay and Kewstoke – and the sea (when it is in of course, they don't call it Weston-super-Mud for nothing!)

I have been back to Weston many times since 1995, sometimes for a day trip, sometimes to stay. Back in the 1990's, I used to stay at youth hostels, but I could never sleep very well, so I began staying at that marvellous British institution – the good old B&B. The oddest experience I had, was a few years ago when I stayed at a guest house, that was unstaffed and had a card entry system. Which was all very well and good, until I woke in the early hours, to find the front door wide open! Unfortunately The B&B, is another institution that seems to be disappearing, Locking Road In Weston used to be crammed with B&B's, now there are very few of them.

Birnbeck Pier September 2019

A photo of the Pier, taken from an open top bus.

18th July 2020

I realise that this post had very little to do with pubs, but it is my blog and I reserve the right to go off on the odd tangent now and then! Just for the record, we are a covid-19 free household. Phew!

A time to reflect

We are now in the second week of the easing of the lock down measures in England. Many non essential shops have reopened, and the traffic levels have returned to normal levels – unfortunately. It has been announced over the weekend, that pubs will reopen on the 4^th July, or at least those with beer gardens, where social distancing can be observed. I will admit that the lock down was tough, especially when we were restricted to one hours exercise and essential shopping trips, but there were also positive things that happened and I would like to reflect on those.

My partner was able to tidy his back garden, and create a vegetable patch. The garden is looking great now with vegetable almost ready to eat, and flowers in full bloom. During the lock down I rediscovered small independent grocery stores, which were a handy source for toilet rolls, and plants. The whole experience of using these stores was one of the things I hope to continue to do. I ventured out late at night on a few occasions for short walks, it was an eerie, yet peaceful time walking in complete silence, with no traffic in the background.

I am a little saddened by the passing of a brief moment in history, when we were all “in this together.” We had the opportunity to change our lives for the better, but few of us took that opportunity.

Back Street Pubs

One type of pub, that is particularly at risk of being lost forever, is the back street pub especially after the pubs reopen. They used to be the heart of the community, but the days when there was a pub on every corner have long gone. I could compile a list of the back street pubs that are at risk of closing forever, some of them were hanging by a thread even before this crisis happened, I really fear for many of these hidden gems.

In this post I will begin by featuring a back street pub that was close to my heart.

The Cavern, New Street Cheltenham

The Cavern was one of the oldest pubs in Cheltenham, It was a coaching Inn when it originally opened as The Compasses in the 1820's. In more recent times it was a popular venue for live music, and was known as the place to go, to listen to Country and Western bands. It briefly went under the name of Nostalgia in the 1990's, but reverted back to The Cavern. My Mother was a a Country and Western music fan, and often attended various gigs that were held there, I would sometimes accompany her, but it wasn't my type of music. The proceedings were often hosted by Dancing Ken, a local celebrity who raised money for charity. He was also a member of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, so Screaming Lord Sutch would make the odd appearance!
The Cavern closed for good in April 2010, one of the reasons why the pub closed, was it became a victim of the smoking ban. The pub lay empty for a number of years, but work began to convert it into flats in 2016. There was a painted sign advertising Cheltenham Ales on the side of the building, but that seems to have been plastered over. The building is now known as Compasses House – a reference to the original name of the pub.

The Cavern in 1999

You can't really tell because of the quality of this photo, 

but there is a young sapling planted next to the bench 

to the left of the photo. Keep an eye on that sapling.

The Cavern in 2011

The Cheltenham Ales sign

The Cavern in 2016

Compasses House 2020

Remember the sapling by the bench? 

It is now a splendid Silver birch.

The Sherborne Arms, Sherborne Street Cheltenham

I only visited this pub on a few occasions, it was a fairly down to earth back street boozer. I distinctly remember my last visit, because I was ill with food poisoning the next day. It was either the food or the beer! In 2011, the pub was notable for employing the youngest landlady in Cheltenham – she was only 21. Later in 2011, the pub closed for good. It remained empty until 2014 when work began to convert it into a flats, but the skittle alley was left standing. When I was photographing the pub a week ago, I noticed that houses are now being built on the site of the skittle alley. All I can say is whatever outside space they have, must be minuscule!

The Sherborne Arms in 2011

A view of the skittle Alley and the back of the pub, in 2014

The Sherborne Arms in 2014

33 Sherborne Street 2015

New builds on the former skittle Alley in 2020

21st June 2020

There is a backstreet pub that I would like to mention, which I am concerned about. But I will wait until July when the pubs reopen, before I make any further comment. 

A short diatribe about Clutter!

One of the best purchases I have ever made, was my bicycle in 2018. To be honest I haven't used it as much as I should have, until the lock down was slightly adjusted to include unlimited exercise. I can't tell you how much I am appreciating this extra time that we have been given.

Today I have been out on my bike, with my “proper camera” for the first time this year. The main purpose was to photograph an estate pub, but the sun was in the wrong position, so I abandoned that plan. I did however, manage to photograph The Midland Hotel, which is a pub near Cheltenham Spa railway station. I have photographed this pub, many times before, but last year the pub's exterior, was given a facelift which includes a spectacular mural. You can find all kinds of murals around Cheltenham and Gloucester, they really enhance the surroundings.

The Midland is slightly difficult to photograph, because it is on a slant. I have always thought that the design of this pub, with it's set of steps in front, looks out of place in Cheltenham. It is the kind of architectural feature you would expect to find in somewhere like Bristol. I've noticed that they have installed an ugly telegraph pole next to an equally unattractive street lamp by the pub. Which brings me on to an annoyance often associated with pub photography and photography in general – street furniture, or clutter in other words.

“Picture” the scene, the weather is great, you've travelled quite a distance to photograph a subject, and you get in position. You spend a little while trying to get the best composition (or in my case ages, standing like a lemon until the conditions are right!) You take what you believe are a great set of photographs, you travel home and download the images from your camera. You are poised ready to start editing the photos, when you notice the following items – huge refuge bins or litter bins, lamp posts, telegraph poles with masses of cables – in one case electricity pylons (I know they are not street furniture, but they are still intrusive), and street signs Many a glorious composition has been ruined with these unsightly additions. Whilst it is true that I could always photograph the subject from a different position, the original one is more than often a better composition.

After I had finished photographing the Midland, I cycled along the Honeybourne cycle path which I haven't used in years, so all in all it was an enjoyable few hours in the sunshine.

The Midland Hotel in 2011

The Midland Hotel, May 2020

A close up of the mural

Note the clever way, in which 

the artist has incorporated

the vent on the side of the building, 

into the mural. 

His signature is also incorporated.

There is some information about the mural, in the following link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-50331739

The Midland Hotel in 2017

The Midland Hotel May 2020

I did not want to publish this photo because of the recent addition of the telegraph pole, 

but it gives you an example of my issues with unsightly street furniture.

"Vintage" Photos

One of the activities my partner PJ and I have been doing during the lock down, is developing old camera films, dating from 1999-2001. Most of the photos were taken with a Minolta point and shoot, some were taken with a manual SLR. When the images were developed we discovered some hidden gems, unfortunately (or not) the film was so old, the images had to be developed in black and white. The last time I took some old films to be developed, the quality of the colour was terrible.

I have always enjoyed bus journeys to interesting places, sometimes I would seek out a Youth Hostel or B&B, so I would have more time to explore these locations. The following images, are from a trip to Salisbury back in 1999 or 2000. If I find any more vintage photos, I will try to publish them.

Avon Brewery Inn

75 Castle Street

A traditional looking 19th c pub, that was never a brewery despite the name!

Haunch of Venison

1 Minster Street

A well known Salisbury pub, 

with a classic interior. 

I went in the pub, many years later 

with PJ and his brother.

The Red Lion Hotel

4 Milford Street

An old coaching Inn, dating from the 13th c.

I did photograph the exterior of the hotel, 

but the quality of the photo was poor.

Duchess of Albany

3 Ox Row

This pub was previously known as 

The Elephant & Castle. 

It closed in 1973.