Things you don’t see outside any more

[AM9]

Pubs with a separate public bar and saloon bar: I think that distinction may still have existed at least in some pubs in the 1970s and 80s but had largely died out by the time I was of legal drinking age in the 1990s. AIUI the public bar was historically intended for working class customers, especially when in their working clothes, and the saloon bar for more well-heeled customers (and drinks were more expensive and a better choice of drinks was on offer in the latter to reflect that fact).

And pubs with a separate hatch for off-sales: you still see them occasionally but they're very few and far between these days.

In y early days the local pub had three bars and an off licence. There was a Public, a Saloon and a Private bar. I was too young t use any of them, but I did notice the different clientele that used each.

 

[gg1]

Pubs with a separate public bar and saloon bar: I think that distinction may still have existed at least in some pubs in the 1970s and 80s but had largely died out by the time I was of legal drinking age in the 1990s. AIUI the public bar was historically intended for working class customers, especially when in their working clothes, and the saloon bar for more well-heeled customers (and drinks were more expensive and a better choice of drinks was on offer in the latter to reflect that fact).

I do remember a handful of pubs which still had a seperate 'saloon' and 'bar' (don't remember the slightly lengthened names you mention) when I first started drinking in the early 90s thought don't recall if there was any difference in price between them, main difference was the saloon had comfier seats.

 

[GusB]

Fortunately we've moved on somewhat, but I recall some older relatives saying that it wasn't the done thing to have women in the main bar; they would be expected to use the lounge only. Both pubs in the village only had gents' toilets in the bar, while the ladies' was located in the lounge, a situation that one of the venues has only recently addressed.

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but there were a couple of older pubs in Aberdeen that didn't have any facilities for women at all!

 

[island]

Yeah used to be "bar" and "lounge" at some places my dad took me to in the 90s.

 

[D6130]

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but there were a couple of older pubs in Aberdeen that didn't have any facilities for women at all!

The Grill being one of them....but I believe that they now have such facilities.

There are still a few remaining examples of the traditional 'West Riding'-style town pubs in various parts of Yorkshire, with the entrance leading to a corridor off which will be found the public bar at the front, the saloon bar at the rear and an island bar in the centre serving both rooms and the off-sales hatch in the corridor. The Blue Bell in York is a fine example.

 

[gg1]

Yeah used to be "bar" and "lounge" at some places my dad took me to in the 90s.

'Lounge' did seem far more common than 'saloon' back then, though thinking back to the pubs I used to go to they were essentially two different words which meant the same thing by the early 90s.

The few that did use the term saloon were all quite old fashioned 'old men's pubs' even back then, very possible they'd barely changed since the 60s.

 

[Steddenm]

The Rovers Return in Coronation Street used to have two separate bars. Think they called them the "snug" and the "saloon".

 

[32475]

Some pubs had parlours. Many years ago I salvaged this etched ‘Parlour’ glass which originally came out of an old pub then got reused as a roof light in Salford. It now resides in our house in Kent where we’ve installed it as an indoor window.

 

[Killingworth]

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but there were a couple of older pubs in Aberdeen that didn't have any facilities for women at all!

Men only pubs weren't uncommon in the North East. A mixed group of us went into a pub in Ashington in November 1968 and were not too politely told they didnt allow women in there. Back into the cars and retreat to more civilised Newcastle - bearing in mind that closing time in tbose days was 10pm.

 

[yorksrob]

The Grill being one of them....but I believe that they now have such facilities.

There are still a few remaining examples of the traditional 'West Riding'-style town pubs in various parts of Yorkshire, with the entrance leading to a corridor off which will be found the public bar at the front, the saloon bar at the rear and an island bar in the centre serving both rooms and the off-sales hatch in the corridor. The Blue Bell in York is a fine example.

Also the Royal Oak in York.

I prefer the more genteel atmosphere of the saloon bar.

 

[Ediswan]

I know a couple of pubs which, on entering, appear to have just the one bar. What you may or may not notice is less obvious smaller bar used by the regulars.

 

[AY1975]

In y early days the local pub had three bars and an off licence. There was a Public, a Saloon and a Private bar. I was too young t use any of them, but I did notice the different clientele that used each.

AIUI the Private Bar was basically a private function room with its own separate bar. Several pubs still have a function room that can be booked for office Christmas dos, birthday parties, wedding receptions, funeral wakes etc. Not sure if many of them still have their own private bar, though. There's one pub where I've attended a few functions where the function room has its own bar but I've never actually seen it in use: you usually still have to go downstairs to the main bar to get drinks.

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but there were a couple of older pubs in Aberdeen that didn't have any facilities for women at all!

I believe that there is also (or was until fairly recently) a pub in Shrewsbury that was like that.

 

[PG]

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but there were a couple of older pubs in Aberdeen that didn't have any facilities for women at all!

I'm actually wondering now, as daft as it sounds, if there is any requirements for a pub which doesn't serve meals to have any toilets at all!?

 

[najaB]

I'm actually wondering now, as daft as it sounds, if there is any requirements for a pub which doesn't serve meals to have any toilets at all!?

Required? No. But, given the product they sell, strongly advised!

 

[duncanp]

Required? No. But, given the product they sell, strongly advised!

I think any hospitality venue has to have a customer toilet if it is open after 11pm or it serves alcohol.

Also, a pub must have a staff toilet to comply with health and safety at work legislation.

 

[Furrball]

I seem to recall that Volvo estates (from the 200 series) had rearward-facing seats in the boot area of the car. My memories are from the early 80s.

Montego estates had them as well

 

[Trackman]

I think any hospitality venue has to have a customer toilet if it is open after 11pm or it serves alcohol.

Also, a pub must have a staff toilet to comply with health and safety at work legislation.

It's something to do with the number of seats, I remember this when Gregg's took it to court (and lost).

 

[AY1975]

It's something to do with the number of seats, I remember this when Gregg's took it to court (and lost).

I seem to recall that the EasyCafe chain of internet cafés, mentioned in entry #413 of this thread, didn't have customer toilets but they were quite large and IIRC at least some of them were open late at night, maybe after 11pm or even for 24 hours. Maybe that requirement has been introduced in the last 20 or so years, though.

 

[PeterC]

'Lounge' did seem far more common than 'saloon' back then, though thinking back to the pubs I used to go to they were essentially two different words which meant the same thing by the early 90s.

The few that did use the term saloon were all quite old fashioned 'old men's pubs' even back then, very possible they'd barely changed since the 60s.

Naming of bars was was very much a regional thing. Brought up on the Essex/ London border it was always saloon or public and occasionally private in a larger building. On a trip to Derbyshire in 1968 it was always bar or lounge

 

[AM9]

Naming of bars was was very much a regional thing. Brought up on the Essex/ London border it was always saloon or public and occasionally private in a larger building. On a trip to Derbyshire in 1968 it was always bar or lounge

Not sure where in Essex/London you weree brought up but the Old Maypole Barkingside had three bars Public/Saloon/Private - and an off licence!

 

[PeterC]

Not sure where in Essex/London you weree brought up but the Old Maypole Barkingside had three bars Public/Saloon/Private - and an off licence!

I never went to the Maypole but I did say "larger" buildings and from Street View I see that it falls into that category. The Parkside in Romford was also a three bar pub. Most just had 2 bars. I did tend to frequent backstreet and country pubs.

 

[AY1975]

Naming of bars was was very much a regional thing. Brought up on the Essex/ London border it was always saloon or public and occasionally private in a larger building. On a trip to Derbyshire in 1968 it was always bar or lounge

I grew up in London, and there was a pub near me that had a Public Bar and a Lounge. So it wasn't necessarily a regional thing: I think it varied from pub to pub.

On a completely different topic, another thing you don't seem to see so much these days when you go on country walks is squeeze-through stiles, consisting of two wooden posts that you squeeze through. You still see them occasionally, but a lot of them have been turned into climb-over stiles by adding a horizontal plank of wood to them. Presumably this has been done to make it more difficult for livestock to stray from one field into another.

 

[AM9]

I grew up in London, and there was a pub near me that had a Public Bar and a Lounge. So it wasn't necessarily a regional thing: I think it varied from pub to pub.

On a completely different topic, another thing you don't seem to see so much these days when you go on country walks is squeeze-through stiles, consisting of two wooden posts that you squeeze through. You still see them occasionally, but a lot of them have been turned into climb-over stiles by adding a horizontal plank of wood to them. Presumably this has been done to make it more difficult for livestock to stray from one field into another.

It's the opposite around here. Most of the step over on rural footpaths that I've used in the Chilterns have been replaced with kissing gates.

 

[AY1975]

It's the opposite around here. Most of the step over on rural footpaths that I've used in the Chilterns have been replaced with kissing gates.

Yes, you see plenty of those, but I meant old-style squeeze-through stiles that consisted of two vertical planks of wood side by side with a gap between them that was just wide enough to squeeze through.

 

[Gloster]

Yes, you see plenty of those, but I meant old-style squeeze-through stiles that consisted of two vertical planks of wood side by side with a gap between them that was just wide enough to squeeze through.

Unfortunately, due to the increasing girth of the public, if the stile was big enough for most people nowadays to squeeze through it would be a doddle for most animals. If it wasn’t it would probably get broken by someone who is determined to get through.

 

[AY1975]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned but I recently saw a car with yellow headlights for the first time in ages.

AIUI in the UK motorists are not supposed to have their headlights permanently yellow because they're not deemed bright enough, but are allowed to if they're about to drive in a country where they're compulsory or have recently done so and cars from countries where they are required are allowed to drive in the UK with them on.

I believe that yellow headlights were compulsory in France in the 1970s and 80s because they were thought to be less dazzling, but I think France abolished that requirement some time in the 1990s or early 2000s presumably to bring it into line with the rest of Europe. Not sure if any countries still require them or if any other countries ever did.

When they were compulsory in France you used to see French cars, and British cars that were about to or had recently visited France (or that went there regularly) with them on.

 

[AM9]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned but I recently saw a car with yellow headlights for the first time in ages.

AIUI in the UK motorists are not supposed to have their headlights permanently yellow because they're not deemed bright enough, but are allowed to if they're about to drive in a country where they're compulsory or have recently done so and cars from countries where they are required are allowed to drive in the UK with them on.

I believe that yellow headlights were compulsory in France in the 1970s and 80s because they were thought to be less dazzling, but I think France abolished that requirement some time in the 1990s or early 2000s presumably to bring it into line with the rest of Europe. Not sure if any countries still require them or if any other countries ever did.

When they were compulsory in France you used to see French cars, and British cars that were about to or had recently visited France (or that went there regularly) with them on.

The fad for fitting blue headlight bulbs seems to have been stamped out as well. Now most new cars will be fitted with LED headlights, I would imagine that headlights will generally cease to get after-market attention.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, you see plenty of those, but I meant old-style squeeze-through stiles that consisted of two vertical planks of wood side by side with a gap between them that was just wide enough to squeeze through.

There still seem to be a few of them up North.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The fad for fitting blue headlight bulbs seems to have been stamped out as well. Now most new cars will be fitted with LED headlights, I would imagine that headlights will generally cease to get after-market attention.

I'd rather for the meantime they got some Police attention - fitting blue bulbs (or retrofit LEDs) is classed as a modification - and because it's a bit "chavvy" insurance companies really don't like it so most people who have done so are probably not correctly insured. You have to fit the manufacturer's spec, which in an older car is a halogen bulb without a coating.

Though the scourge of newer cars is auto dim/dip, which doesn't dip until they see your lights, so you get momentarily dazzled, whereas a competent driver manually dipped *just before* rounding the corner. They also don't dip for cyclists or pedestrians. I'd ban them.

 

[Gloster]

The first time I lived in France in the late 1980s I took my 1975 Mini with me. Before leaving I bought a couple of plastic covers from the AA which were tinted yellow and diverted the dipped beam to the opposite side. I understood that the diversion of the dipped beam was more important: the French authorities weren’t that bothered about the colour (unless, being French, they wanted to be), but where the dipped beam went was important. The covers stayed on the whole time I was over there.