Happy Hours

FOR more than 40 years Mike Critchley
has been on a journey through the
character-packed pubs of the British
Isles. From spit-and-sawdust backstreet
boozers through to majestic Victorian
drinking palaces, he has chronicled
every new visit in a little blue notebook
kept since he turned 18.
In Happy Hours, Mike recalls many
of the highlights - and a few low points - of that 'never-ending pub crawl' in a
book that charts significant changes to
the way we drink and world about us.
There is a pub for all seasons, with
potted histories of Britain's finest pub
buildings, observations of legendary
landlords and landladies, recollections
of colourful elbow-bending customers
and an appreciation of good beer.
Happy Hours weaves in many
personal anecdotes and aspects of
social history and is delivered with a
large dollop of northern humour. It is
laced with the wit and wisdom of many
of the folk Mike has had the crack with
in bar rooms over the past five decades.
At a time when we are losing pubs
hand over fist due to a multitude of
reasons, this book is a timely reminder
of the importance of these wonderful
institutions and community hubs, and
the role they play in society.