The Underbelly of a British Pub
I’m sure everyone has their favorite memories of quaint British pubs, being served warm pints of ale by a genial host or comely bar maid. Yes, that’s what we used to call them.
I came upon a UK TV series chronicling the darker side of the British public house or pub, the Sky TV series, The Toughest Pubs In Britain. It does provide a fascinating and often horrifying look into these cultural temples, as the show traverses the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales to showcase the bizarre, and unsettling antics of a set of characters drawn directly from the “Snatch” school of central casting.
The episode that really haunts me is this one on a pub in Birmingham, The Sportsman, and it’s cider swilling regulars.
For those of us that have spent any prolonged period of time imbibing ale on both sides of the Pond, the images may renew memories that we might sooner forget.
Doubtful they’ll be showing this on BBC America any time soon. Enjoy.
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john
From The Other Side of the Mirror 