Perfection in a Proper Pub

 I've rambled on at length about the sheer number of non-pubs we love. In fact, they far outweigh the number of real pubs we visit on a regular basis.

I needed to replace an orchid which didn't survive last summer and there's the rather lovely Riverside Garden Centre over in South Bristol that seemed like the ideal place to try and find one.  It's an employee-owned co-operative with a lovely cafe and everything the gardener needs.  Frankly, if it were walking distance from our house (with a garden) in Eastbourne, it's doubtful I'd ever leave.

We took the afternoon off and decided to make the most of the 2 mile walk there.

We followed the water and noted just how many people have discovered the floating harbour as somewhere to wander around and enjoy the ex-industrial landscape.  It was one of the first places I took the Best Beer Buddy on his inaugural trip to the city. 

Anyhow, we veered off just before the Great Britain and noted how quickly the footfall dropped off.  So it is still possible to find secret areas in the ctiy centre.

Naturally, visiting the Orchard was all in the plan.  The boy loves his cider and we love that they have rustic rolls and delightful pastry-based treats to have for lunch.  It's the first time we've had lunch "out" (other than in a business meeting) for years and years.

The pub was fairly empty with just a small gaggle of old boys in one corner.  I chose beer - a really nice BBF cask number he chose the house still cider.  We also had a pasty and a sausage roll to share.

It's always been a place we're fond of (following our first visit where we sort of crashed a sort of wedding party) but the new owner has pushed it up a notch.

The beer was cooler than before (yumsk) and everything was obviously clean and cared-for.

Overhearing the old boys chatting about a farm in the far south of the city (subject of a controversial thing at the moment) was like hearing the distant voice of my Dad.  He was from the area they were talking about (and probably were brought up there too).  It made me oddly nostalgic and yet, so delighted to hear an accent rarely heard in the main drag of the city.

I'm not having a go at the people who move here from elsewhere but sometimes it's a bit sad to see the accent that I hated when I was growning up, but now view more fondly, pushed to the peripheries.  The Orchard is, though, as ever a bastion of localness.

After a while another couple of blokes and their dog (Ernie) came in and sat next to us.  Still locals - but locals from the northern part of the city (think Ian Holloway, whereas the other chaps were more Fred Wedlock).

We struck up a casual conversation and they remarked that I was "...from Bristol, obviously..." (not sure what the giveaway was but these days happy there was one). It was all very jolly and relaxing.

At one point a very local phrase was overheard:

"Where's 'ee to, then?"

Yep, I was in my home city for sure.

Anyhow, we bade our farewells and struck out to the garden centre. 

We quickly found our new orchid (Julio, since you ask) and then ambled around to the Bristol Beer Factory tap room.

This taproom manages to feel more pub-like than all the others.  We had a couple of pints and decided that, in view of an impending 7.45 kick-off around the corner, it would be best to head home.

Fortunately, the bus service has improved and we could leave the taproom, leap on a bus 3 minutes later and get off just around the corner from the flat.  Perfect.

Yes, I planned the route and the activities - but you can't plan the encounters or the interest and that's the delight of it all.