O/T:- 10 pints for a quid in 1964?

[LaxtonLad]

True again Laxton but as in my reply to Elite, cultures have changed for many reasons. Not many supermarkets around back in the day.No breathalyser tests, not so many cars on the roads so people walked to their locals and the advance of further leisure pursuits to name one or two.

Yes seriouspie, cultures have changed. One of them being calling in the local on the way home from work for a pint or two without it costing serious money. I was an apprentice in the early '60s and on an apprentice's poor wage, but I could still easily afford to go out every night with my mates and have three or four pints and not end up skint.

As you say, there were not many supermarkets around then but successive governments kept adding on a penny or two per pint in each budget and slyly the breweries were adding their penny at the same time hoping no-one would notice. The emerging supermarkets spotted an opening and they were right in there. The beer offs were no competition as their bottled beer was more expensive than the pub's. Gradually the Chancellor stopped adding his penny but the breweries didn't. To increase profit they started closing the less busy pubs and hoped to concentrate the drinkers into fewer but larger pubs and guess what? It didn't work! Supermarkets! To make a profit now most pubs have opted to become "Gastropubs" or "Country Pub and Kitchen" what bloody awful names they are but that is where the profit is and like it or not that is what your local will soon become - or close.

Time will tell of the future of Micropubs, I don't know the prices, I've never been in one. They look like you're drinking in somebody's front room

[Notsohumblepie]

Yes seriouspie, cultures have changed. One of them being calling in the local on the way home from work for a pint or two without it costing serious money. I was an apprentice in the early '60s and on an apprentice's poor wage, but I could still easily afford to go out every night with my mates and have three or four pints and not end up skint.

As you say, there were not many supermarkets around then but successive governments kept adding on a penny or two per pint in each budget and slyly the breweries were adding their penny at the same time hoping no-one would notice. The emerging supermarkets spotted an opening and they were right in there. The beer offs were no competition as their bottled beer was more expensive than the pub's. Gradually the Chancellor stopped adding his penny but the breweries didn't. To increase profit they started closing the less busy pubs and hoped to concentrate the drinkers into fewer but larger pubs and guess what? It didn't work! Supermarkets! To make a profit now most pubs have opted to become "Gastropubs" or "Country Pub and Kitchen" what bloody awful names they are but that is where the profit is and like it or not that is what your local will soon become - or close.

Time will tell of the future of Micropubs, I don't know the prices, I've never been in one. They look like you're drinking in somebody's front room

Problem is with Micro pubs , & Craft beers etc. , is that they tend to breed " Ale Snobbery" .

"I'll have two pints of Old Ferrets Testicle, please Landlord " You then get something undrinkable, that costs about £5 per pint.

The Vegan beers are truly awful , they have no finings , look like mud, and tend to taste how they look.

"The Kings new clothes" at premium rates.

[Bartlett's Dust]

That's nuts.

A pint of Stella in the pub here although its not commonly sold would be equivalent of 6-7 quid.

I cant believe they are making more than 10% on that even with their buying power.

I used to deal with a few large grog companies when I lived in the UK and I know that their supply accounts to the majors were on razor thin margins with crazy payment terms of 90-120 days.

Deals like that cannot be good for the local pub.

10%??

Do you know what supermarket profit margins are? Try dividing it by 5.

[queenslandpie]

10%??

Do you know what supermarket profit margins are? Try dividing it by 5.

I know exactly what supermarket profit margins are. Thats their profit after expenditure not before.

[seriouspie]

Very true are your comments Laxo. You're absolutely correct about being able to get semi pissed most nights on an apprentice' wages as I was. Out of interest what is your trade and where did you serve your time?

Wrong I know, but I wouldn't have missed for the world the "Pub Apprenticeships" where we served our time back in the day. Walk into a good pub bar where the fag smoke was a blue haze, the darts board was full of initials for people waiting to play, the landlord was a pillar of authority and kept good order (most of the time), in town pubs the Sally army sold the "Warcry" and the fish man sold bags of cockles, the cheese and onion cobs and pickled eggs on the bar ........... great days! Also good landlords sold good ale with a creamy head that lasted all the way down the glass - not the flat sh1t mostly sold today.

[i961pie]

Very true are your comments Laxo. You're absolutely correct about being able to get semi pissed most nights on an apprentice' wages as I was. Out of interest what is your trade and where did you serve your time?

Wrong I know, but I wouldn't have missed for the world the "Pub Apprenticeships" where we served our time back in the day. Walk into a good pub bar where the fag smoke was a blue haze, the darts board was full of initials for people waiting to play, the landlord was a pillar of authority and kept good order (most of the time), in town pubs the Sally army sold the "Warcry" and the fish man sold bags of cockles, the cheese and onion cobs and pickled eggs on the bar ........... great days! Also good landlords sold good ale with a creamy head that lasted all the way down the glass - not the flat sh1t mostly sold today.

Happy days

[ivansneck]

My paternal grandfather gave up beer when it went from 1d to 1d and a farthing. He went onto port instead having calculated that he got more alcohol per d than in beer!

[LaxtonLad]

Very true are your comments Laxo. You're absolutely correct about being able to get semi pissed most nights on an apprentice' wages as I was. Out of interest what is your trade and where did you serve your time?

Wrong I know, but I wouldn't have missed for the world the "Pub Apprenticeships" where we served our time back in the day. Walk into a good pub bar where the fag smoke was a blue haze, the darts board was full of initials for people waiting to play, the landlord was a pillar of authority and kept good order (most of the time), in town pubs the Sally army sold the "Warcry" and the fish man sold bags of cockles, the cheese and onion cobs and pickled eggs on the bar ........... great days! Also good landlords sold good ale with a creamy head that lasted all the way down the glass - not the flat sh1t mostly sold today.

Hello serouspie. I was an apprentice electrician and served my apprenticeship at W.H.Tew on Bertram Street off Crocus Street, anyone remember the Duke of Norfolk on the corner? I never really took to the travelling though and got a job as an electrician down t'pit, best job I ever had.

[Bartlett's Dust]

Beer is great but malt whisky is what it's all about 👍

[SwalePie]

....anyone remember the Duke of Norfolk on the corner?

Yes indeed. Grand old place.