MY REPORT FROM "THE BLUE RADDLE" IN DORCHESTER for K.

On my way from "Herring's", at the Top-of-Town in the rain, down High West Street, circuitously to "Waitrose", i called-in at "The Blue Raddle" for a drink. There was a hand-written sign on the door to greet and, in a way, reassure one, of the more traditional ambience of this pub :-

SORRY,

NO STAG

OR

HEN PARTIES!

Ostensibly, i had come to Dorchester to buy some hand-made papers for a forthcoming project i've been slowly assembling. That, having been accomplished at my first port-of-call, i thought i'd drop-in at the said Public House.

Lou was, once again, behind the lunchtime bar. She had not been there on our last springtime visits. In fact, i'd not seen her for a good little while. i am not a regular of the "Raddle" but i do frequent it as regularly as i do any pub in hometown-Weymouth...but that's not saying so very much!

 

A half of Oliver's Perry (6%), from Herefordshire.

 

i sat and relaxed with my drink and felt agreeably lulled by the alcohol and the gentle buzz and murmurings of some dozen or so of the mid-day crowd. It was two-fifteen and the rain had abated, the sun was shining warmly, and it was very bright, both inside and out. The drayman arrived in a truck, delivering kegs with a thump onto the pavement and then rolling them quickly past the bar entrance to the cellar. "It would've been horses at one time", said a man at the bar, to the driver, (Poor Old Tired Horse, i thought!) who had come-in for his delivery-note to be signed, and was happy to talk shop over a drink of Coke. October, and he was still in shorts.

About a half-hour over a half-a-pint of Perry and my head and cheeks felt hot and probably as red as a rosy English apple, (but it's pears that constitute Perry.) 

Lou asked me if i liked the drink. "Very much", i said, while donning my flat-cap again and zipping-up my jacket, said "Cheers" to her, and exited.

The fresh air outside was a welcome blessing and it was raining. But it was sunny in Weymouth, when the number ten bus i was on, pulled-in at The Esplanade stop, not before having taken some extra passengers aboard at Upwey, the previous bus back to Weymouth having broken-down. A not so unusual occurrence!

* * *

b.h.

GOLDY HERMITAGE

6 / october / 2015

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