I confess I really miss this

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My partner always drank (alcohol) more than I did, probably about three times as much, something that I did wonder if I should be concerned about. But then overnight he just decided to stop. It started as one of those month-long challenges, but then he just kept it up and that was about five years ago now. He says he doesn’t miss it at all, and is just as happy with a cup of tea or a mug of cocoa. But I confess I miss it. I’m certainly not any kind of addict but there are times when I would like to sit down with a cold beer or a glass of wine at the end of a busy day and I just feel like I can’t. It doesn’t help that I can’t stand tea either! But the other thing I really miss is going to a nice pub, maybe at the end of a country walk on a summer’s day, or to sit by a cosy fire on a winter’s evening, and enjoying a glass or two of beer. Yes we could still go to the pub, but my partner simply would never even contemplate going to a nice country pub and sitting there with a pint of lemonade, he just doesn’t see the point and would rather have a cup of tea at home. This was brought home to me last week when we as a family were involved in a group activity on a snowy day and at the end of the day we all went to a pub to get some food – and there was the once-familiar scene of a dimly-lit bar in a lovely old historic building with the fire burning, the polished wooden bar, the gleaming brass rails, polished glasses twinkling in the lights, a blackboard with today’s menu, and a long row of traditional hand pumps with different beers from around the country. I miss the whole atmosphere, the experience, the feeling that people have been gathering in these places for generation after generation. It’s part of history – sadly now disappearing as more and more pubs are closing! Also I miss sitting across the table from my partner chatting about things, because we don’t do that at home either. He takes his cup of tea and sits in the lounge with a book or watches something on his ‘phone, and I go to my lap-top. Even if we both sit in the same room it isn’t the same. Anyone else like going to the pub? Or maybe you don't have anything similar where you live? All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2023.