Pubs on the outs...

From Keith's Ramblings:

In the last census there were in the region of 57000 pubs in England. It is a sad fact however that currently our pubs are closing their doors at an alarming rate. This week another forty served their last pint. Forty did so last week, and forty will next week and in the weeks to come.

So what constitutes a typical public house? Most were built with three different serving areas. A public bar for the working classes, a small room with a serving hatch for ‘take outs’ and the saloon bar where the same drinks cost a little more, and furnishings were a little plusher to suit the needs of those further up the social scale. Many pubs also had a small anti-room known as the snug where ladies could sit and gossip! Today many pubs, particularly village ones, have retained the original layout, apart from the hatch, and prices are nowadays the same wherever you wish to imbibe. Now the typical public bar will feature a darts board, more often than not a television, and if room permits a bar billiards or a pool table. Games such as cribbage and dominos are played and the voices are a little louder and the language more flowery than in the other areas!