pubs

Stale beer sticks to wobbling tables. The cigarette machine flashes in the corner, mocking smokers who never have any change on them. There__ no natural light in this pub, so it__ dark and gloomy. The pain on the face of the staff tells its own story: overworked, underpaid, exploited and treated as expendable. I feel at home with them. They__e so scared they will be fired from their terrible jobs, every time I order a beer they ask me if I want any peanuts or crisps, in case between drinks I__e turned into the dreaded mystery shopper. The air is chewy and weighs heavy on the skin. The fruit machines in the corners don__ make a sound, aware this is the last stop saloon for the drunk few who can__ afford to gamble properly. Everyone here is down to their last pint and pound.

I've never been thrown out of a pub, but I've fallen into quite a few

Though it had no wide reputation, all manner of people frequented 'The Midnight Bell.' This was in its nature, of course, since it is notorious that all manner of people frequent all manner of public-houses - which in this respect resemble railway stations and mad-houses.

When a man wants to have an alehouse meltdown, the worst thing you can do is stand in his way