A smiling statue of a Dominican monk with a black habit, also known as ‘black friar’, stands above the front door as the guardian of the building, observing people passing around there and welcoming the pub’s visitors. The first thing that can be noticed entering the pub is the iconic art nouveau mosaics, candles, sculptures and bas reliefs in bronze, all depicting drunk monks.
“See if you can spot Yoda,” Will Grover, the tour guide, says, referring to a stained-glass window showing a friar with a pint in his right hand. In fact, if you look closely, the monk seems to resemble the small protagonist of Star Wars because of his pointed ears and stretched face.
The Historical Pub Walking Tour of London shows strangers the British traditions, such as pubs and pints of beer, and how the local drinking culture has changed over the years. The tour starts at The Blackfriar pub, after having walked through Carter Lane, a historic street in the City of London between Ludgate Hill and St Paul’s Cathedral. This pub is located a few minutes from the Blackfriars Bridge, under which Roberto Calvi, an Italian banker, was found hanged in 1982.
In the UK, pubs are very common. The Italian drinking culture is a bit different. Italians usually love to go out for an ‘aperitivo’ with their friends. Drinking is something that always accompanies food. You won’t find Italians who drink their beer without eating anything, because the drink is intended to enhance the food itself. Well, this is exactly the concept behind this tour: ‘learning by drinking.’
The guide tells that The Blackfriar, a spectacular pub built in 1875, was about to be demolished in the 60s for redevelopment reasons and that it was saved from the wrecking ball by an English poet called Sir John Betjeman, who organised and led the campaign against the demolition. “Make sure you raise a glass to him when you visit us for a pint!” reads the pub’s official website.
The journey among London’s most famous pubs continues, passing by St Bride’s Church and through Fleet Street to stop at the Punch Tavern. This pub was named in this way to honour its regular drinkers: journalists from the satirical Punch magazine’s newsroom, who used to meet here and drink together after work. With its Victorian tiles and elaborate mosaics, the entrance corridor of this tavern undoubtedly attracts people inside.
After the attractively tiled corridor, the first glimpse of the pub is very distinctive. Will told the group right before entering: “This pub is going to be a real paradise for gin’s lovers!” With more than 100 different types of bottles of gin and glasses appearing in front of visitors’ eyes, this tavern is particularly bright thanks to the light that reflects in the glasses and in the mirrors hanging all around the walls.
Once Will is sure everybody has a glass in their hands, he comes to say “Cheers!” to each member of the group while looking into their eyes: “I’ve just learnt that we need to look each other in the eyes while we’re doing this, otherwise it will bring seven years of bad luck,” he explains smiling. He’s a very knowledgeable and funny character, wearing a grey bowler hat, black glasses and coat. It’s like talking to Sherlock Holmes himself!
Reaching Holborn, the group arrives at their third destination: The George Public House. Will recounts that Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle used to visit this pub to get inspired by the dark and cosy atmosphere of the place and write their stories with a pen in one hand and a pint in the other.
Last but not least: The Ship Tavern. Having been part of the Holborn scene since 1549, this pub was built from the remains of battleships when Catholicism was illegal and was used to provide shelter for Catholic priests. Legend tells that two priests were found and shot inside the tavern and that their spirits still own the pub today. This is the last story Will tells his group before inviting them to go inside and being completely bowled over by the interior, decorated with ships related objects and paintings. The gaze casually ends up on the image of a boat with red sails carved in the wood of the pub, peacefully sailing in red clouds.
Leggi anche in italiano: https://zetaluiss.it/2024/03/02/giro-pub-storici-londra-italia-birra/
