HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-05-16, Page 21%
What would you like to see if you
were going to England this summer? The
changing of the .Guards? The ToWer of
London? Shakespeare's home town?
WordsWorth's lake country? Winchester
Cathedral?
This is not yet a burning quettion
around our house, but I've been giving it
some thought. Somehow, tramping around
with a clump of tourists while -some guide
spielt off a bored monologue doesn't appeal
to me.
I spent many a leave in London during
the war, and never did get around' to
seeing anything histOrical, beyond a few
ancient pubs.
And when I think of the south of
England, and Scotland, all that comes to
mind is piles of picturesque pubta
I did spent an afternoon in the cathedral
at Chester. But that was becaUte
was with a girl, and it was cool and
private in there. And the pubs weren't
open yet.
I spent a month within a stone's throw
Of ancient KenilWOrth Castle, and didn't
get near it. The castle was in the op-
posite direction to an anCient,and venerable
thatdh-rOofed pub, out in the country.
Another two totitht was spent near
Shrewsbury, one of the, very old. country
towns, no doubt crawling with history.
All I can remember are two pubs, the
Red Lion and the Old Post Office. When
We didn't go there, we nipped across the
nearby Welsh bOitter to the little town of
Oswestry, where there Wat a pub with a
roaring Open fire and a constant game of
.Tip4t, an old game that •Is as pSycholo,
gical as poker,
one of the feW historical sites I did
visit was in the old market town of
fries, in SC -al -and. The site was you '
guessed it pub where the bard Robbie
Burns Spent most of hit eVenitigtWhen he
lived near there. I felt pretty cultural
about that.
When in Lerideh i do. as the LOndOttert,
do, was my niotto, And you don't find them
Standing around gawking at the guards or
limping On weary arches through the
TOWeri, tbit find them in the pubs.
Sound like One long', alcoholic orgy?'
I hasten to assure you that it wasn't...
it was a matter Of ChOlde, not a boozer's
delight.
t'ou could hang' around the offidere
ThiA was a. bleak,. draughty .016.de
With a feW ancient magazines. the only
Stitirde-• Of heat *AA fireplace With
about three bits of coal sputtering in it,
and, standing in front of it,, three or four
fat senior officers with whiskies,in hand.
or you could get on your bike, with a
few kindred souls, and huddle off through
the rain to ,the pub. There you found
warmth, both physical and social. Girls
Navy, Land, Army, Waaf. Local colour.
Games - darts or shove-he-penny. And
'if you hit the right night and knew the
barmaid, there might even be spam sand-
wiches. The ale was incidental.
Well, which of the two would you have
chosen, if you were a young man? No
question. Right?
HoWever, that' bringt me to My Present
predicament. I can't very well take my
wife all the way to England and expect
her to be wildly enthusiastic over nothing
but an extended pub crawl.
Somehow I can't see her being ec-
static about bicycling through the rain
to get to The Gate Hangs High, up in North
wales. It has room for twelve customers
and we used to get about thirty in there.
She might enjoy the Cheshire Cheese,
on Fleet St. Or the Wagon Shed, at
Horley, the Nag's Head, behind St.
George's Hospital on Kittygut St., or the
Star and Garter, St. John's Wood.
But one interesting pub becomes much
like another after a while, Unlett you
just Want to get in out Of the, rain,
Or unless you haveinetnoriet.
What it Comet down to is thleo. If
a man's going back to his old haunts, he
should leave his ' Wife at home. other.,
wise, he'll hear something like o "What
in the WOrld do. you. see in this place?
The 'Golden Lion , my foot. It looks
more like a brindled dog. When are
We having lunch at Claridges?"
SO, I guess the only choice is to
leave her at home. , till miss her but I
won't be lonely, Pin going to call a couple
Of old buddies, Jack Ryan and Bill Proc7
ter f who have sentimental memories of
the same pubs: Take theni
Woops. ityan has six kids: Might be
a bit awkward or him. And, oh yea,
Proctor took his wife to England a feW
years ago, intrOdUCed her to some of hiS
old girl friefidS, with diSiStrOUS, resultSi
He's forbidden'ever to go again.
Oh, Well, I. guess me and . the 'Old
Lady can sit and feed the pigeons in
tratalgar agnate, br go to HoUrne=
mouth and *ken the old women whiizint
around in their'electric darts,
ESTABLISHED
1.872
Brussels Post
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1973
BRUSSELS
ONTARIO
Serving Brussels and the surrounding ,community
published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association.
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others
$5.00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents each.
Second class mail Registration No. 0562.
I
Telephone $87-6641.
A Sliding Pay Scale
For Councillors ?
A discussion on salaries for St.
Marys Mayor and Councillors, using
Comparative figures secured from
municipalities in a similar populat-
ion grouping is, we understand
scheduled for discussion at the next
meeting of St. Marys Town Council.
From information noted in exchange
weeklies, it would appear that some
type, of raise is possibly due Mayor.
and Councillors here, but we will
leave such speculation until full
details are known.
Something new has appeared on the
horizon of elected officials pay
scale recently. More and more we
notice arguments supporting the view
that Mayors, Reeves, 'Councillors
etcetera, should be paid on a slid-
ing scale according'to their ex-
perience in office. To be frank,
there are few more deManding ser-
vices than those called upon for
such officials to perform, especially
in these days of compounded red-tape
and the ever-present financial
"thumb" of. the Provincial govern-
ment.
There can be no argument but what
a councillor with even one year be-
neath his belt, or her whatever it
might be, is better equipped to deal
with town business than a rookie who
must flounder for a while trying to
understand a few ripples in the vast
morass than has engulfed even muni-
cipal government.
The sliding pay scale should
have the effect of.encouraging cap-
able elected officials to stay in.
office longer than would normally be
the case. Experience is an asset in
any job, with Council certainly no
exception. The heavier work loads.
normally fall upon experienced mem-
bers,
Thus, in 'the writer's opinion,
after years.of reporting municipal
affairs, such Councillors and if,
the years in office indicate such
experience, Mayors and Reeves,should
receive additional reimbursement.
(St. Marys Journal Argus)
"Whenever t. Talk .to hitii befalls asleep. Mr. Carter,
Mit-CART:al"
Sugar and Spice
By Bill. Smiley