The-Bird-in-Hand at Kent Green

I remember it with great affection. One sunny spring day in 1974 I walked from Kidsgrove to Congleton along the canal with my uncle. Around

11:00 we were quite thirsty - it was a hot day - and the Bird in Hand was 100 yards ahead. We entered - outside pub hours in those days - and found the owner cleaning. We asked if it was possible to have a drink, and ordered two halves of lager. The owner descended to the basement, to emerge 2 minutes later with two naturally cool beers. There was an aspidistra in the window - I kid you not - and the room was about the size of an average living room. I used to go there often afterwards, just to remember that day. I was very saddened by its closure and derelict state. One of my fantasies was always to buy the pub and run it. It was quintessential old England. Its oddest feature was that it was obviously built for the days of barges. The road is nowhere near it ... Thanks for reminding me of it Roy.

Roy Bailey wrote: > Followup to: uk.food+drink.real-ale >

I remember it with great affection. One sunny spring day in 1974 I walked from Kidsgrove to Congleton along the canal with my uncle. Around

11:00 we were quite thirsty - it was a hot day - and the Bird > Followup to: uk.food+drink.real-ale

Roy Bailey wrote: > Followup to: uk.food+drink.real-ale >

Roy Bailey wrote: > Followup to: uk.food+drink.real-ale >

Roy Bailey wrote: > Followup to: uk.food+drink.real-ale >

I remember it with great affection. One sunny spring day in 1974 I walked from Kidsgrove to Congleton along the canal with my uncle. Around

11:00 we were quite thirsty - it was a hot day - and the Bird in Hand was 100 yards ahead. We entered - outside pub hours in those days - and found the owner cleaning. We asked if it was possible to have a drink, and ordered two halves of lager. The owner descended to the basement, to emerge 2 minutes later with two naturally cool beers. There was an aspidistra in the window - I kid you not - and the room was about the size of an average living room. I used to go there often afterwards, just to remember that day. I was very saddened by its closure and derelict state. One of my fantasies was always to buy the pub and run it. It was quintessential old England. Its oddest feature was that it was obviously built for the days of barges. The road is nowhere near it ... Thanks for reminding me of it Roy.

It was in Kent Green . See

Went there once with friends in the late 80?s/early 90?s. I remember it like a sitting room. We were the only ones in other than the landlady Who held court, and a bargee who was helping out as she was not well at the time. Beer came up on a tray, pints of something like Worthington Bitter straight from the cask. We stayed for one and I aimed to go back again but never did.

Another classic was the Berkley Hunt at Purton, basically an ale and local cider house on the canal. A central corridor to the parlour where the barrels were stillaged, with rooms to legt and right furnished like a sitting room with sofas. A £1 ploughmans was a huge hunk of cheddar, bread and pickled Onions. Lovely. It?s a house now...

The discussion was 13 years ago; and the pub it seems, closed in the early

80's.

I missed out.

BTDT.

Flossie's (Sun, Leintwardine) is OK but just a museum piece now, ISTM. Bessie's (Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen) I wonder if that'll reopen (& many others for that matter).