‘It was operation get me to the pub’

I was making a collection from the William Harvey Hospital but there was a lengthy delay on the hard drugs so I opted for a swift pint instead. The nearest pub I could find was the Blacksmiths Arms in Willesborough which sits right on the roadside and, just in case you miss it, has a sign about half the size of the pub. The car park is opposite on the other side of the road and it was already fairly busy by 5pm on a Wednesday.

There was a good selection of drinks available but the Black Sheep Best Bitter at 3.8% sounded like a decent session ale so I settled for a pint of this and, as the sun was shining, wandered into the back garden. I was immediately faced with a large, sweeping staircase that was immaculately kept with potted plants up the centre.

After this grand set of stairs, the garden was slightly more a rambling, work-in-progress, affair with plenty of barriers constructed from blue plastic and two massive umbrellas which had definitely seen better days. However, there was also a mass of rattan-style garden furniture placed on carefully crafted concrete squares and rectangles and, although you hear some distant traffic, it was generally very peaceful. There was no-one else about, despite it being warm and bright, but I imagine it must be incredibly popular on busy afternoons at the weekend.

Feeling lonely, I headed back inside the pub and once my eyes had adapted to the gloom, like the locals, took a stool at the bar. There was a phone charging from the Guinness tap.