Sometimes, after a busy Saturday morning playing dad/taxi involved with your children’s sports then you just need chill out time and food for the aforementioned kids.
A 2-for-1 Marston’s pub might not be the idea of heaven for many people but, to be fair to 17 – The White Hart – LE65 1AP, this is a good community pub.
@NHS_Martin is not a big fan of 2-for-1 Marston’s boozers but this place does attract people of all ages and contains arguably the town’s tallest gaffer! A man mountain – almost grizzly bear sized.. called Jamie….who is working hard fixing fruit machines and obviously, having a Leicestershire postcode, appears to be the trailblazer for new Marston’s glassware and artefacts after Ravenstone’s King’s Head! (see Caraboa Classic in Coalville post)
..on the walls
Ashby De La Zouch is definitely a Jekyll and Hyde town as lots of pubs during the day are relatively relaxed and open all day. However, due to its location and lack of train station then most of the locals tend to spend Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun night in the honeypot of Market St Ashby and this brings the rare sight of bouncers outside the ‘Spoons and a more of a big city edge to proceedings.
Not a lot has changed since the olden days as The White Hart’s gaffer used to keep a bear in the cellar in the 17th century to control rowdy customers at closing time and whilst there are bouncers nowadays, the same Ashby ‘spirit’ survives!
Promising my offspring a Bear Hunt, as well as cheap food, there is also the added bonus of a stuffed bear visible under the floor through a glass porthole. My two spend – ooh at least two minutes – trying to work out if the bear will actually emerge from underneath the floor but then work out it’s stuffed and their interest diminishes.
Obviously Marston’s aren’t about to sell this pub though as they have invested in a smart new conservatory style room at the back with a big screen and are delivering a good pint of 61 Deep (Marston’s). As the argument rages (on beer blogging sites anyway) about whether Micropubs are the way forward…I have to say, there must be a place for solid town boozers with SKY/BT sport on the TV, cheap (ish) beer and food as that will always drag people in.
Great blog. “There must be a place for solid town boozers” – exactly.
I don’t mind Marstons 2-for-1 if they encourage a mix of life and drinkers, as the Midlands runs often do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those underrated city/town bars often get overlooked and at least Marston’s are unikley to sell it on if it serves food……
LikeLike