Julies Pubcrawl

Welcome to Julie Atkinson's Pub Crawl

It's 1980.

You've still got long hair. (You've still got hair.) Mobiles don't exist. Phone boxes aren't just for urinating in. Most people only play video games in a Pub. Keg beer is still widely available and draught is - questionable. Climate change and the Internet, are far in the future. There are only 3 TV stations. Most of us don't even have a VCR - if your parents were rich, they might have a Betamax. You still buy vinyl. (Did you realise you were this old?) Salisbury has three Curry houses and two Italians. The Chinese has just been shut down for something to do with a dog. Apart from that, dining out consists of going to either the Wimpy or to Stobies, or if you have money, a Berni Inn. If you go out in the evening and spend £5 on beer - you either bought a lot of people a lot of drinks, or you are a liar.

Julie Atkinson - a slip of a girl in 1980 - went on a Pub crawl. Famous (in Harnham) for running the Old Mill, she wanted to know what the opposition were doing. Why not do a survey and have a few drinks while you go round?

This is what Julie found.

Check out the abrupt service in the Old Bell - did you ever go there? By mistake? I did. I know what she means.

The Bell and Crown - "not for romantics" - depends on whether you liked Pinball. I always liked the Pool table that was too close to the wall - they overcame it with a specially adapted queue that was only 2 foot long.

Remember the garden at The Rose and Crown - you needed to smoke to keep the midges off.

Did you get the disapproving look in the Kings Arms?

And whose were the "Loud snobby voices" in Burkes Buttery and Bar? Not Pengleaux surely? To a husband after having his overtures to the man's wife rejected "Your wife sir, is a lesbian!". No John, no.

Did you ever have one of those Coffee's in the County? The one's in the wine glasses? The height of cultural sophistication. Or not.

Travel back to the Summer of 1980 with Julie - which Pubs were you in? (I'm getting thirsty already. Where's my jacket and fags? Put my desert boots on. I've got a couple of pound notes and I can scrape together nearly another quid in change. That's nearly three pounds. I can even afford to get the bus and still have enough left for beer. I'm going on a Pub crawl!)

Far out.......

Name: Old Mill Hotel

Brewery: Freehouse (Private Hotel)

Date visited: Very often!

Draught Beers

Double Diamond 42p
Dorset IPA 42p
6x 46p
Old Timer (Winter only) 54p
Bulmers Dry Cider 42p
Skol Lager 46p

Spirits: Vodka, Whisky etc. 36p

Decor	Fairly old, low ceiling. Brick walls, open fireplace.
Atmosphere	Quiet and peaceful early. Noisy and localized late.
Customers	Generally young and local. Tourists in Summer
Service	Normally friendly but can be very slow when busy.
Food	Hot, mass produced snacks at all times.
Machines	Fruit machine. Pinball. Darts.
Music	Tapes and records operated from the bar.
Specials	Tables outside in hot weather. Beautiful position on river.
Loo	Small, pretty and miles from the bar.

Name: Old Bell Inn

Brewery: Freehouse

Date visited: 5th July 1980 at 9.30pm

Draught Beers:

Hall and Woodhouse Export 50p
Double Diamond 50p
Worthington 50p
Lager 60p

Spirits: Vodka etc. 43p

Decor	Genuinely old. Very well and thoughtfully decorated - lots of brown velvet and wood. Not crowded with knickknacks like so many old Pubs.
Atmosphere	Very quiet, almost sepulchral.
Customers	From the very few there, well off and local. Lunchtime trade said to be good amongst classy business people.
Service	Quick but a bit too abrupt.
Food	Lunchtime not evening.
Machines	Telephone
Music	Tapes from behind the bar played very quietly. Classy stuff.
Loo	As well decorated as the bar. Very good.

Name: Bell and Crown

Brewery: Gibbs Mew

Date visited: 3rd July 1980 8.30pm

Draught Beers

S.P.A 44p
Ben Truman 52p
Blue Keg 45p
Harp 54p
Carlsberg 54p
Guinness 54p

Spirits: Vodka etc. 42p

Decor	Clean but rough and ready. Not for romantics.
Atmosphere	Not thrilling, but friendly in its own way.
Customers	Definitely local. Workmen at lunchtime.
Service	Good. Bar staff not young.
Food	Rather seedy looking rolls etc. on Bar.
Machines	Pinball. Pool. Darts.
Music	Good jukebox.
Specials	Lounge bar rather like semi-detached suburban living room with large colour television, but could be useful to collapse in.
Loo	Adequate, nothing fancy but soft loo paper at least.

Name: Red Lion Hotel - Lions Den bar

Brewery: Freehouse (Private Hotel)

Date visited: 3rd July 1980 9.00pm

Draught Beers

Ushers 52p
6x 52p
Whitbread 52p
Tankard 52p
Carling Black Label 56p
Kaltenberg 56p

Spirits: Vodka 43p

Decor	Comfortable, middling lush. All light brown with prints on the walls.
Atmosphere	Peaceful, easy to talk. (Apparently can get very busy.)
Customers	Fairly young, often in large groups. Sometimes used as a gathering place by societies. Surprisingly few Hotel guests.
Service	Uniformed staff. Efficient.
Food	At lunchtime.
Machines	None.
Music	None.
Specials	Cocktail Bar passed through - older looking, lots of room to sit. Appears to be used more by Hotel guests. Prices as Lions Den bar.
Loo	Good. Lots of mirrors etc.

Name: Rose and Crown Hotel

Brewery: Unknown

Date visited: Often

Draught Beers:

Spirits

Decor	Old and quite cramped as usually full of people. Comfortable seats.
Atmosphere	Lively and friendly.
Customers	Mainly young, local and in groups of friends.
Service	Can be slow when big rounds being served with only one Barmaid.
Food	Lunchtime only.
Machines	Fruit Machine. 2 Table top videos. 1 Upright video. Darts. Telephone in reception.
Music
Specials	Drinks can be taken out to garden by river overlooking Cathedral.
Loo	Good as expected in Hotel of this quality.

Name: Kings Arms Hotel - Lounge Bar

Brewery: Unknown

Date visited: 5th July 1980 10.00pm

Draught Beers

Ben Truman Export 48p
Watney Special Bitter 45p
Watney Special Mild 42p
Watney Starlight 42p
Ushers Best 46p
Ushers Pale 44p
Manns Brown 48p
Guinness 54p
Carlsberg 54p
Carlsen Lite 54p
Holstein 58p
Strongbow 52p

Spirits: Vodka etc. 44p

Decor	Rather old-fashioned, bench seats round walls, jugs hanging from ceiling. Unexciting.
Atmosphere	Very unexciting.
Customers	Mixed ages and types.
Service	Efficient but Barman old and with a disapproving manner.
Food	Restaurant attached but no activity in there. Probably used at lunchtimes.
Machines	None.
Music	Background.
Specials	"Stuart Room" Bar warmer and more inviting. Seemed more for Hotel guests than locals.
Loo	Long way from Bar. Institutional looking. Clean enough.

Name: New Inn

Brewery: Hall and Woodhouse

Date visited: 25th June 1980 early evening

Draught Beers
Badger 44p
Badger Best 48p
Export Bitter 45p
Brock Lager 52p
Brock Slimline 52p
Guinness 54p
Strongbow 50p

Spirits: Vodka 42p

Decor	Genuinely old building. Beams and brasses. Plenty of tables and seats.
Atmosphere	Comfortable.
Customers	Mainly groups of young people 18-25. Seems fairly popular.
Service	Good but a bit brisk.
Food	Available in bar at all times. Restaurant attached.
Machines	None. Telephone.
Music	Background muzac.
Loo	Clean but hard paper.

Name: Burke's Bar and Buttery

Brewery: Freehouse

Date visited: 25th June 1980 evening

Draught Beers
Toby 43p
Bass 45p
Worthington E 48p
Carling Black Label 52p
Guinness 55p

Spirits: Vodka, Whiskey 42p

Decor	Old beams etc. Two main rooms, one with open fireplace.
Atmosphere	Comfortable
Customers	Various ages. Quite up market, some loud snobby voices to be heard.
Service	Good and friendly.
Food	Always available.
Machines	None.
Music	Background.
Specials	Very nice beer garden with mushroom tables, grass area and old brick walls.
Loo	Very good. Lots of mirrors.

Name: Baron of Beef

Brewery: Gibbs Mew

Date visited: Reasonably often

Draught Beers

Spirits

Decor	Complete facelift from very degenerate Pub. Large with comfortable dralon seats, dim lighting. Long bar.
Atmosphere	Lively and well used.
Customers	Young. Squaddies sometimes.
Service	Good.
Food	Restaurant attached.

Music	Jukebox.
Specials	Late opening on Market days.
Loo	Too heavily used. Usually out of loo paper and rather messy. Original decorations good.

Name: Cross Keys Wine Bar

Brewery: Freehouse

Date visited: Infrequently

Draught Beers

Spirits

Decor	Basically very attractive old building with beams covered with artificial grape vine and French posters on walls. Plastic tables and chairs don't match.
Atmosphere	Too quiet.
Customers	Too few.
Service	OK but not very friendly (could have improved since changing hands).
Food	Restaurant upstairs. Have to eat something o other to drink, by licence.
Machines	None.
Music	Over used tapes.
Specials	Licensing hours very rarely kept. Often chucked out before normal closing time let alone hours advertised in the window. Tables outside in mall in good weather.
Loo	Good. Full length mirror.

Name: County Hotel - Moonrakers Bar

Brewery: Freehouse

Date visited: Often

Draught Beers

Spirits

Decor	Light and reasonably modern. Squishy armchair style seats. Hotel like.
Atmosphere	Usually quiet and relaxed.
Customers	Mainly Hotel guests.
Service	Good.
Food	None.
Machines	Fruit machine.
Music	Background muzac.
Specials
Loo	As Tavern Bar.

Name: County Hotel - Tavern bar

Brewery: Freehouse (Berni Inns)

Date visited: Often. Lunchtime and evening.

Draught Beers
6x 50p
Ushers Best 50p
Ben Truman 50p
Carlsberg 56p
Holstein 62p

Spirits Vodka 45p

Decor	Large. Stained glass windows. Fair amount of bench type seating.
Atmosphere	Variable. Not quiet.
Customers	A lot of working people at lunch time and tourists. Groups of young people in the evening (often very young).
Service	Friendly but can be appallingly slow.
Food	Very wide range of salads etc. at lunchtime plus a couple of hot dishes. Delicious coffee with cream.
Machines	Fruit machine. Video machine (upright).
Music	Jukebox with background muzac when not on.
Specials
Loo	Large and spacious with lots of mirrors.

Name: Wheatsheaf Inn

Brewery:

Date visited: Fairly often

Draught Beers

Spirits

Decor	Large and a bit barnlike. Plenty of bench type seating. Very long bar.
Atmosphere	Lively.
Customers	Young. Squaddies often.
Service	Good even when busy.
Food	Restaurant upstairs.
Music
Specials	Lively music weekly which is very popular.
Loo	No locks or loo paper usually. Not too bad otherwise.

Name: Oddfellows Arms

Brewery: Hall and Woodhouse

Date visited: 3rd July 1980

Draught Beers
Badger Best 46p
Export Bitter 48p
Brock Lager 52p
Guinness 56p

Spirits: Vodka 43p

Decor	Fairly old looking. Small and dimly lit. Large fireplace (electric fire).
Atmosphere	Reasonable.
Customers	Mixed in groups. Seem local.
Service	Young efficient barmaid.
Food	Not seen.
Machines	Fruit machine.
Music	Tapes operated from bar, not muzac.
Specials
Loo	Clean but bare brick walls. Primping area separated from bar by barely adequate glazed window.