The Friendship

[freetobeme]

[Odie]

Originally Posted by freetobeme

[qsducks]

Originally Posted by Odie

Attachment 23698

Odie, do your avatars have a personality disorder? They change everyday.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by qsducks

Odie, do your avatars have a personality disorder? They change everyday.

I got sick of Caruso, went back to being me a dog, cannot find Odie in green!

besides, its fun to change, it's what its all about!

[Violetmay]

I like the idea of this hostelry, I've booked the back room out for the AGM of the, ''Bugs are cute don't kill them'', society. We will bring our own bugs.

[lukeofyorkshire]

Hello all. I badly need a PINT of beer!!!!!!!

[spot]

Ee lad, will Theakston's do the job? There's a barrel went in last Thursday in prime condition.

[manuelito]

Originally Posted by spot

I have, as it happens, quite liked the idea of managing a pub. Opening one here might be part of the learning process.

The problem with opening one in town is - and I've worked the spreadsheets to check - a matter of getting enough turnover to cover the staff expenses. A pub (in England at any rate) tends to be an urban affair with most of its clientèle living within walking distance. An inn, by contrast, is a village or rural place, often near running water and a road junction. Where an inn exists now in an urban environment it's because it used to be a place where coaches picked up, set down and changed horses. The call for urban inns has long since past.

But a rural inn, which has guests who travel to reach it, is the right model for The Friendship. Since I'm designing it I'll describe it. There's a Public Bar, a Lounge, the manager's Snug, a couple of back rooms for hire or for private parties and a long bar upstairs which gets opened when there's a lot of custom or for a live music night with a booked band. The ground floor rooms are all stone-flagged, stone-walled with a white wash, sparse decoration, an upright piano, some instruments on the wall which are playable (several bodhran and violas, a couple of violins, a set of Northumbrian pipes, an upright double bass with a bow in a holster, penny whistles, a flute and, incongruously, a saxophone and a clarinet). The upper floor is wood-floored, shelved for books. All the floors are spread with coarse sawdust before opening and swept after closing which gives a distinctive resiny smell to the place. The toilets are outdoors, the lighting is poor, the staff have cudgels in reach behind the bars. There are dartboards, darts and cards and dominoes behind the bar and a few cribbage boards for older visitors who know what to do with them. One door leads to an indoor alley equipped for Nine Man's Morris. There are many heavy wooden tables which easily seat eight at their benches, a few smaller tucked into corners, occasional chairs to adjust matters as needed. None of the bars have barstools, all have brass footrests.

We stock a surprisingly wide range of bitters and mild ales, lager alcohol-free and otherwise, cider (sweet or still), barley wines, assorted apple spirits, wines by the bottle (we're not prepared to serve by the glass but we do supply a house red and a house white by the jug), spirits and mixers.

The staff will refuse more alcohol to anyone they consider to be fighting drunk though they'll continue to serve them refreshments.

We have snacks, we have a dining area, we have a chef, we have a substantial plat du jour immediately available for any traveller in need of a meal.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Friendship is now open for business. The proprietor is anxious to interview staff and serve you right.

smile

[manuelito]

Ok, ok