The Local

Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by Robert Gale in Books

Written in 1939 on the eve of the Second World war, The Local tours some of the pubs of London with Maurice Gorham as your guide and Edward Ardizzone as your illustrator.

The book is split into 14 chapters covering the regulars, the barmaids, the different lounges and bars and the long forgotten aspects of old pubs such as the Jug and Bottle and Ladies’ Bar.

Despite the actual original content being just 42 pages, the book is beautifully written and each chapter has a full colour illustration of a pub scene.

The Public Bar is the cheapest and most plebian part of the house, where you pay nothing for decoration, and the mild ale costs fivepence a pint. There are no waiters, no hospital collecting-boxes, no pintable (though you will almose certainly find shoveha’penny and darts); you can bring your own lunch and eat it without undue comment.

The Local has been out-of-print since much of the stock was destroyed in the Blitz 70 years ago and after the war in 1949, a new edition was made with a revised text and redrawn, in some cases completely new, illustrations. Faber and Faber released this as a paperback in 2008 but this 2010 edition of the original by Little Toller Books is the first time that it has been reprinted.

The hardback book is excellent quality with the front cover being an exact copy of the original. It is perfect for anyone that wants to quickly learn about pre-Second World War pubs or wants to read about old London pubs.

The book is available directly from the publisher for £15 or slightly cheaper from Amazon.

Robert Gale (Twitter: @awv)

Beer Taster, Pub Attendee, Photo Taker

Robert Gale likes beer, pubs and beer festivals. He also likes to take photos of beer, pubs and beer festivals. Most weekends of the year you can find him travelling around the UK (and sometimes beyond) photographing and reviewing good quality pubs and beer festivals. He also has a day job in the form of a web developer for Ozum.