Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pubs other than the Air Balloon

Mr Boden, his memory jogged by my last post about the Royal George, writes to say "I recall with pleasure 1980 when I had motorised transport available. This was the dark blue Hillman Hunter Estate property of RP and Mrs S Roberts at that time, due solely to the fact that I had replaced the cylinder head gasket prior to our arrival at CH. We went occasionally to a fantastic country pub with the realest of real ales called the Golden Heart somewhere out Birdlip way, generally sitting outside looking out over a sort of splendid hill view, as I vaguely recall. We could get about 7 in this vehicle, so tended to pick nice girls and Ferris as extra passengers, but an irregular treat, as generally considered anti-social not to be Air Ballooning with the rest of the team. It was very useful having vehicular access that year, as I had to go back to Oxford on a fortnightly basis to sign on."

Ah, so that's why I have few memories of the Golden Heart: being neither a nice girl nor a Ferris I rarely qualified for a lift.

J. B. will be delighted to hear that the Golden Heart is still in fine fettle and possibly even better fettle, as its
website confirms what Les Capon and Jill Hummerstone recently told me: that it has won Good Pub Guide 'Pub of the Year' 2009. So I expect the beer is still pretty good.

Jim Irvine writes:
"There was also the Green Dragon to which quite a few of us adjourned of a summer evening. Usually via the bangers of Messrs Bacon and White. Some of us even discovered the Seven Tuns at Chedworth which I seem to recall did a very fair pint of Tim Taylor's Landlord. Once, 2 carloads went to a pub further out on the Golden Heart road called - I think - the Highwayman. It was a single visit!The pub was big and quiet. When we arrived en masse the manager smiled and asked if we were a coach trip. Leatherhead said "No, we'd come up in convoy" and wondered why the manager's face went white. It was only later we realised the famous Hippie Convoy was also in the area. But so far so good. The problem was when Sonia and some other lady asked for pints. They were told, in no uncertain terms, that pints were not served to ladies in this establishment. The evening went quite well apart from these hiccoughs - but we never went back!"

1 comment:

Jim Irvine said...

There was also the Green Dragon whence quite a few of us adjourned of a summer evening. Usually via the bangers of Messrs Bacon and White.

Some of us even discovered the Seven Tuns at Chedworth which I seem to recall did a very fair pint of Tim Tayler's Landlord.

Once, 2 carloads went to a pub further out on the Golden Hart road called - I think - the Highwayman. It was a single visit!The pub was big and quiet. When we arrived en masse the manager smiled and asked if we were a coach trip. Leatherhead said "No, we'd come up in convoy and wondered why the manager's face went white. It was only later we realised the famous Hippie Convoy was also in the area.

But so far so good. The problem was when Sonia and some other lady asked for pints. They were told, in no uncertain terms, that pints were not served to ladies in this establishment.

The evening went quite well apart from these hiccoughs - but we never went back!