I know I write a lot about going to the pub, but in fact we don’t go that often (compared to some!) Tuesday is quiz night, but husband arrives late as it is also band practice and rock ‘n’ roll always comes first! We usually go down some time over the weekend, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday – we no longer meet the two T’s on a Sunday night as they no longer go. Then we sometimes drift down at any other random night depending on whether husband is practicing with his uke band, practicing with his shanty band, has a gig – and whether I have an engagement with book club or other friends.
We wandered down to the Dolphin this evening with daughter for no particular reason, except it’s always nice to have a beer there and sit around chatting and catching up with stuff we haven’t managed to mention during the day. We sat in our usual end, rather than the cross-benches, inhabited by a serious chap reading and enjoying a pint, or the public where other chums were bantering loudly… maybe they had been in for a while and imbibed several pints of their favourite! I went to the bar and had a bit of a chat to Sam the barman while he pulled our pints and a lemonade for daughter, then I returned to the family and we sat and chatted about all sorts of things.
This is the thing with pubs – we could have sat at home with a cup of tea and chatted about stuff – we could have, but we never would have. We have beer at home so we could have had a glass of beer, but we rarely sit together with a drink as we do in the pub. Husband might watch sport with a beer, I might bring a bottle up her and sup while I write, but we wouldn’t sit together and have a good old gossip at home!
So what did we talk about, The Specials, buying houses, beer, having children, showers, Romanian rescue dogs, bands and music we like, my writing chums, photos of the children when they were children, beer, decorating our bedroom and the colour we might go with… all sorts of things! Just an evening in the Dolphin!
Lois Elsden 