Things aren't what they used to be.

[IAN FINN 808]

I used to go to the Horse and Groom in Linby with my girlfriend in the mid 60s and also the Griffins Head at Papplewick where we had a few car rallies in the field at the side of the pub around 1964.

[LizzieM 9,507]

14 hours ago, philmayfield said:

In my local last night there were only three of us there between 8.30 and 10.15 pm. There was a roaring log fire and the landlord took just £12.40. 

 

You and your mates must have sat chatting and hugging just one pint each then?  Your local can’t keep going if he doesn’t get a few big drinkers in! 

[LizzieM 9,507]

4 hours ago, IAN FINN said:

I used to go to the Horse and Groom in Linby with my girlfriend in the mid 60s and also the Griffins Head at Papplewick where we had a few car rallies in the field at the side of the pub around 1964.

My Uncle Charlie was the landlord at that time.  He and my Aunty Rene were in the pub for around 20 years until they retired in the early 1980s.  The Horse & Groom was in my family for about 100 years.  I know that my Gt Gt Uncle Jacob Jennison was already in residence in 1902 but my only (distant) memory of the times before uncle Charlie Croft is during Charlie’s time as publican of a Home Brewery pub in Shirland near Alfreton, called the Duke of Wellington and George Jennison and my granny’s sister Hettie were in residence at Linby.  George was very old and struggling with the cellar work.  Uncle Charlie would travel over from Shirland to help George.  When George Jennison retired Uncle Charlie took over as landlord.  He ran a very successful public house.  No kids and no food other than cheese and ham cobs made by Aunty Rene upstairs.  Charlie stood no nonsense, even getting mad if a young couple started kissing!   We, as a family, were regular visitors from Arnold and as I grew up I’d take boyfriends to the pub.  Even now, 40 years after Charlie and Rene moved out, we still refer the Horse & Groom as ‘Uncle Charlie’s pub’.  He’s no longer with us, he’d be 102 now, they were my Godparents, but they must have forgotten that when the wrote their wills!!

 

As very much an afterthought, we went to the Horse & Groom a few weeks ago for Sunday lunch and it was awful …… I certainly would not recommend it, if the place was still trading of course!