Monday 11 April 2011

Curious


Our pub sits on a hill, amidst farming territory at the edge of a country park popular with walkers. It is reached by an unmetalled lane a mile from each of the nearest main roads. The area is also a favourite of those just out for a more leisurely stroll. It brings the pub a fair bit of business. When I got there yesterday at around two o'clock, it was pretty empty and while I waited for someone to serve me, (judging by the blue smoke there was a burger crisis in the kitchen) a visitor remarked to me that he'd thought a pub like this would be bursting at the seams on such a fine day as yesterday. It has always been a bit of a mystery to us that drink there as well. On the foulest of days, the pub, despite its relative remoteness, is usually very busy indeed; but often on beautiful days it isn't. I conclude that walkers like to press on when the weather is good, but like to cut short and linger over beer when it isn't. Or just like some locals, they like to sit about their back gardens on a lovely day. Of course like most of these things that rule isn't hard and fast, but yesterday it was mostly us locals and another reminder of the fickleness of the pub trade.
 
Of course walkers, like us locals, are a funny lot anyway, so that might well explain it too.

5 comments:

Erlangernick said...

Walkers aren't necessarily a funny lot, unless they plan their walks weeks in advance with GPS mapping software and load them up into the internets like this particular nutcase has done for the coming Sunday in Sheffield: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1033322
Although one of those pubs, the Walkley Cottage, appears to have closed.

arn said...

my dad's one of those, planning walks via GPS. They always plan in a visit to a pub, i suspect the publican cant complain about biusness when 20 or so thirsty walkers fill their bar up.
In fact with these walks i reckon my dad goes to the pub more than he ever has.

Erlangernick said...

In this particular case, the walker might be going alone, unless anyone else wants to join up, say, starting before 11:00 to make the first pub by 12:00 opening.

Mark said...

Sounds sensible to me. The pub is a perfect retreat when it's pissing it down outside, but when it's sunny the walkers want to concentrate on the walking.

BeerBirraBier.

Rob Nicholson said...

I know that route well having been dragged up not 1.5 miles down the road from the Norfork Arms in Bents Green ;-)