Way back in time, when I was a young man,
There was a place that I went to every day.
A place where I met with friends.
The question “Where are you going?”
The answer was always “Up The George”.
The George, a proper pub.
Public bar for us darters and carders,
Saloon bar for a more gentile drink;
And an off licence so that more booze
Could be bought almost unseen.
The public bar, almost men only,
With forthright conversations
Highlighted with intemperate language;
But when ladies came into the bar
The bad language ceased.
Every evening I would be there
Playing darts or cards,
Drinking beer, chatting with friends;
A place of friendship and humour.
And a place that I think of with fondness.
Mick, The Landlord, with Pauline, his wife,
Made sure there was never any trouble.
It was often boisterous and rowdy,
But never anything happened
That was without fun and laughter.
There were three of us
Who shared our lives,
We always went everywhere together;
To pubs and clubs and rivers and lakes.
Jack, Joe and me, like three musketeers.
The barman’s name was John;
The finest purveyor of beer I have ever seen.
Sunday lunchtimes just look through the window
And our pint would be on the counter
By the time we had put our name on the dartboard.
The darts came first,
Put your name down quickly on Sunday
If you lost a match you would never get on again
So many darters, such good players,
So many laughs, so much fun.
So many characters, so many friends;
There was John and Vic always together,
Great friends who always darted and carded together.
Aged Eric a man of the sea for many years
Always walked side to side as though still on board ship.
Sometimes on a Saturday night
The singing beer would be served;
And there was Don with his wondrous good voice
And his Italian good looks,
Outshining any Venetian Gondolier.
There on a Friday night
There would be Bryn the Clown and Jack the Beard,
Playing euchre against me and my Dad,
For pennies and tuppences;
Not for the money, but for the love of the game.
Then there was Ron, Big Ron
A lovely man who lived a hundred yards from the pub,
But always drove to it.
He was taken from us early in his life,
And I was in one of the fifteen cars following his coffin.
The George, part of my youth;
A very special part;
A place looked back on with fondness,
Happiness and love.
A time of laughter, innocence and joy.
-
Author:
Goldfinch60 (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: March 7th, 2024 01:55
- Comment from author about the poem: This a true story, in my younger days before being married I used to go to The George every night except Sunday night.
- Category: Special occasion
- Views: 19
- Users favorite of this poem: Accidental Poet, Bella Shepard
Offline)
Comments11
What a marvellous trip down your very own personal memory lane Andy .. loved every sip of it .. Neville
So kind Neville, thank you. They were wonderful days back in my younger times.
Andy
Good write Gold. We have a 'George' about 2 miles from home. It's next to a river, which is prone to flooding.
I went there but they threw me out. You know why - the water! lol.
Thank you Orchi. I am not surprised they threw you out, I have warned you about watering down peoples beer!
Andy
Ah such a lovely read, reminds me of almost 25 years ago now, when I lived in London, home never changes in my heart but now going to.the george i suspect a tad different. Beautiful dear Andy.
Thank you Teddy, I went there a few years ago and it had changed but it is over 200 miles away now so I cannot go every evening any more. LOL
Andy
A beautiful story that rings with nostalgia and fondness. Very nice Gold.
Thank you soren, yes it took me back to good times over fifty years ago.
Andy
A wonderous window to the past Andy. I can see you there so happy. 😉👍
Thank you AP, yes they were good times.
Andy
Your passage beautifully paints a vivid picture of The George, a cherished place from your youth. It's clear that it holds a special significance in your memories, filled with friendship, laughter, and fondness. The characters and moments you describe are vivid and engaging, evoking a sense of nostalgia and joy. It feels awesome to learn about your life!
Most kind Cloie, yes it is a very special place in my memories. Thank you.
Andy
A trip down memory lane. The local, such an important place in my younger years. You have enriched my afternoon thinking about all the characters and fun we all shared. The Grapes with landlady Doris in the country lane where we lived was a frequent hang out. I used to play darts there:) Thank you Andy. Happy Thursday.
Such memories are so wonderful Cassie. I used to play darts as well and played for the pub in our local league. Thank you for your kind words.
Andy
Thank you, Gold for such a lovely visit. All the life we should never forget in our quieter years! Less darts, more cards; less company but more reflection, sadly less beer and more tea - but so long as we can relive while we live, so be it!!
So very true Jules, we can enjoy those memories of the past while drinking our tea. Thak you for your comments, much appreciated.
Andy
Dear Andy, you've brought your wonderful memories it to life for all of us to enjoy. Thank you for sharing this treasure from your past!
Thank you Bella, my absolute pleasure.
Andy
A very English experience. Here, much the same only broadly different. Friends and a place to gather, was the similarity, but all else was different, beer not the same, games were far different, music was usually a juke box, but the friendship was the reason we remember it fondly. Thanks for the memories. - Phil A.
Yes it certainly was an English experience Phil but we all have memories of our wonderful times in our younger days.
Andy
Andy, you deserve to be top of the pops ('Trending Now')....filled me full of nostalgia for a very long time ago.
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