My Home Away From Home, homage to our friends in the U. K. Options

[JLY]

MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

After a stressful day
without any delay
I choose to unwind,
from the daily grind.

There’s only one place
with a soothing pace
that’s comfy, relaxing,
the least bit taxing.

It’s the Rose & Crown,
friendly is it’s renown
a warm and snug pub,
my spirited social club.

I fancy a pint or two
of a creamy ale brew
or maybe a bitter to sip
and crisps to dip.

Lively chat fests I partake,
keeps me happily awake
but my mates and I
rarely see eye to eye.

Camilla’s tabloid tales
with the Prince of Wales
are bemused and spewed
by this bibulous brood.

Games are about to start
draughts, chess and darts,
even puzzles to figure out,
teasers for the most devout.

It’s quarter past seven
I think I’m in heaven,
there’s football on the telly
and grub to warm my belly.

[JustDaniel]

Hey, John...

Is this a real or imaginary visit to a specific UK pub of renown?  I could certainly feel the atmosphere... the likes of which, for good or ill, I've never been privvy to or comfortable with... likely due to having grown up with an alcoholic and not wishing to become one myself (as it could be in my jeans... not a good place to have alcohol seeping out).

Anyhow, I appreciated your bringing us along on this visit, John.  It flows rather nicely except in the kind of stilted first line of S5, IMUO.
sheddin' a mere dribble o' Light, Daniel  :sun:

[JLY]

Daniel,
As you may know my wife was raised in Scotland and has many of her family living throughout the UK. She has provided me some firsthand info about Pub life.
I too am the child of an alcoholic and know very well the dangers of that affliction.
I chose to focus more on the social nature of the Pub as a means of depicting a way of life that many people are familiar with.
Thanks for stopping by to take a glance.
JLY

[Guest_Toumai_*]

Hi JLY,

A very cosy scene you set. Traditionally the pub was the meeting place, the social club of any area.  

I fancy a pint or two
of a cream ale brew
or maybe bitters to sip
and chips to dip.

I'm not quite sure if "cream ale" is a correct term or not. I've heard of pale ale. And "bitters" sounds more like Angustora Bitters (as in pink gin): bitter is singular unless trying several varieties. (*How picky can she get????*)

My own cosy scene in front of my computer has just been zapped - kids back and demanding their dinner.

Cheers!

Fran

[JLY]

Fran,
Of matters relating to English Pubs, I defer to your skilled knowledge of your local culture.
JLY

[JustDaniel]

I duly noted the purely, positive social nature of the pub in your piece, and I only wish there were such in the general culture in which I've lived... where I could go to a friendly place to rub shoulders with my moderate-drinking friends, participate in leisure activities and chat with them without either obnoxious shouting, or depressing, glum quiet with a stale smell of old, spilled beer and the lingering cloud of smoke that stays in my clothing and my allergic nose for days... especially in the winter.

So, alas... I cannot participate.

Again, thanks for the pleasant visit.  I'd be interesting in your take on the line that I had mentioned.

sharin' a bit o' Light, Daniel  :sun:

[Guest_Nina_*]

Hi JLy

A cosy scene down at the local and topical too, given the recent engagement of Charles and Camilla.  I agree with Fran's comment about Bitter and I have never heard of cream ale either (but I am no expert).  

One other query I have is with the word checkers which to me seems more American than English.  We'd call it draughts.

Thanks for the read

Nina

[Guest_Jox_*]

John, Hi

You deserve great commendation for both being brave enough to attempt this and for executing it so well. It says much about your skill and success that we, in the UK, can only find a very few problems - well done. I could never write anything so skilful about life in the States. I appreciate this.

Bitter - singular is right - mind you, they are good taken in plural!

A creamy head does occur on many beers (e.g. Guinness - which is an Irish stout, not a British bitter) But also, a famous bitter, Boddington's is called "The Cream of Manchester" - partly a joke but it certainly has a foamy head and a smooth texture.

Let's have a club shall we? I also knew an alcoholic. But it's never kept me out of pubs. Some people do go alcoholic by starting in pubs but the real danger is not social drinking - it is quiet, denied, private drinking. Having said that, there is much concern that modern city bars and pubs are supporting a severe youth drinking culture here. But these are very different establishments from the one you mention.

I regret to say that the sort of pub you describe - and I love - is disappearing fast. I expect in Scotland that many more exist, proportionally, than in England but they are under attack. Very sad. Mind you, old fashioned pubs were often hostile to women and outsiders so some changes were vital, too.

"Chips" is an interesting word. I found out - not long ago - that in the USA you call them French Fries (I don't know why). And what you call "chips" we call "crisps." American style French Fries are available here, too - MacDonald's serve them and so the supermarkets sell them. However, my complaint is that they are too thin. The ratio of fried, fatty external to potato internal is too great. I'd have thought that America would have preferred thicker chips with steaks etc. I'm wrong again.

Nina's right - draughts is our name for "checkers." I play that on-line via windows quite a lot.

Football on telly - yes, to my extreme discomfort some pubs do have that.

OK, I've dealt with the subject, now what about the art?

I thought your poem excellent, John. It rolled along very smoothly, was bright and humorous, time seemed to disappear and its warmth embraced me. I have no negative comments. In fact, very much like your idealised subject. Very well done, John.

Much appreciated.

James.

[JLY]

Nina,
Thanks for clarifying a few points for me....I always could use a brush-up on my British culture.
JLY

[JLY]

James.
I look to you and the others to supply me with the correct language, local color, and modern vernacular.
I wanted this to be a fun exercise for myself and my new found friends in the U. K.  
The US and UK have much in common....you would be surprised how much news coverage the newly engaged couple are getting on our telly. That was one of the snippets I wanted to include in my warm portrayal of one of your country's long standing institutions, the Pub.
JLY

[Guest_Cathy_*]

Hi John,

I seem to have missed this one.  Sorry!

You have set a warm and friendly scene, a nice relaxing place to go to unwind among friends.  I used to have a place like that, now I prefer to go to the park.  *smiles*

After a stressful day[,]
without any delay[,]
I choose to unwind{,}
from the daily grind.

There’s only one place
with a soothing pace
that’s comfy, relaxing,
the least bit taxing.

It’s the Rose & Crown,
friendly {is it’s}[in] renown
a warm and snug pub,
{my} spirited social club.

I fancy a pint or two
of {a} creamy ale[d] brew
or maybe a bitter to sip
and crisps {to}[with] dip.

Lively chat fests I partake,
keeps me happily awake
but my mates and I
rarely see eye to eye.

Camilla’s tabloid tales
with the Prince of Wales
are bemused and spewed
by this bibulous brood.

Games are about to start
draughts, chess and darts,
even puzzles to figure out,
teasers for the most devout.

It’s quarter past seven
I think I’m in heaven,
there’s football on the telly
and grub to warm my belly. You've used 'warm' in S3, what about:
'and grub to fill my belly' ?

Use them or lose them as you see fit.  :angel:

Cathy

[Arnfinn]

Hi John,

I've arrived just in time  for the second shout.



After a stressful day
without any delay
I choose to unwind,
from the daily grind.

There’s only one place
with a soothing pace
that’s comfy, relaxing,
the least bit taxing.

It’s the Rose & Crown,
friendly is it’s renown
a warm and snug pub,
my spirited social club.

I fancy a pint or two
of a creamy ale brew
or maybe a bitter to sip
and crisps to dip.

Lively chat fests I partake, Only me though.

Regards,

John  :unclesam:

[Guest_circumsolar_*]

hello John, just wanted to say i read this and it made me smile... the type of stereotypical pub you describe is stereotypical for a good reason - but they are fast disappearing.

bibulous brood is a fantastic phrase! truly, deeply gorgeous for its allit and even beyond that - one to be proud off, lol

chips and dips we have here too now, like Pringles etc, a shaped, somewhat thicker crisp ideal for dipping in - well, dips, and those triangular ones (Doritos i believe they're called) just for that purpose. If you didn't mean these, perhaps you meant 'proper' chips to dip into thick tomato sauce?

bitters v bitter - i'm easy, i actually read it as drinking more than one pint of bitter, but the others are propably right in pub tech-terminology, and it might be considered a little less than manly to call them bitters  ???  who cares, really? not about your poem, the opinions of those to whom such a little thing as an s would make such an impact.

at least you didn't sound like dick van dyke! well written