I arrived back from Belgium and the entire regular clientele of the York was squished into the terrace area outside, while the bar itself was deserted save a dozen shandy-drinking softies.
Quiet satisfaction pervaded in place of smoke: these new customers had successfully annexed pub life from the English national experience - and they knew it.
As we benighteds went up to order we received smiley looks from women whose jeans came bosom-high, their comb-over husbands hardly more bashful.
Wasn't this a nice change, to be able to come for a nice drink and not go home smelling of smoke!
In us they saw a sorry yesterday, in them we glimpsed tomorrow.
Prediction of the evening: outdoor gas heaters will be banned by 2009.
The trials and tribulations of an emotional toddler
Waiting...and waiting...and waiting
About Me
- London Bachelor
- London, United Kingdom
- 20-something desk monkey. Ennumbed of mind but warm of heart.
7 comments:
Doom.
Pah. It's great. I was totally against a ban when it came in in Scotland, and now I LOVE it. You will too - just give it time.
Hannah, do you smoke?
it's just so weird having an everyday pleasure vetoed by an absolute authority.
i will give up after an appropriate pause so it doesn't look like i'm responding positively to the ban.
but i really am quite depressed about the whole thing. makes me long to be on the top of an unregulated bus in the third world, smoking my head off and chatting with strangers.
Shades: No, I don't. Which is presumably part of why I'm such a fan. But even as a smoker, don't you prefer going into pubs and restaurants and being able to smell something other than smoke?
My sister made a really valid point in the pub last night... if passive smoking is as close to the real deal as we are told it is, does this mean that lots of supposedly non smokers are going to find themselves lighting up because they'll no longer be able to get their fix second hand?
Hannah: Restaurants, yes. Food and fags don't go.
Pubs, no. It's practically part of our heritage to get all smokey.
It's the kids I feel sorry for....
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