h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Talking of pubs called "The Blue Boar" - my favourite pub in Britain is called The Blue Boar. Its in Hay On Wye in South Wales, the market town famous for its second hand bookshops and now also for the Hay Literary Festival. The Blue Boar in Hay has great food a very friendly landlord ( John).

Heres a true story. Are we sitting comfortably?? Then I`ll Begin.

A long,long time ago in a Galaxy not far from Alpha Centauri, stood 2 coaching inns. One was called `The Cock` (which is great) and `The Bull` (which isn`t). When the coaches pulled in, and were having their horses changed, the drivers used to go into one or the other, to tell of the news from Olde London Towne. The stories passed between the two inns, being changed and exagerated (a million times)

These tales became known as `Cock and Bull Stories` It`s true. Honest. I work at `The Cock` Its in Stony Stratford. Pop in for a drink sometimes.

My personal favourite pub name is 'The Goat and Tricycle' where did they get it from that's what I want to know.

These names help us see the past through a glass darkly. They are also major landmarks used by all for navigation. Perhaps pubnames should have the same status as listed buildings and therefore be immune to the chaining endemic in modern culture.

Guys, you are too damn serious about the names of the places where the people get drunk.

I'd love to become rich so that I could buy out a load of pubs and give them deeply stupid names. I'd like to call my first son Thwaitebert but realise that this would be too cruel. Pubs are easier. Next time you're out drinking, start up the conversation concerning fantasy pub names. If you've all drunk enough, it should get a few people being sick with laughter.

I am generally anti changing british pub names - because they have historical significance - but I do think 'The slug and lettuce' is a fun pub name!

I am generally anti changing british pub names - because they have historical significance - but I do think 'The slug and lettuce' is a fun pub name!

'leg of mutton and cauliflower' is one of the strange names that i have encountered. a pub with that name exists somewhere in the sutton area.

I love English pub names. One of my favourites was a place called "The Live and Let Live", near Totnes as I recall. I also remember seeing a pub sign with a picture of a decapitated woman holding her head under her arm -- the name of the place was "The Contented Wife", or something like. Not very P.C. nowadays; I wonder if it's still there.

Where is it?

I meant to ask where the Goat and Tricycle is.

We have a goat & ticycle in bournemouth... strange pub, like that one on datmoor in "American warewolf in London"

Two pubs around Portsmouth that spring to mind after reading this thread...
The Fawcett Inn (on Fawcett Road, Southsea)
The Wych Way Inn (on Wych Way, north of Gosport)

The Fawcett Inn is ok, but I've never been in the Wych Way Inn; It does have several entrances, but I've only ever been past it on the bus.

Nottingham's "Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" ("The Trip") lays claim to the title of Oldest Inn in England.

It sits at the base of the sandstone cliff under Nottingham Castle. Most of the public bar is a cave carved out of the living, as they say, rock.

Ye Olde Trip is a fantastic pub. But you want to watch your head when you walk into it (unless like me your smaller than a midget).

Here in Barrow-Upon-Soar we have a pub called the Hammer & Pincers. In fact for a smallish village we have quite a lot of pubs, 7 in total. The three I can remember the names of are the above mentioned one, The Navigation Inn (on the cannal) and The Three Crowns.

If I ever have a pub, I think I'll call it "The Heiffer & Wingnut".

Either that, or "The Machismo and Amublance".

I always seem to be posting about South Wales but the "moor" in American Werewolf was actually filmed just below Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains, not on the moors at all. Its a beautiful place. Once you've walked there ( along Offa's Dyke) you come to another fine pub at LLanthony. The poet John Savage Landau lived above the ruins of the monastery there and you can sit on the old walls in the sunshine ( if you're lucky , this is Wales ) and enjoy a beer.

So does the Fighting cocks in St Albans I believe, it has the original hexagonal fighting pit.

English pubs have, of course, become an export industry, with prefabricated kits being sent to the antipodes where 'Bruce' and 'Sheila' have taken to the pint glass (and correspondingly large prices for beers such as Newcastle Brown) with alacrity. Now Newcastle Brown - there's a beer to conjure with and as a result of a predilection for this particular brew it has found its way into the bar of at least one local government in Western Australia - not to mention into the stomachs of several councillors on a regular basis.
But back to pub names - one such 'English' pub (although not a kit - just a makeover of a former restaurant, then burger bar, but with all the obligatory half timbering and dark timber interior) goes by the name of 'The Elephant and Wheelbarrow'. It is not clear whether this refers to elephants of the pink sort that one might see after too many pints of English beer that perhaps might be kindly taking you home afterwards - but I think I'll stick with walking home.