Goodbye to the World of Pub?

I had one of those sudden moments of potentially life-changing insight one sometimes get when on the edge of exhaustion, or drunk, or under the influence of prescription drugs. None of those factors were affecting me at the time, although I was mildly pissed off. Anyway, getting to the point, as I trudged home from the boozer, it struck me that I didn't really care if I went out to the pub ever again. There are other things I could be spending my time doing of an evening - I'd make much better progress with the long-promised revamp of The Sleaze, for instance, not to mention setting up that other site I bought the domain for ages ago. Quite apart from extending my online activities, I'd also have more time to devote to my model railway, various home improvement projects, not to mention all those films I keep recording or buying on DVD and never getting around to watching.

So, I hear you ask, what's brought me to such a momentous decision? Well, since what was my local pub was taken over by an idiot who has proceeded to turn it into a dive for scumbags, I've led something of a nomadic existence pub-wise, desperately seeking somewhere I feel comfortable. The trouble is that most pubs within walking distance of my house are either those bloody chain pubs which sell cheap beer but look like an airport lounge inside and have all the character of an estate agent, or they've been refurbished with bright lighting, garish decor, loud music, karaoke machines and flat beer. Proper pubs where you can go for a drink and a conversation seem in short supply, unless, it seems, you live in a village. For the past few months I've been frequenting a pub which is OK, but really isn't me. I just don't feel comfortable there. The other part of the equation is that the group of people who used to drink in the old local have scattered to the winds and all drink in different boozers, none of which are particularly convenient for me. Add to this the fact that several of them moved away, means that my drinking companions are also severely depleted -all I'm left with are people with no attention spans who can't seem to hold on to any conversation for more than thirty seconds. Not very stimulating. I don't see most of the rest of my closest friends frequently enough to count them as drinking companions any more.

So there you have it - my total disenchantment with the world of pub. Unless I find a halfway decent pub within reasonable walking distance (unlikely), or manage to recruit a completely new set of, interesting, friends and acquaintances to drink with, I see little option but to give up the pub as a regular activity. I suppose I could always reactivate my plans to open my own pub in my front room and go online with it - the worldwide pub. But it just wouldn't be the same.