On 18 Aug 2016 at 1:39pm ClarifiedButler wrote:
Does anyone remember the way it used to be? Am I suffering from rose tinted retrospection, or has it just become rather silly?
On 18 Aug 2016 at 1:48pm Ed Can Do wrote:
I remember it being closed a lot. Whether that was them hanging on to afternoon closing long after every other pub went all day or just because they didn't fancy it some days I couldn't say. I'd say of all the pubs in Lewes though it's one of the least changed since the 90s when I really became aware of the inside of Lewes pubs. Except the Brewers of course which is more or less exactly as it was the day I first went in as an optimistic 15 year old...
On 18 Aug 2016 at 2:00pm Clifford wrote:
A mate of mine came down from London and insisted on going to the Swan as he'd seen it in the Good Beer Guide. He left happy, saying, a bit like Ed Can Do of the Brewers, that it reminded him of when he first started drinking in the early 1960s.
On 18 Aug 2016 at 2:04pm A Person wrote:
I do remember it before the current regime. It was AWFUL. If the landlord didn't know you it was like walking into a hellish private members club, where all talk would stop and everyone gave you the cold stare until you turned on your heels!
What's "silly" about it? The staff are brilliant, the food's great, the patio and garden are wonderful when the sun's out. It is crazy busy, but that's because it delivers what a lot of people value. Long may it last.
On 18 Aug 2016 at 2:57pm Pete Manyata wrote:
Here, here A Person. Bloody good pub. Someone needs to do something with the King's Head though. I understand there are new owners, are they bringing it back to life?
On 18 Aug 2016 at 4:10pm pedanticus wrote:
Hear, hear!
On 18 Aug 2016 at 10:17pm Jonnythecobbler wrote:
I loved it when John was the landlord and I love it now, except............
.....for the clientele, far too many uber smug types, get back to your wine bars
On 18 Aug 2016 at 11:23pm Barry's chopper wrote:
I know what you mean Johnny, full of dfl's showing their London chums just how 'bloody real' the swan is.
Massive, massive idiots
On 18 Aug 2016 at 11:26pm Teaandcoffeemilf wrote:
Well there were 2 guys in tonight who were absolute hunks, like young Oliver Reed and Richard Harris.
Our book group couldn't concentrate, lovely guys
On 18 Aug 2016 at 11:29pm Wet Jill wrote:
Hands off tea, our feminist studies and crochet group saw them first.
On 19 Aug 2016 at 12:25am Local wrote:
"Book group". In a pub. Enough said. FFS.
On 19 Aug 2016 at 7:33am Greaser wrote:
Cobbler & Chopper are bang on the money, too many not born here types, out of town, dfl twats at the Swan these days, and with their precocious little brats at weekends.
On 19 Aug 2016 at 9:08am Hmmmm wrote:
Jolly good: the "born here" knuckle draggers will stay away then. That's probably why it's such a great pub: no morons moaning on about DFLs.
On 19 Aug 2016 at 2:08pm ClarifiedButler wrote:
There must be some kind of super audible range at which DFLs are able to send signals to one another, alerting them of places they can go to mingle. The Swan isn't so bad if you go at the right times, but some of the conversations I have overheard there recently have been hilarious. Definite stomping ground for people taking themselves and particularly their precious little children far too seriously
On 19 Aug 2016 at 10:24pm Gary wrote:
to the people who are going to the Swan with your kids, having fun and enjoying the pub and your lives. keep doing what you're doing as you are winding all the 'born here' inbreds up and making them feel all insecure! hilarious!
On 21 Aug 2016 at 12:21pm Dalston David wrote:
Please understand that the locals are now nothing more than living exhibits in LewesLand. They exist mearly to add authenticity to our perfect lives, and to come and fix our boiler, toilets etc when we sumon them
On 21 Aug 2016 at 2:59pm Amon wildes wrote:
Oh get a grip people. Lewes is like lots and lots of similar towns all over England. Loads of our kids were born in Lewes, went to school here and surprise, surprise, left to train and get jobs often in London. 15 years on, they return as their parents are here and they want to bring up their own kids out of London. They are all now working around here, or still commuting to London. They are contributing to the gaiety of life and the town's businesses. Why are they not allowed to come back to where they were 'born and bred'? They are either looking after their parents or the grandparents are doing the child care while they work. Many, like my kids, work in the NHS locally now. Are they not allowed to live here because they have come back, down from London? They were born here and are now contributing hugely. And yes, they do like the Swan, and the Lewes Arms and the Snowdrop. So do we .....
On 22 Aug 2016 at 4:55pm Ed Can Do wrote:
Nobody really likes going to the Lewes Arms, the old school locals go their because they feel they ought to after all that silliness with Green King and DFLs do because they overheard people in Bills talking about how "Authentically Lewes" it is and they want desperately to understand what that means and be part of it without getting involved in all that ghastly Bonfire stuff or going in the Volunteer on a Saturday evening.
On 22 Aug 2016 at 5:51pm Amon Wildes wrote:
Dear god, ed can do. What curmudgeon you are. We have been going to the Lewes Arms since 1956 - how long have you been drinking in Lewes? We still like the Lewes Arms and our kids like it, along with The Swan, The Brewers, The Snowdrop and the Gardeners. Lewes has some pretty good pubs. You obviously feel that you are the only authentic lewesian around. As in my previous post, get a grip.
.
On 23 Aug 2016 at 3:44pm Ed Can Do wrote:
I have only been drinking in Lewes a mere 20 or so years which is perhaps part of the problem, sandals and socks were already well out of fashion when I came of drinking age so I never really felt like I fit in at the Arms. I was more of a Snowdrop drinker back then and although over the years I have enjoyed spending time at the Lansdown, Elly, Volly, Gardeners, Dorset, Royal Oak, Con Club, Black Horse, Pelham, Brewers, Rainbow, Fruiterers and Pewter Pot primarily, I've never got over the slightly uneasy feeling I get in the Lewes Arms of there being too many beards and CAMRA t-shirts to feel really comfortable. It's a shame as the food is nice in there and they do a mean gin and tonic but such is life I guess.