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I was completely wrong - the bars are "Saloon" and "Public", presumably the saloon being for travellers? [EDIT: Looked it up and apparently it was a class divis

I was completely wrong - the bars are "Saloon" and "Public", presumably the saloon being for travellers? [EDIT: Looked it up and apparently it was a class division. Public bar for the workers, saloon for the worthies. I suppose if you were travelling in style you'd use the saloon. Learned something this morning..]

PaulRobinson 5y ago
Pub lover from the UK checking in. There are a few pubs - not many, but some - knocking about the UK where if you are in workwear (boots, high-biz jackets, etc.), you be asked to not drink in the saloon and move to the public bar, and in one pub I know near central London the landlady used to just simply ask you to drink elsewhere if you had clearly just come in from a building site. In the countryside you may be asked to remove your walking boots if it's a muddy day before walking on the carpeted area or the saloon bar. And while it's pretty rare now for there to be a true class division in the pub itself, there is definitely market positioning of pubs. A flat roofed pub with England flags around it will attract a very definite kind of clientele to a traditional pub with hanging baskets outside and a restaurant within.
- 123pie123 5y ago
  your story reminds me of my youth in the 70s/80s. I vaguely remember going into various pubs for wedding/ christing receptions. From my vaugue memory most pubs had many different 3+ rooms (in addition to were the party was) that we was not supposed to go in to... after going in to all of them (unchallenged) people were dressed and acted different (dressed differently , some loud or queit) we seem to settle in the room were the people was gambling since we was given varous amounts of money just for watching them win!
- bencollier49 5y ago
  You know I've never experienced pubs making a distinction between the two bars. Just that occasionally you see the signs above the doors. I can absolutely expect landlords not being keen on super-muddy shoes or workwear, but genuinely, having the public bar as a lower-effort alternative is completely alien to me. I'd love to know where these places are - guessing rural, perhaps?
  - PaulRobinson 5y ago
    Seen it in Manchester, Fulham, Peak District, Lake District, Birmingham, Cheshire. I go to traditional pubs a lot.

PaulRobinson 5y ago

Pub lover from the UK checking in. There are a few pubs - not many, but some - knocking about the UK where if you are in workwear (boots, high-biz jackets, etc.), you be asked to not drink in the saloon and move to the public bar, and in one pub I know near central London the landlady used to just simply ask you to drink elsewhere if you had clearly just come in from a building site. In the countryside you may be asked to remove your walking boots if it's a muddy day before walking on the carpeted area or the saloon bar. And while it's pretty rare now for there to be a true class division in the pub itself, there is definitely market positioning of pubs. A flat roofed pub with England flags around it will attract a very definite kind of clientele to a traditional pub with hanging baskets outside and a restaurant within.

123pie123 5y ago
your story reminds me of my youth in the 70s/80s. I vaguely remember going into various pubs for wedding/ christing receptions. From my vaugue memory most pubs had many different 3+ rooms (in addition to were the party was) that we was not supposed to go in to... after going in to all of them (unchallenged) people were dressed and acted different (dressed differently , some loud or queit) we seem to settle in the room were the people was gambling since we was given varous amounts of money just for watching them win!
bencollier49 5y ago
You know I've never experienced pubs making a distinction between the two bars. Just that occasionally you see the signs above the doors. I can absolutely expect landlords not being keen on super-muddy shoes or workwear, but genuinely, having the public bar as a lower-effort alternative is completely alien to me. I'd love to know where these places are - guessing rural, perhaps?
- PaulRobinson 5y ago
  Seen it in Manchester, Fulham, Peak District, Lake District, Birmingham, Cheshire. I go to traditional pubs a lot.