Odd ones

[happy daze john in oz]

During our times at sea we all at some time found a bar that was a bit odd or different. Sometimes tucked away out of site, some in full view.
I have been in many such odd ones, but maybe the oddest was in Ireland. I was in Cobh when one of the lads, an Irishman from up country, suggested we go ashore for a beer. He was one of those type of guys who would not go to the most obvious, and being a local lad I thought he would know where the best could be got.
We went out of town to a small village he told me he knew of where some of his family had come from.
When we got there he walked up to what appeared to be a local grocers shop and said we should go in. Inside was like any grocers shop, you could buy just about anything there from a bag of spuds to a dozen eggs or the daily paper.
Over to one side were two tables at which sat a couple of the locals drinking. He had us sit down there and the shop keeper came over to ask what we would like? Two beers please.
The shopkeeper went out to the back of the store and came back with two beers and two glasses.
He then went on to explain that such shops existed all over Ireland, fully licensed to sell alcohol as well as groceries, and were very popular with the locals, many of who did not want the noise of the local pub.
Years later on Holiday in Ireland I discovered that yes there are many such places, no doubt there are many other ODD bars around the world.

[Captain Kong]

I remember being in Sharpness staying with a girl friend I had when I was at the Vindi the year before in 1952, I was on leave then and she was working , a lovely warm sunny day, so I was walking to Berkeley. There was a row of cottages and on one of them was a sign for beer. I knocked on the door and it was a half door, an old lady opened the top half and asked me what I wanted. `A pint please`.
She fitted a piece of wood on a bracket on the bottom half of the door, that was the bar, and then went off and came with a pint of real ale.I paid her 9 old pennies and then she disapeared.
It seems that they made their own ale and sold it on the door step, and I just stood in the front garden and then supped up. I had never seen or heard of a bar like that before. or since.
Cheers
Brian.

[Doc Vernon]

Well for me this Pub is definately one of the oddest ever seen!
On Holiday to South Africa i was taken to this place ,and boy! did it amaze me!

The Big Baobab pub, Limpopo, South Africa
If ever you go to SA on Holiday its a must see!
Nice Cool Beer in the Trunk of this Huge Tree is just devine!
Cheers

Added
Just swearching the Net for this Pub and came across this 3D VIEWER!
Cheers

http://www.bigbaobab.co.za/gallery.htm

[Jim Brady]

I was on a coastal tanker BP Distributer.We called at a place called Foynes West Coast of Ireland the pub there was the post office general shop and whatevere else.I was sitting having a pint 6 P.M the local church rang out the Angelus all hands got down on their knees and blessed them selves and said a prayer.I had no alternative but to join them really.A little later I asked for a plate of ham sandwiches the barmaid said I'm sorry sir it's friday so you can only have salmon.I pointed out to her being a seaman we had special dispensation form the Pope,we were allowed meat on friday,she conversed with Bridie over this and Bridie agreed if the Pope said it was OK then I could have the ham.What a laid back life it was there I would'nt mind living somewhere like that today.
Regards,
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

I went into six bars and hotels in Cork in 1980 and each time the Bar Tender said, "Sorry Sor, I cannot serve you," I said "why not?" he says, "Take my advice and puc off" That happened in all six.
I went back to the dock gate where there was a bar.It was full of Russians, Spansh, Norwegians, I got served there.
.
.
.I was in New Ross in County Wexford and there was a bar down the quay, about half a mile, I sat at the bar on my own and the TV NEWS came on, They announced that the Bobby Sands Hunger Strike had finished, the crowd in the bar went berserk, all screaming at the TV.
I put my head inside my pint of Guiness to make a low profile.Then three men walked in with a bucket, They said to me, "We are collecting for the Boys up North", I put my hand in my pocket, pulled out a hand full of silver dropped it in the bucket. I said in my finest Irish accent, "They`er doin a grand job" then as they moved to the other men in the bar , I supped up quick and got out of there fast, I ran along the River bank to the ship. If they had known I was English I do not think I would have survived, seeing the mood they were in. I didnt go ashore again.

[Dennis McGuckin]

John, Had a similar experience in the wife's home town in Co Kildare.
Went in to O'Brien's grocery and pub.
The room had a partition down the middle.
The men went through a door to the bar, while the women did the shopping.
The bar counter stretched from one room to the other.
Serving Guinness at one end, and groceries at the other.
That is the only time I have enjoyed going shopping with the one who must be obeyed!!
The best one I saw in Ireland was a funeral home with a pub upstairs.
Good place for a Wake I guess.
Den.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Brian, tis a strange land indeed the land of my fathers'

Doing a survey in Belfast in 1965 got in the taxi at the airport to go to the docks, the driver said, "whatever happens you don't understand English, if you have to speak, speak gibberish" we got stopped six times by gangs asking "wot religion are ye" Neither myself or the crew went into a bar the whole time we were there.

The following month I was in Kerry with my late wife and it was totaly different, welcomes as big as a house despite the English accent, with one old lady saying "Tank god for England, widout it me sons wouldnt have a job"

The bars were in shops, could even get a glass of the dark stuff in the butchers, and any of the proper bars I went into the welcome was great despite my obviously English language.

A strange land of mixed metaphors, but great crach, just stay away from religion and politics, and a bonny place for all that. If you can sing a note or two then yer in the clover even though I did advise them that "Danny Boy" and "Galway Bay" were written by Englishmen

[Glan Phillips]

Jim.....you beat me to it !....In 1053/1954 I was on the BP Refiner which ran quite frequently to Foynes and I remember that
pub very well, those were the good old days.

Cheers,
Glan
.

[Glan Phillips]

Jim.....wondering when were you on the BP Distributer ?........did you know a Paddy Lane ?, when I was 2nd Mate on the BP Refiner he was the Mate and I met him years later when he was master of the BP Distributer on a visit to Swansea. If I remember, he was from Cork and many years later I heard that he was Harbour Master at Bantry Bay.

Glan

[alf corbyn]

hi brian i was delivering in southern ireland and went into a shop advertising beer, like you said, it was a greengrocers, grocers and you sat at one of two tables to drink. i decided to buy an irish sweepstake tichet for a £punt? next minute i was surrrounded by locals advising me to buy a piece of each ticket, i think each ticket had five sections. when i decided to buy a complete ticket you would have thought i had already won. they were telling thier friends and i had a job to get away been in a couple of odd bars in south shields and other places, very peculiar barmen serving beer whist holding hands. alf