Having bought his tobacco and observed the life and thought of the town for half an hour… he made his way to the Emsworth Arms, the most respectable of the eleven inns which the citizens of Market Blandings contrived in some miraculous way to support. In most English country towns, if the public houses do not actually outnumber the inhabitants, they all do an excellent trade. It is only when they are two to one that hard times hit them and set the innkeepers blaming the Government.
From Something Fresh (1915)
2 replies on “P.G. Wodehouse on the pub trade”
I enjoy reading Wodehouse novels and like the passages about the local pub and the landlord who is usually described as serving excellent home-brewed beer. Having the characters drink it is used a plot device to stimulate them to do something, such as stealing pigs, etc. Great books!
Some things never really change I guess.