For someone dedicated to not drinking alcohol during the month of January, I am certainly spending a fair amount of time reading and writing about it. I did a similar thing nine years ago when I blogged about my alcohol alphabet for the month on my Frothy Filosofy blog. Today I want to write about pub names.
The need to identify your premises as a drinking place goes back to Roman times, when it was commonplace to hang up vine leaves to show that wine was available. In the absence of vine leaves in England, it is said that the Romans hung up bushes instead – hence pub names such as “The Holly Bush” and “The Bush”. They are just pub names, don’t be getting the wrong idea.
These visual aids were obviously effective and important, especially as in the middle ages the bulk of the working population was illiterate. However, it wasn’t until 1393 under the reign of King Richard II that it became compulsory to have a sign. It was around that time that The White Hart became popular because it was part of the King’s coat of arms. Loyalty is everything. Some publicans were keen on future-proofing, so chose names such as The Crown and The King’s Head.
Pub names were inspired by a vast range of sources – royalty, the aristocracy, heraldry, religion, sporting activities, military, crafts, famous or infamous people, local stories…and so forth. I am sure you can think of examples from all of these categories. I have probably drunk or even been drunk in all of these categories over the years. Certainly The White Hart used to be a regular haunt when I lived in Shirley (near Croydon), as was The Wheatsheaf (brewing reference), The Swan, The Forum (Roman reference?!- in the basement was the Croydon Bier Keller, and I embarrassingly took my German friends there!), The Gun Tavern (good for shots?), The Horn and Trumpet, The Red Deer, The Swan and Sugar Loaf, and The Rising Sun (said to be from the coat of arms of King Edward II).
The last six pubs have now all sadly closed. Nothing to do with my patronage over the years! The Swan and Sugar Loaf was apparently named in error because it was supposed to depict the coat of arms of the Archbishops of Canterbury that were found on the farmhouse that used to be on the site (imagine a staff and mitre). Ironically, you can probably buy Swan Vesta matches, sugar and a loaf of bread there because it is now a Tesco’s. Another favourite was The Windsor Castle on Brighton Road – we used to go there at lunchtime as sixth-formers to play darts and have a couple of pints of cider. They were different times!
To pick up on the religious theme…obviously during the reformation at the time of Henry VIII’s reign, any reference to Catholicism had to be avoided. It is said that pubs called St Peter changed their name to Cross Keys – these are on the Papal coat of arms and represent the keys to Heaven’s gate. Religious themes are also found in relation to the crusades in the middle ages – such as Turk’s Head and Saracen’s Head. Famously, “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem” in Nottingham claims to be the oldest pub in England, where Richard the Lionheart gathered with his troops before embarking on the third crusade in 1189.
To end this virtual pub crawl of pub names, things get a little macabre. The Grassmarket in Edinburgh used to be the site for public hangings. It is said that those condemned would have their final meal in the pub there while the gallows were being prepared, and were then given a whisky as they left (“one for the road’) to meet their fate. The pub is called “The Last Drop”, said to commemorate the last hanging there in 1864. Oh, I have had a beer or two there as well, but did not experience a hangover (sorry!).
Alcohol Trivia Quiz
Yesterday’s answers:
1. Porter was so-named because its dark colour and hoppy taste was very popular with the porters who worked in the London docks.I beleive I’ll have another beer
2. IPA was developed for export to India because the extra hops preserved the flavour on the long journey. This story has been disputed but is still widely believed.
3. The quote was of course by Winston Churchill.
Today’s questions:
1. Why is the address St James’s Gate, Dublin so famous?
2. The first trade mark registered in UK in 1875 was a red triangle. For which company?
3. Who said “Everybody’s got to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another beer.”?
Hopefully this post has been a little lighter, like a pale ale, compared to yesterday’s. Have a good weekend. Keep safe and well.
Understand Yourself Better 