Let’s celebrate the Dolphin

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about us celebrating in the Dolphin, our local which is a five minute saunter from home. Now I’m writing about celebrating the Dolphin.

In case you missed recent history of the pub (aka an extension of our home) after over a dozen years of happy hours spent there, someone new took over and everyone will agree they were an absolute disaster, and at one point, we really feared that either the pub would close completely, or that it would be so unwelcoming that we might have to go elsewhere. I remember walking home down the quiet high  street, discussing local pubs and wondering which we could transfer to – and the fact that it would mean one of us would be on lemonade as we’d have to drive. We persevered though, then one night we walked down, pub closed!! Apparently the absolute disaster had absconded leaving the staff in the lurch to carry on leader-less. This bad news turned out to be good news, as before long new people arrived, lovely new people! This is what I wrote at the time:

They arrived yesterday, and although we didn’t expect them to open, we did saunter down, just in case. Let joy be unconfined!!!! The pub was open despite the family having only arrived that morning and when we went in we were greeted by the sound of conversation and laughter, and an atmosphere that was buzzing! As soon as we got to the bar, a young man with a beard appeared and with a friendly grin and a lovely Yorkshire accent, asked us what we wanted to drink! How nice to be greeted and to feel welcome again. The young man’s friendly wife came and introduced herself and within a couple of minutes, we were drinking our beer and having a jolly conversation.

So that was a couple of months ago and all the positive signs that the Dolphin would be back to being the great pub that it is have come to fruition. So last night, in what has now thankfully become what we expect, quiz night was happening, just as it has done for so many years, with much jabber of people and slurps of beer, before there was a semi-silence as the quiz started. To our left was Tim’s tam, to our right was the Am-Drams (the local amateur dramatic group, the Bleadon Players, by in the nook by the door was Manchu and team on the table which used to be called George’s table after the grumpy old chap who always used to sit there, through in the cross benches was Nigel’s mega-brain team, and there were others beyond.

It’s a quiz which doesn’t take itself too seriously (although some teams won’t agree) and the idea is to have fun, and that’s what we had, last night – back to normal Dolphin-time. One new innovation from our lovely new landlords, at half-time, snacks are served – last night it was a big dish of red hot chips, a variety of chicken wings and a tray of spring rolls. It’s that sort of nice, generous, and enjoyable touch which makes a good pub!

Just one other footnote about the positive aspects of going to a pub, and pub quizzes, and the Dolphin in particular, we sat down with our team, a couple who moved to the village a year ago who are now our friends. Yes pubs are for making friends. We were joined by another couple who we have been close to for well over ten years and how did we meet them? Through the pub quiz! My husband is in a ukulele group and a shanty band – he joined both with other friends, the ones I’ve mentioned before who have P.J.’s Ice-Cream Parlour in Weston, and how did we meet them? Pub quiz of course!

Pubs are so, so much more than just places you go for a drink, and thanks to the new landlord and landlady at the Dolphin it continues to be the best pub in the world!