Ye Olde Cherry Tree, Southgate

I first drank in this pub, when on leave from the RAF, in 1946 and what a great boozer it was. There were some real old characters then. Sadly however, like all those great drinkers that I knew over sixty years, time has not been good to the village pub. A centre to our community it was. But in the middle of the 1990's, the bar was removed from the actual pub, and all the old drinkers were unceremoniously pushed to the back of the building into the Old Forge restaurant. The Selbourne Hall, which was attached to the pub, was turned into some sort of play area and is now a rather cheap looking traveller�s hotel. Where we used to sit at the bar in 'pigs corner' and tell yarns, jokes and stories, is now a rather cobbled affair trying to cater for children, and those that enjoy a passable meal with average beer. But I will say that I still frequent the old place, and would still recommend it to you all. But if you knew what this pub was really like just ten years ago, you would shout aload with me saying 'BRING BACK OUR VILLAGE PUB.'

23 Jul 2005 17:20